Tag Archive for: Education

Why Grade 11 Matters: The Year That Shapes Your Future

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It’s tempting to treat Grade 11 as a dress rehearsal – the “real” pressure only kicks in once Matric starts. But that thinking gets the order backwards. By the time Grade 12 begins, much of your future has already started taking shape, and Grade 11 is where that shape gets decided.

Here’s why this specific year carries more weight than it gets credit for.

Grade 11 Marks Are Often Your First Real Currency

If you’re planning to study further, your Grade 11 final results are usually the first marks that count in a formal sense. Most South African universities use them for provisional acceptance – a conditional offer that holds as long as you don’t significantly underperform in Matric.

That provisional offer matters more than it sounds. It’s not just a formality; it’s often your foot in the door while spaces are still being allocated.

The Numbers Make This Impossible to Ignore

South African university admissions are genuinely brutal, and the competition is only intensifying. The University of Johannesburg received over 450,000 applications for its 2026 intake, competing for an undergraduate first-year enrolment of just 11,200 places – a ratio of roughly 40 applicants for every available seat. And that’s just one university.

Other institutions report similarly stretched numbers: UJ alone receives more than 180,000 applications yearly, with fewer than 10% of applicants securing a place, and competition is described as toughest for Law, Health Sciences, and Engineering programmes.

Waiting until Matric to “turn it on” means competing for these same limited spaces against learners who locked in provisional acceptance a year earlier. You’re not just competing on ability at that point – you’re competing on timing, and timing is largely decided in Grade 11.

What Happens If Grade 11 Doesn’t Go Well?

It’s not the end of the road – but it does make things harder. Without a strong provisional offer, you’re more reliant on your Matric results alone carrying the full weight of your application, competing against learners who already have a head start. In practice, this can mean:

  • Deferring entry by a year while spaces are allocated to those with early acceptance
  • Needing to significantly outperform your Grade 11 results just to catch up
  • Missing early bursary and residence application windows, many of which also favour learners with provisional acceptance already secured

None of this is catastrophic, but it’s avoidable friction – and Grade 11 is the year that determines whether you’re navigating around it or not.

It’s Also Where Your Subject Choices Get Locked In

Grade 11 is realistically your last opportunity to reconsider subject choices if something isn’t working. By the time Matric begins, changing direction becomes significantly harder. If you’re even slightly unsure whether your current subjects support what you want to study, this is the year to have that conversation – with a teacher, a tutor, or a subject advisor – not next year.

This is also where a term we’ll unpack properly in a separate guide becomes relevant: your APS score – the points-based system most South African universities use to assess applications. Grade 11 is when it’s worth understanding, in broad terms, how your current marks and subject choices are shaping that score, well before it’s calculated for real in Matric. 

It’s also important to note that different universities manage entry requirements very differently. For example, Wits, UP, and UCT each calculate this completely differently. We break down exactly how in our next guide, so you know which subjects and marks actually matter for the universities you’re targeting.

Grade 11 Is a Practice Run – Use It as One

Beyond the marks themselves, Grade 11 is where you build the habits that carry you through Matric: how you study, how you manage time under pressure, and how you identify and close gaps in your own knowledge before they become a crisis in your final year.

Treat it as a genuine trial run rather than a lower-stakes placeholder, and Matric becomes far more manageable when it arrives.

If You’re Not Where You Want to Be Yet

If your Grade 11 marks aren’t reflecting what you’re capable of, the earlier you address that, the more room you have to fix it before it affects your options. A tutor can help identify exactly where the gaps are and close them before they compound – and can also help you think through whether your current subject choices genuinely support the direction you want to go. Click here to learn more about getting a tutor to help boost your marks. 

Next up: we’ll go deep into APS scores specifically – what they are, how they’re calculated, and how to plan your Grade 11 and 12 years around the score you’ll actually need.

Understanding ADHD: A Parent’s Guide to Symptoms, Types & Diagnosis

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If you’re here because something about your child’s behaviour has you wondering – a school report that doesn’t match how bright they seem at home, a teacher’s gentle suggestion, or a nagging feeling that things are harder for them than they should be – this guide is meant to help you make sense of what ADHD actually is, and what the process of finding out looks like.

What Is ADHD?

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It’s one of the most common barriers to learning among school-aged children, affecting an estimated 5.3% of people worldwide. It’s not a matter of a child being “difficult” or not trying hard enough – it’s a recognised neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain manages attention, impulse control, and activity levels.

Because it’s so common, it’s worth every parent, tutor, and educator having a working understanding of what it looks like and how it’s identified – not to self-diagnose, but to know when it’s worth having a proper conversation with a professional.

Understanding ADHD: A Parent's Guide to Symptoms, Types & Diagnosis

What Are the Symptoms of ADHD?

