Almost everything around us involves numbers. From the point a person is born to the time he/she dies, we are all surrounded by numbers in some form or the other.
Counting, which is considered a vital preschool math skill is more bountiful than simply reciting numbers. Let’s get into the root of numbers for pre-schoolers!
Teaching your kid numbers can be a difficult task in the beginning, but it is great idea to begin introducing numbers to your kid after they turn one.
It is incredibly essential to get preschoolers to perceive that numbers are quantities; they learn all these skills as they count objects.
Teaching numbers to kids can be managed through different tools and techniques. As a parent, you can motivate them to associate numbers with activities that they perform daily.
These hands-on ideas will improve your preschooler’s count furthermore and generate a more enhanced understanding and knowledge for the numbers.
One can start with the famous number of verses, like ‘One, Two, Buckle My Shoe,’ ‘Ten Green Bottles,’ or 1,2,3,4,5, Once I caught a fish alive’.
You can also look out for easy things or objects that they find in their everyday experiences, such as one apple, two dogs, three chocolates, and so on.
This way, you can make learning numbers for kids quite playful and enjoyable.
How to Teach Numbers to Preschoolers?
Play with numbers !
At the beginning level, you can start by teaching kids through various simple activities.
1) Teach Counting with Number Rhymes One of the best ways to teach kids numbers is through rhymes and songs that make fun with numbers in math.
One can make use of number songs and rhymes like ’10 Little Monkeys jumping on the Bed’, ‘This Old Man – He Played One’, etc., to teach children regarding numbers in an immensely delightful with your child.
2) Perform Number Games with a Group of Kids
Children absorb better while they continue to play with children of their age.
As a parent, you can promote some healthy engagement in the children’s club to motivate them, as well. Get them to assemble in the form of a circle, plus ask them to take turns counting numbers.
3) Write Down Numbers and Make the Kid Draw that Quantity
The best way to start this exercise is to pen down numbers in a sketchbook and make your kid draw something that expresses the number.
For example, write number 5 and ask them to draw five flowers. Or wite number 2, and ask the kid to draw two apples. So on, and so forth.
You can also do the reverse of this by drawing certain amounts of an object and asking your kid to count them plus tell you the whole.
All the above activities hold a great strength in drawing with numbers for your kid and occupy them with knowledge of adding numbers in words.
Number based Activities for Preschoolers
Several ABC recognition activities can likewise be adjusted for numbers.
1) Move out in nature and collect things that can make counting more interesting. E.g., Ask your kid to collect 5 flowers, 3 leaves, etc.
2) Make use of paper balls and ask them to count.
3) Make something in the kitchen and ask them the measure and number of things required or needed
4) Spread out clothes on the balcony and ask them to identify the color of the cloth and its quantity
5) Sort out objects by colors and count how many of them do you have
6) Play and learn while rolling a dice
7) Have a counting race of any objects
8) Spread out different numbers in a garden and ask children to grab the one specified.
Numbers are fun when you know the right form to get it delivered.
These are few ways on how you can engage your kid into the world of numbers by helping them out with various number game activities.
Often, as parents we struggle to build confidence in kids.
Here are some easy ways that do not require any additional effort from your end but have promising outcomes.
Let’s discuss each of these 11 steps one by one to build confidence in kids.
Step 1:
Often, as adults we have the habit of coaching and mentoring kids, unnecessarily.
We like to control their ways of working and giving our kids too many directions.
This limits them to use their creativity and thinking ability.
Set them free and allow them to do their things- their way!
Step 2:
It is okay for kids to use their discretion and figure out their own ways and means of executing a task.
Even, if they fail , they would become quick adapters and learners.
They will know how better to approach a problem and will be able to think of better solutions when facing a similar issue.
This will enhance the kid’s confidence and will make them a more emotionally stable adult.
Step 3:
The word “No” should be a taboo word in the dictionary of all parents.
Even if kids have to be stopped from doing a certain thing , then, say it positively.
Eg:- Instead of saying, “Don’t jump off the table” , say, ” You might get hurt if you jump so high, want to still try jumping?”
The kid will definitely try a work around and his/her creativity will surely surprise you!
