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Archive for creative problem solving – Page 2

Questions that shape your child’s future

“How do I make my child future-ready?” This is an oft repeated question. Being future-ready is not an all-in-one package deal. Being future-ready in today’s climate is the ability to unlearn and learn. In this article I would like to talk about one of the important aspects of unlearning and learning – asking questions.

What is the best thing you could do with a question? Of course, it is to ask. Asking questions helps children to learn and have come to their own conclusions. However, many children refrain from asking questions. Have you ever wondered how you could help your child with it? To cultivate effective inquiry skills in your child, it is important to create a question-asking environment at home. Questions are the secret bullet that make your child future-ready. It is this environment that they are going to wear and carry around when they go out into the world.

A recent survey by World Economic Forum lists Critical Thinking as one of the top two skills required to thrive in the new world order. Experts are of the opinion that asking questions is what sparks curiosity and critical thinking in children. Questions drive thinking, enquiry and action. The strategies below will help you to create an inquiry-confident mindset for your child.

1. Ask your child about their questioning ventures of the day

According to Nobel laureate physicist Isidor I. Rabi, it is one question that shaped his life. He credits his curiosity to his mother’s question, “What did you ask in the class today?”

What do you ask your child when they come back from school? Do you ask them “How was your day?” or “What did you learn?” If you change your question a little bit to enquire about what did they ask, you will gradually observe a different effect in them. This will help them to understand we are all enquirers first and then learners. Isn’t that an effective step to be future-ready?

2. Help to manage the anxiety of looking stupid in front of others

Is your child scared that their questions would not make sense? Does your child feel that their peers or teachers would ridicule them for asking? It is time to inject some confidence into your child. While you are doing that, take time for some introspection as well. Are you being kind when you answer to your child’s questions? When your child asks a seemingly stupid question, take time to discuss that topic and help your child to frame a better question. The future is for people who can do out of the box thinking. Out of the box thinking comes from asking such questions. Tell your child that being future-ready means developing the courage to ask such questions.

3. Promote communication skills in your child

Many children (and adults) refrain from asking questions, not because they don’t have anything to ask or they are shy. It is because they are not sure how to frame their questions so that it will sound valid. Helping your child to practice good communication skills will help tremendously in this area.

When you ask questions to your child, be sure to ask ‘Why’ or ‘How’ questions instead of a question that gives you an ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer. Be flexible to listen and respond to contradicting ideas.

One thing that is certain is that the future of mankind is only going to be more confusing. Knowing how to question the right way is their passport to take on the challenges of the uncertain world ahead of them. Equip your child with the necessary question-asking skills to be future-ready.

You may find our workshops on thinking skills and creative confidence here.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

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The Kidz Parade Magazine

Are you looking for a special present for an adorable child? Why don’t you give a present that will leave a lifetime positive impact? When you give The Kidz Parade Edutainment Magazine as a present, you are opening the door to a world of Creativity and Communication.

About Sindu Sreebhavan

Sindu Sreebhavan is the founder of As Many Minds Minds Pte Ltd and the founding Chief Editor of The Kidz Parade Edutainment magazine, Asia's premium publication for cultivating creativity and creative writing in children. Sindu is also the founder and the Chairperson of International Youth Leadership and Innovation Forum (IYLIF). Sindu is the author of 'Infinite Possibilities' and the lead co-author of Amazon bestseller 'Breakthrough'. With a passion to infuse innovation in education and inject growth mindset and innovative mindset in people and organisations, Sindu writes, speaks and consults on innovation and creativity in business and education. She says innovation does not start with invention, it starts with a mindset. “The best gift you can give a child is the power of Confidence, Creativity and Communication” is her tagline. She is passionate about educating educators, parents and children about youth development, youth leadership, education innovation and 21st century education. She supports children, parents, schools and several organisations in these areas.

The One Thing That Provides A Brighter Future For Your Child

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

September 3, 2016

What do employers look for when they select people into their teams? In the 1960’s NASA was in the midst of finding the best people for various teams. The director of NASA wanted to find a way to assign the best people in his teams. He was looking for a way to find people with the best creative ideas for teams that handle difficult problems. He approached George Land, the expert researcher in creative performance, for a solution. George Land formed a test to measure the creativity of NASA engineers and scientists.

The test worked impressively well at NASA. The test takers were supposed to derive new, diverse and innovative ideas to solve a given problem. George Land realised that it was a test that could be solved by anyone. So, he decided to give it to children. In 1968, he tried out the same test with 1,600 five year old children. He re-tested the same children when they reached the age of 10 years and later at 15 years. He tried out the same test with over one million adults as a follow up.