Here’s where it gets genuinely tricky: most young children get distracted, act on impulse, and struggle to sit still at some point. That’s normal childhood behaviour, not ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD usually appear early, often between ages 3 and 6, but because they overlap so heavily with ordinary development, they can be difficult to distinguish – which is exactly why a proper assessment matters rather than a checklist alone.

Symptoms generally fall into three categories:

1. Inattention – a learner may:

  • Be easily distracted, miss details, or frequently switch between tasks
  • Struggle to focus on one thing, especially something not immediately enjoyable
  • Have difficulty organising or completing tasks, or starting something new
  • Lose things needed for tasks (pencils, books, assignments)
  • Seem not to listen when spoken to directly
  • Process information more slowly than peers, or seem to daydream often
  • Struggle to follow multi-step instructions

2. Hyperactivity – a learner may:

  • Fidget, squirm, or struggle to stay seated
  • Talk excessively or seem constantly in motion
  • Have difficulty with quiet, still activities

3. Impulsivity – a learner may:

  • Struggle to wait their turn
  • Blurt out comments or act without considering consequences
  • Interrupt conversations or other people’s activities

Most children with ADHD show a mix of all three, though not always in equal measure – which is where the different types come in.

What Are the Different Types of ADHD?

Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive

Six or more hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms present, with fewer inattentive symptoms (though some may still be there).

Predominantly Inattentive

Six or more inattentive symptoms present, with fewer hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This is the type most likely to be missed. These learners often sit quietly and don’t act out, so they can look like they’re simply “not paying attention” or “a bit of a daydreamer” rather than showing signs of ADHD – and it’s part of why girls, in particular, tend to be diagnosed later than boys. You can read more about ADHD in girls here.

Combined Type

Six or more symptoms in both categories – this is the most common presentation.

Why ADHD Gets Missed

Because inattentive-type ADHD doesn’t come with disruptive behaviour, it’s easy for parents and teachers to overlook. A learner who’s quiet and well-behaved doesn’t tend to raise the same flags as one who’s visibly restless, even if they’re struggling just as much to keep up.

At the same time, hyperactive-impulsive symptoms are sometimes mistaken for a discipline issue rather than a barrier to learning, particularly in younger children where higher activity levels are developmentally normal.

Both patterns mean ADHD can go unrecognised for years, which is why paying attention to persistent patterns – not isolated moments – matters more than any single behaviour.

How Is ADHD Diagnosed?

There’s no single test for ADHD. Instead, diagnosis in South Africa typically involves a registered educational psychologist (or a paediatrician who may refer you to one), who will gather information about your child’s behaviour across different settings and over time.

The process usually involves ruling out other explanations first, such as:

  • Hearing or vision problems
  • Sleep issues or other medical conditions affecting behaviour
  • Anxiety, depression, or other conditions that can mimic ADHD symptoms
  • A recent major life change (a house move, loss in the family, parents’ divorce) that could be causing temporary behavioural shifts

 

From there, the psychologist will typically look at:

  • Whether behaviours are long-term and extreme, not just occasional
  • Whether they show up more than in peers of the same age
  • Whether they appear across multiple settings – home, school, social situations – rather than just one

This is usually gathered through observation, questionnaires completed by parents and teachers, and sometimes cognitive or academic assessments to check whether a learning difficulty is also present.

What Happens After a Diagnosis?

A diagnosis isn’t an endpoint – it’s the start of knowing what kind of support will actually help. Depending on your child’s needs, that might include:

  • Tailored academic support. One-on-one tutoring, paced and structured around how your child’s brain works best, rather than a one-size-fits-all classroom approach.
  • Exam accommodations. Many learners with ADHD qualify for support such as extra time or a prompter during assessments – worth discussing with your school. You can also find more information on our quick blog here.
  • A clearer picture of exam-time challenges specifically. Some learners manage well day-to-day but really struggle when assessment pressure hits – see our guide on why ADHD symptoms often intensify at exam time.

If you’re trying to work out whether what you’re seeing at home fits this picture, or you’ve already got a diagnosis and are wondering what support looks like in practice, BrightSparkz’s neurodivergent tutoring approach is a good next step to explore.

Why Does My Child’s ADHD Seem to Get Worse at Exam Time?

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If your child manages reasonably well through the term – keeping up in class, getting homework done, coping day to day – and then everything seems to fall apart the moment exams or big assessments arrive, you’re probably not just imagining it. This is one of the most common patterns we see, and there’s a real explanation behind it.

ADHD during exam times

It’s Not That ADHD “Gets Worse” – It’s That Exams Demand Exactly What’s Hardest

ADHD doesn’t intensify overnight. What changes is the demand being placed on the parts of the brain ADHD affects most: planning, time management, working memory, and sustained focus under pressure – collectively known as executive function.

Day-to-day schoolwork is broken into smaller, structured chunks with regular check-ins from a teacher. Exams remove almost all of that structure at once: long stretches of independent, self-paced work, often across multiple subjects in a short window, with real stakes attached. For a learner whose executive function is already working harder than most just to keep up, that’s the exact combination that tends to expose the strain.