It will immensely help to build confidence in kids.
Step 4:
With too much of competition, parents tend to get more insecure and take too many steps to prevent kids from failing.
But, by not allowing your kid to solve his small fights with friends or by not allowing them to feel unhappy or sad; kids will be in for a bigger shock as they grow in life.
They will not be able to face the competitive world and will have multiple social, mental and emotional issues.
So, let them finish their difficult assignment on their own and let them face their fear of failures so as to make them stronger and sharper in life.
Step 5:
A lot of times parents expect their kids to behave as adults and expect them to ‘know it all’ from start to finish!
It is important to understand that whether your kid is 5 years or 14 years- let them be as they are and don’t expect too much of worldly wisdom from them!
It’s more important for parents to see things from the kid’s perspective than their own.
This would help to build a better communication channel between parents and kids thereby fostering a good emotional IQ for kids.
Step 6:
A lot of times, kids are discouraged to ask questions especially on sensitive subjects.
With the influx of digital platforms, kids nowadays are exposed to too many things that were not discussed a decade earlier.
As parents, it’s important to explain things in a kid- friendly manner than hushing them down or scolding them for asking questions.
Step 7:
No matter what the kid age- they learn by observing their parents and elders in the family.
When you share your life experiences with them, they learn things faster.
And of course, they will have their own words of wisdom for you!
Step 8:
Depending upon the kid’s age, ask them questions and seek answers from them.
This will prick the kid’s brain and they will learn the art of decision-making at a very early stage in life.
Step 9:
Kids are the most beautiful part of your being.
Shower your love, blessings and wishes to them everyday.
It’s scientifically proven that kid’s who are hugged and kissed daily are more emotionally stable.
Live your childhood once again with them.
Take part in their games and activities so as to understand their feelings better.
Step 10:
When you appreciate your kid in front of others, it builds the kid’s self-confidence.
They feel loved, respected and wanted.
This builds their self-confidence and gives a boost to their overall image in front of others.
Step 11:
Last but not the least, kid’s have the tendency to avoid difficult situations by slipping into the virtual world.
The impact of excessive screen time is known to one and all.
With online education being a part of kid’s schooling during the current pandemic, it is important for parents to regulate screen time beyond studies.
Keep a check of their online activities or else the kids might feel more a part of virtual world than the real world.
Conclusion:
As parents, we all want our kids to be independent and confident to face the world.
Raising kids is a process; not a one-time activity.
By taking the above steps, you can groom your kid to be calm, confident, and strong enough to easily take all the challenges.
Problem solving skills help kids to come up with different approaches towards the task at hand.
Children are able to understand the problem better and find effective solutions for them.
They know how to deal with a problem in a comprehensive manner by using “What, If” analysis instead of getting subsumed with the problem.
As kids are able to understand the context of the situation using multiple approaches , they are able to arrive at meaningful and effective solutions for the problem.
Developing problem solving skills during early childhood has a great pay-off later!
By using problem solving skills, kids learn to develop a strong mental attitude and can handle tough situations with ease as they grow up.
They grow up to becoming strong, mature and evolved adults who have a knack of solving things easily instead of complicating them.
When teachers ask kids questions such as “ what do you think if ….?” or “what do you think can be a better method to ….?” ; kids are being pushed to use their own creativity and talent to find a solution to a problem.
What are the examples of problem solving skills?
The first key skill that help kids to find meaningful, multiple solutions to the problem is “Active listening”.
When a kid develops the trait of hearing out others completely, they become better problem solvers.
The kids are able to “analyse” the questions and comprehend them completely.
Kids use their own “creativity” and “research” techniques to understand how a better solution can be worked out for the issues at hand.
This improves their “dependability” and enhances their “communication skills”.
It also makes them a “team-player” and they are good “decision -makers” as they take a 360 degree approach to problem solving instead of a bird’s eye view.
Why is it important to develop problem solving skills?
When a child is leveraging his ability to solve problems, it adds to his/her confidence.
With increased confidence, kids are able to perform much better academically.
This prepares them for taking future roles with grit and creativity.
Kids are able to resolve conflicts and come out of a distressing situation with ease.
