My hobby is gardening. That is why the season of rain, greenery brings more joy to me. I love watching plants grow. I feel joyful when around lush greens. When plants get best environmental conditions they grow and flourish well.
By profession, I am a preschool teacher, so I am always around lots of energy and positivity. I love watching toddlers grow and get ready for their formal schooling. Childhood is all about joy and happiness.
It is July, season of rain. Best time to plan, design, redesign, shift, your terrace, kitchen garden, balcony, front garden,back yard or any other place that you have. It is also best time for the Nursery owners and farmers to plan for upcoming season. It is July, also season for school admissions. Best time to plan admitting your 2-3 years old to his very first play school, shifting a 6 years old to a formal school, shifting a primary student to a middle school because you think the other school will do justice to your child, shifting a ninth grader to a school which provides better preparatory classes for tenth and higher studies, shifting your confused and still adjusting adolescent to coaching centres that produce a batch of adults with tired minds. It is also best time for parents to choose best subject for their eleventh grader, because, parents think their child is good at their choice of subject, and that very subject will decide the fate of your child. It is know fact, we, the parents know it all. We everytime know what is best for our child. We even know which are their choice of subjects.
Ok, let me not confuse you, with these long and complex sentences. Let’s just consider one part at a time.
Coming back to our gardeners, they put seeds first in green house, in seedling trays. They make the environment suitable for these seedlings, so they could grow properly.
Similarly, we admit our toddlers to a playschool or preprimary school setup. Yes, it is true that play schools and preprimary schools are places which are designed keeping in mind the learning requirements to this age group. It provides separate setup, separate set of teachers, who are smiling, motherly and most importantly soft spoken. The curriculum also gives these schools the liberty to do things at a pace which is not too tiring for the child. Just imagine if the gardener decides to put some of the seedlings in to the open garden area, within 15 days of their life. Nature is very kind, they will still grow. Gardener, might feel happy, that he has saved his time by shifting the seedlings early. But will this not put some stress to these seedlings? Gardener could have avoided that harsh Sun or heavy rains for few more days.
As parents, we have made plans for our child’s future, a timeline set for everything.
Some parents come to our school, trust us, follow the age criteria and admit their child accordingly.
Some parents come to us with better plans.
” Mam, my child is 2 and a half years old, but I know she is very active, so I request you to please admit her in a class higher than her age group.”
To this, we as teachers tell them, that it will just lead to alot of stress to your child. School will be a new place for her to adjust to. On top of that if she is admitted to a class where all the other children are one year elder to her, she will have to adjust and cope up with that batch. A batch which is physically and mentally one year elder to her.
Some parents agree, and some don’t.
This lengthy writeup is addressed to all those who do not agree to our request.
Trust me on this, at this early years of life, this difference in mental age counts.
Imagine this girl sitting in a class learning to hold a pencil in her grip, where everyone else has mastered the prewriting strokes. Oh! and this is not enough, she will be doing some extra effort at home to hold pencil and write, because, parents want her to catch-up with the class too.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
Be the patient Gardener, give your child, his time to grow, than shift him to the next setup.
Don’t be the gardener who just wanted to shift his seedlings in hurry.
DON’T SAVE YOUR TIME, BY STRESSING A CHILD.
SAVE YOUR CHILD, BY STRETCHING HIS CHILDHOOD.
I wish this message reaches every parent. If you support this philosophy of extending childhood years, please like, share, comment and follow.
Parent involvement in the early childhood education. Today parents are more aware and involved than they’ve ever been with their children’s development.
Why is it very important that parent stay involved in their child’s Early Childhood Education?
Except for when it comes to preschool.
Many parents just stay involved in dropping their preschooler off to school in the morning while the teachers take over, and then pick them up at the end of the day. To get the true benefits from early childhood education, parents can include some practices at home.
