Category Archives: Uncategorized
Exploring in and around the sea
For our Word Play session this week, the theme was ‘Sea Life’. Stories about life in and around the sea are always exciting for children.
In our weekend program this week, the aim was to learn about some of the animals that live under the sea. Kids enjoyed talking about sea animals (big, small, long, colours, it has / hasn’t got legs etc).
This time, the listening practise was with an ocean themed fun song ‘Everything beneath the sea’. Kids were introduced to different sea animals through stories,games and songs. It was fun describing sea animals for children to guess.
The worksheet from British Council was full of interesting activities.
Day 2 – Word Play
Young writer and artist Malavika Thampi conducted a super fun story session at the library . She narrated the stories to the young children in such an interesting way, that all the children were charmed by her almost right away.
The thing about reading aloud to kids is that it goes so far beyond comprehension, it can be life-changing. They may forget the spelling tests and worksheets at schools, but they will remember the stories, the songs and the role plays forever.
The best part was watching the kids’ faces as they listened and interacted with our super-talented Malavika Thampi.
Our tiny tots had a great time with young and vibrant Malavika Thampi, who is doing her high school at Christ Nagar CBSE School. Thanks to her for accepting our invitation, preparing with enthusiasm and delivering a wonderfully engaging session at the library today.
Speak Out Session 2
Children were taught the basics of Public Speaking in a fun and relaxed manner by Renjitha Rajan, (active member of Nirbhaya Debating Society and Inter-college Debate Champ) at Session 2 of the Speak Out (Communication Development Workshop) at the Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library. Her abundant energy, passion for the subject, encouragement, effective opportunities to practice and excellent feedback tips were appreciated by the children.
Word Play – Session 1
Learning to read isn’t all about phonics and literacy but also about exploring, delighting and laughing. As always, we at schoolkutti strive to make children fall in love with reading. Last saturday, we captivated our little Word Play participants with another magical story – A Tiger in the House,’ which was written by Indian author Ruskin Bond. The story centers around a tiger cub Timothy who was raised as a pet, but later taken to the zoo after he started acting more like a tiger. All the children agreed that it would be awesome to have a real tiger cub as a pet.
Role plays are the most preferred part of all our Word Play sessions. Kids really enjoyed pretending and acting out as the characters in the Little Red Riding Hood. At the end, we also had some fun vocabulary challenges and animal quizzes for each age group that motivated them to ponder over words and facts.
Another awesome session of Word Play
It was an awesome Saturday morning at schoolkutti.com Children’s Library. This week, we read a story about a child experiencing the joy of finding a bird’s nest in her garden and excitedly following every development till the young birds soar into the sky. It was narrated with a touch of fun, holding the attention of the children up till the end.
After the story time, we had a vocabulary game where each and every participant won a small prize for successfully guessing the word based on the clue provided. A worksheet on birthday theme for the little ones and a story writing exercise and comprehension for the seniors followed.
Finally, we discussed the life cycle of a butterfly and explored it through an informative song based video. Our bunch of lively kids made the session special and very interactive. Looking forward to next Saturday.
Day 1 of Word Play
Children should read for the sheer pleasure of reading and not for any other reason. How do you foster a love of reading for pleasure? At Schoolkutti.com Children’s library, there are a lot of reasons for children to fall in love with books. Every Saturday, kids have fun reading stories, singing songs, doing role plays and honing their writing skills. This weekend, a sleepy and dull morning was transformed into a bright and cheerful morning for the children listening to the magical adventures of a little boy who went through troublesome times initially, but then had a happy life with his doting father.
Role playing helps to build up confidence in speaking, while having fun. This week, we had a great time acting out the ‘Chicken Licken’ Play Script. The book about Robots generated a lot of interest and sharing of facts. In between all this, kids also enthusiastically completed worksheets and word identifying activities.
Story Magic @Schoolkutti
Stories are powerful. They help inculcate values, teach interesting facts and entertain too! Our bright, young, eager children absolutely loved listening to Prabha Nair and Indulekha Tampi narrating stories and information about different kinds of parrots. For those lucky children who got to attend this fun and interactive story workshop on wildlife, watch amazing videos, learn so many wonderful things about parrots and finally get beautiful bookmarks made, it was a very, very special evening indeed!
Project based learning – Why and How?
“I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.” – Confucius
Why is it important to “do”? Aren’t facts and figures enough to take a concept home? It seems logical, but in reality, it is seldom the case.
Theory is important. It teaches us the basics. But for any of us, the best way to learn is by doing. And it is true for any kind of learning. For example, we can talk about the properties of fire and explain the intensity of its heat, but for us to really understand it, we will need to light a fire and stand next to it.
So it is with children. In fact, it is all the more important for children because the best way they learn is through their tactile senses. Logic and reasoning comes much later.
At The Wonder Years Preschools, we have been imparting Project based education for the last 7 years. Our KG children have to submit a project based on their Theme every week. The project is prepared at home by the children, with minimal assistance from parents,. They learn about it when they prepare the project and then come to class and present the project in front of the class.
Consider a project like “Uses of parts of face”. While they do this, they are developing in multitude ways, They prepare the project with their little hands (Fine and gross motor skills, Hand eye coordination, Spacial recognition, Logical reasoning etc), then they learn the project and as much information associated with it (cognitive development, associative and relative data management etc), then they come to school and present the project to the class (presentation skills, language development, confidence building, overcoming stage fear etc)
As you can see, there is so much that they can develop from a small little project. The more practical ways they learn, the better it is for children.
Blog by
George Mathew (Mob: 9020680385)
Founder & CEO | The Wonder Years Primary Schools (http://www.thewonderyears.co.in)
British Council International School Award.
Head Office: Pongummoodu – 6444024/23 | Branch Offices: Palkulangara (Near Pettah) – 6444026 | Kazhakuttom – 6444028 |
Learning disabilities in Children
Learning disabilities or disorders, is term used to describe a variety of learning problems. In most cases it is not a problem with intelligence. In fact, Kids with learning disabilities are as smart as everyone else. Its just that their brains are wired differently. This affects how they receive and process information. This can lead to trouble with learning new things putting them to use.
But the important thing to remember is that most kids with learning disabilities are just as smart as everyone else. They just need to be taught in ways that are tailored to their unique learning styles.
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Preschool age 1 – 4
- Trouble making eye contact
- Difficulty in playing with peers
- Problems pronouncing words
- Difficulty rhyming
- Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, days of the week
- Difficulty following directions or learning routines
- Difficulty controlling crayons, pencils, and scissors, or coloring within the lines
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Ages 5-9
- Trouble learning the connection between letters and sounds
- Unable to blend sounds to make words
- Confuses basic words when reading
- Slow to learn new skills
- Consistently misspells words and makes frequent errors
- Trouble learning basic math concepts
- Difficulty telling time and remembering sequences
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Ages 10-13
- Difficulty with reading comprehension or math skills
- Trouble with open-ended test questions and word problems
- Dislikes reading and writing; avoids reading aloud
- Poor handwriting
- Poor organizational skills (bedroom, homework, desk is messy and disorganized)
- Trouble following classroom discussions and expressing thoughts aloud
- Spells the same word differently in a single document
Common types of learning disabilities
Dyslexia – Difficulty with reading
- Problems reading, writing, spelling, speaking
Dyscalculia – Difficulty with math
- Problems doing math problems, understanding time, using money
Dysgraphia – Difficulty with writing
- Problems with handwriting, spelling, organizing ideas
Dyspraxia (Sensory Integration Disorder) – Difficulty with fine motor skills
- Problems with hand-eye coordination, balance, manual dexterity
Dysphasia/Aphasia – Difficulty with language
- Problems understanding spoken language, poor reading comprehension
Auditory Processing Disorder – Difficulty hearing differences between sounds
- Problems with reaiding, comprehension, language
Visual Processing Disorder – Difficulty interpreting visual information
- Problems with reading, math, maps, charts, symbols, pictures
ADHD – While not considered a learning disability, can certainly disrupt learning. Children with ADHD often have problems sitting still, staying focused, following instructions, staying organized, and completing homework.
Autism – Difficulty mastering certain academic skills can stem from pervasive developmental disorders such as autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Children with Autism Specturm disorders may have trouble communicating, reading body language, learning basic skills, making friends, and making eye contact.