The percentage of people who scored at genius level differed among different age groups. 98% of those 5 year olds scored at genius level. However, as they grew older, their creativity and hence their score dropped rapidly at unimaginable levels.

What makes the thinking skills of children drop as they grow older?

The main reason for this rapid drop in imagination is the way we train our minds. There are two types of thinking: Convergent thinking and Divergent thinking.

Divergent thinking focuses on coming up with new ideas without limiting the scope of the thinking horizon, without being judged .
Convergent thinking limits the scope of thinking and often looks out for the well defined perfect answer for a problem.

At our schools, children are taught to produce the perfect answer for a problem. This limits their divergent thinking and problem solving skills.

But does it help? As per the IBM 2012 CEO study, which is based on inputs from 1700 CEOs from 64 countries, creativity is among the three traits that are critical for an employee’s success. As per a NACE survey among 160 employers, problem solving is among the top 4 skills employers are seek on a candidate.

These results bring up the key question: What is more important to you as a parent?– to bring up a child who scores well in their exams or to bring up a child who is capable enough to handle and solve problems in their professional and personal lives. Apparently it is the second type of children that future workforce would prefer to hold closer.

How you can help your child to maximise their thinking potential?

Allow opportunities for your child to grow their creative potential. If you want to be a parent of a child who retain their ability to be creative, encourage them to come up with ideas, allow them to express those ideas without judgment and provide them with opportunities to try out their ideas. This will not only ensure them a brighter future, they will also learn to be self-assured people.

You can find practical tips on how to encourage your child’s creative potential at

3 Tips to Boost Your Childs Creative Problem Solving Skills

The one thing must do to cultivate Critical Thinking in your child

Engage the Curious Minds

Please visit our workshops on thinking skills here.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Sindu Sreebhavan

How Learning Programming Boosts Your Child’s Critical Thinking Skills

Posted by Highlight on

April 9, 2016

These days, programming forms an integral part of all aspects of our lives, from education to social media, banking and information. As Singapore works towards becoming a “smart nation”, the Ministry of Communications and Information has announced that an additional 30,000 ICT jobs need to be filled by 2020. While not every child wants a career as a programmer, learning programming is a valuable life skill for everyone. We have the experts Mr Deddy Setiadi and Mr Himmy Cheng, the co-founders of Tink Tank, talking to us about the benefits of learning programming. Tink tank is a local coding institution that aims to equip every child with programming knowledge and the power to create change. So, why should you get your kids started on their coding journeys now?

1. Programming build up problem solving and computational thinking skills

Coding is very sequential – you need to know what to write and why one code comes after another. Students will be able to make logical connections that can help them learn to analyse different situations and look at the big picture before drilling down to the smaller steps to reach the goal. Whenever they do hands on coding activities and face errors, students will learn to identify the problem and debug the programme. Mr Deddy says, “When children learn to code, they are also learning to think. These days, Facebook, handphones and programmable toys are embedded in children’s lives. They should also learn to understand the logic behind these technologies and move beyond being passive consumers to creators of technology.”

“I found the workshop very educational and interesting as it taught us about technology, computer programming and how to use our ideas in building up our own games!” – 10-year-old Saamiya Khan, who has benefitted from Tink Tank‘s workshop and regular classes.

2. Programming empowers children with confidence and creativity

Learning with the right tools is essential to creating a strong programming foundation. There are many excellent tools available in the market, such as Scratch, which is developed by MIT and can be used to create computer games and animated stories, to robotics tools like Dot & Dash and mBot. Mr. Himmy lights up when he recalls how his students felt so accomplished when they were able to see the games that they had brainstormed and planned on paper materialised as online games with the instructors’ guidance using Scratch. Mr. Himmy says, “That is why the students are constantly encouraged to express their creativity and challenge boundaries at Tink Tank,” For instance, a perennial kids favourite is the fruit piano segment where they code a virtual piano and play on the fruits by connecting it to Makey Makey, a tool that allows for indirect control of the keyboard. Now, who says a piano must be black and white?

“If your child has even a slight interest in computer, gaming, technology – Tink Tank’s program will open up a fun new world of coding through a series of games and using kid-friendly coding platform, like Scratch. The small class size is a plus, and compared to workshops my 8-year-old had done in the past, the instructors are stellar. My son is already looking forward to the next Tink Tank class!” – Parent of 8-year-old Cai Penn

3. Programming is fun and it develops important life skills

Though coding may seem very technical and possibly daunting, it is a myth that the skills gained are confined to the realms of the computer lab. Participants of Tink Tank’s programs are also developing important life skills, such as presentation skills, as they are encouraged to actively ask and answer questions in class, and will get the opportunity to present their final creations to their parents. Also, students are put through collaborative exercises that gives them the opportunity to work together, solve problems and learn from each other. To Mr Deddy and Mr Himmy, the growth of the students is more important than school size itself. They promise a 1:4 teacher-student ratio to ensure an intimate, hands-on learning experience, compared to the 1:8 ratio in the market currently. “We get really excited when we see our students grow, and we regularly communicate the student’s individual progress to parents. We want to go the extra mile for our students, “they concluded.

