Thursday, December 28, 2017

Good Handwriting Skill Leads to Good Grades – A Study


Handwriting, who works on that anymore? Well, turns out with the onset of exponential use of computers, iPads, and programs like MS Word, working on improving your handwriting skill is passé. However, new researchers have discovered that there are correlations between good handwriting and good grades. Teachers from top schools in Delhi, always emphasize on handwriting improvement lessons and classes. There is a list of schools in Delhi where special classes are conducted to improve students’ handwriting skills that apparently leads to higher grades and better overall performance of the child.

A principal of one of the top schools in Delhi, shared the study that was lead by Laura Dinehart, a professor at Florida International University. The professor claimed that handwriting really matters in the overall performance of the child in academics. The study showed that children who had strong handwriting skills are more likely to achieve excellence academically in elementary school. Dinehart concluded that handwriting is often given less priority than other subjects and it seems deemed important when compared to other subjects.

 As a trend in recent years, we have seen that top schools in Delhi and other metropolitan cities in India shows a keen interest in other subjects, such as mathematics, science, English, grammar, arithmetic, etc. Unlike previous decades, there is a steep decline in interest of teachers in developing writing skills of students. Ironically, they are not responsible for this lack of interests. Modern technology has an important role to play these days and modern workplaces are going paperless, rest assured, and no place for manual writing work anymore. When, as a contrary, educationists, academicians, and scientists claim that students who have greater ease in handwriting are sure to perform better in academic skills, like reading and math.


So how the findings are conducted?


Professor Dinehart worked on 1000 students, studying in 2nd grade in Miami-Dade County Public schools and observed the gathered data while linking their scores back to where they started in pre-kindergarden. It was observed by veteran teachers and Principals of top schools in Delhi, that those students who received good grades in writing, which is considered as fine motor skills, in pre-K has an average GPA of 2.84 in reading and 3.02 in math – B average, as per FIU. The students who did not secure good scores on fine motor writing tasks in Pre-K secured average GPA of 2.12 in reading and 2.30 in math – C as an average.

Also, it has been observed by tenured professionals in that list of schools in Delhi, showed that students who did well on fine motor writing jobs in pre-K scored in the 59th percentile on the reading SAT in second-grade and in the 62nd percentile on Math SAT. Additionally, the observations showed that students performed poorly in fine motor tasks in pre-K scored in the 38th percentile on the reading SAT and 37nd percentile only on the Math SAT.

However, professionals and teachers in top schools in Delhi, recommends that there is still much research required to be performed and hidden truths and facts needed to be discovered.   


All this brings us to the conclusion that teachers and parents need to include developing handwriting skills again in the core curriculum and perceive it to be as important as it was before the inception of the new digital era.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Top 5 Preparation Tips For Exam Success This Year

Anxiety and fear of exams are the usual phenomena that are instigated in the hearts of students. From ages, this unknown fear of examinations is ruining the lives and passion for learning in students. The simple solution to overcome exam anxiety is to prepare in advance and with the right approach, says a veteran teacher in one of the schools in Gurugram. Even the most prepared ones get over anxious which can have catastrophic consequences in the exam hall. However, preparation has no substitute when it comes to doing well in exams, explained by many senior teachers in public schools in Gurgaon. Apart from learning and grasping the concepts, proper approach and confidence-building measures need to be taken. Let us find out few of the essential preparation tips that will make you get good marks and reduce your exam anxiety.


PLANNING IN ADVANCE IS ALWAYS BETTER



Postponing things and procrastination could be fatal at the end of the term. You should plan and strategize your study time and recreational time from the beginning of the year. Be smart and save the last minute glitches and achieve your goals on regular basis, so that you are not stressed at the end of the term. Studying insanely the last minute will do no good, say veteran teachers in good public schools in Gurgaon.


KNOW THYSELF – FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU



We all have unique ways to learn and study. You should figure out on your own what ways suit you the best. It is okay if you can’t wake-up early or focus better in the night. Whatever works for your friends may not work for you. There is no wrong way of studying; just different ways to study, so go find which one is better for you before it’s too late says many experienced teachers of schools in Gurgaon.


WRITING MAKES YOU RETAIN BETTER



Writing is an age-old technique to retain concepts and formulas, which still comes very handy. It is a tried, tested and proven technique for better results says veteran PGTs of public schools in Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai and many other metropolitan cities in India. Writing is a very good habit for better retention; it acts as a mock test and shows you where you lack in the long run.