It builds their resilience and a lot of these skills are learnt from teachers at school as school provides a safe and controlled environment to the kids to identify issues, come up with varied solutions, see which route works best for them in a given situation.
They are thus, able to analyse different outcomes and able to choose the most feasible solution thereby strengthening their decision making ability from early childhood.
This will eventually transform them to becoming more mature, dependable and resilient kids with a knack of solving issues with multiple approaches.
They also become effective listeners and good communicators.
How to develop problem solving skills among kids?
Some of the approaches wherein parents can work towards building problem solving abilities among kids from early childhood itself are discussed below.
1. Allow kids the freedom to do things their way: Do not over-shadow them in every task they are doing. By giving them too many directives, a parent will curb the kid’s ability to think creatively.
2. Ask kids for feedback: When kids take part in the different activities at home , for example, ” what gift to buy for a birthday party” , “how the kid would like to celebrate his/her birthday”; kids would develop their decision making abilities.
3. Interact through stories: Tell them some good stories befitting their age and ask them questions such as “Do you think it was the right action on the part of …?”, ” What do you think the person should do in this situation” etc. This forces the kid to think creatively. Who knows he/she can become the best selling author in times to come!
4. Allow kids to fail: Parents have the tendency to be over-caring and over-protective which is extremely harmful for kid’s holistic development. Do not offer your help in every school assignment or DIY tasks. They can come up with more innovative solutions than yours so give them the space to learn by themselves.
5. Play with kids: Different kinds of games such as puzzles, memory games, board games, activity books, building blocks are designed to develop thinking ability and analysing the different possible outcomes. Therefore, encourage all family members to bond over these activities that also develops multiple cognitive skills.
Conclusion:
Developing problem solving skills from early childhood helps kids to take decisions related to their studies, career and relationships with ease in the later stages of life.
So, just be a little more creative and encourage them to analyse, think and give their feedback and suggestions on different activities happening around you.
Let them work independently and do not try to solve every possible thing for them.
Allow them to seek help from friends, teachers and family members on their own.
This would help kids to grow into more balanced and happy adults.
Let’s try to clear the doubts and put things in perspective.
Why online classes for kids are a friend indeed?
Online classes for kids – for schooling or for skill building are turning out to be a blessing in disguise.
In times like these where the threat of COVID 19 infection is looming everywhere, online classes have come to the rescue of everyone!
Be it schools, parents or students- the way everyone adapted to online classes has been remarkable.
As they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions.
Had teachers and schools not moved to online teaching platforms, it would have been a nightmare for kids.
Online classes benefit one and all !
Not only schools, but personalized coaching availability in different subjects is also helping both parents and kids to learn better.
A lot of trainers in the field of music, art, DIY crafts, painting, health and fitness, and even dance forms have taken the online route to stay relevant and provide their students value for money.
Benefits of online classes for kids
Online classes help kids in multiple ways:
No commuting required: It saves time, effort, and energy, thereby reducing stress for both parents and kids.
Variety of options: With online classes, a parent can choose the best option available in any field from India or abroad.
More quality control: As the classes are happening inside the house, the parent can oversee the activities. They can easily give feedback and have better quality outputs.
Can engage in multiple activities: As there is more time at the disposal of the kid, he/she can choose different extra-curricular as well as school-related activities. Doesn’t it solve the never-ending tussle between parents and kids?
Better Networking: Online classes improve networking options as they have students from different parts of the world who can collaborate and work easily with each other easily.
Varied Perspective: Usually, you will find kids from the same school or neighborhood taking a particular offline class. However, in online classes, the trainer and learner can be from any part of India or the world that brings forth different thoughts and ideas. This also makes kids aware of cultural nuances at an early stage of life.
Effective documentation: All the learning material is shared and stored online so it is easier to access anytime and from anywhere. That further saves the kid’s time and energy.
How to choose the best online class for your kid?
In order to decide the best online class for your kid, keep the following factors in mind:
The expertise of the trainer: Choose a skilled trainer for your kid so that he/she can be a mentor for your kid.
Time Flexibility: Your kid has multiple things to do, so it is better to go for a trainer who can accommodate your child’s wide range of activities and schedule
Transparency: Choose a trainer who can ensure that the learning methodology, payment terms, number of classes, duration of the class should be handled in a completely transparent manner.
