Lara is a creative, energetic and extremely intelligent little girl who was never suited to be in a mainstream educational system. She was misunderstood, and it created a lot of anxiety. We knew our little girl was different in an amazing way, and we searched for the perfect academic environment for her to grow and learn with love, nourishment and confidence. We found that in El Zera Privaatskool in Randburg. The time spent to figure out how to best accommodate Lara on her academic journey had left a gap in her development, and she had to work extremely hard to catch up.
Lara has always had a love for books and stories. As a little introvert, stories were her happy place, her place of escape and solitude. As she evolved and grew into a 9-year-old girl, she desperately wanted to read independently. Most of her friends had started reading already, and she was unsure if she would ever be able to read like them. This was in the middle of 2020 when Lara was in Grade 2.
In August of 2021, Lara’s Edublox journey kicked off with the Intensive one-on-one Cognitive Development Course. After the two weeks, Lara attended two Edublox classes a week for an entire year up until the end of August 2022.
At the end of 2021, Lara received the Reading Trophy at her school! At El Zera there is only one trophy given to each child at the end of each academic year: something that stood out about that child, something specific and unique that they all noticed about a child. And for Lara, that was her reading. What a wonderful affirmation of everything I already knew in my head; it had just now slipped down into my heart.
I had managed to keep both my children in the dark about report cards for many years. They never knew it existed. I do not believe a report card defines my child, and I didn’t want them to think that it did, or to put pressure on them to be better in any way because they are good enough where they are and as they are. I just wanted them to be for as long as possible. But low and behold, end of term 1 of 2022 I was outed by my other little girl’s teacher! Lisa arrived announcing, “Mommy, we get something called a report card and mine is in my bag and teacher said we must open it together!”
Lara was enthralled – what was this thing? And would she also be getting one? Luckily, El Zera gives it on the first day of a new term, and I could tell Lara that. She had forgotten all about it when the new term started, so I was saved for another term. At the beginning of the 3rd term, Lara arrived with a report card in hand and ready to open it with me. I did my ‘this does not define you’ speech and opened it with a little prayer. Can you imagine my absolute amazement when Lara got mostly 7’s! This was by far the best score she had ever attained. The previous year she had to write all her tests with concessions, but in 2022, she didn’t, yet her academic results sky-rocketed!
At this year’s award ceremony, Lara received the Trophy for Spelling! She had passed her weekly spelling assessments with distinction! As her reading improved and her confidence grew, she started developing an understanding of language, how sentences are stringed together, how words flow, and how the rules of language work.
Lara is addicted to reading, reading chapters of books like it’s nobody’s business! We need to stop her from reading at night, and she’s influenced her little sister, who has now also become an enthusiastic reader! They can’t wait to go to the library every third week, where they take at least four books and always finish them.
The benefits of reading cannot be underestimated. To cultivate a love for reading is the best gift we can give our children. To have come from a place where Lara never truly believed that she can be good at reading; and to see her now, coming alive as she runs up to me and tells me the events that unfolded in her latest literary arrival… it is something that stirs and moves deep inside your soul and makes you believe that anything is possible.
And to think that it all happened in a year, now that is something else. Thank you, Edublox, for this journey so far.
Lurinda Maree
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Note from Emma Nell, Educational Practitioner and owner of Edublox Northcliff:
“I want to wish a huge congratulations to Lara Maree on being chosen as one of the top ten in Learner of the Year 2022. We are so proud of you and everything you have achieved. You are a true shining star and a great example for everyone at Edublox. Recognition and acknowledgement must also be given to Monique Van Heerden from Edublox West Rand and all the previous tutors from the Northcliff franchise who have helped Lara on her way to success. Thank you to each and every one of you. Edublox Northcliff would not be celebrating this success without any of you.”
Lurinda Maree Lara's Mother