Why This Often Shows Up Specifically at Report Card and Prelim Time

A few patterns show up again and again around Term 2 report cards and Matric prelims in particular:

  • The gap between “knowing it” and “showing it” widens. Your child may understand the content perfectly when you go through it together, but freeze, blank, or run out of time the moment they’re sitting the actual assessment.
  • Studying itself becomes the obstacle. Revision requires self-directed planning – deciding what to study, when, and for how long – which is precisely the executive function skill ADHD makes hardest. It’s not unwillingness; it’s a genuine difficulty getting started and staying on track without external structure.
  • Time pressure amplifies everything. A learner who manages time reasonably well with support may completely lose track of pacing once they’re on their own in an exam venue.
  • Stress compounds the difficulty. Exam pressure adds an emotional-regulation load on top of an already-stretched attention system, which is part of why a capable learner can seem to “shut down” under pressure in a way that doesn’t match how they perform normally.

Is It ADHD, or Is It Just Exam Stress?

This is a fair question, and the honest answer is: it can be both, and they can worsen each other. Ordinary exam nerves are common in almost every learner. What tends to point specifically toward ADHD-related strain, rather than general stress, is a pattern where:

  • The struggle is disproportionate to how well your child understands the actual content
  • It happens consistently across assessments and subjects, not just one stressful test
  • It’s paired with the same difficulties you may see at other times – losing track of tasks, poor time estimation, trouble starting – just more visible under pressure

If you’re not sure which is driving what you’re seeing, that’s a reasonable thing to raise directly with a psychologist or your child’s tutor, rather than trying to work it out alone.

What Actually Helps at This Stage

The good news is that this pattern, while frustrating, is well understood – and there’s a lot that can help:

  • Structured, one-on-one support that breaks studying into manageable, externally-paced chunks – rather than expecting a learner to self-organise their own revision from scratch.
  • Practising under timed, exam-like conditions in advance, so the pressure itself becomes more familiar rather than something they’re facing cold for the first time.
  • Checking whether exam accommodations are appropriate – many learners with ADHD qualify for support like extra time or a prompter, which can meaningfully change how an exam actually plays out for them. See our guide on accommodations and concessions if this is new territory for you.
  • Tutoring specifically paced around how your child’s brain works, rather than a generic study plan. BrightSparkz’s neurodivergent tutoring approach is built around exactly this kind of individualised pacing.

You’re Not Overreacting

If report card season or prelims have you noticing a real dip that doesn’t match how capable you know your child to be, that instinct is worth listening to. This is one of the most common reasons families come to us for support in Term 2 and ahead of Matric finals – and it’s very fixable with the right structure in place.

Get in touch with BrightSparkz Tutors if you’d like help figuring out what kind of support would make the biggest difference for your child right now.

Is It Worth Writing Matric Supplementary Exams?

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Details regarding the combined May/June 2026 Amended Senior Certificate (adult Matric) and National Senior Certificate examination will be communicated to candidates in due course. Candidates are encouraged by the Department of Education to use this additional time to continue with their examination preparations. Find out more here

 

*Adults that qualify to write the 2026 Senior Certificate examination must register for the examination from 01 October 2025 until roughly 06 February 2026. Registration can be done online or at any education district office.*

Should you write supplementary exams?

If you have written your Matric examinations and your results were disappointing, you have an option to improve your results.  Perhaps you passed Grade 12 but failed to get the results you need for that university course you want? Maybe you failed Matric and won’t get a Matric certificate? And now you’re concerned about not being able to get a job without one?  

Matric rewrite supplementary exam

Whatever your reasons may be, writing supplementary Matric exams is an option to consider. There are major benefits to doing so, even though the thought of putting your life back a year is daunting. Yes, your friends may be moving on to greater things like tertiary study, working, or taking a gap year while you are stuck doing Matric work again! And yes, you can’t bear the thought of doing the same schoolwork again when you could not wait to put it behind you. Yes, you are disappointed at this roadblock in your life which right now feels like a devastating blow!

It’s tough, we know

You have taken a serious knock to your self-confidence and you’re not sure which direction to follow. If you passed overall, should you give up your dreams of getting a university entrance or studying a specific field because your marks were not good enough? Should you settle for something else? If you failed your Matric exams, is it worth it to rewrite and get a Matric certificate? Should you suffer through the pain of trying to improve your Maths and Science marks? Will it really make a difference? Perhaps you were not planning to study further anyway, so why bother?

Good questions! However, you need to look beyond the here and now for your answers. Why give up your dreams if it is possible to still reach for them (even though it may be a little inconvenient now?). What happens if you settle for something else and you regret it later, or decide after a few years of working that you would like to study again but you don’t have a Matric certificate?

Benefits of having a matric certificate

Having a Matric certificate gives you more options in life in terms of job opportunities, and who doesn’t like having options? You will find it difficult to find employment without Matric and even then, the most menial type of work possible. It may seem unimportant to you now as it is exciting to earn money, especially if you’re not used to having any, but it wears thin quickly if your earning potential never increases and you have to settle for anything you can get.