Feedback mechanism: The trainer should be giving you feedback on your child’s progress at regular intervals.
Parent Tutor interaction: The trainer should be open to receiving constructive feedback and response from the parent.
Kid Trainer interaction: The relationship between the teacher and the kid is very crucial to the learning process. If the trainer is not able to adapt himself/herself to the varying needs of the kid, then the learning process would not be fruitful. The kid should be comfortable asking his/her doubts from the trainer. There has to be as much comfort level between the kid and the trainer as exists in a parent-kid relationship.
Resources provided: The parent should check on the quality of content being provided by the trainer. It should not only meet the learner’s requirement but also provide more insights for the holistic growth of the kid.
Measurement metrics: There has to be a proper system of analyzing kid’s growth in a particular field so that he moves from level zero to level one and so on.
Vlearnlive.com– An amazing platform for online classes for kids
At https://vlearnlive.com, it is ensured that the kids get experienced and skilled tutors that help to increase the kid’s proficiency in a particular subject or topic.
The most distinctive part of the platform is that you can choose the teacher for any subject like physics, chemistry, maths, different languages, etc or you can choose the trainer for any topic as well.
If your kid needs brushing up in his/her trigonometry skills or algebra, you can choose the tutor accordingly for that particular topic as well.
There is complete transparency between the teacher, children and the parents. Kids are free to reach out to their teacher for any queries or feedback.
The knowledge is imparted through a world-class technical platform to ensure great online learning experience for your kid.
In order to improve memory of children, parents are always looking out for tips and techniques that are easy and give fast results. From giving almonds to meditation, parents try out different ways to improve the memory power of their child.
Here, we are sharing with you 7 simple but effective ways to improve memory and boost the confidence of your kids. A strong and confident kid grows into an emotionally stable individual that contributes towards the growth of its family and society at large.
It is extremely important to take small steps at a very early age so that there are no learning disabilities in the formative years. A child is like clay that can be molded into any direction by his/her parents.
That’s why the early years are very important as they form the building blocks of future growth and progress. Parents usually get disheartened by seeing low marks or weak performance in different activities in school. They do not understand the underlying causes which further adds to the distress of both the kid and the parent.
At times, the fewer marks can be due to lack of focus and weak memorizing skills. In the earlier articles, have discussed ways to improve focus.
Few easy steps to improve memory of children
In this article, we are discussing easy ways to improve memory that would in turn help to build confifdence of the kid. These tips do not require a lot of effort from the parents or kids.
They just need consistency, communication, understanding, and role modeling on behalf of parents. The impact of these simple practices is life long as good habits once formed at this stage become a part and parcel of the kid’s entire journey.
As he grows up, he/she visualizes the world through this creative prism and builds a more successful path for himself/ herself.
1.Give positive feedback to kids: Ask kids to do small activities like watering the plants, feeding the pets, arranging toys, etc, and always appreciate their efforts. Positive words have a good impact on their mind. It helps them to build a relationship between different activities and their desired outcome thus helping them to build patterns in their mind that helps to improve the memory power of the child.
When adults use positive language for the kids, the associations that kids create are also positive and result in defining the kid’s outlook on different things that happen around them. Kids are very smart, if a parent scolds them or beats them then they will create negative imagery of that action and never do it again. These create lasting impression in the minds of the kids and hence arouses negative memory patterns.
So, every feedback given to the kid should be positive and carefully crafted.
The power of positive words works wonders!
2. Playing games: While it is difficult to step out to play due to the COVID 19 pandemic but kids should be encouraged to play indoor games. Needless to say, they should play lesser on mobiles, tablets, PCs, etc and more board games.
They can choose different kinds of games depending upon the age of the kid such as chess, scrabble, sudoku, picture-match, tongue twisters, recall the items from a picture, etc that pushes the kid to think and recollect.
This is an excellent routine buster and aids in improving the memory of the child. When kids try to memorize and learn things through games, they pick-up information faster and it stays with them for a longer time.