The Benefits of Parent Involvement in Early Childhood education
Preschool years are the most important years of a child’s development. Most important cognitive development happens during these preschool years. Parents can help their child to grow to their full potential, by getting involved actively in the early childhood education process,
Parent involvement helps extend teaching outside the classroom.
Their involvement creates a more positive experience for children.
Involvement helps children perform better when they are in school.
Involvement of parent is essential in learning what is happening in the preschool setup, as
Parents support is essential in the learning that happens in preschool settings at home as well.
Parents involved in happening of their child’s preschool classroom or child care facility can establish better connection between what is learned at school and what takes place in the home.
This connection is a key component of a child’s development and supporting further learning.
How does it affect a child?
Not only does family or parental involvement help extend teaching outside the classroom; it creates a more positive experience for children and helps children perform better when they are in school.
Some parents who are in search of preschools for their child, do researches before selecting a school, these researches commonly involve questions like:
What is the Right Age to Send Your Kid to Play School or School?
Every mom thinks that her child should be the best one and learn everything at the proper age. So she started thinking to send her baby to play group or school.
Parents generally start to think of this once their child has crossed first year of his life or when they see some other young kids going to a play school. Generally this a conversation starter to moms who meet each other in the garden during evening strolls. Play School is quite a confusing term for people who know that it is also the name of a toy brand.
But right now the play school that we are referring to is a nursery school that children attend for just a few hours per day. As warranted by the age group, the educational component is not very rigid. Really, deciding whether and when to send your kid to play school is more contingent upon other factors, and here’s what you need to know.
The School Requirements
The school likely has a certain age requirement for the playschool program, whether it be 18 months or two years. Generally, schools are pretty strict with their requirements, so your child will need to make the cut-off date. Let’s say only children who will be 2 years old by December 31 are permitted to join, and your child was born on December 29. When birthdays fall that late in the year, you usually have the option to wait an additional year. Whether or not to do so depends on the maturity of your child.
Maturity Level
Speaking of maturity, this component is a major one. Of course, no toddler is going to be super mature, but some can be mature for their age. If your child still desperately needs to be around you at all moments, it might be better to find a gentle separation program first. However, on the other hand, children who have a strong sense of independence often thrive from such programs. There are some clues that you can use to determine your child’s school readiness age.
Educational and Recreational Needs
You must also consider where your child is in terms of educational and recreational development. For example, if he or she has never socialized with children of the same age, if he or she is the only child with both parents being working, if he or she is the only child at home then all such cases going to a play group is a very good idea. Children get to meet other children of the same age, starts to interact with them. It has been seen that this kind of setup also helps a child with a speech-delay.
The General Age
There is a general age slab for admission in pre primary age. Play schools generally allow children from age 18 months to 2 years as their youngest enrolls, where as many formal schools have lower Kindergarten as their entry level class.
When you are considering sending your child to playschool, the first step is to find out if he or she even qualifies based on his or her age. If you’re still uncertain about this decision, call the school to see if they offer trial sessions or a program where you can stay with your toddler for the first few days.
RIGHT AGE. What is the school readiness age for your child ?
What is the school readiness age for your child? This might sound a bit tough at first please. But know that it is the term that makes it sound difficult to understand. It is easy for parents to answer this. School readiness exists if your answer to these clues is affirmative:
Is your child able to communicate verbally with adults and other children?
Is your child toilet trained to some extent?
Does your child have enough independence to be separated comfortably from parents for the length of the play school day?
*Does your child have a sense of confidence and an ability to begin to do tasks alone?
Does your child have a desire to explore and have new experiences outside the home?
Have your child developed the beginnings of an ability to relate to other children?
Does your child have the ability to deal with the physical demands of a new environment, such as climbing stairs?
Have your child developed the ability to stay focused on an activity or enjoy rhymes?
Does your child express a desire to go to school?
Is the child used to staying with people other than the mother like grand mother or maid?
How easily she catches a cold from other people?
Is the child comfortable with other people except mom and dad for 1-2 hours?
Please note that the parent’s desire/ need to send a child to play school is different from the child’s readiness to go.