Although it seems like a big sacrifice to put your life on hold while you write supplementary exams, it is a small price to pay for all the years of a better future which lie ahead. It is worth doing merely to improve your options in life. (Particularly, improving on your Maths and Science marks if you have those as subjects, will allow you almost unlimited options in your study choices).

Matric rewrite supplementary exam

How to succeed in your supplementary exam

You will need to do things differently to ensure a better outcome than the first time you wrote your Grade 12 exams. You will need to be disciplined, to manage your time well, and to set some realistic study goals. Remember that a failed exam does not define you! The power is in your hands.

If you feel like you don’t know how to study correctly, and you suspect that this has adversely affected your marks, try a Study Skills Crash Course. If you did not understand some aspects of the work, you will need to get some help – either enroll at a college which offers matric rewrites, or do it yourself with the help of past papers and a tutor. A highly qualified tutor will be able to offer you academic and emotional support. Your tutor has walked the path ahead of you and knows what it takes to get the Matric results you want!

Give yourself every opportunity for a bright future and consider writing supplementary Matric examinations! Book a tutor to help you now!

Find out if you qualify to write a supplementary exam here. 

 

Matric Supplementary Exam Enquiry

To book a tutor please complete the form below (hourly rates start at R350/hr* online):

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Include the subjects which you've registered to re-take.

5 Helpful Responses To Your Child’s Report Card

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How to respond to your child’s report

Report card

It’s that time of year – the much anticipated (or dreaded) school report card will be coming home soon. As a parent, it’s often difficult to know how to respond to poor results, and how you do may impact your child more than you realize. Here are 5 helpful responses to your child’s report card: 

1. Talk to your child’s teacher 

If your child performed poorly in a certain subject, and you aren’t sure why, contact their teacher to ascertain whether this is due to not understanding the concepts, or some other aspect. You could also ask for an idea of how their peers performed, and where they rank on this scale. 

Social issues, learning problems or even something as simple as needing glasses could be affecting your child’s grades, and their teacher should be able to provide insight into this. 

2. Talk to your child Talk to your child about their report

Maybe they hate the subject, or don’t understand the teacher. Maybe they are being bullied, or don’t like their school or classmates. You will gain far more from talking to your child to understand what is going on in their lives and minds. Above all, do not disregard their feelings. Talk to them about how you could work together to improve their grades. 

 

3. Re-evaluate your own expectations 

If your child has one B on an otherwise straight-A report card, this may not be the issue you think it is. Are you being too hard on your child? You want the best for them, and for their future, which is why you push them, but be sure you don’t push them to the point of burnout. 

4. Reward your child Reward your child

Your child worked hard, and deserves praise for their achievements. Highlight areas where you are proud of their achievements, and celebrate with them in some small way – this could be taking them for an ice cream, or to see a movie, or just some quality time. Children want you to be proud of them, and will work hard for this, so make sure they know that you are. 

5. Arrange extra support 

BrightSparkz can help!

If your child is facing any kind of academic difficulties, they may need extra support. Contact BrightSparkz Tutors to arrange for a private, personalized tutor, or to arrange a session with our Edu-Coach to better understand why your child is struggling. Your child may need assistance in writing exams, such as a reader/scribe, or they may be lacking study skills that could be resulting in poor exam results. Whatever the reason, BrightSparkz offers a range of services that will help your child succeed. Contact us today! 

 

 

Written by: Tessa Cooper, BrightSparkz Contributor

On Set with BrightSparkz Tutors

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Lights, camera, action!

BrightSparkz Location Tutors

In the year that BrightSparkz Tutors has been providing film production companies with on-set (location) tutors and childminders, our tutors have travelled all over South Africa, from Mpumalanga and the Drakensberg, to the Cederberg and all over Cape Town. No day is ever the same, with stunts taking place, weather being made, crazy costumes and crazier make up, and incredible sets being built overnight. One thing stays the same – this is a film set, not a school, and children partaking as lead actors or extra’s need to be kept occupied, safe, and ready to head to set at a moment’s notice.

Any minor working on a filmset must legally be accompanied by a childminder. This role frequently extends to tutoring, as the school-ages actors and extras are often out of school for days or weeks at a time while filming, and someone needs to ensure their daily schooling requirements are met!

Schooling starts when the children sign in, and location tutors check up on their schooling needs and homework, which subjects they need help with today and what their schedule will be like. BrightSparkz ensures that there is a tutor on set that can handle questions from any major subject (Maths, Science, English and Afrikaans, and others if necessary – this sometimes includes other countries’ curricula!). Once on set, and in-between takes, the books come out. BrightSparkz’ childminders and tutors help the children through any tough course work, helping them through any school-related problems they may be having, as well as supervising homework and studying. It’s important for the children to stay up to date with their school work, and do something productive with all the time spent waiting around!

