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Resources to help parents survive Grade 4 and beyond

I was warned that Grade 4 is a huge jump from Grade 3, but I was hoping that it wouldn’t be as bad as I was told. Oh man, it was even worse. I planned to share a few Grade 4 resources last year, but then life happened. So much life. But now I can honestly say that these resources really helped. And we are continuing with most for Grade 5. I am now a homeschooling mom (words I never thought I would say!) and I need ALL the help I can get. I hope a few of these resources will help you too…

Resources to help parents survive Grade 4 and beyond

Resources to help parents survive Grade 4

Last year was a tough one for us. For various reasons. Grade 4 is rough. Tests, exams, tasks and the pace of it all was a huge adjustment. And every year that follows just builds on it. Cara was attending school for the first 3 terms of grade 4 and then we ‘homeschooled’ via remote learning for the last term. I had support from the school, but it was still tough. This year we are homeschooling with Impaq and I am so thankful for all the resources that I discovered last year as it is already a great help for grade 5. Please feel free to share any homeschooling tips!

Let’s get cracking with those resources…

Pharos Afrikaans vir Almal, English for All

Afrikaans vir Almal and English for All by Isabel Uys was recommended to my sister and we both rushed to get copies when 2021 school year started. These books are a must and they will be a great tool up to Matric. It’s fantastic to have a book on hand when your child comes to you with a Grammar question or asking for a synonym, antonym, degrees of comparison, abbreviations, etc… You won’t believe how quickly you get stuck. Quite embarrassing to be honest, haha.

Pharos Junior Bilingual School Dictionary, Junior Tweetalige Skoolwoordeboek

If you are looking for a great Afrikaans-English bilingual dictionary, this one from Pharos is great. It’s easy to use, gives grammar guidance and improves vocabulary.

Below is a collection of books (some of which are available in English) that are great for tasks and additional learning. Pop over to NB Publishers for more info.

Graad 4 skoolprojekte / Grade 4 School projects

Cara loves books but she is not an avid reader. She loves stories and to be read to, but she is not too keen on doing it herself. I am hoping that the reading bug will bite soon and I am thankful that we have a bookshelf stocked with great, funny and entertaining reads. NB Publishers truly have a fantastic selection.

NB uitgewers storierak

A friend told me about Studymaster / Studiemeester and both my sister and I are ever so grateful. You sign up for a year and they supply you with summaries for the chosen grade based on the text books used by your school. Most text books are summarised, but if certain books are not on the list, they will add it. Last year we worked with Platinum text books and I was very happy with the summaries. I was pleasantly surprised that they also have Impaq summaries. My heart basically skipped a beat when I realised this and it feels like a mountain has been lifted from my shoulders. They also have a ‘test’ section where you can find tests and memorandums for all subjects. Studymaster can also assist learners with class speeches and assignment research. Studiemeester has been a godsend. You can’t go wrong.

Studiemeester

 

Raising Brightness has been on my radar for a few years and last year I decided to give them a try. As I mentioned, we schooled at home for the last term of grade 4 and Raising Brightness was a huge help. Raising Brightness offers audio visual learning material (aka informative and fun videos) that cover subjects from grades 1 to 6 based on the CAPS curriculum. They also have a test and memorandum with every video, as well as other fun courses on offer. I love that you can buy the specific theme/chapter that you need. We are using their Grade 5 videos for maths, social sciences, natural sciences and technology and life skills this year. As I’ve mentioned, I need all the help I can get.

Raising Brightness

 

I discovered Twinkl when Cara was in Grade 3 when I was looking for a few posters to help Cara remember the different parts of speech. Most of the resources are aimed at younger kids, but I have found a couple of great ones that have proved to be incredibly valuable. You can either sign up or just purchase the item you need for download.

I haven’t used WorksheetCloud myself, but my sister is very impressed with what they offer…

“Worksheetcloud removes the guesswork, stress and frustration that all parents and children experience with class tests and school exams. WorksheetCloud is an app with thousands of online and printable CAPS and IEB practice questions to help your child study for school exams and tests in South Africa. You’ll find a huge bank of questions and answers with hints, tips and explanations in Mathematics, Afrikaans, English, Natural Science, History and Geography.”

During the initial lockdown, Worksheetcloud uploaded free lessons on YouTube and Cara loved watching them. And thank you to Worksheetcloud for keeping them on your site! Cara loved the Grade 4 videos and they were a great help when we needed to do revision or study for a test. I am thankful that they also have videos for grade 5. Go have a look.