Sending a child to play school before she is ready to go could result in severe psychological damage to the child.. You can think of sending her for short durations if you feel she is not getting enough interactions with other children and you are not able to stimulate her enough because of your work schedule.
As your child grows you will have less and less control on his educational environment. In play school you do. Choose the play school keeping in view benefits to the child rather than future worries.
What to look for in a good play school?
Don’t go merely by the name tag or brand name of the play school in the belief that admission to regular schools will be easier thereafter.
Get reliable recommendations from parents whose children have studied in your shortlisted school.
Talk to the children themselves and see whether they seem happy and interested.
Find out whether the curriculum of the play school concentrates on all round development (including social, emotional, intellectual and physical) or only on securing admission to a regular school?
Are the classrooms attractive for children?
*Are children exposed to activities that encourage self-expression and development of a full range of motor skills?
Are children exposed to books, reading, writing, counting, music, science and nature on a regular basis?
Is there a dedicated area for safe, vigorous physical activity and an adequate supply of equipment. Are children supervised?
What is the teaching environment like? Are children allowed to be creative or think for themselves?
What is the ratio of teachers to children?
Are individual temperament based differences recognized?
Do the teachers question individual children and encourage them to expand their thinking and problem- solving skills?
Does the staff pay attention to the needs of the child?
How far is the play school from your residence?
If meals are provided are they nutritious and varied?
Do the teachers pay attention to the children during mealtimes – making sure they finish their tiffin?
How is the behavior of teachers with the students?
Is the principle experienced as a teacher and as an administrator?
Does the staff welcome you as a participant, communicate regularly with you and respect your preferences and ideas?
What are the rules and regulations followed and the fee structure for admission?
Each school has their own admission procedure and fee structure.
What is the procedure followed for joining in pre-primary school?
Admission procedure varies from school to school. You need to contact the school for admission procedure. Collect the application from the school, fill up the same and submit along with necessary documents.
Where to get this information?
You can get the information about the fee, curriculum and all other things usually on the school’s website or by personally visiting their office.
What are the necessary documents that are needed during admission to a play school?
The list of necessary documents totally depends on a particular school, still here is a list of things you should carry with you during the admission process. Keeping these things ready beforehand will save your time, energy and multiple visits to the school office.
photographs of your child
Family photograph
Birth certificate from a civic body
Blood Group report
Aadhar card number
Photocopy of ID proof of parents/Guardian
Address proof
This is just a tentative list, schools might demand more or less documents than the ones listed here.
What is the right class for the child in school?
In India, if the entry level class is LKG (Lower Kindergarten or KG 1) then, the right age would be between 3 to 4 yrs. Most schools keep this as 3yrs and 6 months around june end or during the beginning of new session. As this will be the average age of the class.
Before this age a child can only go to a play school or a school with a dedicated class to cater the needs for this age group. In most of the schools, this dedicated class is named as Nursery.
Normally, any play school has an entry level class as a Playgroup. There are many different names for this level. The right age for Playgroup would generally be more than 1years 6 months to 2 years.
What is the right age for a child for getting admission in a Play Group?
Going to Play School also gives a tremendous boost to a child’s vocabulary. Children with cases of speech-delays also improve a lot better when around other kids of the same age. They learn to sing rhymes and songs all day long. Their eating habit and independence also improves by eating in the classroom with other kids. And these are the benefits other than the academic portions.
What is the right age for a child for getting admission in Nursery?
The minimum age limit for a child for getting admission in Nursery is 2.5 years.
What is the right age for a child for getting admission in Lower Kindergarten/ LKG/ KG-1?
Please note that there is no specific age limit criteria for joining/admission in LKG. The minimum required age for getting admission in 1st standard in any CBSE school is more than 5 yrs and 6 months around June. So minimum required age for a child for getting admission in LKG is minimum 3.5 years.
What is the right age for a child for getting admission in Upper Kindergarten/ UKG/ KG-2?