Add games to sharpen the memory
3.Add super-foods to daily diet: Vegetables of different colors, Honey, Almonds, Berries, Apple, Oatmeal, Eggs, Avocados, Milk, and Yoghurt are great superfoods to be given to kids daily that helps to improve focus and memory.
These foods nourish the brain and provide the necessary nutrients for growth and improving memory power.
It is very important that kids get all the required nutrients as that aids in boosting their immunity, enhancing focus, and improving memory.
Add superfoods for growth
4. Create a schedule: By creating a daily plan of activities, kids get accustomed to their schedule that later helps them to grow into mentally strong and disciplined individuals. For example, if the kid starts playing chess daily, he is more likely to pursue it further and might become a very good chess player.
Similarly, if the kid starts reading storybooks daily the habit will build focus, concentration, vocabulary, and memory of kids. The elements of creative thinking, visualization, planning help to bolster the kid’s memory in the long run.
improve child memory powerValue time, practice discipline
5. Extracurricular Activities: Activities like dance, drama, music, public speaking, etc improve focus, recall, and sharpen the memory.
They also add to the kid’s confidence and improve social skills. Through these activities, kids learn to excel in different fields and grow up as multi-faceted individuals.
Add some fun
6. Encourage kids to ask questions: Curiosity is the mother of all inventions. Had there been no curiosity, no invention would have taken place on this planet.
Never scold your little ones or even your teenage kids from asking questions.
If today, they are encouraged to ask-what, why, when, how, etc, then they would be able to relate better to the things around them and create a better future for themselves.
By encouraging them to ask questions, you are also trying to understand their world better. This helps to make the bond between parent and kid stronger!
The more kids question, the better their understanding
7. Let them teach you: The younger kids usually like this activity as they get to teach their parents.
It is a very simple but effective trick for improving the memory power of kids.
As the child is explaining the concept, he/she uses her own example and method of teaching. It forces them to visualize things and they also use examples that are more related to their surroundings.
It helps them to grasp things faster in a manner that is more relatable to them. This improves their mental growth as well.
Why are the above steps effective in improving the memory of children?
-The above-mentioned techniques are kid-friendly and playful in nature so the kids are able to show results faster.
-No additional stress is put on parents or kids; so the growth is consistent and easy.
-These techniques not only help to improve memory power but also aid in holistic growth and development.
– It also improves the bond between the kids and the elders in their family especially the parents.
The on-going pandemic has resulted in disrupting the education segment completely. While, on one hand, it has led to stress on teachers due to the sudden shift in teaching methodology; on the other hand, it has opened up multiple avenues of growth for teachers.
As most schools adopted the online teaching pedagogy, suddenly, to provide continuity in school education; it resulted in a lot of stress on teachers. But, through adequate training and support measures, most teachers have successfully adapted to the new covid way of online teaching. The initial challenges and hurdles that created stress on teachers have been handled well to reduce the stress on teachers.
Moreover, with no vaccination in close sight for Covid 19 and the numbers increasing by the day, most schools and colleges will continue to impart education through online means. In fact, the online Edtech sector is booming during this crisis.
There is increased demand for trained and qualified teachers. Through the right mix of subject knowledge, basic technical know-how, compassion, and innovation; teachers can do wonders and contribute to the country’s growth and development.
With the launch of the New Education Policy (NEP) after 34 years, there is a lot more focus not only on providing practical and skill-based learning to students but also providing the requisite training and growth opportunities for teachers.
The online teaching methodology has remarkably innovated the education system and opened up new ways of conducting classes, sharing feedback, assessing kid’s performance. It also has a positive impact on a teacher’s work life balance that helps them to deal with anxiety and cope with stress effectively.
Let’s look at the benefits of online education in a bit more detailed manner.
Benefits of online education for teachers:
The Benefits of online teaching
As the classes are online, teachers do not need to commute to and fro to the school and face the traffic hurdles day in and day out.
The time saved from the daily commute gives a little more time at the disposal of the teachers that can be leveraged in various ways.
Online classes have not only saved time but also reduced the exertion caused due to commuting.
With classes being conducted from home, it is much easier to teach and manage household responsibilities. The pressure of getting up early and finishing household chores within a stipulated period is much lesser now.