Worksheetcloud

I really hope that you find these resources valuable. Please feel free to share your favourites in the comments below.

Happy learning.

xoxo

 

Disclaimer: Please note that most of these resources have been bought by myself, but NB Uitgewers has been super generous by supplying us with a few of these amazing books.  The Raising Brightness link is an affiliate link.

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Lockdown TV: Keep Kids’ Minds Sharp Before School Starts

Guys, I’m over the screen time fight. At least DStv gives us amazing content to keep kids occupied, entertained and stimulated. Good luck for the (hopefully) last two weeks of lock down.

DStv’s School of Laughter programme makes sure that featured channels provide a safe space for children to be educated while they’re being entertained.  There are 15 dedicated channels with plenty of educational content to assist the homeschooling hustle.

Here are 7 top educational channels and shows to try:

Mindset (DStv Channel 319)

Launched in 2003 by former President Nelson Mandela, this South African-based channel is geared towards high schoolers from Grade 10 to 12 and covers the Life Science, English and Mathematics syllabus. It will help prepare your teens (and you) for the tricky exams sure to come when they head back to school on 15 February. Mindset TV also hosts programmes like Big School available for learners just entering school as well as edutainment shows for primary school age. DStv has created a nifty print out for you to ensure that your child is always in the know as to when their subject-specific programmes will air. Find it here.

Da Vinci (DStv Channel 318)

A pop-up channel during lockdown that’s now a permanent fixture, Da Vinci Media (channel 318), is based in Berlin and offers engaging, fun educational content to children. This channel features much-loved shows including Operation Ouch, Science Max and Matilda and The Ramsay Bunch.

DStv’s School of Laughter
Operation Ouch sees Twin doctors Chris and Xand explore the fields of medicine and biology.

 ZooMoo (DStv Channel 314)

This children’s channel provides preschoolers with educational content about wildlife around the world and is available via the Premium, Compact Plus, Compact and Family packages. Younger kids can enjoy the likes of What’s That Noise, What’s For Dinner and Clawdia’s Amazing African Adventure, which will all be available on DStv Channel 314 until 31 March this year.

DStv’s School of Laughter
Dino explores various fruits and vegetables and where they come from in What’s For Dinner?

Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered (Game Show)

This interactive game show sees panelists and viewers ask questions, gather clues, and play games to guess who the mystery guest is. Hosted by Jay Pharoah, it uses a series of fun filters to keep viewers engaged with a range of exciting celebrities as guests. Daily on NickToons (DStv Channel 308) and available on Catch-Up.

 

Jay Pharoah as the host of Nickelodeon’s game show Unfiltered

Ready, Set, Dance S2 

Worried that your kids aren’t getting enough exercise during lockdown? This show will get them up and dancing! Mascots Twirl and Freeze work together with a preschooler dance crew to teach each other (and your little ones) catchy dance moves. Ready, Set, Dance episodes are all under ten minutes, so whenever it comes on, encourage the entire family to get ready, get up and dance! Daily on Nick Jnr (DStv Channel 307) and available on Catch-Up.

Blues Clues

This is another show for preschoolers, featuring Steve in the “Blue’s Clues” house, where he interacts with Blue, an animated puppy. The perfectly positioned pauses in between Steve’s questions allow your child enough time to engage with the characters of the show. It’s interactive and will teach younger kids all  about shapes, animals and even colours. Daily on NickTOONS (DStv Channel 308) and on Catch-Up.

CN to the Rescue

CN to the Rescue is Cartoon Network Africa’s first original series starring André Lembwa. This show tackles South African problems such as load shedding in hilarious ways and will leave older children laughing until their stomach’s hurt, while teaching them about family dynamics. This series aired on Cartoon Network Africa’s YouTube Channel and then launched on Cartoon Network on Monday 18 January this year. Available on Cartoon Network Africa’s YouTube Channel and on Catch-Up.

Africa’s first original series starring André Lembwa who plays Taps, his younger brother Garcia, their mom, Lyzette, and their always up to mischief Gogo.

With schools currently being disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, you can rest assured that DStv’s array of shows encourage open-ended questions and interaction which are extremely important in your children’s development. To supplement its content, DStv has also created a website where kids can go to and download resource packs and do quizzes.

Catch the best developmental programming for your child on School of Laughter by visiting www.dstv.co.za.