The required age for getting admission in UKG is 4.5 yrs.
What is the right age for a child for getting admission in Class 1 / Grade I?
The minimum age required for getting admission in 1st class is 5.6 years and so on. Meeting the age criteria is a must for getting admission in CBSE based schools.
The age limit varies with state. So, it’s better to visit school to get details for admission and eligibility criteria.
Healthy Eating during Exams, with exams approaching, healthy snacking is the last thing a student thinks of. It’s easy to get into the habit of quick coffee and take-way pizza, because you don’t want to waste time on dining in detail. But, actually, good nutrition should be part of a students study plan because it’s going to help him ace those tests.
Remember the rule:
The better the fuel your brain gets, the better you’ll study.
Healthy Eating during Exams, with exams approaching, healthy snacking is the last thing a student thinks of. But, actually, good nutrition should be part of a students study plan because it’s going to help him ace those tests. Photo by Giftpundits.com from Pexels
Whether you are a student or mother of a student preparing for his exams, these tips will help you build healthy eating habits during exams.
Here are 10 tips for eating right during exams:
Meeting daily vitamin and mineral requirements will make doing your best much easier. Iron and Vitamin B are especially important to maintaining the physical and mental energy necessary to study well. Iron-containing foods : red meat, cereals and spinach. Some foods that contain B vitamins are: whole-grains, wheat germ, eggs and nuts. Some other foods that provide nutrients to the brain are Fish and soy.
Food is always a better choice than Dietary supplements. So try to replace Vitamin C tablet with an orange. An orange contains not only Vitamin C, but also fiber, beta carotene and other minerals. Fruit ranks high among the best foods you can eat for your brain. The natural sugars in fruit offer clean energy, so you don’t experience the crash that follows consumption of refined sugar. Blueberries (which can be bought frozen in bags) get a lot of attention because they contain powerful antioxidants and other nutrients. When you’re heading for the library or to your room, pack whole-food items like apples, bananas, carrot sticks or a handful of dry fruits.
Eating regular mealshelps keep nutrients and energy levels more stable. It reduces the temptation of empty-calorie snacks in the vending machine. Eat at regular intervals.
Consider taking 5 or 6 well-balanced, smaller meals. Big meal stays in your stomach. Eating the standard three-big-meals-a-day slows you down mentally and physically. A sandwich or some fruits could do the magic. Fresh fruits, fruit smoothies, dry fruits, honey-coated nuts, soups, interesting salads etc are good options.
Meet for breakfasts. Meet your study buddies during morning hours. If you feel like having a snack break, breakfast is a good time. Oats, Muesli, Upma, Khichdi, Idli etc are great options with a low glycemic index which provide a constant and steady supply of glucose.
Hydration is the main thing to care for. When you sit in the comfort of your room and probably with your AC on, you do not feel thirsty and hence end up drinking less fluids. When dehydrated, the body and mind are dazed, restless. It is hard to concentrate on studies.Choose your beverages well. Reduce caffeine, sugar intake. Since too much caffeine can make you jittery, try to drink moderate amounts: 400 to 450 mg per day, the equivalent of 2/2.5 cups, (16 to 20 ounces or 500 to 625 ml). Better choices include water, fruit juice, milk, antioxidant rich green tea, milkshakes, fresh soups, lemonade, lassi and coconut water. Avoid aerated beverages. Have at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.
Choose power packed vegetables. Not all vegetables are created equal. Use the hint – the darker the color, the higher the concentration of nutrients. Spinach has more nutrients for mind and body than lettuce.
Snack smartly while studying and you may find that you retain more. Try to get two food groups into your snacks to balance the nutrients and keep your blood-sugar level stable. Eat healthy snacks in between meals like protein bars, fresh fruits, peanuts, makhana and roasted chana etc. specially when you are studying till late at night.
It’s easy to feed the brain well. Gather simple recipes for nourishing foods. Brain boosting foods include foods that improve memory and concentration like almond walnuts, fish, flax seeds, banana, chickpeas, spinach, broccoli, etc.