“The Tink Tank workshop has been an extremely engaging program for my daughter. The staff have made the “lesson” super interesting and more importantly, making learning fun! Kudos to the team!” – Parent of 12 year old Ivory.

Just as how Maths and Science shape our world now, our children’s world will be shaped by computers and connected devices. Computer programming has been increasingly incorporated into the Singapore education system, with a new O-level subject called computing introduced this year. As kids have an easier time picking up skills than adults, it’s important to get them started on their coding journey early. If your children have not learnt how to program, now’s the time to start.

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5 Questions to Boost Problem Solving Skills in Your Child

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

March 25, 2016

Your child is doing the school homework and tells you, “I don’t understand this.” How do you respond to this? Your response has far reaching effects on the problem solving skills and learning attitude of your child.

What do you do when your child says “I don’t understand this”? Do you immediately help your child? Do you feel it is your responsibility to teach your child with all the details? It may help your child’s curiosity short-term or save your time short-term. However, you are wasting a golden opportunity to enrich your child with critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Next time when your child says “I don’t understand this”, resist your urge to give the details and guide your child to solve the problem. Asking the right questions will help your child to build their curiosity and critical thinking skills. When they solve the problem by themselves following your careful guidance, they feel more confident. They will be more open to trying out more challenging problems in the future. These are some questions you can ask your child for a guided problem solving process:

Question #1: “What problem are you trying to solve?”

Image courtesy of potowizard at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

May be your child has not understood the question well. It is the questions that lead to more questions, answers and knowledge. Help your child to understand the question. Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”

Question #2: “What have you done so far to solve this?”

This is a great question to help your child evaluate what they have done so far about it. Taking stock of the situation helps in charting the next step. May be your child was not approaching the question the right way. Your question will help them to take the next small step in solving the problem.

Question #3: “Where exactly are you facing the problem?”

May be your child does not need the answer for the entire question. In reality, they might be stuck at a tiny portion of the big problem. This question will help your child to divide the problem into sub-problems and think through these sub-problems one at a time.

Question #4: “Have you taken any class notes on it?”

Recollection is a great technique that helps us to remember something we have learned before. This question will help your child to go through their notes and recollect the discussion in the class.

Question #5: “Did you talk to your friends about it?”

Your child’s classmates would be able to remind them of how the topic was tackled in the class. This is a great way for your child to understand the significance of collaboration and brainstorming in learning.

Is your child still struggling to solve the problem? Tell them not to panic. Give them the assurance that you are with them in their effort to solve the problem. Ask them more questions with hidden clues to lead them to think in the right direction.

Do not forget to congratulate your child for the efforts they made. Let them know the specific problem solving skills they used well so that they will feel empowered to use those skills to solve other issues as well. “Your perseverance helped you reach this far”, “It is your ability to divide the problems into sub-problems that helped to solve the problem”, “It is your ability to collaborate with others that helped you here”, “You are developing your problem solving skills well”, are some of the congratulatory phrases you can use to encourage and empower your child. After all, learning is all about acquiring new skills to solve problems.

Please visit Growth Mindset Camp, Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp, Thinkers Unlimited Workshop and Creative Problem Solving Workshop for our workshops on thinking skills and design thinking.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Sindu Sreebhavan

Digital Footprint: A Letter to My Children

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

January 28, 2016

To my wonderful Tweens,

When I was young, I have made several mistakes. But, I am lucky. None of those are googleable. They are not part of my digital footprint. My mistakes are safe with me. But, are you lucky like me? Unfortunately, the answer is NO. If you make any mistakes in your adolescent years or later, the chances are that it could leave a mark here on the internet. As you are creating your digital footprint online, I would like you to be aware of these 10 tips for your safe riding online and offline.

1. To be online is like driving.

Half of the children of your age use social media. The internet makes your life easy in several ways… just like driving. But, just like driving, you need to be educated on how to do it and you need to be careful. At the same time, you also need to be beware of the dangers caused by other people’s carelessness and arrogance.

So when you drive online, drive safely and defensively.

2. Colleges and employers will check your online profiles and behavior.

A few years back, the respected educator Chris Betcher said, “I can see a day in the not too distant future where your ‘digital footprint’ will carry far more weight than anything you might include in a resume or CV”. That day has come.

