Footprints Guidelines for Registration with the DBE

I, [full name of parent], am the parent/guardian of [child’s name] and I believe that home education is in the best interest of my child. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, parents have the responsibility and the “prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.”

I/we understand and accept the responsibility of home education for my child and I will ensure that the proposed home education programme is suitable for the learner’s age, grade level, ability and covers the acquisition of content and skills at least comparable to the relevant national curriculum determined by the Minister, as stipulated in the SA Schools Act.

I/we believe that the goal of education should be to help each child to develop to his/her talents and mental and physical abilities to their full potential, to understand their strengths and weaknesses and to develop the skills and competencies needed to function in the economy. My goal is also for my child to become a confident, independent young adult, who can succeed at whatever career s/he chooses.

I believe that all of life is learning and that many of the most valuable lessons are not found in the pages of textbooks. Education should be flexible and adaptable and children should also have a say in what they learn, so that they are self-motivated.

We believe that education is not divided strictly into compartments, however for the purpose of this application, we have listed the school subjects which we will cover, using an eclectic mix of home education and other resources.

We believe that our children need to become life-long learners who can continue to update their knowledge and skills to keep up with the fast-changing environment of the 21^st century. Our desire is for them to become self-motivated learners who have the confidence to embrace whatever field of study or work they choose to pursue as adults so that they can be self-supporting people who can not only take good care of themselves and their families, but serve the community and contribute to the economy of the country in which they live.

Our goal is for them to complete either a recognised school leaving certificate or alternatively vocational training of their choice. If they wish to study at university, we will support our children to meet the necessary requirements for admission to tertiary institutions.

We are aware of the requirements for admission to universities in SA as well as those of online international universities.

The following resources will be used in our eclectic approach to home education, which allows personalised instruction, self-paced learning by the child and a flexible programme that can accommodate my child’s unique interests.

Internet – for research, viewing educational material on YouTube, online typing lessons, online collaboration through gaming, online trading with adult supervision etc.

Books – for personal reading and reading aloud together as a family

Educational games – for learning and developing socio-emotional skills such as team work, turn-taking, verbal communication skills, reading skills, good sportsmanship, obeying rules and more e.g. The Next Stop, Time Travel, Monopoly, Cashflow, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit etc.

Pre-packaged curricula for certain subject areas or skills such as Mathematics, Essay Writing, Social Studies, Science. We have invested in a selection of world-class home education curriculum products to make access to information and structured lessons easy and convenient for our children

Library – as a source of local literature and educational magazines

Community – to learn about different cultures and for socialisation

Environment – visits to places of interest to learn more about the natural environment, history of SA and to enjoy the arts and other cultural experiences available

Below is a list of home education curriculum products that we will use:

Social Sciences and Life Skills – Barefoot Days / Kaalvoetpret

Barefoot Days (Kaalvoetpret in Afrikaans) is a popular Charlotte-Mason style home education programme for ages 4-8. It is a story-based learning programme offering themes suited for young children. The content meets and exceeds the CAPS requirements for Life Skills in the Foundation Phase (Grades R-3). Possibly as many as 90% of the topics in Barefoot Days match those suggested in the CAPS document.

The CAPS document requires 6 hours per week to be allocated to Life Skills per week in Grades R-2 and 7 hours per week in Grade 3. In addition, Barefoot Days / Kaalvoetpret includes a host of topics that are NOT suggested by CAPS, such as music appreciation, poetry for kids, learning about insects and other animals, the art of great masters, art and culture from the African continent, traditional dances and famous landmarks of the world, to name a few. Barefoot Days and Kaalvoetpret goes above and beyond the CAPS requirements, offering our family an educationally enriching programme. The programme encourages regular narration and other activities that enable a parent to assess her child’s progress. We will spend an hour per day, four days a week using the programme, plus my child will engage in many other activities for life skills in an informal manner, 7 days a week.

Assessment

The following activities may be used to assess and evaluate learning:

• Narration – the art of telling back what has been read or learned
• Discussion and debate – talking about topics of interest helps children to really grasp what they have discovered
• Creative writing for children who can write – freedom to express their own ideas
• Small assignments and projects to express learning
• Drawing – a picture can speak a thousand words
• Hands-on activities – children can often demonstrate aspects of what they have learned by building models, creating crafts, performing experiments or even dressing up, acting or role-playing etc.
• Photos and videos taken by the child to depict their learning experiences

Home educating parents have the opportunity to assess and evaluate their children on a minute-by-minute basis each and every day, unlike teachers who are responsible for large classes of children and therefore have to rely on testing to measure performance, to report back to the parents.

When [child’s name] has worked through the proposed materials and achieved the goals for each subject area, we will be satisfied that she is making progress and developing the necessary skills in this subject area. If we notice any areas where she needs additional support or encouragement, we will take steps to help her succeed as needed.

