Kids Learning

For millions of parents around the world, the day does not end with the school bell. There are still pictures to be painted, songs to be sung and games to be played. This all adds up to keeping children happy, safe and out of trouble. But, parents have to steer away from going overboard.

After school is not baby-sitting:
After school activities thrive only if it is backed by sufficient parental involvement. What would a soccer match be without parents cheering their little heroes from the sidelines?

Research and choose:
Instead of convenience being the decisive factor, find out things that will interest your child. Once you select a program, get the fine print and find out what you have to contribute.

Free time:
Many children attend piano classes, followed by ballet and squeeze in some time for play dates in between just before they rush home in time for bed. This rigor is too much for a child. So, go slow.

When to quit:
Often, parents enroll their child in an activity to discover that he may not be the prodigy they thought he would be. This is the time to let go. Your child may not become the next wonder-kid. But, let him cultivate an interest that he enjoys. Remember, happiness and fulfillment are all that matter.

Popularity: 4% [?]

In an effort to keep children motivated and safe, the U.S. Government sets aside a good amount of fund for financing after school programs every year. A report by the U.S. Department of Education and Justice points out that after school programs are very effective and is in the interests of the society as a whole. Interestingly, it was found that Americans liked providing school-based after school-programs in their community.

Other than safety, boredom and loneliness, the poor performance of many students also led to the need for after-school programs that are based on the school curriculum. Children coming from low-income families were found to lag behind in reading and grammar after a long break in the summer.

Statistics prove that if school-going children are left unsupervised after their school, the chances of poor grades and drop out are considerably higher. The funds provided by the Government will allow rural and inner-city schools to provide activities during the summer, over the weekends and after school. These activities will take place in a drug-free, safe and supervised environment.

Positive augmentation of critical skills is the prime focus of these school-based after school activities. Thus they enhance the skill level of the child. Most school-based programs offer assistance in math tutoring, reading, comprehension and problem solving. Many programs provide engaging activities that seek to prepare the students for college. Hands-on experience is provided for children who want to invest in a career in teaching. Access to telecommunication and technology and involvement in music and art are other benefits of these programs. This becomes invaluable, especially in low-income sectors where such activities are considered to be a luxury.

As far as children are concerned, the snacks provided in after school programs are an added incentive. School sponsored after school programs are entitled to receive funds for snacks. The National School Lunch Program is designed to do just this. Free or reduced price snacks will be provided for children from schools that apply for it. The CACFP reimburses expenditure depending upon the child’s income status. But this is applicable only till the age of 13. The funding that schools get depends upon the area in which they are situated. A low-income area gets more funding. Supper can be served to children below the age of 19. Longer programs can provide both supper and a snack. With the participation of non-profit private organization, it is possible to feed deserving school children breakfast, supper and a snack.

Popularity: 3% [?]

When my mom finally decided to take that plum posting as a Divisional Head, I knew I was in trouble. Her office hours stretched way beyond my school hours. And anyway, I was privy to the many discussions my parents had about ‘Honey, what do we do with the kids?’ Well, finally they struck gold – an educational after school program. Won’t that be just grand? Kids are learning new things while parents are happily minting greenbacks!

And so, we went directly to another class after our school. The brochure said that they would be ‘using fun activities and innovative teaching methods to fill the gap in your child’s understanding’. I suppose they meant that the teacher would write down the homework and we were to copy it. At least, this is what happened most of the time. Of course, we didn’t tell our parents. How would that help? They’d simply get smart and shift us to a class that would actually make us solve our homework.

I hated the classes. Mostly, I was bored to tears or falling asleep.
After so many hours at school who’d want to spend the entire afternoon with the same books? But, as a child, one had little choice in these matters. Especially when one’s parents were cleverly telling one that mommy’s salary will help get us that spanking new TV or that video game. Lose some, win some!