Avoid junk food. Foods like chocolate, cookies etc can cause a sudden spike in sugar levels in the blood. After a while, when the stomach feels empty it could lead to craving for more such junk food.
Healthy Eating during Exams!
Thank you for staying till the 10th tip. Extra 6 important suggestions for you to make your exam time less stressful.
Feed yourself with good eight hours of sleep. Sleep is important. Good sleep is as good for your brain as food for the body. Lesser sleep can interfere with learning ability, causes mood swings and compromise your immune system.
Keep yourself away from electronic devices.Take out an hour everyday for some recreational activity to keep yourself happy and motivated.
Make sure you get your stress-buster foods. During stressful times like exams, the body’s requirement for certain water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin B complex and C, minerals like zinc goes up. These help in the synthesis and functioning of adrenal hormones that are basically our stress-fighting hormones. Brown rice, nuts, eggs, fresh veggies and fruits can help.
Give yourself foods to increase efficiency of the brain: Antioxidants like Vitamins A, C and E reduce damage to brain cells due to increased stress by fighting the free radicals. Eggs, fish, carrots, pumpkins, green leafy veggies, fresh fruits can help meet this requirement. They also help increase the body’s immunity and help reduce chances of the child falling sick during exams.
Don’t miss out on memory enhancer foods. Omega 3 fatty acids found mainly in fish are required to enhance brain function and memory. It is recommended that you have at least two servings of Salmon (rawas fish), herring (bhing) or mackerel (bangda) per week. For restricting calories, they are best eaten grilled, shallow fried with very little oil or baked. If you do not eat fish or do not have access to good fish, add ground flax seeds (alsi), pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (til), soya bean oil, canola oil to your diet. Omega 3 fatty acid supplements are also available.
Avoid eating outside food during exams. Exams being times for high-stress and low-immunity, children are highly prone for infections. So, avoid eating outside food as much as possible.
Healthy Eating during Exams!
Examples of some healthy options for healthy eating during Exams and preparations for competitive exams.
red meat, cereals and spinach, whole-grains, wheat germ, eggs and nuts, Fish and soy, Brown rice, nuts, eggs, fresh veggies and fruits, carrots, pumpkins, ground flax seeds (alsi), pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (til), soya bean oil, canola oil, milk and milk products, sprouts, tofu, chicken, healthy nuts in combination with healthy cereals like dalia, oats, quinoa, and whole wheat products.
Snacks
apples, bananas, carrot sticks or a handful of dry fruits, Fresh fruits, fruit smoothies, dry fruits, honey-coated nuts, soups, interesting salads,protein bars, fresh fruits, peanuts, makhana and roasted chana, milk and milk products, sprouts, tofu, eggs, chicken, fish, healthy nuts in combination with healthy cereals like dalia, oats, quinoa, and whole wheat products.
For hydration
water, fruit juice, milk, antioxidant rich green tea, milkshakes, fresh soups, lemonade, lassi and coconut water.
Food that you can avoid
chocolate, cookies, aerated drinks, fast food, heavy and oily meals
Examples of some healthy options for healthy eating during Exams and preparations.
Eating healthy, adequate rest and proper sleep are the key for fresh and healthy mind which makes retaining the knowledge easier.
Although a parent’s role in their children’s learning evolves as kids grow, one thing remains constant: we are our children’s learning models. Our attitudes about education can inspire theirs and show them how to take charge of their own educational journey.
Parent’s Role in Child’s life: Although a parent’s role in their children’s learning evolves as kids grow, one thing remains constant: we are our children’s learning models. Our attitudes about education can inspire theirs and show them how to take charge of their own educational journey. Photo by Agung Pandit Wiguna from Pexels
Parent’s Role in Child’s life
“Parents can inspire kids to grow up to love learning and do well in school, by paying less attention to the actual specifics of the homework, but instead by creating learning-rich environments in and outside of the home.”