Social Sciences and Life Skills – Little Footprints

Little Footprints consists of literature-based lesson plans that are designed to take home educating families with children between ages 4-8 years on an armchair journey around South Africa, exploring the fascinating people, animals and places that make up our beautiful land and its Rainbow Nation. The lessons are easily adaptable for older children.

The lesson topics vary from story to story, according to the subject-matter of each book and include the following categories:

A language arts programme following the ideas of the 18th century educator, Charlotte Mason is also included. It includes narration, spelling, grammar, poetry and more. There are 28 story book studies, plus a book of poetry and reference resources. The programme encourages regular narration, drawings and other activities that enable a parent to assess her child’s progress. We will spend an hour per day, four days a week using the programme, plus my child will engage in many other activities for life skills and social studies in an informal manner, 7 days a week.

Assessment
Home educating parents have the opportunity to assess and evaluate their children on a minute-by-minute basis each and every day, unlike teachers who are responsible for large classes of children and therefore have to rely on testing to measure performance, to report back to the parents.

The following activities may be used to assess and evaluate learning:

• Narration – the art of telling back what has been read or learned
• Discussion and debate – talking about topics of interest helps children to really grasp what they have discovered
• Creative writing for children who can write – freedom to express their own ideas
• Small assignments and projects to express learning
• Drawing – a picture can speak a thousand words
• Hands-on activities – children can often demonstrate aspects of what they have learned by building models, creating crafts, performing experiments or even dressing up, acting or role-playing etc.
• Photos and videos taken by the child to depict their learning experiences

When [child’s name] has worked through the proposed materials and achieved the goals for each subject area, we will be satisfied that she is making progress and developing the necessary skills in this subject area. If we notice any areas where she needs additional support or encouragement, we will take steps to help her succeed as needed.

Social Sciences – [Name of Footprints Progamme/s here. e.g. Footprints – The Early Years or Voetspore 2 – Die Laaste Eeu]

For Social Sciences and Home Language we will be using [name which Footprints programme you will be using]

Footprints [name the specific programme here] is a literature-based South African homeschool curriculum series in unit study format for multi-level learning. This product is aimed at children between ages [fill in the target age group here].

Footprints/ Voetspore [name the specific programme you use here] meets 80-90% of the CAPS Social Sciences requirements for the Intermediate (Grades 4-6) and Senior (Grades 7-9) Phases and exceeds them! The programme encourages regular narration, writing assignments and other activities that a parent can use to assess the child’s learning and progress.

The Footprints/Voetspore programmes focus on Social Studies, which includes history and geography, but being a multi-subject unit study, the programmes also cover language skills, poetry, South African music appreciation, SA art appreciation, art, crafts, cooking, technology and more!

Footprints and Voetspore offer students an in-depth, chronological study of the history of South Africa, which makes it easier to understand in the developing historical context. Our goal is to bring our country’s history to life, through stories, and give our children a better understanding of why it is the way it is today.

We know that continuing reading through primary and high school develops a multitude of academic and critical thinking skills which are required for success as university students and as working adults. The evidence has become so overwhelming that social scientists now consider reading aloud as one of the most important indicators of a child’s prospects in life!

My child will also learn about the history and geography and related matters of the world in the following ways:
(Only add these if they are true and select only those bullet points below which apply to your child.)

• Reading historical fiction and literature from different times and places in the world
• Reading reference books and factual accounts of history
• Reading biographies
• Watching movies and documentaries about history and peoples of the world
• Studying maps of South Africa and other countries of the world
• Visiting museums, landmarks and other places of interest
• Planning trips and travelling around our province and/or country
• Learning about other countries and cultures from travel experiences of friends and family
• Viewing photos of other countries from friends and family
• Playing board games that enhance general knowledge of the world
• Observing different cultural groups in our community and learning more about them
• Cooking and eating food from other cultures
• Learning about current political events from the news media
• Discussing and debating political issues with friends and family
• Engaging with people from different countries and cultures in our local community

The CAPS document requires 3 hours of Social Studies per week in the Intermediate Phase and the Senior Phase [choose the one that applies to your child right now], which we will easily meet and exceed, as we use this programme four days a week for at least an hour per day plus my child engages in many other activities and outings that fall under Social Sciences and Life Skills too.

Assessment
Home educating parents have the opportunity to assess and evaluate their children on a minute-by-minute basis each and every day, unlike teachers who are responsible for large classes of children and therefore have to rely on testing to measure performance, to report back to the parents.