TAKE MOCK TESTS AND PRACTICE



Practice in advance and take a lot of tests in smaller topics, slowly move towards entire units and then the entire syllabus. Begin with practicing taking tests of single chapters as you complete studying for it. Class tests, peers tests and there are many online tests these days to assist you in your endeavor these days. Many alumni in top public schools in Gurgaon swear by this method of preparation.

EAT HEALTHY, SLEEP AND PLAY



Eating and a healthy lifestyle are mandatory for students. Not only it sharpens your brains and gives your body boost to support your learning, but also it imparts discipline in the long run. Eat right, such as eating whole grains and oily fishes and veggies shall sharpen your brain. Exercise regularly and sleep aptly for 8 hours. Hard work is appreciable; however, exercising and healthy living improves your retention and enhances your brain capacity. 
Try to relax before the D-day and remind yourself that you have already planned and prepared the best way you may have. There is no reason that you should be worried, be inquisitive to test yourself and remember that no exam is final and you always get a second chance!

All the best!

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Help Your Child Manage Stress



Stress and anxiety is a common issue for both adults and children these days. Thanks to the pressures of the modern lifestyle, all of us give out loud cries of distress, in which children are no exceptions. But how often do we realize that our child may also be under stress and do something about it? First, let us understand what stress is after all. Stress is nothing but additional pressure that we take for material things such as - meeting the deadlines, policies, norms, realize ambitions, to perform, to survive, not that it is shallow but with changing times, things are getting complicated with each passing day, explains a Principal of a top school from a list of schools in Delhi.

We need to understand that pressure or strain may end-up causing adverse physical, psychological, and emotional effects on our children. Hence, it is important to help them manage stress as much as it is important to manage stress in our lives as adults, advice a child psychologist at the best school from the list of top 10 schools in DelhiStress management has become all the more important for the children of today’s generation. To begin with we need to understand the stress factors and the outcomes of their stress.


Let us find few interesting tips to help your child manage stress:



Identify:


The first thing is to identify the reason in order to win the battle against stress. Recognize the triggers that cause stress symptoms in your child life. Make them realize that they are stressing over those issues and would have to work together in order to mitigate stress, identify one of the most tenured faculty from one of the schools from the list of top 10 schools in Delhi.


 Realistic goals:


We tend to get over critical when we do not accomplish our goals and aims in life. It may be one of the triggers also that often is the reason for causing stress. Set realistic goals for your children and teach them to be realistic about their skills and capabilities, as irrational aspirations and ambitions hinder confidence and performance later, says a senior child psychologist at one of the schools from list of schools in Delhi.


Plan:


Proper scheduling of all the studies and extra physical activities and management of hobby classes certainly take them a long way to reduce last minutes hiccups and stress. Overloading the child with everything is not lucrative; you need to help them manage their timetable in a healthy yet constructive way in which they can perform to their full potential. 


Plan in advance and appropriately


Healthy lifestyle:


It is mandatory to ensure that they follow a healthy lifestyle. They need to follow regular sleeping hours, exercise every day, and eat healthy food. A properly well-balanced routine is a must for keeping them fresh during the day to perform other activities and make use of every minute. Man is a social animal. We all need friends and well-wishers to feel good. Teach your child to make friends and interact with people more and mingle with peers. It is the best thing to de-stress. When your child performs group activities and has playmates to play outdoors with they tend to build a solid emotional foundation, says a child psychologist from the list of top 10 schools in Delhi.

Parents play a major role in managing stress in children’s lives as we are the one who schedule their time and how they spend their day, what they eat, what they do, whom they play with and more. So, make sure you use the above-mentioned tips to overcome their stress and make them confident and positive adults.

All the best!

