Feature Articles

Joyanne James-Soyer

Joyanne James-Soyer is an accomplished author and editor with over 25 years of experience in the publishing and education sectors. She manages digital content specialising in Caribbean culture, regional history and education for Sweet TnT Magazine and Study Zone Institute. Her portfolio includes the Study Zone Big Kid Books series, the Improve Spelling and Reading Skills collection, and she is a co-author and editor of Sweet TnT Short Stories and Sweet TnT 100 West Indian Recipes. Holding a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Language and Literature with Education and being a dedicated mother and educator, James-Soyer specialises in documenting the biodiversity and cultural heritage of Trinidad and Tobago for a global audience, and supporting students, parents, and teachers globally.

Understanding ordinal numbers and positional words for early learners

Simple ways to help children master ordinal numbers.

Understanding ordinal numbers and positional vocabulary forms the foundation of early mathematical literacy, enabling young learners to determine sequence, order and relational values accurately. Primary school educators frequently observe students over the age of seven struggling with fundamental concepts such as before, after, forward and backward. When foundational positional knowledge …

Read More »

Ordering more and less explained: Overcoming math word problem confusion

Effective multi-sensory strategies for teaching ordering more and less.

Choosing the correct mathematical operations when faced with word problems requires a profound comprehension of mathematical synonyms rather than simple calculation skills. Many students over the age of seven struggle to connect everyday language with the mathematical processes of addition and subtraction, leading to persistent errors in assessments. This comprehensive …

Read More »

Overcoming letter and number reversals: A complete guide to mastering b, d, p, q, g, 6, and 9

How to fix b, d, p, q, and 6, 9 confusion with this letter and number reversals guide.

Letter and number reversals involving b, d, p, q, g, 6 and 9 represent a common developmental hurdle in early childhood education that requires targeted multi-sensory intervention strategies rather than repetitive rote learning. While many young learners easily grasp the orientation of these characters through standard classroom instruction, a significant …

Read More »

Master elapsed time with three practical methods for parents and teachers

Teaching elapsed time made easy with multi-sensory strategies at home and in the classroom.

Understanding elapsed time is a foundational mathematical skill that requires young learners to measure the duration between a specific start time and an end time. This comprehensive guide provides primary school teachers, intervention specialists and parents with targeted instructional strategies to help children 7 years and older and remedial learners …

Read More »

A practical self-esteem exercise to help pupils balance strengths and challenges

How to run a visual self-esteem exercise in your primary classroom.

This comprehensive classroom self-esteem exercise offers practical methods for primary school educators to help pupils aged seven years and older identify their personal strengths while addressing their academic and physical challenges. Many young students struggle with low self-confidence due to social comparisons and academic pressure in subjects like mathematics, spelling, …

Read More »