Soon you will start building your portfolios for higher studies. Keep in mind that your online behavior is also part of that portfolio. Build your online presence with the same sincerety with which you build your portfolio.

Your digital footprint is as important as your achievements.

3. When you are in front of that screen, you may feel powerful.

In reality, you are much more powerless than the powerful feeling you get. The freedom that the internet gives you to do anything online looks very powerful. The fact that you are away from other people does not give you the super power to share anything you want to say about others. It keeps records.

If you do anything illegal online, law enforcement agencies could come and get you. And yes, there is proof for everything you do. The search engines and other online platforms do provide it to the police and other law enforcement agencies.

The internet keeps records.

4. It is not just you, I should also be careful.

Be careful about what you post online. Your digital footprint will play a significant role in the opportunities you will get in the future. But, it is not just about you being careful. It is more applicable to be me as well. As a parent, I should be conscious of what information about you that I let the world see.

Parents are also responsible to keep a clean digital footprint of their children.

5. There is no actual DELETE button online.

Pressing the DELETE button is not an actual ERASE online. Even if you go great lengths to hide or delete your online activities, there are ways to find it out.

There are many online social media platforms that claim your posts disappear forever. If they were so reliable, how can we find some pictures and posts by your favorite celebrities on those platforms even after it expires?

It is not just the internet that keeps track of your activities, it is also your online friends.

Remember, there are no secrets online. So, take control of your digital footprint.

6. Internet is not the place where you throw your frustrations towards a person.

No matter how mean a person is, please do not show your frustration towards them online. Being mean or spreading rumors about a person online is cyber bullying.

The simple rule of thumb is, if it is not right to say or do something in the real world, do not say or do that online too.

7. Internet is for everyone.

That means, you will find all sorts of people out there. Some of them do things that you wouldn’t even be able to imagine. There are people who steal identities, steal valuables, bully others or harm others under the disguise of online friendships. There are people who could manipulate you to do things you wouldn’t be proud of. They could be sitting anywhere in the world, but could cause great damages to you and to your loved ones.

Do not trust any strangers you come across online, however beautiful, handsome or wise they may appear.

8. The internet is forever.

When you press that SEND button or PUBLISH button, it is ‘forever’. I am sure you know about that. It is you who should decide what legacy you want to leave behind.

Build a positive self image online. Who are you as a person? What are your qualities that make you yourself? Your online image should give the same or a better impression about yourself.

Haven’t I told you not to share your personal information with people you see on the streets? Please keep that in mind when you are on the streets of the internet too. Keep your private information private.

The internet is here to stay and hence your digital footprint too.

9. You get what you search.

Do you always search about a particular topic? Do you always watch a particular genre on youtube? What sort of games you play or download? Social media and phishing sites are keeping track of all these online habits of yours. This also becomes part of your digital footprint.

If you observe you will realise that social media offers you contents based on your online habits. So, even if you want to curb some of those habits, you will continuously get tempted by those offers.

Curb your tendencies and temptations online to have a healthy digital footprint.

10. I am writing this now because this is the right time

After a couple of years, it is possible that you might not feel like listening to me. You may feel that your friends make more sense than me. I won’t blame you for that because that is part of nature and growing up. So, before you reach that stage, it is my responsibility to make you independent to watch out for yourself. When I grew up, I didn’t have to face all this. I know I am also learning these things with you. But, we will do it together.

No matter what, I will be there for you.

If someone is troubling you online, please do not hide it from me. My approach might be different from yours when it comes to handling situations. But, we will discuss it and reach an approach you are comfortable with.

Even if you think you have made a mistake, come back and tell me. I might scold you, I might shout at you, I might cry for you. But, I will be there for you to support you, to love you and protect you.

You will understand the full meaning of many of the things I wrote here only when you get a little bit older. But, you will be able to figure that out by yourself if you start now with the basics of creating a clean digital footprint.

With all my love,

Mom.

Please visit Social Media & Online Etiquette Workshop for our workshop on safe digital footprint for children.

Share this article with your children, friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Sindu Sreebhavan

7 Science-Backed Ways to Motivate your Child to Study

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

January 22, 2016

Do you think your child is able to achieve more than what they are currently getting? Many parents feel their children’s priorities are mixed up. They fear that because of this, their child’s potential to become a stellar student diminishes. This results in continuous arguments, disappointments, frustration and punishments in some cases, in the home atmosphere. Have you found it hard to motivate your child to study?

You may find usual motivational phrases like “I know you have much more potential than this”, or “You can do it…” are not working anymore. What can you do in this situation? What if you give your child transformational experience using of some simple, but planned strategies?

The secret to transformations is working on making your child’s dreams SMART. That is, make each of their dreams Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed. In this article, I am sharing proved methods to help your child achieve their SMART academic goals.

