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Involve Me And I Learn

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Lubica Misevski

We have all heard this quote “ Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

I would like to emphasize the last point again “involve me and I learn.” If you take a moment and think about how you learn, and when you have retained information the best, was it not through involvement? To illustrate this point, let's look at learning to drive.

For those reader based elsewhere, I will be using the model by which we learn to drive in Australia. If you are 16 years old, you can then sit a written test, know as the Driver Knowledge Test. You can only sit the test once you have read the “road users handbook," and the guide on “getting your driver's license.”

Once you pass this test, you are then given a “Learner Driver Log Book," and you have to log a minimum of 120 hours driving with a parent or instructor. You also need to be over 17, and held your learner license for a minimum of 12 months. Only then can you attempt to move onto your provisional license.

So if we think about this for a second, and use the above proven model when applied to our children’s learning? We will note that the majority of the time should be spent in the doing, whilst combining the written knowledge of others experience with action.

I think it can be safely said that we all learn more rapidly and completely if we are doing something. This necessitates the need to learn.

In an experiment by the “One Laptop Per Child Organization." They dropped off tablet computers with programmed applications to Ethiopian Villages to see what would happen.

The goal was to see if illiterate kids with no previously exposure to written words could learn how to read by themselves. These children could experiment with the tablet and its preloaded alphabet training games, e-books, movies, cartoons, paintings, and other programs.

Within five days they were using 47 apps per child, per day. Within 2 two weeks they were singing ABC songs in the village, and within five months they had hacked the Android, to turn the camera on that had accidentally been disabled. Each kid customized the desktop to suit him or herself, even though this too had been disabled.

You see Negopronte who leads this organisation felt, “if they could learn to read, the could read to learn." He has stated “what can we do for these 100 million kids around the world who don’t go to school?" Can we change the paradigm so they may learn too?

Our children learn through doing, and as the above story illustrates, the combination of reading and action can produce unbelievable results. We can learn to drive, but more importantly our children can learn to learn.

Posted in child education, Early child education, zero to five

Children And Being Artistic

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Lubica Misevski

Child development, the arts, and your little ones brain.

Today's post is dedicated to the creative child in all of us. And how we might help our little ones find their creative spirit, and why this matters.

A report produced by the Dana Consortium coming out of Harvard looks specifically at Learning, Arts, and the Brain. What we found interesting about this report was the connection with the Arts and child development.

It is of course our view that your child has intelligence in all the multiple-intelligence areas. Merely knowing about them individually we are all best placed to nurture our children.

Music - Surprisingly it turns out that the practice of music helps in the study of symmetries, in mathematics, and reading. A child practicing music will also develop the pathway for literacy.

Role Play & Acting - This appears to improve memory, recollection and to be able to understand and look at general knowledge.

Dance - By practising and learning dance, children develop observational skills. This could transfer to other cognitive areas.

The study shows that the “appreciation of the Art’s will lead to pleasure in producing that Art." It also demonstrates how practicing an Art can impact and develop many areas of the brain and the associated pathways. And how visual, linguistic, movement, and music develop completely different areas within the brain.

So whether your child likes music, dance, role-playing, painting or any of the arts. All of them are benefiting brain functions, and each one has a different result.

So have fun, paint a picture, role-play, dance and listen to music, it all matters and it works.

Posted in child education, creative child, Early child education, learning style

The Gifts to Give Your Child

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Lubica Misevski

Gifts to give your children

The Gifts to Give Your Child

We came across an interesting paper written by Dr. Ben Bissell, “Building Self Esteem: The Ten Gifts To Give Your Children."

We are going to give you an overview what we believe these to be, and why they matter. We know that every parent wants to give their children with the best start in life possible. You, just like us are committed to knowing all you can to achieve this.

So what are the gifts?

In order, but not in importance.

1. A good name: This does not refer to their birth name, but rather a nickname, like bossy, or little terror, or a troublemaker, etc. Whilst these names can be humorous and certainly describe some behaviours. They can create permanent labels, and if we are to create labels, would it not be better to give one that builds their self esteem? Like “Smart Steve," because he is always finding ways to get up out of bed, “Thoughtful Annie," because sometimes she will play quietly in the corner, without fuss.

2. Listening to our children: This builds their self-esteem and lets them know they too are important to us, and their opinion matters. And by doing this it helps them create a sense of self worth, but lets them improve their ability to think and express themselves.

3. Letting Your Child Make Decisions: If you give your child the ability to be included in family decisions you let them know their opinion matters in the family. Your child will also begin to feel special about themselves. They will develop an ability to make decisions now and later in life, and be confident about them.

4. Allow Your Child To Feel: Simply put if they hurt themselves, or something makes them sad let them express this. Look to understand rather than make them hold the feeling back.

As an example your child falls down and grazes their knee, this happened with our daughter very recently. Instead of saying, “it is okay, and you're ok now," it would be better to say, I know that hurts and how about we fix that up. Our first instinct is to try and make them feel better immediately, but we need to allow them to express their feelings and show that we understand. This relationship with our child will help them develop the ability to express their feelings now and later in life.

5. Rules, Your Child Needs Them: This provides them with structure and the ability to understand that certain things are not ok. It also lets them know that there are consequences for their actions, which is something that will serve them well later in life. The rules need to be fair, and the consequences appropriate, and this will help them think through their actions.

6. Hugs: Now who does not need a hug, this is the physical act of letting your child know that you love them. And don’t we all need to know that those close to us love us? And can you give your child too much love, and spoil them this way, no. All studies indicate to date, that you cannot love your child too much. Your little one might say mum, that's enough hugs, and that might be your sign :)

7. Laughter & Play: Play is the work of children, and interacting with your child making a puzzle, building a tower, picking the toy your baby through on the floor, only so they can through it back again, builds trust and a sense of fun. They learn to communicate, interact, enjoy life and achieve, whilst enjoying the action along the way. Take a moment to chase your little one around the house, play peekaboo, or just tickle them. Life is meant to be fun, and they should believe this too.

8. Permission To Make Mistakes: Mistakes are good, that means we are learning and trying, both as adults and children. By allowing your child to make mistakes, you give them the permission to learn from them. If your child is to busy covering up their mistakes, they simply cannot learn from them. Because hiding becomes the priority and not what they learned out of the experience. Let them make mistakes, and learn, they will do this for the rest of their life, just like us.

9. The Truth: We need to tell our children the truth, they can handle it. It is important to consider the child’s age and maturity, but by telling your child the truth, you let them know that you trust them. They will in turn tell you the truth. Your child does not follow your words, they follow your example.

10. Freedom: The chance to learn and explore, and to grow into a little lady, or gentleman. This of course is also dependent upon age, and the boundaries available considering our own circumstances.

Ten wonderful gifts that you can give your child, that cost nothing but will be priceless.

Posted in child education, Early child education, gifts for children

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