The following activities may be used to assess and evaluate learning:

• Narration – the art of telling back what has been read or learned
• Discussion and debate – talking about topics of interest helps children to really grasp what they have discovered
• Creative writing for children who can write – freedom to express their own ideas
• Small assignments and projects to express learning
• Drawing – a picture can speak a thousand words
• Hands-on activities – children can often demonstrate aspects of what they have learned by building models, creating crafts, performing experiments or even dressing up, acting or role-playing etc.
• Photos and videos taken by the child to depict their learning experiences

When [child’s name] has worked through the proposed materials and achieved the goals for each subject area, we will be satisfied that she is making progress and developing the necessary skills in this subject. If we notice any areas where she needs additional support or encouragement, we will take steps to help her succeed as needed.

Home Language

According to the CAPS guidelines: “The Home Language curriculum is packaged according to the following skills:

1. Listening and Speaking
2. Reading and Viewing
3. Writing and Presenting
4. Language Structures and Conventions

The first three list items above are covered by the Barefoot Days / Kaalvoetpret / Little Footprints / Footprints, Voetspore and Nature Quest/Natuurskattejag programmes “across the curriculum” – listening to and reading literature, narrating, discussing, completing written assignments and presentations about the topics that are covered. In a Charlotte Mason-style education, these language skills are not pulled out as separate subjects, but instead are integrated into the learning of other topics and subjects, across the curriculum. In our Charlotte Mason-style approach, using copywork and dictation, children naturally learn language structures and conventions.

When it comes to item 4, Language Structures and Conventions, the Footprints – The Early Years Language Arts programme does exactly what is required by the CAPS document and uses texts from the literature that children are reading to teach language concepts in context.

As my child uses her home language across the curriculum, she will easily meet and exceed the required number of hours as set out in the CAPS document.

Assessment
My child’s work and progress will be assessed on a daily basis. When [child’s name] has worked through the proposed materials and achieved the goals for each subject area, we will be satisfied that she is making progress and developing the necessary skills in her Home Language. If we notice any areas where she needs additional support or encouragement, we will take steps to help her succeed as needed.

Geography and Natural Sciences – Footprints Nature Quest or Natuurskattejag

Footprints Nature Quest / Natuurskattejag 1 and/or  Natuurskattejag 2 covers many of the topics prescribed by CAPS for Geography, plus many more, especially Natural Sciences. It is aimed at children between ages 8-16 years of age.
Footprints Nature Quest is a unique, literature-driven learning safari that takes home educating families on a journey of discovery through the various natural biomes of our amazing country.

In each region, the narration of a local guide will give insight into the fascinating geography, flora, fauna and other natural features that make that area distinct. Footprints Nature Quest offers learners a selection of meaningful assignments to choose from – mapwork, writing assignments and practical activities that will enrich the children’s learning and experiences. The programme encourages regular narration, writing assignments and other activities that a parent can use to assess the child’s learning and progress.

The CAPS document requires three hours of Social Studies per week and three hours of Natural Sciences per week, in the Intermediate Phase and the Senior Phase [choose the one that applies to your child right now], which we will easily meet and exceed, as we use this programme four days a week for at least an hour per day plus my child engages in many other activities and outings that fall under Natural Sciences too.

Assessment

The following activities may be used to assess and evaluate learning:

• Narration – the art of telling back what has been read or learned
• Discussion and debate – talking about topics of interest helps children to really grasp what they have discovered
• Creative writing for children who can write – freedom to express their own ideas
• Small assignments and projects to express learning
• Drawing – a picture can speak a thousand words
• Hands-on activities – children can often demonstrate aspects of what they have learned by building models, creating crafts, performing experiments or even dressing up, acting or role-playing etc.
• Photos and videos taken by the child to depict their learning experiences

My child’s work and progress will be assessed on a daily basis. When [child’s name] has worked through the proposed materials and achieved the goals for each subject area, we will be satisfied that she is making progress and developing the necessary skills in this subject area. If we notice any areas where she needs additional support or encouragement, we will take steps to help her succeed as needed.

Maths

List the resource/s you will be using here and if you wish, you can outline the age/grade level that it targets, to show that you are choosing suitable materials for your child or if at a lower level than expected, you can explain why and use this to justify why your child needs self-paced, individualised education at home.

For example:

Our goal for [child’s name] is that she will continue to develop her skills in mathematics with a view to passing school leaving examinations when she reaches that level.
We also wish her to develop an understanding of how mathematics can be used practically in everyday life in a variety of situations and circumstances.

