Otari School - Te Kura o Otari

 
On this page you will find links to articles you might find interesting.
 
 
School starting age - the evidence
 
The following article was sent to me by Florence Coram-Lasnier. This research by David Whitehead from The Faculty of Education that explains why many children need a lot more time to develop before their formal education begins.  There is a review of the research evidence that supports this, and links to the evidence itself.
 
This article is particularly relevant when we consider the pressure some parents and teachers feel to have children meeting benchmarks or 'standards' before they are six. It reinforces the importance of play and justifies an approach that prioritises readiness for learning,  - Clifford Wicks
 http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/school-starting-age-the-evidence
 
The Mozart Effect and four other Learning Myths
 
The link below takes you to a summary of an interesting article in the New Zealand Listener that was given to Johanne by a parent. It discusses how some ideas get widespread acceptance, despite lack of evidence, such as "Having high self esteem will lead to better learning." Some challenging myth busting here! A copy of the full article is at school.
 http://www.listener.co.nz/current-affairs/education/the-mozart-memory-and-four-other-learning-myths/
 
 Why kids need to be resilience-proofed 
 
Hardships and hard times are a gift. Robyn Pearce speaks about how over-protected children grow up to be weak adults.  - Lisa Dei Gratia
 
 http://www.minnisjournals.com.au/educationtoday/article/Why-kids-need-to-be-resilience-proofed-493
 
 
Parents - leave those kids alone!  Another thought provoking article emailed to me from Florence Coram-Lasnier
 
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/03/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
166 Wilton Road, Wilton, Wellington 6012 Telephone: 04 475 3018 Email office@otari.school.nz