Starchild, Education and Me

Vacations are for fun and games! It will soon be vacation time and books are put away. No more math, science or social studies! Many of you will head out to new lands to relax and discover. The journey is often boring for children. Here are some simple games which you can play with your children while travelling by car, train or plane. As a matter of fact these games can be played at home too. As a child, I played many such games with my parents. Later, I played these with my son too! These games not only entertain but also teach some skills. I spy with my little eye … This game is based on observation and thinking skills . It can be played anywhere whether you are in a car or in flight or at home. Ask your child to find things in the environment around you. In the car, you can ask your child/children to find things on the side of the road or passing cars. They can pick out shapes, numbers, animals and what not. E.g. You say, “I spy with my little eye a car which has ...

In my last blog, I had mentioned mind maps. I am sure many are familiar with this. A mind map is a diagram in which information is represented visually, usually with a central idea placed in the middle and associated ideas arranged around it. Children would find it interesting to make a mind map. As they do so, they also revise their work unconsciously. How is it useful to students? It is a very useful tool as by using a mind map, you can - ü   Write less but retain more. ü   Make connections and remember them easily. ü   Summarize information. ü   Brainstorm easily, especially when you are stuck for ideas e.g. when writing an essay. ü   Let your thoughts flow freely and come up with new, creative ideas ü   Simplify difficult and long topics. ü   Stimulate thinking, especially in a logical manner. ü   Memorize easily. ü   Fun and creative. It does not feel like you are studying or working! ü   Once the tech...

Let’s make revision fun With exams looming large, it is time to revise. Revision can be very boring for children and taxing for you. Let’s make it fun and creative. Let’s start by making the revision timetable . Make the timetable at least a week ahead so that your child knows what to expect. The parents and children can make it together. Colour code each subject. E.g. History is red, Math is blue, and so on. Put it up in a place where you and the child see it all the time. An attractive timetable will make your child go to it and be reminded of what he/she has to do. For oral work, prepare quizzes . Questions in a bowl : You can prepare questions of a particular chapter on chits and put them in a bowl. Shake the bowl and ask the child to select the chit. She must answer that question. (I did this with my son!) What’s the question? You give a topic and the child makes up the questions for it. Ask her to form at least 4/5 questions regarding this. You answe...

Surprised? Don’t be. There is so much in the kitchen that can be used as teaching aids. As a mom and a teacher, I used my kitchen to teach. Many practical hands-on Science and Math activities can be conducted in the kitchen. (Teachers, you can carry some stuff to the class). Baking is an activity which kids specially enjoy. I often spent a Saturday afternoon in the kitchen as we baked a chocolate cake. We sieved and measured flour and other ingredients. (Learning – measurement). We pre-heated the oven at a certain temperature and then, baked the cake. (Learning – temperature). My son would be at first surprised. What made the cake rise? This and many more questions were answered as we bake. Often, I asked my son to observe things which are common to us but not to the child. E.g. Boiling of water makes the lid on the vessel rattle. Why? Where did the steam come from? The concepts of evaporation and condensation can be taught through these simple everyday actions. ...

Bring out the FUN in Learning! As I ponder over the grave word – “Education”, I conclude: Education should be meaningful to the child. Would you be interested in studying something which has no value in your life? A child also wonders why he is studying a particular subject. Will it be useful to him/her in her daily life? Today, one of my students argued, “Why have Science compulsory till Std. X?” I told him that it was essential to know basic science. He reasoned that knowing the nitty-gritty of the very insides of a plant and its processes would not be useful to him. He maintained that it was quite detailed. I was surprised by the gusto with which he argued with me. He would rather learn something which interests him and is useful to him. A child’s learning should not be limited to just the textbook but become part of her daily life. It can then make children realize the usefulness of their learning. If this is done from an early age, it would make learning not only t...

I believe : If you enjoy what you learn, you remember forever. As a child, I learnt on my own, did my homework on time and planned and studied for my tests and exams. I was self-motivated. Not all children are self-motivated. They need a guiding hand. Teach your child yourself : The trend to outsource the education of our children has become permanent. Parents have their own reasons to do so.  However, they must take interest in what their children are learning. Teach your children yourself. (whatever, whenever you can). You will see a positive change. Self-study : is one of the main aspects of learning. After attending school, tuitions and other extracurricular activities, the children have no time for self-study. Weigh the options, what is important? Which of these classes can be dropped out? Thus, making time for self-study. Revision : is very essential. A parent complained to me that her child cannot remember anything taught in school. I replied it is no...