FREECHRIISTMAS
Education sayswhenschool stops, learning seems to stop aswell.
“We stop reading and the skillswe have built up during the year start to fall away.”
This reading slump over thesummer can result in learners slipping back from three to six months in their reading age.
Encouraging your child to keep reading— whether paper or e-books— over the long summer break will also themavoid suffering theeffects of “summer slide”, Nicholson says.
■ Toptips
❏ The first line of the story should sound really exciting.
❏ Change your voice according to the characters and the action.
❏ Pause at the end of sentences.
❏ Read the last line slowly and with feeling.
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SHARETHECOOKINGLOAD:
The key toaneasy and tasty Christmas, is to plan ahead, says chef Peter Blakeway. He started cooking for the occasion in August, making Christmasmincemeat and his Christmas cake.
Being able to freeze food takes a load off in
December, he says, encouraging Kiwis to try that in 2021 if they haven’t done it this year.
“Tome, nothing is going to bring an argument more than the poor sod that’s done all thecooking work, and everyone just sits back and lets themdo it. They thenget left out of the actual celebration.”
When it comes to types of Christmas fare, Blakeway says that historically, sugar and spicewere “drastically expensive”, and familieswould save the two items throughout the year so that at Christmas time they could spoil themselves and eat like “the lord of the manor” with fancy glazing on their ham.
“We don’t do that anymore, butwecan still treat it with the same joy.”
Whether it’s a barbecue or the full works, go as big or small as you want. When it comes to Christmas leftovers, do the Kiwi thing and get the barbecue cranking on Boxing Day - hamand eggsmake for a tasty breakfast.
■ Toptip
❏ What you cook doesn’t have to be expensive: Cheap cuts can bemadeextraordinary, but it’s crucial to plan ahead. If you are thecook, don’t leave yourself with amassive job list on the day that’s supposed to be with family. Nothing will get your temper short like leaving yourself toomuch to do.
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KEEPYOURHOMESAFE:
So you’re about to head off on holiday, leaving yourhome unattended. While you’re soaking up the sun, someonecould beevaluating howeasy it’d be to break into your home.
Inspector Hamish Milne of the National Prevention Centre urges you to be mindful of the following advice. ★ Make arrangements for your mail to becollected, hide valuables, lock sheds and set timer switcheson