Friday, December 15, 2017

5 Tips to Make Your Children Complete Their Homework

Upon spending a majority of their day at school, our children, like most others, detest the sight of books and feel being persecuted when we ask them to do their homework. It happens with almost all children. It is indeed an uphill task for parents to make them sit and complete their homework. From turning a deaf ear to your words to arguing and pleading and playing tricks on you, they try every trick for escaping it, says a senior teacher at one of the  schools in Dwarka. Finally, we end up exploding when our patience level rises. The things seem to be sorted for the day but then again the next day the process starts all over again.
To your rescue, and make your child do his/her homework without taking the other escape routes, let us see few tips, as explains by child experts and consultants of some of the best senior secondary schools in Dwarka:

1.       Rename:

Rename ‘homework’ to ‘study-time'.Once your child gets the idea that homework is not only a task to complete at home, but it is the time that is given for self-study and required for excelling in academics, your child may start valuing study time at home. Start using words like study-time, study timetable, study area to encourage them to study at home, advice a senior faculty at one of the best schools in Dwarka, Delhi. This will further explain to them that study time at home is not to get over with the homework assignments instead, it is about learning, and it will be the same on the days when there will be no homework. You may give learning or reading exercises to them when they have no or less homework. Sticking to a study schedule at home is pertinent.

2.      Routine:

Study schedule at home is pertinent. As we discussed in the above point that setting a study routine is pertinent because we are creatures of habit. A fixed schedule for study at home will assist your little one to get it as their habits. This is the time when they can make good habits. Reading and studying in regular habits is a good way to give boosts to their academics. When they sit at the same table, same time of the day, and is consistent with it, they get mentally prepared for it, and slowly it becomes their habit, explains a veteran teacher in one of the top seniorsecondary schools in Dwarka, Delhi. Also, it is good for concentration building. It makes them becomes more planned and sorted for life.

3.        Learning style: 

It is important to understand your child’s learning style, whether they are vocal, or learn by doing or by writing. Also, understanding their attention span and subject preference in order to effectively manage the study time at home and make the most out of it. Every child is different and so does their learning behavior. So it is important to work their way around when it comes to studying. Make them work on the most difficult subjects when their attention span is high and reading or other easier subjects later, advice one of the senior teachers at best schools in Dwarka, Delhi.

4.      Funtime:

Make study-time fun. Deepen your bond with your child by making study time fun. Make it creative and come up with better ideas and rewards. Put inspirational posters and colorful stationery to make their study area and mediums even better. This will not only boost their mood but will make it interesting for them to pursue. Show them motivational videos; help your child with sorting out their problems in academics with multimedia. There are gazillion videos and apps to help them in trouble on the internet. Help them with academics creatively, explains a child expert at one of the senior secondary schools in Dwarka, Delhi.

5.      Be mindful:

 It is pertinent to help your child with studies. However, we need to understand how much to help them. We cannot simply assist them in doing their assignments. We can only support them by clarifying the concepts or supplying additional reference material. Do not go overboard by helping them with their homework. Do not cripple their intelligence by making things easy for them instead encourage them to recollect ideas and concepts and remind them how intelligent they are, explains a child expert and consultant at one of the best schools in Dwarka, Delhi.


Homework time is the most detested part of the day for most children. It is our responsibility, as parents, to make it interesting for them. It is our duty to make them understand that study-time at home is extremely useful to prepare for bright academic future. Hence, get creative; make your bond strong with your child. Make study time fun, interesting, and rewarding for them. All the best!

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Getting Your Child Emotionally Ready to Go Back to School after Vacations – 5 Tips


As winter vacation is just around the corner, most of us have already planned for Christmas and New Year holidays, family gatherings, events, and fun times. In the midst of festivities, we often forget about how to prepare our children to head back to school after the vacations are over, explains top faculty at popular schools in Delhi. As for children, after spending a busy, fun-filled winter break, it is difficult to go back to school. School is not just a center of learning for them; however, it is also a place to socialize and recreate, as advised by faculty in good schools in Delhi. Some of the children might take going back to school after a long break quite exciting and adventurous, while for some it is filled with worry and anxiety. It arises from fear of change and as human beings; we don’t always welcome a change in our lives as it affects our comfort zone.

Let us find few ways to tackle such reluctant and anxious child and prepare them emotionally for this change of going back to school in a joyous and cheerful way:

Excitment:


Speak to your child in a happy and optimistic way about going back to school. Show your enthusiasm and excitement for going back to work after long winter break. Tell them how interesting it would be to go to school and meet friends, teachers, and others at the school. Tell them that it would be wonderful to tell them about your vacation stories. This kind of optimistic and happy thoughts would definitely drive their interests to join school after a break. If they show concerns and fear, address those doubts rather than ignoring, explain veteran teachers of top schools in Delhi.

