Origami as an Educational Tool

Origami is a fun and therapeutic Japanese artistic activity. But did you know it has many uses in the classroom as an excellent tool of education?  Kaintal Prep School, an ICSE prep school in Patiala, details some of its benefits in the classroom.

Better Understanding of Geometric Concepts

Origami is known to have immense benefits for the learning of students. One of these is geometry. It improves and strengthens understanding of concepts of geometry due to the myriad of shapes, angles and folds involved in creating paper structures. To teach students important geometric concepts, label the origami structure with length, width and height. This will help them gain an understanding of shapes and sizes.

Improved Thinking Skills

Children who practice origami are shown to exhibit improved spatial visualization skills as it makes use of practical learning with their hands. It activates multiples modalities of learning. This gives them a deeper understanding of shapes around them by applying the basic principles of geometry. Consequently their thinking capacities and intellect are enhanced.

Teaches Kids Fractions

Fractions! They appear to be a rather tricky and scary subject for a whole lot of kids. But origami presents a fun way to teach fractions. You can demonstrate the concept of one-half, two-thirds, one-fifth, etc. via origami structures and then ask the students how many folds are required to create a certain shape and in which places.

Problem Solving

Oftentimes, in the classroom and even in life there are multiple ways of arriving at an answer.  Origami gives kids a chance to work out a problem using unique, creative and innovative ways by the hit and trial method. For example, when you ask kids to make a certain shape, they can do so by folding the paper in different ways, all of which may be right. This develops excellent problem-solving skills.

Science Becomes Fun

Understanding the concepts of physics becomes a whole lot easier if done through origami. How? A thin paper by itself is not strong at all but when you fold it multiple times at different angles to form an accordion, it can become stronger.

At one of the top ICSE schools in Patiala, we believe in infusing a little bit of fun into our curriculum through a well-balanced mix of creative arts and education.

Build Everlasting Self-Esteem in Children

Self-esteem is the opinion that one has of oneself and in one’s abilities and worth that needs to be nurtures and protected right from a young age. In this blog post, the top-ranked ICSE Prep school in Patiala shares some essential tips with you.

Give them choices and responsibilities

Children may be small and young and all they, and you, want is for them to be burden-free and enjoy every little moment. But in between all the fun and play, children need to learn and grow up too. They want to feel like they are intelligent enough to be handed responsibilities. They want parents to trust them with little tasks. So start small, give them a choice while picking clothes and shoes. Assign them easy and safe chores, like cleaning and putting their toys in order.

Shower them with sincere praise

Building positive and life-long self-esteem in children is hugely determined by how and how much you praise your children when they do something commendable. The idea is not to drown them in a sea of fake praise and ignore their mistakes, but to give them assurance that they are capable of being wonderful. Don’t go overboard with your praise, using fancy words and tone. You need to be sincere and specific with what you say. Instead of saying you’re the best artist ever, say you’ve made such great progress at drawing birds.

Use failure as an opportunity

Failures are the stepping stones to success. Allow your children to make mistakes, fall down, learn from their errors, and challenge themselves as these are the things that help in shaping their character and developing their personality. Teach them how to use their failure as a learning tool to improve and expand their horizons so that they are better prepared for success. Make sure you support them when they fail at something by keeping their spirits up.

Don’t use harsh criticism and sarcasm

When children do something wrong, it is important to let them know that it is wrong and should not be repeated. Explain to them why it’s wrong without sounding too critical and harsh. Don’t use cruel words and other non-verbal cues of communication that are cruel and can possibly damage your child’s self-worth and make him/her afraid to come out of their shell. Make sure you use a calm, understanding, compassionate and non-judgmental tone with kids.

As one of the best preparatory schools in Patiala, we aim to instill a strong sense of self-esteem in children from a tender age.

The Correct Way to Teach Handwriting

How children learn to write letters forms an inherent part of their learning journeys. Research has shown that children who learn to write the essential elements of letters correctly also recognize them more easily. This contributes positively to their reading development as well.

Being one of the leading preparatory schools in Patiala, we explain to you the main elements of handwriting instruction.

Pencil Grasp

There are correct and incorrect ways of holding a pencil. When held correctly, it can result in comfortable and neat handwriting whereas incorrect grasps can lead to poor letter formation and tiredness. Teach your kids to hold the pencil between the index finger and the thumb so that it rests against the middle finger. If you child has an incorrect grasp you can use a pencil grip or gently tie a rubber band around the ring and little fingers.

Letter Formation

Kids find it easier to draw straight lines as compared to curved ones so from a developmental point of view it’s better to start by teaching them how to write capital letters before lowercase ones. Incorporate phonics instruction with handwriting lessons for better understanding of the concept of phonics. Teach them to start their letters at the top, use continuous strokes, lift their pencils when required. Use lined paper, dots, arrows and outlines for tracing letters makes writing easier for kids. Pay special attention to difficult letters that children often find confusing like b, d, p, and q. For instance, while writing b, begin from top and while writing d, begin from the middle.

Legibility

The words should not just be properly formed but they should be clear enough to be read. Here spacing between the words plays an important role. Kids should not cram the words into one another; rather there should be a “finger gap” between the words.

Pacing

Correct pencil grasp and letter formation usually solve pacing problems. Here, parents and children should be mindful of another factor. That is the pressure on pencil. If the child exerts too much pressure on the pencil while writing it can slow down his pace and lead to writing fatigue. Too little pressure results in incorrect hold of the pencil and could also point towards muscle weakness. Encourage you r child to practice writing using a wide variety of materials like pens, pencils, crayons, markers and sketch pens.

