ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITY: MAKING A BOOK Purpose of the activity

This alternative activity can be used to replace any one of the previous activities in this session.

Preparation work

(a) Read the background document and Annexure A.

Explanation of the activity

(a) Explain to participants that they will be given the opportunity to make their own ‘book’ that they can read to their babies or children.

(b) Tell participants that their book can be on any topic.

(c) Explain to them that drawings or pictures from magazines can be used to illustrate their story.

(d) Mention the importance of colourful pictures and drawings.

Implementation of the activity

(a) Provide the paper, magazines, glue, scissors, Koki pens, paper punch (to make holes) and wool (to bind the book). Give participants sufficient time to make their own books.

(b) Stress that their stories should convey a message and that their completed books do not need to be perfect.

(d) Encourage the participants to show and/or read their books to their babies or children.

(e) The book is a reminder of the training of this specific session, as well as of the importance of language and language stimulation for babies and young children.

PRESENTATION

Explain to the participants that you are going to do a short presentation to summarise the discussions of the session. It will include important messages they should remember regarding intellectual and language stimulation.

Present to the participants the PowerPoint presentation: Intellectual and language stimulation.

Ensure that the presentation links the content of the group discussions, feedback and activities.

At the end of the presentation, allow time for questions and discussions.

Key messages

• Stories, rhymes and songs are important in developing babies’ and young children’s language and communication skills.

• Babies and young children can understand simple adult

communication/language before they can talk, and they need to be exposed to this kind of language in order to learn language and express themselves.

• Communication is the process through which babies and young children and their parents bond; it is one of the foundation blocks for the overall development of babies and young children.

• Parents must spend time helping babies’ and children’s language development – do not rush the process.

• Each baby and young child is unique and will develop language and communication levels at their own pace.

• The milestones that babies and children have to reach at certain ages are only guidelines. Children are unique and each child develops at their own pace.

• A child starts talking using just words and moves onto combining a few words and then onto making short sentences. Most children are able to communicate quite complex ideas by the age of three.

SES S ION 6 : IN T E L L E C T U A L AND L A NGU A GE ST IMUL

• To be able to learn how to communicate, parents/caregivers should listen and talk to their babies and children.

• Communication consists of the spoken language as well as non- spoken features such as eye contact and hand gestures.

• When intellectual development takes place, it contributes to language and memory development, thinking, reasoning and problem solving.

SELF ASSESSMENT

Write the following questions on a piece of flipchart paper and ask the participants to answer them on a piece of paper. You might want to write these questions in participants’ home language. Explain to the participants that this is not a test and that you will not take in their answer papers.

Explain to them that they are doing this activity to see for themselves how much they have learnt during the session.

(a) Stories, rhymes and songs help to develop the language skills of babies and young children. TRUE or FALSE

(b) Babies and young children can understand simple adult

communication and language long before they can talk. TRUE or FALSE

(c) Each baby and young child is unique and will develop their language and communication skills at their own pace. TRUE or FALSE

(d) The milestones that children reach are only guidelines because each child is unique and develops at their own pace. TRUE or FALSE

(e) In order to learn how to communicate, parents/caregivers should talk and listen to their babies and children. TRUE or FALSE (f) Communication consists of the spoken language as well as non-

spoken features such as eye contact and hand gestures. TRUE or FALSE

Now repeat the questions, but this time give the answers as indicated in brackets [ ].

(a) Stories, rhymes and songs help to develop the language skills of babies and young children. [TRUE]

(b) Babies and young children can understand simple adult communication and language long before they can talk. [TRUE] (c) Each baby and young child is unique and will develop their

language and communication skills at their own pace. [TRUE] (d) The milestones that children reach are only guidelines because

each child is unique and develops at their own pace. [TRUE] (e) In order to learn how to communicate, parents/caregivers should

talk and listen to their babies and children. [TRUE]

(f) Communication consists of the spoken language as well as non- spoken features such as eye contact and hand gestures. [TRUE]

CLOSURE

You are at the end of Session 6. Explain to the participants that this session provided them with some key information on the intellectual and language development of babies and young children.

It is important that participants apply what they have learnt when they go back home, and they should also share what they have learned with their neighbours.

Ask the following question: If you want further guidance and advice on the intellectual and language stimulation of your baby or young child, where will you go to? Allow a few participants to share their answers and write them on a flipchart if you want to. Remind them that it is important to use the resources in their community to help them develop their children’s intellectual and language development. Remind participants of the date and time for the training of Session 7. Thank the participants for their involvement in this session and give them Handout 7: Intellectual and language stimulation.

TRAINER HINTS

Write down some notes to yourself about any lessons you learnt or any other interesting discoveries you made during the training of this session; you may wish to recall these the next time you train this session.

SES S ION 6 : IN T E L L E C T U A L AND L A NGU A GE ST IMUL

HANDOUT 7: