Photo Credits: Brooke Slezak I remembered going to art and abacus classes in my younger years, of which both I enjoyed thoroughly and found useful throughout my education. It was stress free and somehow encouraged my competitiveness in the positive manner.

Photo Credits: X Ever heard of the term ‘working memory’? Well basically it is information that our mind retains for a short period of time, such as solving a mental arithmetic sum without utilising pen, paper, calculator or your mobile phone.

Photo Credit: A.D.A.M Inc. Arthur: Janet N. Zadina, Ph.D. Cognitive Neuroscientist, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA. www.brainresearch.us. In a study lasting many years, first grade teachers observed a behavior that predicted school and life outcomes. This important behavior is known as executive function, governed by the frontal lobes of the brain. Executive function is observed in … Continue reading Childhood Thinking Skills Affect Life Outcomes

Photo Credit: x “Spare the rod and spoil the child” Well, a recent study done in Canada debunks this whole idea of effective discipline with physical punishment. According to the report, there are several reasons why spanking should be the very last resort to discipline.

Creativity is often the last thing that parents worry about. Truth be told, creativity has much more to offer than we often think they do. Creativity leads to creations. Imagine a world without Tim Berners-Lee’s invention of the world wide web. Creativity leads to the ability to adapt and make changes. Imagine being in survivor … Continue reading Why is Creativity Important?

Photo Credit: x I’m sure most of us have heard of our eyes being the window to our soul. But did you also know that our eyes are the window to learning? 80% of a child’s learning comes through the eyes (Prairie Vision Center, n.d.). That is to say, the majority of us learn by … Continue reading Eyes are the window to learning

There are always two sides to a coin. As it is with the topic of children experiencing failure. I’ve heard of parents who are all ready to send their children out to fail and I’ve known of parents who almost never allow their children to even stumble, much less fail. As I read about the … Continue reading The “Enough Failure?” Controversy

Photo Credit: x So we’ve been told that laughter is the best medicine. But honestly, at times of desperation (to get kids dressed up for school, to get kids to finish their homework, to get kids into the showers…), laughter just seems to be the last thing on your mind. To help you (and convince … Continue reading 11 Reasons Why You Should Laugh With Your Child

After reading parental forums and blogs, I’ve realized that helping a child learn Chinese is one of the greatest headaches, especially for English speaking families. While some parents succeed in imparting their Mandarin skills, others find themselves feeling frustrated with the lack of improvement.

Logical reasoning is the ability to “foresee” implications beyond decisions. Honing this skill promotes active learning, whereby the child would be encouraged to ask good questions that could aid his/her own learning. It is also a skill that helps the child get more engaged in his/her own learning process and promotes making the correct and … Continue reading Logical Reasoning and its Benefits