Location tutors and child minders also act as a go-between for staff and school-aged actors/extras, shuttling them to set when needed, collecting them for meals and scenes, and ensuring that all children are where they should be, when they should be there! (Our tutors sometimes need eyes at the back of our heads, and on the sides!). A major concern on set is safety. Any set always has a great deal of heavy equipment, cables, cameras – and this just the smaller things. Stunts and explosions, fire or snakes and scorpions are just some of the things that threaten the children’s safety. It is also these things that amaze the children as they watch a stunt or listen to a snake wrangler explain the way the snakes’ poison works (a lesson they will never forget – no books or tests required!).

BrightSparkz’ location tutors and childminders have another important job – being an advocate and voice for school-ages actors/kids in an adult-dominated environment, making sure they have someone to turn to, to ask for advice, or even to speak up if the time between bathroom breaks becomes too long!

BrightSparkz ensures that tutors and childminders are suitably qualified, with university and teaching degrees or well on their way to obtaining them, as well as experience tutoring the subjects they are on set to tutor. They are also passionate about children and education, and aim to make the exciting experience of working on a filmset both fun and productive!

The BrightSparkz team also provide regular updates and report-backs to the production team on academic matters, as well as personally liaise with schools and parents regarding examinations and assignments. We currently supply location tutors and child minders in Cape Town and Johannesburg, but tutors in other locations can also be arranged. Get in touch with us if you are interested in booking a location tutor, or becoming a location tutor!

The Brains Behind BrightSparkz

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“Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights your way.” 

It’s been 10 years since the humble beginnings of a few flyer handouts and informal tutor recruitment. As we celebrate our decade milestone, the brains behind BrightSparkz get personal – sharing some insights into running a business, their various challenges and achievements, as well as a snippet of what we can expect from BrightSparkz in the future. 

Amy Stockwell (Johannesburg)
“I completed a BSc. Physiotherapy degree before moving from Cape Town to Johannesburg at the end of 2006 to do my year of community service, while also planning the expansion of our Cape Town tutoring business to Gauteng. In 2009 I completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management through the Wits Business School, and quickly realised that business was my passion. In 2011, I stopped practicing physiotherapy, got married and started dedicating all my time to BrightSparkz Tutors. Our family grew in May 2015 when we were blessed with our baby boy, so my time is currently best spent on being a mom and supportive wife to my husband, who is a competitive cyclist and mountain biker. When I get time of my own, I enjoy running 10km and 21km races.”

Dominique Oebell (Cape Town)
“I completed a BSc. Physiotherapy at UCT in 2006, and worked part-time as a physiotherapist while we were establishing BrightSparkz Tutors. In 2013, I obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration at the UCT Graduate School of Business, and while it was initially Physiotherapy that developed a lot of empathy in me and a passion to make a difference, I believe that its entrepreneurship and education that can really improve people’s lives. In my free time I love spending time at the beach, walking my dogs, and reading books that inspire me to be a better person. My faith life is also really important to me, and that keeps me centered when things get stressful!”

Q1: Where did you get the idea from to start a tutoring company and what took it from an idea to an actual business? (What was your greatest motivation to get started?)

I started tutoring in primary school and continued into my university years. In third year I was unable to take on more learners, but still tried to help to find suitable tutors for parents who contacted me. This is where the idea was born. After some research, we realised that there wasn’t much out there in terms of home based one-on-one tutoring, and that parents really needed this type of service.  AS

Q2: What would you say to people who aren’t fired up about what they’re doing or studying?

I would advise them to not settle on that career (although sometimes it is wise to learn what you can from a field and to use it to your advantage in a transition period), and to keep exposing themselves to different job environments or fields, to discover what makes them tick. Once they have discovered this, to start meeting people and growing their network of individuals who operate in these fields or environments. This is a great way to learn more about a field, but also to be made aware of new job or business opportunities that arise within those fields.  DO

Q3: What advice would you give people who have or are thinking about starting a business?

Starting a business is the easy part. Maintaining it and “finishing” well is the hard part! Knowing why you want to start a business is key. Many experts in a field assume the logical next step is to start their own company but what they don’t realise is that the skills that make them a great employee are not the same skills that will make them a great entrepreneur. They start with great enthusiasm, with ideas of being their own boss and having their own time, only to realise that often the initial investment of time and energy (and money) can be much greater than expected.

Knowing what your customers needs are, as well as how many players are already in the market, is also critical. It doesn’t matter how well you bake bread – if no one is needing home-baked bread, or there are already 5 people baking bread in your community, your business will fail (unless you can provide something that no one else is, that your customers are needing, of course!).  DO

Q4: The world has changed a lot in the last 10 years, particularly in the area of technology. What is BS doing to leverage the technology we have available to us to better serve and educate learners?