Be a role model for learning
In the early years, parents are their children’s first teachers — exploring nature, reading together, cooking together, and counting together. When a young child begins formal school, the parent’s job is to show him how school can extend the learning you began together at home, and how exciting and meaningful this learning can be. parents become their children’s learning coaches, as preschoolers grow into school age kids. Parents help their kids organize their time and support their desires to learn new things in and out of school, Through guidance and reminders.
Pay attention to what your child loves
A parent can do is notice her child. Find out if he is a talker or is he shy? Find out what interests him and help him explore it.
Tune into how your child learns
By paying attention to how your child learns, you may be able to pique his interest and explain tough topics by drawing pictures together, creating charts, building models, singing songs and even making up rhymes.
Many children use a combination of modalities to study and learn:
Some learn visually through making and seeing pictures,
others through tactile experiences, like building block towers and working with clay.
Still others are auditory learners who pay most attention to what they hear.
And they may not learn the same way their siblings (or you) do.
Practice what your child learns at school
Many teachers encourage parents to:
go over what their young children are learning in a non-pressured way, and
to practice what they may need extra help with.
This doesn’t mean drilling them for success, but it may mean:
going over basic counting skills, multiplication tables or letter recognition, depending on the needs, and
Reviewing the topics depending upon the learning level of your child. Please note, reviewing is different from being a drill machine.
And when you do review, your child should be willing to do it. There is no use of sitting for hours when your child is not present there mentally.
Set aside time to read together
Setting some time to read together really helps with:
Spending some productive time with your child
This will improve reading skills of your child.
Read aloud regularly, even to older kids.
If your child is a reluctant reader, reading aloud will expose her to the structure and vocabulary of good literature and get her interested in reading more.
You read one chapter aloud, let your child read another to himself.
Let kids pick the books they like. Book series are great for reluctant readers.
It’s OK to read easy, interesting books instead of harder novels.
Parent’s Role in Child’s life
Connect what your child learns to everyday life
Make learning part of your child’s everyday experience, especially when it comes out of your child’s natural questions.
When you drive in the car, count license plates and talk about the states.
Do measuring math, when you cook together.
When you turn on the blender, explore how it works together.
When your child studies the weather, talk about why it was so hot at the beach.
Have give-and-take conversations, listening to your child’s ideas instead of pouring information into their heads.
Connect what your child learns to the world
Find age-appropriate ways to help your older child connect his school learning to world events. Start by asking questions. For example,
ask a second-grader if she knows about a recent event, and what’s she heard.
Then ask what she could do to help (such as sending supplies to flood victims).
You might ask a younger child if he’s heard about anything in the news, and find out what he knows.
Make your child aware of the green and sustainable lifestyle.
Tell them why everyone should think about saving the planet Earth.
They should be taught to live with compassion towards all living beings around us
This will help your child become a caring learner.
Help your child take charge of his learning
Encourage your child to make decisions, be around and vigilant, and guide them if they are taking decisions that could really harm them. You can try by telling your child that:
Your child should be in charge of their learning and become responsible for it. This includes their daily home work.
We want them to be responsible for their successes and failures,
Show them how engaging learning is, and
That the motivations for learning should be the child’s intrinsic interests, not an external reward.”
Don’t over-schedule your child
While you may want to supplement school with outside activities, be judicious about how much you let or urge your child to do.
Kids need downtime as much as they may need to pursue extra-curricular activities.
If a child has homework and organized sports and music lessons to attend and then you want to enroll him to a drawing class by compromising his play time, it can quickly become a joyless race from one thing to another.
Therefore, monitor your child to see that he is truly enjoying what he is doing. If he isn’t, cut something off the schedule.
Parent’s Role in Child’s life
Keep TV to a minimum
It is thought that at present time, you get a lot of information through the internet and informative channels in T.V.
It is true that a lot of information is served to us and we enjoy that with our eyes. But for it to reach to our brains, we need to do some thinking too. And for that do need to keep yourself from a lot of screen time.