The online teaching mechanism also gives room to put creativity to use for teaching. The teachers can innovate their teaching material so that it is easy to comprehend and follow.
In a classroom set-up, kids often get distracted and a lot of time is wasted in disciplining them. In an online set-up, there is more personalized attention to students by the teacher.
The pandemic has compelled one and all to quickly adopt new techniques and technology for effective teaching so that the teachers stay relevant and productive.
The school management and the teaching staff have been quick to Implement new methods for subject delivery, assessment, and feedback that were unheard of before.
Reasons for stress on teachers during the pandemic
However, like with any other working professional category, the sudden transition from classroom teaching to online teaching has resulted in anxiety and stress on teachers.
The teachers faced the challenge of getting acquainted to new norm of online teaching. It does take some time and practice to be teaching without any kids in sight on an online platform.
The form of imparting instructions, handling an online class-room, being exposed to the technical tools and know-how does take some turn-around time.
Coupled with the above are the regular anxiety creating thoughts such as when will things improve, when will the vaccination be delivered and so on and so forth. These thoughts are actually affecting every living mortal currently.
However, we can only control what’s in our hands. So, here are quick tips to reduce stress pn teachers.
11 ways to reduce stress on teachers:
Strategies to cope with stress
Meditate: Spend 10 minutes daily to focus and stay calm and composed. With everyone staying at home, it can be chaotic at times. In order to prevent oneself from burning out, it is extremely important to start the day with meditation. It has a calming impact on the mind, body, and soul.
Exercise: In the current situation, it is all the more important to exercise daily to keep oneself fit and healthy. This will enable the teaching staff to execute the responsibilities without any stress or anxiety.
Plan-ahead: For teachers, it is very important to plan well in advance so that the students are aligned with the goals of the teacher and the school. This also helps the teacher to separate high-priority tasks from the medium to low priority tasks.
Taking short breaks: Would suggest the teachers to take 5-10 minutes to break in-between the classes so as to give rest to the eyes and improve the body posture. A simple stretch would provide the necessary physical strength to carry out the responsibilities of the day with ease and aplomb.
Drink more water: As teachers spend a lot of time talking with the students, it is important for the teachers to stay hydrated. Water helps to improve the digestive system, flush out toxins from the body, and also keeps the skin glowing and radiant.
Speak to friends: Having little moments of fun and laughter can really ease out the stress of expectations and judgments. So, have a little fun time over a phone call or video call with close friends and family members. It also helps to stay connected with everyone.
Try something new: Be it preparing a new dish, reading a book totally unrelated to your field, trying a new form of exercise, choosing to take care of plants or pets, gardening, painting, baking, or playing a new game with the kids at home- there are a zillion choices to do something NEW. Don’t stop, GO FOR IT!
Spend time on recreational activities on weekends: Do not keep your weekends stuffed with school work and household work. Take a break and do what you want to do; even if it means sleeping a couple of hours more or just lazing around on the couch. Take time off to energize and reboot yourself.
Keep learning: As the New Educational Policy has been unveiled by the Narendra Modi government, teachers also need to stay updated with the latest developments and teaching methodologies. So, keep pushing yourself and keep learning new things. Taking bite-size steps give bigger results during the course of time.
Stay positive: There is already too much negativity in the current scenario, so stay positive and cut yourself out from small talks and negative discussions. Different people have different appetite to cope with stress and anxiety. While some of your colleagues might indulge in fear-mongering but if you cannot handle such stress, then no need to be a part of such discussions.
Get proper sleep: Last but not the least, getting adequate sleep is a must for all living beings irrespective of their professions. So, if you want to start your next day with a smile for all your beloved students, sleep well the previous night!
Why it is important to reduce stress on teachers?
Reducing stress on teachers is the key to success of the education system!
To conclude, teachers are the pillars of the society who groom the young minds and train them for future challenges.
It is extremely important that they are at ease and without any stress while imparting education.
By following, the above tips , it is very easy for teachers to cope with stress and deal with anxiety in a better manner.
The action items listed above not only reduce stress on teachers but also helps to improve their social and financial well-being.
Do let us know how the above tips helped you to grow your career as a teacher and take-away stress from your lives!