[Child’s name] develops competency in this area in everyday life in the following ways:

• Shopping, both online and offline
• Working with her own money
• Baking and cooking (fractions, measurement)
• Playing educational board games about money and business e.g. Monopoly and Cashflow for kids, which we own
• Undertaking various entrepreneurial ventures from time to time as opportunity arises
• Pursuing a home education mathematics curriculum

Describe your maths curriculum similarly to these examples which follow:

a) Math-U-See
Math-U-See is a world-renowned hands-on, student-paced, mastery-based approach that focuses on developing a true understanding of mathematical concepts transferable to real-world application. It follows a 4-step approach to introduce, review, practice and master concepts. The curriculum consists of 13 levels, building from an introduction to mathematics through calculus. Each level uses interactive strategies to increase student engagement.

[Child’s name] will be using [name the level of Math-U-See e.g. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta] which is the age-appropriate level that suits my child’s current abilities in Maths. As my child generally does Maths every day, she will do 3-5 hours of formal Maths lessons per week plus about two hours of informal lessons as described above.
The Math-U-See programme offers regular tests for assessment purposes.

Assessment
Math-U-See offers a test after the completion of each (weekly) lesson as well as quarterly tests and a final test. I require my children to have achieved at least 75% for each lesson to make sure that they understand each concept well. The test book is a useful tool to assess whether the child has mastered each new concept or lesson and is ready to advance to the next one. After completion of the entire book, the final test can be used to assess if the child is ready to advance to the next level.

b) Saxon Maths
Saxon math is a very popular teaching method for incremental learning of mathematics for learners in Grades R-12. It involves teaching a new mathematical concept every day and constantly reviewing old concepts.
My child will be using [name the level] which is the age-appropriate level that suits my child’s current abilities in Maths. The programme offers regular tests for assessment purposes. As my child generally does Maths every day, she will do 3-5 hours of formal Maths lessons plus about 2 hours of informal lessons as described above.

c) Singapore Maths
Singapore Maths is an amalgamation of global research in education delivered as a highly effective mathematics programme of teaching methods and resources. International benchmark studies consistently show that Singaporean students who use this method of learning mathematics consistently achieve top rankings and develop math mastery in primary mathematics, as shown by TIMSS and PISA’s data that was derived in the last 25 years.

My child will be using [name the level] which is the age-appropriate level that suits my child’s current abilities in Maths. The programme offers regular tests for assessment purposes. As my child generally does Maths every day, she will do 3-5 hours of formal Maths lessons plus about 2 hours of informal lessons as described above.

List any other subjects and resources that you will be using with a short description, the estimated hours of formal lessons and the target age/grade level in ‘schoolese’ and a summary of how you will be able to use this programme to assess your child’s progress and learning.

Foreign Language – Spanish

[Child’s name] has started learning Spanish using the online language programme, Duolingo.com. This was her choice and her goal is to learn to converse in Spanish by practising speaking Spanish while using the online course.

 Assessment
This is a self-study programme that rewards learners with gold stars. Learners must pass a test before they can advance to the next lesson.

Our goal is for our children to desire to learn other languages for the purpose of being able to communicate with people from other countries and cultures and to know the kinds of tools they can use to do so. This goal has already been met. Now we will support [child’s name’s] enjoyment as she learns this language for as long as her interest and motivation in this area lasts. Hours of study vary from 3-6 hours per week, according to her motivation.

Physical Education [The Arts, Nutrition or anything else you think is important to include as part of your child’s holistic education]

• [Name of sport/s] – [Child’s name] participates in [competitive/recreational name sport here] and we intend to enrol her in a local club so that she can continue to train and develop her talent and skills in the sport which is her passion.
• Walking or hiking regularly – we have regular family outings to the beach/ mountains and other places where we can walk and exercise out of doors
• Skateboarding for fun and exercise
• Swimming at local pools and beaches

Assessment
Our goal is for [child’s name] to develop a good sense of personal health and hygiene and to understand the need for good nutrition, good posture, regular exercise and to avoid developing any unhealthy habits or addictions. We also want her to develop good character traits by playing sport such as learning to practice regularly, to persevere, good sportsmanship – to be a good loser and a humble winner, to encourage and support fellow participants and ultimately to set her own goals.

We want to see her growing in awareness around these issues and taking responsibility for her own health and well-being. We will assess her progress through discussions about the formal studies we pursue in this area as well as get feedback from her and her coaches regarding her development in character and physical skills in her sporting activities.

Recordkeeping

The records of [child’s name’s] formal learning activities will be evident in

• the workbooks she uses for some subjects
• the portfolio of written reports, drawings, booklists, audio recordings or other records she creates herself
• the Google Photos album we will keep as evidence of our family home education activities and outings
• pamphlets, newspaper articles or other souvenirs of our learning activities
• the daily schedules we keep as a record of the formal lessons for each day

When my child has worked through the proposed materials and achieved the goals for each subject area, as outlined in previous sections, we will be satisfied that she is making progress and developing into the well-rounded, young person we desire her to become. If we notice any areas where she needs additional support or encouragement, we will take steps to help her succeed as needed.