Then, one day, my sister decided to rock the proverbial boat. She decided she had enough of studying and refused to go to the after school program. That’s when my parents began to smell something stale. Shortly after that, they put us in a better program (o, yes, another educational one). This was bigger, brighter and somehow more fun. We had some interesting games, and a COMPUTER too. Each of us got a chance to do something on the PC (this, when PCs were just beginning to make their presence felt). We somehow managed to blaze through our homework, most of which had to be done by us. Then it was time to have fun. We had a little bit of everything. Acting classes, speech, games and of course painting. Those hours we spent splashing color on pages and laughing at silly jokes were really the highlight of an otherwise boring day. Ironically, I began looking forward to my after school program.

Now, so many years afterward, when I need to take up a job and leave my own child alone till I get back, I know how important these after school programs have become. Talk about history repeating itself! I just hope I’d get her into a good one, and yes, it’s going to be educational too.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Children who play with educational toys have an advantage of increasing their mental and physical growth. There are many benefits to playing with quality educational toys. Families who have educational toys in their homes enhance their children’s environment, boost learning skills, and promote quality time spent together. When choosing educational toys, the quality of the toys must be a factor.
Children tend to care for their toys better when there is an emphasis of value. They care for their belongings with respect and a positive sense of ownership. Educational Wooden Toys fit into the category of high valued toys. Educational Wooden Toys come in many varieties; wooden building blocks, wooden puzzles, wooden trains, wooden games, etc.

Montessori toys are educational toys which adhere to the Montessori philosophy of child development. Our Montessori Toys are not the Montessori Materials you find in the classroom; rather they are educational toys that will augment the learning from school to home. Montessori toys can be used no matter what the education of the child, because the philosophy of Montessori is to support the development of the whole child.

Educational Games develop strategic thought, memory, concentration, coordination, knowledge, and patience. Playing educational games with your child helps them enlarge these skills. Skills taught in school are improved at home by playing with educational games. Having these skills reiterated at home, you and your children will have quality family time, progressive learning time and fun all at the same time.

By: Tyler

Popularity: 9% [?]

When one examines how the typical toddler passes his or her day, they discover that there are
in fact very few productive hours. Between the 12 to 15 hours of sleep and the hour or so spent eating, children have precious little time to focus on their most important task, learning. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that children are able to spend as much of their time learning as possible. Of course, toddlers do most of their learning through play, so it is during this time that parents and caregivers must make an effort to maximize the learning opportunites.
The most effective method of doing this is by providing children with educational toys and games. Although all toys have some degree of educational value, they simply do not compare to what a high-quality learning toy has to offer. In fact, some educational toys are so useful, they can help children learn skills that are typically learned at much later stages of development. Some bath toys for instance, can help toddlers learn how to count and sort colors and shapes many months before they are generally expected to learn these skills.

The question is then, how does one differentiate between an ordinary toy and a high quality educational toy?

The first thing to consider is what tasks are performed as a child plays with a given toy. If these tasks are ones that a child is not expected to have mastered, you’re off to a good start. To illustrate, a remote control car that is intended for children between the ages of 4-6 may allow for the development of various skills such as manual dexterity and visual tracking. The problem however, is that these are skills that should be worked on earlier on in a child’s life.
On the other hand, if a four year old child is presented with a toy that teaches the alphabet, he has an appropriate educational toy and stands to learn a lot from that toy, assuming he or his siblings don’t break it first.

Although there are many toys out there that claim to be educational, some have a lot more to offer your children than others. One way to distinguish between the good and the ordinary, is by considering how many different skills a child can learn from a given toy, and whether the activity involved in that toy is one that may very quickly bore the child. Remember, no matter how a educational a toy may be, if it’s boring or very breakable, the child is not likely to learn very much.

When purchasing a learning toy it is also important to consider if it is manufactured by a reputable brand such as Anatex, Kidkraft or Guidecraft and if it is being sold by a real specialty educational toy store. Such companies tend to provide you with the best learning toys for your money.

One thing that is always important to keep in mind when shopping for a toy is the reason you are making that purchase. Although finding the best toy for that little child in your life may require a little more time and thought than your typical purchase, the reward is immeasurable.

By : Yaron Marcus

Popularity: 3% [?]