It definitely has! BrightSparkz started using a very manual system until we knew exactly what our needs were, and had our first custom system built in 2011. This is something we are in the process of upgrading, and have also been developing a mobile responsive system that we are currently rolling out with our tutors, and will extend to clients later in the year.

We also introduced BrightSparkz Mobile Maths and Science in 2014, which is a platform that allows learners to access user friendly resources via their PC, tablet, or smartphone. The program caters for both CAPS and IEB learners, by dividing the Maths, Physical Science, and Natural Sciences curricula into comprehensive sections. It’s a great tool to help children and their tutor work through and consolidate the Maths and / or Science syllabus for the year, especially in preparation for tests and exams.

One of our missions is to automate as much as we can without taking away the personal touch from our service, as this is something that is still extremely important to us.  AS

Q5: Do you think the gradual move to online education and self-education is a positive one? Is BS responding to this transition is any way?

There are pro’s and con’s to every change in society, but we have never before had access to so much information as we do in the digital era, and that opens up opportunities for learning to many more people. One can learn anything without traditional limitations of space, time, and money. That said, there is still incredible value in face-to-face time with a tutor/teacher/facilitator, and there seems to be a higher level of accountability in face-to-face or blending learning environments. I think the challenge for online education service providers still lies in how to motivate individuals effectively, specifically children and teenagers. 

We are currently positioning ourselves in such a way that we are able to grow with the changes that are changing the landscape of extra-curricular educational services. Online tutoring via Skype is something we already offer, as well as additional tools such as online whiteboards and learning platforms are just a few of our tech plans for future. However, we believe strongly in a blended learning approach, and will always incorporate the human element into our service offerings regardless of how the tech landscape changes, as we believe this is still what our customers are wanting.  DO

Q6: What have been some of the greatest challenges, and greatest achievements over the past 10 years?

Persevering with this business has probably been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life! There have been so many times when I’ve wanted to throw in the towel and trade it in for a job! But after a good cry and a pep-talk from my family, I determine what needs to change and I keep at it. Being able to celebrate our 10-year anniversary is a huge milestone for us! We have learnt many lessons and have experienced many setbacks, yet I’m proud of the excellent service standards we maintain and of our current team of staff who work really hard to attain this. We’ve had many challenges in the areas of staffing, navigating company restructuring, and in getting our business processes up to speed with competitors who use more sophisticated technology. In some areas, we’ve had to work really hard to catch up and although we have not yet “arrived”, our hard work is paying off and we’ve been able to secure contracts with larger educational institutions, publishers and even film production companies.  DO

Q7: How is BS trying to intentionally deal with the challenges faced by South African learners?

One of our primary goals is to eventually make tutoring accessible to as many South African learners as possible, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Part of our planning this year is to officially launch our corporate sponsorship program, in order to extend our reach in this regard. We have previously worked with numerous foundations who assist in identifying learners showing potential and who would otherwise not be able to afford assistance. This is something we are extremely excited and passionate about, and look forward to partnering with organizations who value education as the key to the future, as much as we do.  AS

 

“No one can be sure of what changes, big or small, lie ahead. One thing is certain, our journey is not over.”

 

Interested in one-on-one tutoring in the comfort of your own home? We can make that happen for you! Feel free to get in touch with us here.

 

Written By: Ashleigh de Jager, BrightSparkz Blog Writer

Managing the New School Term

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“What I learn today doesn’t make yesterday wrong, it makes tomorrow better”.

Just as the stress of the exam season has subsided, the stress and anxiety that comes with a new school term starts to arise. We understand that a new school term can be daunting for both children and their parents, and while it cannot be avoided, there are those unnecessary stresses that can be combated.

 

How to combat unnecessary stress and make the most of the home-stretch:

  1. Keep a routine

Keeping a routine is one of the most promoted yet underestimated and underused pieces of advice. Having a routine makes many of the things in our lives that would otherwise be unpredictable, completely predictable – which then puts them in our control and minimizes the stress potentially attached to them. We also often underestimate how much time we waste during a day that can quite easily be spent on a productive and beneficial activity, had we had a thought out schedule and anticipated it. For example, packing a book and reading in the car in early morning traffic or on the way home is a great time to get your reading done when you would otherwise be doing nothing anyway. This also frees up the time you would have spent reading, and can now be spent on other things – allowing you to achieve a lot more, in less time. Where are you wasting time that could possibly be better spent if you had a schedule and planned for it?

  1. Set goals and daily tasks

How would you like to finish this year? What would you like your report to look like when you hand it to your parents? If you aren’t proud of where you are academically, then it’s time to start deciding where you would like to be, and what you need to do in order to get there. Set some long-term goals for yourself, and then determine what steps need to be taken each day that will get you closer towards your long-terms goals. This requires discipline, and sometimes saying no to other activities that a probably way more fun, but I can promise that you won’t regret it when you receive that report card at the end of the term.