The diagnosis and testing process for learning disabilities
Diagnosing a learning disability is a process. It involves testing, history taking, and observation by a trained specialist. Finding a reputable referral is important.
Learning disabilities can be extremely frustrating for children. Kids with learning disabilities may have trouble expressing their feelings, calming themselves down, and reading nonverbal cues from others. This can lead to difficulty in the classroom and with their peers.
The good news is that, as a parent, you can have a huge impact in these areas. Social and emotional skills are the most consistent indicators of success for all children—and that includes kids with learning disorders. They outweigh everything else, including academic skills, in predicting lifelong achievement and happiness.
Learning disabilities, and their accompanying academic challenges, can lead to low self-esteem, isolation, and behavior problems, but they don’t have to. You can counter these things by creating a strong support system for children with learning disabilities and helping them learn to express themselves, deal with frustration, and work through challenges.
By focusing on your child’s growth as a person, and not just on academic achievements, you’ll help him or her learn good emotional habits that set the stage for success throughout life.
All the best
George Mathew
Founder & CEO, The Wonder Years Primary Schools
Summer Fun Continued….
So the first month of summer vacation is getting over. However, Trivandrum is still buzzing with activities for children – be it theater, chess, sports, yoga, personality development, public speaking, music, dance and reading.. Come and explore the top events for children.
MindCarter is hosting a theater program for kids at hotel SP GRAND DAYS, Trivandrum. This is for 7-14 years old students. The dates in May are yet to be finalized. Details are here.
Capablanca Chess School is presently conducting a chess summer camp for children. The next camp is due to begin in May. For details, click here.
TrickShotz India is a kid-friendly billiards spot, which has a Snooker and Pool Club/Summer Camp for children interested in the sport. For details, click here.
Nirbhaya Debating Society will be conducting a Partriotic Leadership Program at Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library for children above 10 years. It is basically a Patriotic Leadership Program for School Students.
The main objective of the program is to train the next generation in Leadership Strategies, Effective Nation Building, Team Development, Active Citizenship, Character Formation, Communication Skills etc.
Activities: Role Play, Skit, Model Parliament, Mock Press etc.
Dates: May 10 to 23 (10 days, week days only)
Time: 10:15 AM to 12:15 PM
Limited Seats. First come, first served
About the Trainer: A.P Prejish, an emerging Entrepreneurship Trainer and an Educationalist is a National Award Winner in Public Speaking constituted by Government of India. Prejish is the Chairman of Nirbhaya Debating Society and has been training more than thousands of students and youngsters through various Central and State Government organizations such as Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (Govt. of India), Centre for Gandhian Studies – University of Kerala, National Service Scheme (NSS), National Cadet Corps (NCC), Student Police Cadet Project (SPC).
Click here to register for the program.
Varadamudra Temple of Dance ,Trivandrum will be conducting a Dance Movement Therapy Workshops for children aged 6 to 16 years at Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library. The workshop will be based on different topics related to dance incorporating mime and body movements. There will be emphasis on mind and body coordination. The workshop aims to enhance creativity, confidence and concentration level.
Highlights of the camp will be
☆ Observation training
☆ Movement Therapy
☆ Dance out of harmony with body
☆ Dance in harmony with body
Dates: May 8 to 19 (Week days only)
Time: 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
About the trainer:
Chothy Nair , Founder and Artistic director of Varadamudra Temple of Dance Trivandrum, started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of three. She took her first steps in Mohiniyattam at the age of nine and Kuchipudi at the age of twelve. She was a recipient of the CCRT scholarship for Mohiniyattam in 2000. She was also honoured with the title of Kalathilakam from 2005 to 2007 in both Keralotsavam and Shree Vidhyadhiraja Kalotsavam. She was the first runner up in Vanita Ratnam, a women’s reality show aired on Amrita Television in 2010. She finished her graduation in Choreography from Natya insitute of kathak and Choreography under the able guidance of Guru Smt Dr Maya Rao and Maddhu Natraj Kiran. She has performed and Choreographed for various performances in India.
Click here to register for the program.