Regularize:


Few days before the re-opening of the school, try to re-establish the regular bedtime, reading, learning and playtime routines that were overlooked during the course of winter vacations. Restoring the old routine takes time; hence, it is beneficial to try to re-establish it few days in advance, so that it becomes a habit again for your kids. Tell them that as a family you would be restoring the old rules and everyone should abide by them, suggest teachers at many good schools in Delhi.

Study:


Start making home study schedules again. During the vacations, children often forget about their studies and routines and after staying away from the books concentrating again and getting back to studies is difficult. It is often advised by many teachers at good schools in Delhi that children should stick to their home study schedule at a lighter mode; however, it is difficult to maintain the same. Try to overcome this problem by re-establishing their study routines a few days prior to the end of vacations. Make them read books that they love and make them do certain writing exercises and mathematical problems to rekindle their confidence and interest in studies.

Organise:


Get their bags filled with items they need to take to school. Starting from gifts for their friends to stationary items, uniform, shoes get them whatever they need. Kids grow up fast during vacations and with the new season, they might require new blazers, bags, water bottles and other inventories and shoes often, advice veteran teachers in many good schools in Delhi. It is always better to buy these items beforehand and not wait until the last day. Involve your kids in this shopping; tell them to make a list of items that they think might require. This will prepare them and might raise their spirits to go to schools and try our new items. 

Accompany: 


Accompany your kid all the way to their classrooms on the very first day of their school, suggest many teachers in top schools in Delhi. If possible walk through the corridor and talk to their teachers and fellow students. This will make your child feel at ease and give them assurance that they would be just fine.
Some children are innately extroverts and wait to rejoin the school and meet friends; however, major issues arise with mostly shy children and introverts. Address their inner feeling with a positive outlook. Educate them the importance of learning, schooling, and making friends. Remember it is normal for children to feel a little anxious on the first day of the school; however, these feelings will disappear by the end of the first day. All the best!

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

4 Easy Alternatives to Saying "No" to Children

Our are children getting so much attuned to listening to ‘No’ from us that it has lost its significance? The issue with young children is that they are too innocent to judge is the significance of the situation when you say ‘no’ to something which is unsafe for them. Sometimes, it is extremely difficult not to say ‘no’; however, life could really be easier for both of you if you can manage to find other ways to deal with, rather than outright saying ‘no’ to your child, says a senior psychologist in one of the top schools in Noida, Delhi NCR. 
Let us find out ways to say or tackle situations instead of simply saying ‘no’ to your ward, as recommended by senior teachers and psychologist at a CBSE schools in Noida, Delhi NCR: 
  1. Staying positive is pertinent: 
Every time you are tempted to say no for trivial matters, rephrase it in a statement, offering them other options, instead of focussing on what they can’t have or do, says a senior faculty at one of the renowned CBSE schools in Noida. Give them alternatives instead of suspending them. You need to be mindful that this approach might not work later when you want them to stop doing something urgently, which is more dangerous for them. However, it is only possible when you are in a strong and positive mental state.  
  1. Offer other options to them: 
Young children want to be independent and in control. So, you need to keep them in mind that they do not become stubborn and ill-mannered. Rather than refusing to something, offer them with other choices, when they insist on something, advise senior faculty members at a renowed school in Noida. For example, if they ask for chocolates too much, offer them with choices between apples and grapes or other fruits. 
  1. Quick distraction :
If you experience that your young kid is about to do something that he/she should not do use quick distraction with a toy or a tricky question or interesting action, explains a senior consultant at a CBSE schools in Noida, Delhi NCR. For example, say you are at a store and your kindergartener catches her eye at a shiny and fragile item, you may divert her attention by asking what she would like to have at lunch or how they should pay using a credit card or cash, etc. 
  1. Avoid temptation :
Avoid places where there are lots of things for which you might have to say ‘no’.Opt to take your kids to a safe environment that encourage them for adventures and nurture curiosity instead of places, where you know, hold stuff that might make your conversation negative with them, advise senior psychologist. Rule out all the possibility of restrictions at home by doing simple work, such as - making the house child-proof, keeping valuable and fragile items out of their reach, choose outdoor play areas and play parks fenced, etc. 

When you are tempted to say 'no' remember that it is really bad for your young child. Keep 'no’s' only for grave matters. Do not make its significance less by using it often. Use it when you really need to say it. On these times, make it clear that you are serious, with conviction, straight up front. Rest can be tackled with little presence of mind. All the best!