  1. Prepare in advance

If you are anything like I was at school, you probably wait until the very last minute to do everything: to get out of bed in the morning, to do your homework, to start assignments. And as I’m sure you’ve already discovered, this inevitably always ends in a last minute rush that sends your stress levels through the roof! Let’s try getting out of procrastination station this term and start preparing for what will be coming, and keep coming, whether we prepare for it or not. Something as simple as packing your bag the night before can do wonders for a good start to the day, and will even help you to sleep better.

  1. Don’t fall behind

Having to catch-up a day or two’s work may sound like no big deal, but what happens when a day or two rolls over into a week or two? We understand that getting home after a full day of school to sit down and spend more hours on homework can be exhausting, and quite frankly, entirely unnecessary. But homework is here to stay whether we like it or not, and fortunately, has not killed anyone yet. The best way to avoid homework stress is to get it out of the way as soon as possible. After you’ve arrived home from school and had something to eat, dedicate the next hour or two (depending on your Grade and workload), to complete that day’s homework. If you’re able to, you can even move ahead with certain tasks or exercises if you know there will be some days where you might have less time to do homework due to sports etc. This leaves the evening free to do things that you enjoy, without having the guilt and anxiety of what’s still waiting for you in your school bag hanging over your head.

  1. Go over your work each day

One of the best ways to ensure that you’re able to keep up with your workload is by spending some time each day (+- 30 minutes) becoming familiar with what is new. This allows everything you learnt during the day to be processed and reinforced in your brain, which not only increases your ability to recall the information (memory), but also helps you to identify parts of your work you don’t fully understand. You can then spend some time making sense of the work you don’t understand, or make a note to have your teacher or tutor explain it to you. Making sure you understand your work daily also helps ensure that you don’t fall behind as previously mentioned.

  1. Still make time for the things you enjoys most

Have you ever heard that saying: “Too much of anything is a bad thing”? You may assume that cutting out sports and any other extra curricular activities will give you more time for academics, and therefore improve your marks, but truthfully, it’s going to end up costing you far more than is necessary. Creating a balance in your life is very important and cutting out the things you enjoy most will most likely result in resenting what’s left – school and homework. While academics are incredibly important, so is your health and fitness, and it has actually been proven that keeping active and making time for the things you enjoy will positively impact other areas of your life as you develop increased energy and better concentration. But remember, in order to make time for the things you enjoy, you’ll have to have a routine to determine what amount of free time you do and don’t have.

 

How BrightSparkz can help:

  • Private tutoring

BrightSparkz Tutors offers one-on-one, subject specific tutoring that takes place in the comfort of your own home or a venue of your choice. Tutors aim to identify the gaps in knowledge, while simultaneously facilitating learning through lots of practice, revision of theory, and interactive discussion of the subject matter.

Our tutors are unique individuals, who are selected carefully based on their specific strengths in their chosen subjects.  They not only have excellent knowledge of the subjects they tutor, but also a passion for tutoring and helping learners reach their potential.

  • Study Skills Crash Course

BrightSparkz Tutors has partnered with an outstanding Educational Psychologist who offers a fantastic Study Skills Crash Course, designed to benefit Grades 4 – 12 in particular, in order to help your child make the most of their education and tutoring. Find out more or book a Study Skills Crash Course here. 

 

It’s never too late for your child to start combating stressful habits and taking control of their education. But neither you nor your child have to do it alone – BrightSparkz Tutors are ready to help. Just click here, provide us with your details, and we’ll get right onto looking for the most suitable tutor for your learner’s needs.

 

Written By: Ashleigh de Jager, BrightSparkz Blog Writer

Understanding Dyscalculia – Part 3

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Our two previous blogs discuss dyscalculia in detail. Now that we know a little bit more, what can we do to help our learners?

Tutor tips (For the tutor and the parents):

  • Use concrete examples that connect math to real life. For instance, use examples that include their favourite things or shopping. This helps to strengthen your learner’s number sense.
  • Use visual aids when solving problems. Draw pictures or move around physical objects. Teachers and tutors can refer to this as “manipulatives”
  • Assign manageable amounts of work so your tutee will not feel overloaded
  • Review a recently learned skill before moving on to a new one, and explain how the skills are related
  • Supervise work and encourage your learner to talk through the problem-solving process. This can help ensure your tutee is using the right math rules and formulas
  • Break new lessons into smaller parts that help to show how different skills relate to the new concept
  • Let your tutee use graph paper to help keep numbers lined up or in columns
  • Use an extra piece of paper to cover up most of what’s on a math test so your tutee can focus on one problem at a time
  • Playing math-related games helps your learner have fun and to feel more comfortable with math
    • Answer fewer questions on a test and allocate more time for your tutee to finish a test
    • Record lessons and lectures
    • Use a calculator in class
  • Boost confidence: Identify your tutee’s strengths and use them to work on (or around) weaknesses. Activities that tap into your tutees interests and abilities can help improve self-esteem and increase your learner’s resilience. Try to pace yourself during your tutoring sessions and do not use more than one strategy at a time. This makes it easier to tell which ones are producing a good result and which are not
  • Help your learner keep track of time: Whether it is a hand on the shoulder, a few key words or an alarm; have systems in place to remind your time-challenged tutee when to start the next activity.
  • See what it feels like: Try to experience what it is like to have dyscalculia. Acknowledging that you understand what your learner is going through is another way to boost his or her confidence and to improve your own level of understanding
  • Be upbeat: Let your tutee know when you see him or her do something well. Praising effort and genuine achievement can help your learner feel loved and supported. It can also give your tutee the confidence to work harder!
  • Support, patience and understanding are key!

