Nelson Mandela, the well-known statesmen, once said, "Education is the great engine to personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that the child of a farm worker can become the president of a great nation."
The truth of this statement can only be fully appreciated if one considers the enormous importance of preschool education. The famous Japanese violin teacher and educationist, Shinichi Suzuki, once expressed a great truism when he said, "The destiny of children lies in the hands of their parents." The parents largely determine the direction and the quality of this destiny -- in the first seven years of the child's life.
There is a proverb that one never gets too old to learn. This, however, is only partially true. There are indeed certain aspects of learning that can only be acquired effectively during the first seven years of life. Parents, who are desirous of offering their child an adequate preschool education, should therefore take care to concentrate on these aspects.

At INFINITY our main focus is teaching CONCENTRATION, MEMORY, READING and SPELLING skills using the AUDIBLOX PROGRAM. Conventional approaches for teaching reading and spelling are usually not appropriate for dyslexics, as they do not process language in the same way others do.

FOUNDER OF AUDIBLOX: Dr. Jan Strydom holds a doctorate in education and an M.A. in philosophy. He is the developer of the Audiblox program and the co-author of two books. Benetta Strydom holds a B.Occup.Ther. Degree and is the co-developer of the Audiblox Preschool program. Visit their website at http://www.audiblox2000.com

The teaching approach at INFINITY is as follows:

• Direct and Explicit Instruction :
  Dyslexic children need to be taught directly and explicitly the elements of the English Language.
• Simultaneous multisensory teaching :
  The teaching includes not only seeing (working with print) but also listening, feeling and doing. The visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile elements reinforce each other for optimal learning.
• Systematic/structured/sequential and cumulative instruction :
  The language is taught in a structured and systematic way, building from simple to complex, concrete to abstract and known to unknown. A clear sequence is followed.
• Analytic instruction :
  they are also taught to see or hear a word and break them up into their individual sounds or letters (analytic).
• Repetition to enhance automaticity
  There is ample practice and regular review using worksheets and games to ensure mastery of what has been covered.
  

A typical lesson may include most of the following

• Visual drill
• Auditory drill
• Spelling rules and generalizations in the English language
• Teaching learned words or non-phonetic words
• Spelling
• Listening comprehension
• Oral and silent reading
• Organization and study skills

It is expected that children will be on the AUDIBLOX programme for a minimum of 1 year. However, children will be allowed to continue on the programme if the teacher/parent feels that he/she will still benefit from attending remedial classes. Children who complete the programme can apply to return to the programme if they feel they are still experiencing significant difficulties.

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