LEARN MORE ABOUT SHARON
Sharon Heaney was born and grew up in Johannesburg,
South Africa where she met and married Andrew Stansfield. Sharon attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at the
University of the Witwatersrand in 1978, BSc(OT). After
working in South Rand
Hospital with adult stroke (CVA) patients
and with children who had severe cerebral palsy, she moved to Cape
Town and began working in the adult psychiatric occupational
therapy department at Groote
Schuur Hospital. Sharon then decided to gain
some experience in the commercial world, spending the following two years in
Personnel Management for a large national furniture retailer. Of the time she spent in the commercial world, Sharon says: "It was an excellent opportunity for me to gain insights into what people need to be truly prepared for the world of employment and success. This helped me bring greater depth to my work as a therapist".
In 1982 Sharon moved to England and worked in Springfield Psychiatric Hospital, becoming a Deputy Head Occupational Therapist (OT) and later being seconded to the Wolfson Medical Rehab Hospital, where she was the Acting Head OT.
When her second baby was born Sharon decided to move to a part-time position, doing research for the then Department of Health and Social Security in the UK.
Sharon and her husband returned to Cape Town at the end of 1989, to enjoy the excitement of the new South Africa.
In 1992 Sharon started her own Occupational Therapy private practice, specialising in working with children with learning difficulties, from foundation phase to grade 7. Over these past 20 years, Sharon developed techniques and activities that combined the developmental strategies of Occupational
Therapy with the foundation needs for developing reading in children who were under-responding to usual remedial and extra-lesson support.
Sharon's philosophy on teaching and learning is born from her training and experience in the different fields of Occupational Therapy as well as from observing her own children develop. Sharon says: "I believe strongly that learning only truly happens when a person is open to the learning, able to take the risks so intrinsically tied to the learning process and ready to enjoy success in what is being learnt. I have found that the best way to ensure that a child is open to learning is to make it fun and wrap it into a game".
"If both the teacher and the child are enjoying themselves, the learning will be strongest".
"My training and experience both show the importance of presenting the material to be learnt following child development stages. A child must be ready developmentally for each new step along the learning pathway".
LEARN ABOUT THE READING PROGRAMME SHARON DESIGNED WHICH USES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY TECHNIQUES TO TEACH READING
Sharon needed to create illustrations for her reading programme. This rekindled the creativity that had lain dormant since her teens. So, she begin to realise an inner need to continue developing her creativity and, in keeping with her interest in words and her desire to get children to read, Sharon Heaney Stansfield began to write poetry.
The poem “I Used to Dream” is a true, biographical poem, which tells of how her inner desire to rekindle her creative side was making itself felt. "People are like diamonds" says Sharon. "We have many facets and each facet needs to have an opportunity to shine, for the diamond to show its full beauty".
Click here to see a selection of poems by Sharon Heaney Stansfield
In 1982 Sharon moved to England and worked in Springfield Psychiatric Hospital, becoming a Deputy Head Occupational Therapist (OT) and later being seconded to the Wolfson Medical Rehab Hospital, where she was the Acting Head OT.
When her second baby was born Sharon decided to move to a part-time position, doing research for the then Department of Health and Social Security in the UK.
Sharon and her husband returned to Cape Town at the end of 1989, to enjoy the excitement of the new South Africa.
In 1992 Sharon started her own Occupational Therapy private practice, specialising in working with children with learning difficulties, from foundation phase to grade 7. Over these past 20 years, Sharon developed techniques and activities that combined the developmental strategies of Occupational
Therapy with the foundation needs for developing reading in children who were under-responding to usual remedial and extra-lesson support.
Sharon's philosophy on teaching and learning is born from her training and experience in the different fields of Occupational Therapy as well as from observing her own children develop. Sharon says: "I believe strongly that learning only truly happens when a person is open to the learning, able to take the risks so intrinsically tied to the learning process and ready to enjoy success in what is being learnt. I have found that the best way to ensure that a child is open to learning is to make it fun and wrap it into a game".
"If both the teacher and the child are enjoying themselves, the learning will be strongest".
"My training and experience both show the importance of presenting the material to be learnt following child development stages. A child must be ready developmentally for each new step along the learning pathway".
LEARN ABOUT THE READING PROGRAMME SHARON DESIGNED WHICH USES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY TECHNIQUES TO TEACH READING
Sharon needed to create illustrations for her reading programme. This rekindled the creativity that had lain dormant since her teens. So, she begin to realise an inner need to continue developing her creativity and, in keeping with her interest in words and her desire to get children to read, Sharon Heaney Stansfield began to write poetry.
The poem “I Used to Dream” is a true, biographical poem, which tells of how her inner desire to rekindle her creative side was making itself felt. "People are like diamonds" says Sharon. "We have many facets and each facet needs to have an opportunity to shine, for the diamond to show its full beauty".
Click here to see a selection of poems by Sharon Heaney Stansfield