1. It would be easier to motivate your child to study if they know how learning works

Our brain continues to change over the course of our lives. For every new information, our nerve cells (neurons) in the brain form new connections with other cells or strengthen the existing connection. The more we learn, the neurons make more connections and that results in us becoming more intelligent. According to researchers, your task to motivate your child to study gets better response once your child gets to know this.

Your child needs to understand that their intelligence is not fixed at birth. Brain is similar to muscles in our body. The more we work it out, the stronger it gets. That means your child has the potential to go up from where they are. When they understand it, they are more likely to understand the importance of efforts and determination. They are more likely to take responsibility for their academic progress. With this growth mindset, they gain greater confidence in themselves. Based on the research by Stanford University psychology professor and writer Carol Dweck, even low achieving students started scoring better in exams after they got to know how learning works.

2. Homework ≠ Learning

When you ask, “Did you finish studying?” does your child say, “Yes. I finished my homework”? Studying and doing homework are entirely separate tasks. Homework is a task designed to enforce the concepts introduced at school. Learning is following certain strategies to ensure that the child internalizes the information and will be able to remember and make use of it.

There are several studies with contradicting conclusions on the effectiveness of homework. Irrespective of that, your child anyway has to do their homework, if they get it. In order for your child to internalize what they learned, follow a planned approach to learning.

3. Encourage your child to RECALL the learning

When we read something, we feel we have understood and remember everything. How often has it happened that you checked the time many times and still you do not know what time it is? Similarly, when a person reads something, although they may feel they picked up everything, there will l still be some information that just does not stick. Ebbinghaus forgetting curve hypothesis establishes that we forget half of what we learn within 3 weeks and this memory deterioration continues over the period of time unless we take effective measures to keep the memory alive.

Let your child take intervals in between their reading and recollect what they learned.

According to the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, the retrieval process during the recalling helps to build stronger connections in the brain. These connections will lock information into their memory.

4. CONNECT the learning to something your child already knows

Learning is all about making connections. Teach them to relate the new things they learned to something they already know. For example, if they are learning how to write a story, let them analyse the structure of their favorite story. If you say photosynthesis is like baking when they are learning about photosynthesis, they will try to associate every step of photosynthesis with steps of baking. Connecting new information with something they already know will help them in sticking the information and retrieving it later. When your child gets this technique, it will be easier for them to give a personal angle to every new information they learn.

5. Start the habit of WRITING the achievements of the day

As part a study by Harvard Business School, the researchers observed that individuals who were given time to reflect on a task improved their performance more than those who were given the same amount of time to practice with the same task.

Here is another study that highlights the benefits of writing life experiences in the physical, psychological and academic life of a child.

Your child will make efforts to make big improvements when they start noticing the small improvements they make on a daily basis.

6. Low achievers need to know they are NOT stupid

Your child needs to understand that it is okay to have setbacks. Setbacks are not failures. They need to identify themselves as learners, not score-seekers. A low score just means they need to work harder on the subject. You can help your child to figure out the tricks that will work better for them.

7. Discuss, set and enforce rules

As a parent, your interest is to see your child performing better. It is important for the parent to understand that both you and your child are in this together. The lesser the power struggle here, the more will be the likelihood of a better outcome.

Discuss and establish the basic rules of their learning process with your child. This will involve the duration of study, sticking to study timings, how you will assess the progress of their study, what is the new course of action, what will be the action if things do not go as planned and so on. Once your child gets involved in this, they are more likely to take the ownership to make it work.

When you motivate your child to study, please keep in mind that you should be giving your child more than motivational words. Give your child the “How to…” strategies when it comes to studying. They will be more open to incorporate that in their learning.

Are you interested in learning how you could help your child to learn the art of thinking? You might be interested in this.

Please visit ACE Minds^ Workshop for our workshop on study skills.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

Public Speaking Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Junior Champs Leadership Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Growth Mindset Camp

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

Junior Public Speaking & Confidence Building Workshop designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

You might also be interested in Testimonials Confidence Hub Public Speaking Camp Growth Mindset Camp Thinkers Unlimited Design Thinking Camp

The Kidz Parade Magazine

About Sindu Sreebhavan

5 Effective Ways To Build Your Child’s Vocabulary

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

January 14, 2016

A strong vocabulary paves the way for a child’s ability to learn, their ability to understand the world and their ability to communicate effectively with other people. The more words they know, the more they are able to make sense of what they learn. Now, what can you do to build your child’s vocabulary? Research shows that a child needs to see the usage of a word 5-7 times, before it is stored in their long-term memory. Here are some specific tips to make the vocabulary acquisition more fun.

