Ideas and resources
Have you tried the writing claw? What do you think? Is this the new way to get children to hold their pencil correctly or just another do-dad for the parent to buy? My children both hold their pencils – I wont say incorrectly but different than they are meant to hold them (according to the teacher). I think as long as there is no wrist pain and the writing is correct and controlled then each child is entitled to their own style. What do you think?
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in southeast Africa. It’s a nation with a long history that has been marked in modern times by coups and ethnic conflict.
The Burundi flag has wedges of red and green with white stripes between them, with a white circle in the center and three six-pointed stars in red outlined in green inside that. The three stars represent the three main ethnic groups — Hutu, Tutsi and Twa — as well as the three words in the national motto, which are unity, work and progress.
“Burundi Bwacu” is the national anthem, which means “Our Burundi.” It was adopted when the country gained independence in 1962.
The transvaal lion, a subspecies of African lion, is said to be the national animal, but the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on national symbols only lists the flag and the national anthem. Symbol Hunt also lists the lion, as well as the great blue turaco as the national bird and the bujumbura as national flower, which looks like a hibiscus.
That link for the bird above is a video kids can watch to see and hear what a great blue turaco is like.
Learn about Lake Tanganyika, which is the longest freshwater lake in the world and the second deepest. It forms part of the boundary of Burundi with the DRC.
Read the story of explorers Henry Stanley and David Livingstone, who met in Ujiji, Tanzania, but whose meeting is memorialized with a big rock in Burundi that overlooks Lake Tanganyika.
Spend some time learning about African lions and check out these ideas for learning about lions from Montessori Nature.
Learn about the karyenda, a type of drum that was once featured on the flag of Burundi. Traditionally this drum was a sacred object and the king was said to be able to interpret the beating of the drum as a message for the kingdom. Watch some traditional Burundi drummers here.
For kids who like creepy stories, tell them about Gustave, the ancient and deadly crocodile who might have eaten up to 300 people.
Burundi is known for its pottery, so you can make pinch pots or play with clay in other ways while talking about how clay pots are made and used in cooking there.
According to The Flavor Vortex, boko book harees is considered the national dish. This combination of chicken and bulgur is easy to cook and kids might like it, too. Get the recipe from Naptime Prep Cook or Jess Eats and Travels (this one looks like it has a lot more turmeric).
Actually, I think that the supposed ‘correct’ way to hold a pencil may contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, and I refuse to hold my pencil that way. In fact, I CAN’T hold it that way even long enough to sign my name, any more, without my CPS flaring up – so nope – I don’t think kids should be forced to hold their pencil any specific way.
They need to find a way to hold it, that doesn’t hurt their fingers or wrist, that still gives the writing result required. I don’t see anything wrong with teaching them the traditional hold – but if it doesn’t work for them, then we need to find a way that suits their hands better. This reminds me of the old tradition of tying a left-handed kid’s left hand behind his/her back, and forcing them to write right handed. What is natural for one isn’t necessarily natural for the next.
Definitely a doodad aimed to get parents separated from their money. I don’t hold my pencil/pen the way the device shows and I have most excellent handwriting!