Watching lots of TV does not give children the chance to develop their own interests and explore on their own, because it controls the agenda.
Unstructured time with books, toys, crafts and friends allows children to learn how to be in charge of their agenda, and to develop their own interests, skills, solutions and expertise.
Learn something new yourself
Learning something new yourself is a great way to model the learning process for your child.
Take up a new language or craft, or read about an unfamiliar topic.
Show your child what you are learning and how you may be struggling.
You’ll gain a better understanding of what your child is going through and your child may learn study skills by watching you study.
You might even establish a joint study time.
Happy parenting is every parent’s delight.
All the best wishes to you on this amazing journey. This will surely give us an easy life.
If these tips help you in finding your answer, please like and comment. You can also put your queries related to parenting in the comment box.
What will child learn in playschool? If you are wondering whether to send your child to a playschool or not, here’s what you should consider before making a decision.
Broadly these are the fields covered under a playschool academic routine:
Sensory Development
Sensorial Life utilizes specially designed sensorial material to develop the physical sense and the powers of observation.
This area enables the child to gain an understanding of:
Taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, etc.
Hearing: pitch, tone, loud and soft, etc.
Sight: long and short, broad and narrow, small and large, geometric shapes, etc.
Touch: smooth and rough, hot and cold, heavy and light, etc.
Smell: spices, herbs, flower scents, etc.
Basic Concepts
Mathematics is introduced to the child through concrete, manipulative terms that enable him/her to understand the basic concepts. More abstract forms are then used as the child progresses from numbers, quantity numerals to concepts such as place values. As the child progresses, he/she starts working with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using specially designed materials. The emphasis is on understanding that en rote learning.
Language Development
Language spans every area of the programme though it is included in the basic skills. It encompasses verbal skills, visual perception and small muscle coordination. Beginning with listening games, training the hand with puzzles, the child is familiarized with the alphabets. Specially designed materials enable the child to gain an understanding of how separate sounds combined together to form words. This area helps in oral language development, written expression, reading and grammar.
Enrichments
Enrichments are an introduction to the basic elements
of our world – land, air and water. At first, the children use large wooden
puzzle maps of the continents. As they learn the names of the continents, and
then move on to maps of countries. This is followed by a gradual learning about
climate, people.
Cognitive Development
Practical
Life introduces the child to task organization and cognitive order
through exercises such as pouring, polishing, spooning and buttoning. The child
develops concentration, muscular coordination and a sense of order. This area also aids in learning care of self, care of the
environment, control of movement and social relations.
This area is the
foundation for subsequent academic learning because it provides:
A SENSE OF ORDER that is a task’s beginning, middle and end.
SENSE OF INDEPENDENCE that is “I can do it by myself”.
*A SENSE OF COORDINATION that is ” We are a team”, and I need to coordinate with others.
Child will learn in playschool a lot of new things for sure. It is a readiness program before the formal schooling.
Should you send your child to a playschool? Here’s what you should consider before making the decision.
A few decades ago, the concept of playschools in India was unheard of, and few children, if any, attended playschool. Still, everyone grew up into mature, sensible, well read and well-spoken adults. Now however it seems as if every parent sends their pre-nursery child off to a playschool.
Most playschools in India are privately owned, and expensive. If you are wondering whether to send your child to a playschool or not, here’s what you should consider before making a decision.
Time
Do you have a lot of time that you can devote to your child?
If both you and your spouse are working and you don’t have a lot of spare time, you may not be around to teach your child much – with the result that when your child starts school he may lag behind his classmates who have attended playschool. However, if one spouse is a stay-at-home parent and has the time to attend to the children and teach them, you could consider not sending your child to a playschool. Remember that very young children too have an incredible ability to learn. Their brains are remarkably sharp, and it makes sense to put them in an environment conducive to learning at this young age.