1. Word games

Children learn vocabulary the best with repeated exposure and opportunity to practice that in a non-threatening atmosphere. Games are best to enforce the words after you introduce it to them. You can do inexpensive ways to play games like synonym cross word puzzles, Word search, Scrabble. There are many online sites where you can play interesting and engaging vocabulary games with your child. If you need more, you can find some cool vocabulary games here.

2. Peer reading

Introduce your child to the vocabulary used by their peers. Reading literature by children is the best way to do that. This will give them the motivation and confidence to learn and use new words. Reading the works by peers will also inspire them to focus more on writing. You will be able to find a lot of such literature at Kidz Parade literature by children and The Kidz Parade.

3. Keep an idea book or a journal

Does the word ‘journal’ put off your child? Introduce the concept of an ‘idea book’ to them instead. Let them write all their aspirations, imaginations and observations in that book.

Encourage them to write lists if they do not want to write long paragraphs, ask them to write only a couple of sentences every day when they start with, ask them to write about something close to their heart. You will see your child building vocabulary and writing skills gradually.

Research shows that writing journals has both physical and psychological benefits while improving their writing skills and vocabulary.

You can find many writing prompts here.

4. Read aloud to your child (even if they are older)

Jim Trelease, the author of Read-Aloud Handbook says, “Children have a reading level and a listening level and they are usually not the same. A 4^th-grader may be reading on a 4^th-grade level, but can listen to stories on a 6^th-grade level.”

You can read aloud to older children, even to those who are upto 14 years. Reading aloud to teens helps them with finding the right vocabulary to express their emotions. This is a great bonding activity, while building your child’s vocabulary.

5. Talk, Talk and Talk: A very effective way to build your child’s vocabulary

Learning words is helpful only if it is practiced. Have conversations with your child in various topics. This will give them the opportunity to listen to new vocabulary as well as to express their thoughts using the new vocabulary. Communicating with people with varied interests is also a great way to acquire new vocabulary.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

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Growth Mindset Camp

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Science Says Your Child Should Start Writing Journals

Posted by Sindu Sreebhavan on

December 30, 2015

In a 2003 study, cited in Royal College of Psychiatrists, Karen A. Baikie and Kay Wilhelm highlight the long-term and short-term positive effects of writing about life experiences. The study outlines why your child should start writing journals.

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” – William Wordsworth.

Expressive writing about emotional, traumatic and stressful events results in significantly better psychological and physical wellbeing. Where can your child find these experiences? Of course, in their day to day lives.

Why should your child start writing journals?

The study showed significant improvements in the following areas when you cultivate a habit of writing about life experiences.

Higher grades for students
Improved working memory
Reduced depressive symptoms before examinations
Improved social behaviour
Improved sports performance
Improved mood
Greater psychological well being
Improved lung function
Improved liver function
Fewer days in hospital

How should your child start writing journals?

You might be wondering how you can ensure your child is doing the expressive writing in the right conditions.

Provide a correct statement of the facts of the situation your child is writing on.
Ensure that the writing reveals the subsconscious thought processes. Let them include their deepest thoughts and feelings in their writing.
Your child is able to discuss the writing with a person close to them.
Your child is able to write freely about the topic
Your child expresses the emotions verbally in their writing.

When and where should your child start writing journals?

It is also important to provide the right environment to your child so that your child will be able to function their best. We have some tips for that.

Set a particular time of the day for expressive writing
Do not write at bedtime. This helps especially if they are writing about an unpleasant experience.

This strategy of writing works for both children and adults. Cultivating expressive writing in children is probably a great strategy for improving the writing skills while enjoying all the physical and psychological benefits it offers.

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

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Junior Champs Leadership Camp designed by the World Champion of Public Speaking

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Growth Mindset Camp

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Learning Soft Skills Could Help Your Child To Be a Successful Adult

Posted by As Many Minds Research Team on

December 25, 2015

Academic learning is usually in the spotlight at school, but teaching elementary-age students “soft” skills like self-control and how to get along with others might help to keep at-risk kids out of criminal trouble in the future, a study finds. Several studies have underlined how learning soft skills could help your child to be successful as an adult.

Duke University researchers looked at a program called Fast Track, which was started in the early 1990s for children who were identified by their teachers and parents to be at high risk for developing aggressive behavioral problems.

The students were randomized into two groups; half took part in the intervention, which included a teacher-led curriculum, parent training groups, academic tutoring and lessons in self-control and social skills. The program, which lasted from first grade through 10th grade, reduced delinquency, arrests and use of health and mental health services as the students aged through adolescence and young adulthood, as researchers explained in a separate study published earlier this year.

