ITEC - Education Training

06/08/2026

Our Teacher's Library can supply your classroom with a box of books for a term at a time. Boost reading skills in your school by joining our Teacher's Library. Phone 043-7438333 to make an appointment to see our librarian.

28/07/2026

Many parents recognise the arguments about screens.
What we often don’t see is how they begin.

Many parents recognise the arguments about screens.

What we often don’t see is how they begin.

Screen dependence rarely develops overnight. It usually starts with a child discovering that a screen helps them feel calmer, less anxious, less bored or more in control. Over time, the brain learns to rely on that feeling.

When we understand why screens have become so important, we can support children in ways that build connection and regulation, rather than simply taking the device away.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Has this been your experience?

22/07/2026

22/07/2026

Be reading leader! Read aloud to your class every day to build pre-reading skills, comprehension and reading strategies, and motivation for independent reading!

22/07/2026

A classroom library is a great way to improve reading skills - here are 10 tips:

1. Introduce a few new books monthly, sourcing from second-hand, sales, or donations, ensuring they are appropriate.

2. Provide a variety of genres, including picture books, comic books, poetry, non-fiction with lots of pictures, and biographies, to encourage diverse reading.

3. Research creative book storage solutions and utilize unique display methods.
4. Keep books safe from damage, off the floor and away from damp/direct sun.

5. Support struggling readers during independent reading time with book selection and extra practice.

6. Maintain organization to help children easily locate books. Keep this simple.

7. Allow learners to take books from the classroom library to read at home - avoiding work completion as a requirement for reading time. This means that slower learners can also get to read and explore the books. Utilize a class-library log for tracking borrowed books and their condition. To sign books out, and in, use a simple log sheet (example provided).

8. Avoid plastic covers; instead, encourage children to use bread bags for transporting books. The pliable material of bread bags is the best at keeping the books from being damaged by friction or damp in backpacks. -

9. Create a "Book Hospital" for damaged books. A cardboard box with a simple red cross on the side is all that is needed. NEVER fix books with sticky tape, instead reseat loose pages by running Pritt along the edge and pressing firmly into the spine with a ruler. Torn pages can be fixed with see-through contact paper cut carefully to fit.

10. Don’t make reading a chore. Facilitating children's reading experiences is more beneficial than strict guidance. Required reviews just frustrate children. Instead, simply grant children freedom in their reading choices.

08/07/2026

We conducted a very comprehensive evaluation with all teachers and most parents that had participated during 2025 and in the first few months of the programme. This was necessary and assisted us in shaping the programme for 2026; that the programme met the needs of the school’s Reading Improvement Programme/Plan and that it contributed to improving reading and most importantly, to get children reading for meaning. 👉 Here are a few snippets of some encouraging remarks and photographs received from teachers.

08/07/2026

What we do in the holidays: Barbara is researching emergent literacy policies and developing innovative strategies for a proposal aimed at enhancing emergent literacy in young children. Our work is vocational in nature, grounded in a deep understanding of emergent literacy and early childhood development, and we are committed to consistently delivering exceptional results.

Young children's learning is a rapid, active, and holistic process driven primarily by relationships, environment, and play. During the first few years of life, a child's brain forms more than one million neural connections every second, a pace that is never repeated. This incredible growth lays the foundation for all future health, behavior, and academic success.

Toddlers and preschoolers process the world through touch, movement, sight, and sound before mastering abstract symbols like numbers and letters. They explore ideas, test hypotheses, and solve problems through hands-on play. Learning relies heavily on responsive, warm interactions with parents and caregivers, because physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills develop simultaneously rather than in isolation. Development follows a predictable order, but every child progresses at their own individual pace.

According to research compiled by organizations like UNICEF and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), roughly 90% of brain development is complete by age five. Providing safe, language-rich, and stimulating environments early on helps children to build the necessary emotional self-regulation and cognitive resilience required for formal schooling.

08/07/2026

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international assessment of reading ability for nine and ten-year-old students (usually in their fourth year of schooling). It is conducted every five years. And it also looks at the home and school factors that affect children's learning.

The core finding of the last round of research shows that children who enjoy reading achieve higher average scores in reading comprehension. However, it also highlights a concerning global trend: the majority of 9 year old ch only "somewhat" or "do not" like to read.

Higher reading achievement is strongly tied to early literacy habits, a supportive home environment, and a positive personal attitude toward books.

PIRLS 2021 assessment revealed a severe literacy crisis in South Africa; a staggering 81% of South African Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning in any language (including their own home language). This was an increase from 78% in the 2016 cycle. South Africa ranked last out of 57 participating countries and territories globally, experiencing the sharpest score decline of any nation. The country’s average score plummeted from 320 in 2016 down to 288 in 2021. This represents a drop well below the international center point of 500.

Learners tested in English (382) and Afrikaans (387) scored substantially higher than the national average. Meanwhile, students tested in African languages—such as Xitsonga (223) and Sepedi (216)—scored the lowest, reflecting stark resource and socioeconomic inequalities between urban, township, and deep rural schools.

And across all cycles, boys performed significantly lower than girls in reading literacy. This last finding was heavily tied to a focus in schools on competition / competitiveness, and that struggling readers are severely demotivated by reading competitions and reading 'chores'.

01/07/2026

What we do in the holidays: Preparing book boxes for out-of-town schools may appear chaotic, but there's definitely a structured process in place! Teachers provide the topics they need, the number of students in their class and the range of reading levels their learners have. We curate a selection of topic-specific books, along with additional reading materials that complement the topic, including both nonfiction and stories suitable for teachers to read-aloud. Storybooks for read-aloud sessions include a printout of discussion questions to engage learners and get them talking, thinking and collaborating.

The books are organized within the box to make it easier for the teacher to check against her checklist on receipt of the loan. Book boxes are loaned out for an entire term - the inventory checklist again helps teachers ensure all are returned. Children are encouraged to submit book requests, which we are always excited to fulfill.

These boxes are designed to ensure that every child finds something enjoyable to read. To achieve this, we include a broader range of topics than those required by the teacher and the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), such as sports, hobbies, art, drawing, friendship, pirates, fairy tales, comic books, joke books, and puzzle books. That's because our goal is to foster a love for reading, both for pleasure and for learning.

29/06/2026

The UK is the 114th education systems to ban/restrict smartphone and tablet use in schools. This is driven by UNESCO to reduce distractions and improve academic focus - and in the light of research that shows that use of hand-held smart devices has a destructive effect on brain development. What do you think about a similar ban for South African schools?

England's school smartphone ban is officially in force today under Section 36 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, making previous non-statutory mobile phone guidance legally enforceable. Schools must prohibit children's access to smartphones and similar smart devices throughout the entire day, including breaks and lunchtimes. The ban prohibits smartphones, as well as similar communication technology like smartwatches that can receive notifications or messages. The ban covers the whole day, including lessons, time between classes, break times, and lunchtimes. Ofsted inspectors are required to formally check that schools have clear policies in place and are consistently enforcing them.