Blog
14 August 2011
Sandy Edwards and Dawn Williams
The Dawsan's Schools' Challenge was introduced in August 2011. Schools which have purchased Dawsan's Dictionary are invited to an inter-schools' competition at a venue close to their respective schools. Three Grade 7 learners from each school work as a team to complete challenging tasks with the aid of their dictionaries. Prizes and certificates are awarded after the competition. Our first competition was held at Treasure Beach on the Bluff and the enthusiasm and excitement was palpable.
See here
08 April 2010
Jenny Raubenheimer
Head of Grade 5 Laddsworth Primary
Maths challenge has been a wonderful addition to our maths lessons. Children are encouraged to use mathematical terminology in the current curriculum, as the focus is more on the mechanical process. The dictionary and related challenge exercises provide an opportunity for the children to discover for themselves and then use terminology in a fun way. This is particularly important for second language learners. The children find it a welcome break from the more traditional approach to the teaching of mathematics and are now using the terminology with confidence. The challenge exercises are done once a week usually on a Friday.
The classroom is always filled with a buzz of excitement as they discover new things.
A few comments from my students
-These exercises are challenging
-I have learnt to approach things differently
-We work together and share roles
-I have to persevere
-I learnt not to follow normal processes
-You must be flexible and stretch your brain
-I have to think outside the box
-I feel alive and excited when we are busy
-The challenge exercises are brain teasers
17 March 2010
Sandy Edwards and Dawn Williams
The launch of Dawsan's Dictionary and related challenge exercises has elicited an overwhelming response. Since the publication of our article in the Mercury last week and the Meander Chronicle on Monday, we have been inundated with calls, queries, orders and deliveries. Surprisingly, whilst the articles appeared in KZN publications, many calls have come from further afield. As experienced teachers we were aware of the necessity of a reference book of this nature and this has been endorsed by the public. Probably, our most heartwarming calls have been those from grandparents who have acknowledged the value of such a user-friendly, age appropriate maths dictionary. Because our passion has always been to eradicate the fear associated with maths, our ultimate goal is to reach those learners of greatest need. We are aware of the financial constraints in a vast number of South African schools and therefore we are trying to achieve this by, first, sourcing sponsorship and secondly, translating the dictionary into the child's home language.
Dawn and Sandy
Take a look at the newspaper articles below
The Mercury Newspaper
The Meander Chronicle
The Witness
Rising Sun
Primary News
Hilltop Herald