In the latest study, researchers looked at the “why” behind those previous findings. In looking at the data from nearly 900 students, the researchers found that about a third of the impact on future crime outcomes was due to the social and self-regulation skills the students learned from ages 6 to 11.

The academic skills that were taught as part of Fast Track turned out to have less of an impact on crime and delinquency rates than did the soft skills, which are associated with emotional intelligence. Soft skills might include teaching kids to work cooperatively in a group or teaching them how to think about the long-term consequences when they make a decision. Teaching physics is an example of a hard skill.

“The conclusion that we would make is that these [soft] skills should be emphasized even more in our education system and in our system of socializing children,” says Kenneth Dodge, a professor of public policy and of psychology and neuroscience at Duke who was a principal investigator in this study as well as in the original Fast Track project. Parents should do all they can to promote these skills with their children, Dodge says, as should education policymakers.

“To the extent we can improve those skills, we can improve outcomes in delinquency and juvenile crime,” says Dodge, who is also director of Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy. The study was published in the journal Child Development.

To Neil Bernstein, a psychologist in Washington, D.C., who specializes in child and adolescent behavior disorders, the researchers’ findings seem consistent with what he’s seen on the ground in working with children for more than 30 years. And while he says he agrees with the importance of teaching self-control and social skills, he would add empathy to the list, too.

“Empathy is what makes us aware of the feelings of others, and when you’re empathic, you’re much less likely to hurt someone else’s feelings,” says Bernstein, who serves on the advisory board for the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and is the author of multiple books, including How to Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What to Do if You Can’t.

Being in tune with how someone else feels might also make adolescents steer clear of bullying and other “behaviors of concern,” Bernstein says.

Empathy was not one of the skills that was directly measured in this study, according to Lucy Sorensen, a Ph.D. student at Duke and lead author of the study. But there were several measures of “prosocial behavior,” Sorensen says, defined as voluntary behavior intended to benefit others.

While Bernstein thinks the study’s findings are meaningful and could potentially serve as a model for schools, he says that collectively getting a school system, teachers, parents and students all motivated enough to take part in an intervention like Fast Track is challenging.

Several parts of the Fast Track study have been picked up successfully in other school settings, Sorensen says, such as a social-emotional learning curriculum called Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies, or PATHS. Programs like Fast Track need buy-in from school systems, teachers and parents, she says, and that can be a tough sell. But she adds that it’s a strength of Fast Track that the students get support both at school and at home.

“There’s a growing and new understanding of what it takes to be successful as an adolescent and an adult,” Dodge says. “It used to be that what we thought all it took was academic skills. Reading and math are very important for tasks that require reading and math. Self-control is important for life tasks that require self-control — that’s what avoiding arrest and violent crime is all about.”

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

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Source: NPR

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As Many Minds Research Team www.AsManyMinds.com

Creative Problem Solving: 3 tips to boost your child’s creative problem solving skills

Posted by As Many Minds Research Team on

September 22, 2015

The boy was bright-eyed and eager as he listened in rapt attention. “…And who here can tell me the difference between tuition and enrichment?” I asked, hoping to elicit a discussion and end the News Analysis segment in my class. Everyone kept mum, seemingly deep in thought save for that boy. He took out a pair of highlighters and, using the pen caps, demonstrated visually the crucial difference, even if he could not articulate his ideas as well. Are we really investing time to teach creative problem solving skills to our children?

Going back to the scene in the class, was that a creative expression by that boy? It certainly was to me! I teach English and Literature. As part of the curriculum, I make it a point to discuss news and current affairs with the Primary School children in my class. Often, academia emphasizes rote learning and over time, we unwittingly penalise or even punish our children for expressing themselves in ways that do not conform to some preconceived standards. From my experience, there are three ways in which we can help our children think creatively and critically and help them learn creative problem solving.

1. Stop your internal critic. Problem solving skills flourish in an open environment.

As adults, thinking and rationalising comes easily for us and hence it is easy to forget that the same do not apply to children. While it might appear to us that the child is saying something nonsensical, this may not be the case from the child’s point of view. For example, you might have asked a child to come up with an idea to solve the issue of animal abuse. Technically, it isn’t wrong if the child said, “Well, let’s just hang everyone who abuses animals, then!”

2. Encourage your child to consider different angles of the problem

Certainly, I am not asking you to applaud and congratulate the child for his brilliance. However, one important aspect of getting to a creative solution is to think about the limitations of the real world. Faced with such an answer, I might probe further and ask, “That is a start, but why isn’t this the case in the real world? What do you think stops the government from hanging just about everyone who abuses an animal?”

This gets them relating your initial question to the real world, and encourages them to think about various angles to a problem without being unduly discouraged. You are giving a nod to your child to expand his problem solving skills.