To read more about being a great tutor, check out our Ultimate Guide on Tutoring!

If you would like a tutor to assist your child or learner, contact BrightSparkz Tutors today!

 

A version of this article has also been published on our sister-site.

Understanding Dyscalculia – Part 2

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In our previous blog, an expansive amount of information was provided to help you (as a tutor or parent) to identify the symptoms of dyscalculia. Unfortunately, dyscalculia can affect other aspects of learner’s lives.

Other effects of dyscalculia

  • Social skills: Failing repeatedly in math class can cause your learner to assume failure is unavoidable in other areas too. Low self-esteem can affect your learner’s inclination to make new friends or to partake in after school activities. Some learners might also avoid playing games and sports that involve math and keeping score.
  • Sense of direction: Some learners might struggle to differentiate left from right and may have trouble getting places by reading maps or following directions. Some learners with dyscalculia cannot picture things in their minds.
  • Physical coordination: Dyscalculia can affect how the brain and eyes work together. Because of this, your learner may have problems judging distances between objects. Certain learners may seem clumsier than others the same age.
  • Money management: Dyscalculia can make it difficult to stick to a budget, to balance a checkbook, and to estimate costs. It can also make it hard to calculate a tip and count exact change.
  • Time management: Dyscalculia can affect your learner’s ability to measure quantities, including units of time. Learners may have trouble assessing how long a minute is or to keep track of how much time has passed. This can make it hard to stick to a schedule.
  • Other skills: A learner may have trouble figuring out how much of an ingredient to use in a recipe. Learners might have a hard time estimating how fast another car is moving or how far away it is.

Associated learning difficulties

  • Dyslexia, or difficulty reading
  • Attention difficulties
  • Spatial difficulties (not good at drawing, visualisation, remembering arrangements of objects, understanding time/direction)
  • Short term memory difficulties (the literature on the relation between these and dyscalculia is very controversial)
  • Poor coordination of movement (dyspraxia)

There is still so much we don’t know about dyscalculia, and no definitive cause has been found. However, there are some ideas that researchers are still studying.

Possible Causes

  • Genes and heredity: Studies show this more common in some families than others are. Researchers have found that a child with dyscalculia often has a parent or sibling with similar math issues. 
  • Brain development: Researchers are using modern brain imaging tools to study the brains of people with and without math issues. What we learn from this research will help us understand how to help learners with dyscalculia. Some studies have also found differences in the surface area, thickness and volume of parts of the brain. Those areas are linked to learning and memory, setting up and monitoring tasks and remembering math facts
  • Environment: Dyscalculia has been linked to contact with alcohol in the womb. Prematurity and low birth weight may also play a role in dyscalculia.
  • Brain injury: Some studies show that injury to certain parts of the brain can result in what researchers call “acquired dyscalculia.”

The most plausible cause for dyscalculia is due to a difference in brain function. Unfortunately, many people think that because it is in the brain, it cannot be changed but this is not true. There are many support systems and tutors available to help your leaner cope.

What Does This Mean?

The brain is a highly adaptable organ (most especially during childhood) and research has indicated that certain training programs can increase the functioning in brain areas involved with reading, and so researches are hopeful that the same is applicable for mathematics. It’s unclear how much of a child with dyscalculia’s brain differences are shaped by genetics, and how much are shaped by their experiences. Researchers are trying to learn if certain interventions for dyscalculia can “rewire” a learner’s brain to make math easier. 

What Do I Do?

If during your tutoring sessions, you suspect that your learner may be suffering from dyscalculia, it is your responsibility to keep record of your tutee’s difficulties. You then need to communicate your thoughts to your learner’s parents. The learner’s parents should discuss any concerns with the learner’s teachers who will ascribe a school therapist or specialist. The specialist will ask you, the tutor, the parents and the teachers various questions as well as chat to the learner to discern whether the learner does in fact have dyscalculia or perhaps a different learning disability.

To read more about being a great tutor, check out our Ultimate Guide on Tutoring!

If your learner does have dyscalculia, there are many things that you can implement and do during your tutoring sessions to help him or her with their studies and academic outlook. Our next blog will list important hints and helpful tips to use during your tutoring sessions (or as a parent)!

If you would like a tutor to assist your child or learner, contact BrightSparkz Tutors today!

 

A version of this article has also been published on our sister-site.