Playschool Education – Academic routine
When deciding which playschool to send your child to, try and find something that isn’t very academically inclined. Your child shouldn’t be struggling, trying to learn something like math at such a young age. Instead, find a play school that focuses on letting a child have fun while learning.
Playschool Education – Social opportunities
Play schools also provide an opportunity for children to socialize with other children. In addition, he will also gradually get used to the concept of a classroom in an informal manner, making his transition into school that much easier. So, if you live in an isolated neighborhood or in a place where there are not many other children your child’s age, it makes sense to send your child to playschool. Your child will learn to interact with numerous children at a young age.
Yes, the social benefits of sending your child to playschool are undeniable, but don’t expect miracles. If your child is shy, sending him to playschool will not automatically transform him into a confident person. In addition, you may find that there are other ways to help your child socialize. If you have membership to your local club for example, you could consider enrolling your child in sports.
Routine
Sending your child to a playschool helps ease him into a routine earlier on. However, remember that even if your child doesn’t go to playschool initially, 12-14 years of schooling followed by college will get him accustomed to a routine anyway. Whether or not he continues with the discipline depends on his innate nature and the job he takes up – and not on whether he has been to playschool or not.
Wondering
how to help your children with homework — or how to get them to do it without a
struggle? Here’s how.
What’s the point of homework?
“Homework is designed to help students reinforce key concepts, process and solidify new information, provide time for extra practice of skills, and reflect on how much they’ve learned,” notes teacher Susan Becker, M.Ed. However, approaches to homework vary from district to district, school to school and teacher to teacher. Some schools don’t give children homework until the 2nd grade, others start in kindergarten. Some teachers create original homework, while other use or modify prepared work sheets.
Don’t do the homework for your child.
Most teachers use homework to find out what the child knows. They do not want parents doing their children’s homework but do want parents to make sure homework is completed and review any mistakes to see what can be learned from them.
Don’t take over your child’s projects.
Teachers do not want parents doing their kids’ projects. Instead, they want parents to support their kids’ learning and make sure they have what they need to accomplish a task. Check with your child’s teacher for his policy and review it with your child.
Set up a good space to work.
All children need the same thing: a clean, well-lit space. But keep in mind that each child may work differently; some will do their work at the kitchen table and others at their desks in their rooms.
Pay attention to your child’s rhythms and help him find the right time to begin his work.
Some children will work best by doing homework right after school; others need a longer break and must run around before tackling the work. Most will need a snack. If your child does after-school activities, set a homework time before or after the activity, or after dinner. Whatever routine you choose, help your child stick to it.
Find out how your child studies best.
“You should find the ways your child likes to study. For example, some kids will learn spelling words by writing them out, others by closing their eyes and picturing them and saying them aloud,” . “The sound environment is also important,” .”Some kids may want to listen to music, some are helped by being in the middle of noise, others need absolute quiet.” These are some of the advises by the experts.
Don’t hover — but stay close by.
Keep in mind that it’s their homework, not yours, but remain available in case you are needed. “The ideal set up would be for a parent to be reading nearby while the child is studying because then you both are doing your educational work together, but that’s not always possible,” says Michael Thompson, Ph.D. “A parent may be working out of the home, or need to be working in the home and cooking dinner. So if you are home, stay close, and if you are not there, have another adult check to make sure it’s going OK. And remember that all homework is not equal, so not everything will need your rapt attention.”
Limit media exposure.
Turn off the TV and the iPod when your child does homework. And the computer too, unless it’s being used for research. You might start by asking how much time he thinks he should spend on this, and negotiate from there. Remember, you have the final word. And keep in mind that if you watch TV when your child can’t, the plan may backfire.
Let the teacher know if you gave your child a lot of homework help.
“If your child needs extra help or truly doesn’t understand something, let the teacher know. Write on the assignment, ‘done with parental help,’ or write a separate note,” advises experts. If your child resists, explain that homework is used to practice what you know and to show the teacher what you need help learning more about — so it’s a parent’s job to let the teacher know.
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