3. Don’t be afraid to reframe your question in ways that cater to your child’s strengths.

Are your children more physical and active? Or do they prefer the comforts of solitary introspection? Do they like Math more than English? Depending on your child’s strengths, you could re-frame the same question in a variety of ways and get them to answer it as a problem sum, an awareness campaign, a poem or an essay.

When teaching some of my students Cloze Passages, I find that I have to teach them some of the fundamental strategies in dealing with these components. I knew that one of them was a Maths genius who had represented his school in various Olympiad competitions. I also knew that just a verbatim presentation of tips and tricks would not help him to assimilate these strategies.

Instead of a cloze passage, I turned into a Maths teacher and gave him an Olympiad question on geometry. His whole body tensed up and he demanded writing paper, eager to work out the answer. Once he was finished, I asked him about the method he used to derive that answer. He could tell me the exact method as well as the question types for which the method would be applicable.

“Great!” I said, “And that’s exactly the same principle behind the techniques for dealing with cloze passages that I’m about to show you.” Did it take more time? Yes. However, learning is not about how fast you can absorb a concept, but whether you have fully absorbed it. When a teacher adopts creative problem solving skills in dealing with a classroom challenge, the students too get introduced to dealing with a challenging situation in intuitive ways. That student went on to score very well for his Paper 2 components in the mid-year examinations.

As parents and educators, we know that every child is different. However, are we adapting to their needs and giving them space to be creative and to express themselves in diverse ways? Are we giving them enough space to expand their problem solving skills? Through these three tips, I hope I have given you a good start to encouraging your children to become better and more creative thinkers!

Share this article with your friends and colleagues, so that they too are aware of this amidst their busy schedules.

Do you have any insights or tips that you use? Would you like to share that? Please use the comments section below and let us know!

About AMM Research

As Many Minds Research Team www.AsManyMinds.com

Archive for creative problem solving – Page 2

1. Ask your child about their questioning ventures of the day

2. Help to manage the anxiety of looking stupid in front of others

3. Promote communication skills in your child

About Sindu Sreebhavan

What makes the thinking skills of children drop as they grow older?

How you can help your child to maximise their thinking potential?

About Sindu Sreebhavan

1. Programming build up problem solving and computational thinking skills

2. Programming empowers children with confidence and creativity

3. Programming is fun and it develops important life skills

Question #1: “What problem are you trying to solve?”

Question #2: “What have you done so far to solve this?”

Question #3: “Where exactly are you facing the problem?”

Question #4: “Have you taken any class notes on it?”

Question #5: “Did you talk to your friends about it?”

About Sindu Sreebhavan

1. To be online is like driving.

So when you drive online, drive safely and defensively.

2. Colleges and employers will check your online profiles and behavior.

Your digital footprint is as important as your achievements.

3. When you are in front of that screen, you may feel powerful.

The internet keeps records.

4. It is not just you, I should also be careful.

Parents are also responsible to keep a clean digital footprint of their children.

5. There is no actual DELETE button online.

Remember, there are no secrets online. So, take control of your digital footprint.

6. Internet is not the place where you throw your frustrations towards a person.

The simple rule of thumb is, if it is not right to say or do something in the real world, do not say or do that online too.

7. Internet is for everyone.

Do not trust any strangers you come across online, however beautiful, handsome or wise they may appear.

8. The internet is forever.

The internet is here to stay and hence your digital footprint too.

9. You get what you search.

Curb your tendencies and temptations online to have a healthy digital footprint.

10. I am writing this now because this is the right time

No matter what, I will be there for you.

About Sindu Sreebhavan

1. It would be easier to motivate your child to study if they know how learning works

2. Homework ≠ Learning

3. Encourage your child to RECALL the learning

4. CONNECT the learning to something your child already knows

5. Start the habit of WRITING the achievements of the day

6. Low achievers need to know they are NOT stupid

7. Discuss, set and enforce rules

About Sindu Sreebhavan

1. Word games

2. Peer reading

3. Keep an idea book or a journal

4. Read aloud to your child (even if they are older)

5. Talk, Talk and Talk: A very effective way to build your child’s vocabulary

About Sindu Sreebhavan

Why should your child start writing journals?

Higher grades for students

Improved working memory

Reduced depressive symptoms before examinations

Improved social behaviour

Improved sports performance

Improved mood

Greater psychological well being

Improved lung function

Improved liver function

Fewer days in hospital

How should your child start writing journals?

When and where should your child start writing journals?

About Sindu Sreebhavan

About AMM Research

1. Stop your internal critic. Problem solving skills flourish in an open environment.

2. Encourage your child to consider different angles of the problem

3. Don’t be afraid to reframe your question in ways that cater to your child’s strengths.

About AMM Research