As one of the best ICSE schools in Patiala, we suggest you to get your kid to practice handwriting for a few minutes a day to improve their letter formation skills and overall literacy development.

Benefits of Social/Emotional Learning

SEL is a cycle wherein people figure out how to get the instruments, information, and skills so they can comprehend and deal with their feelings, define and accomplish uplifting objectives, feel and show sympathy for other people and build up and keep up certain connections.

Here are some of its benefits as explained by one of the top ICSE schools in Patiala.

Enhanced Academic Performance

Creating more solid social/emotional capabilities improves the performance of students in scholastic activities. In a 2014 study, SEL was found to raise students’ accomplishment levels. The essential soft skills that students lean and acquire through SEL improve their outlook towards school and therefore boost their academic performance. When students know that their sentiments will be heard and considered, it becomes far simpler for them to unwind and pay attention at school.

Fewer Problems with Behavior

Children occupied with SEL are less problematic in school. Studies have shown these advantages continue in the long run as SEL understudies actually have 10% less mental, behavioral or substance misuse issues by the age of 25. For instance, if a student can figure out how to discover their voice and express outrage properly, it could keep that person from acting improperly and harming personal and formal relationships.

Reduced Emotional Discomfort

SEL students have fewer instances of depression, anxiety, nervousness, stress and social withdrawal/ isolation as proven by Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. SEL programs really improve students’ inhibitory control, organizational and planning skills and multitasking. As children practice the new behaviors and skills that they learn in SEL programs, they foster more grounded self-regulation abilities.

Positive Social Conduct

Students coexist better with others, their teachers, and parents as proven by research. Social connection abilities and self-knowledge — fundamental for students to create and look after healthy relationships and associations with companions, parents and instructors—are the outcomes of SEL. Close student-teacher relationships make students perform better in school and have positive long-lasting outcome especially when teachers encourage students to accept and combat challenges outside the classroom.

Being the one of the best schools in Patiala, we believe SEL is a cycle, and hence requires time, persistence, and particularly teachers that are focused on giving a protected and caring learning climate.

Helping Kids Deal with Pandemic Fatigue

The coronavirus pandemic has gone on for longer than we all expected and wanted. We have all been living in a state of uncertainty and fear for a really long time as the virus continues to disrupt our lives. People are growing tired of restrictions and staying indoors, not being able to meet their loved ones and carry out activities like in the pre-pandemic days. This has resulted in pandemic fatigue, which is affecting children even more than grown-ups.

Being the top ICSE Prep school in Patiala, we are sharing some important tips that will help you to reduce pandemic fatigue in your kids.

Make Mask-wearing Fun

It’s true that wearing masks 24x7 is not easy or healthy, but it is mandatory to practice caution and wear a mask (correctly!) while out in public. It can be boring for kids to wear masks so make it fun by decorating them with motifs of their favorite cartoons, animals, superheroes and TV characters. Customize their masks for different outfits so that they are excited to wear them. Involve them in this activity, which will also make for a fun summer holiday project!

Fragrant Hand Sanitizers

The usual hand sanitizers have a sharp, pungent smell that can irk kids. To get them to use hand sanitizers more frequently, use sanitizers with seasonal fragrances that will appeal to the children. Just make sure that the sanitizers are good quality and do the job they are designed for and the scents don’t irritate your kids.

Empower Your Kids

Educate and empower your children to refuse to play with and interact with family members or friends who are not wearing masks and are not social distancing. This doesn’t have to get awkward, make your children say no to COVID-19 rule breakers in a polite yet firm way without turning this into a full-blown fight. After all, safety and health come first.

Meeting Friends Online

It’s quite a challenge for kids to stay apart from their friends for so long. Allow them some time during the day to connect and bond with their friends virtually, either through video calls or fun, healthy online games. They will surely thank you and love you more for it!

The pandemic is not easy for anyone. But we need to be extra careful with kids. Being one of the top ten schools in Patiala, we think it’s best to let them express their emotions in a healthy way. If they don’t want to, that should be okay too.

Here’s How Dance Helps Children in Education

Dance is a highly liberating experience for everyone, including kids. Being one of the top ICSE Schools in Patiala, we value dance in the school curriculum because of the following benefits it provides:

Good for Physical Health

Dancing is one of the most fun ways of exercising and staying fit. When children develop a love for dance at an early age, it sticks with them through their adult years as well, helping them stay motivated to keep fit. It enhances their flexibility, improves posture, results in better range of motion, and leads to overall healthy body growth and development.

Good for Emotional Health

Dance provides a safe outlet for children to express themselves. When children dance in a free environment, they are able to express their emotions more freely and openly. All their joys, feelings, emotions and thoughts can find a healthy conduit through the incredible art of dance. This is highly important for good emotional health of the kids as it gives them an opportunity to become emotionally mature and boosts their self-esteem and self-confidence.

Good for Socialization

Dance can be performed solo or in group. For kids it’s more fun when done in a group setting with their peers as it enables them to interact with other people and make new friends. In dance classes, children work as part of a team coordinating with each other’s movements thus learning various team-based skills like healthy co-operation, patience and collaboration. These healthy social interactions can develop into lifelong friendships even.

Good for Creativity

There are many activities that develop a child’s creative faculties. However, there’s nothing quite like dancing. Dancing provides children a chance to express themselves creatively using and also improving their imagination. In fact, dancing is a highly creative art form as it inspires children to move their bodies to the rhythm of the music. Not only this, it also helps them to thin critically as well. They also learn how to build trust.

Good for Cognitive Development

Dancing is not just about physical movement. It also teaches them discipline and time management. How? Because they have to manage their school, dance classes, homework, other extracurricular activities, time with friends and family. All this requires them to be active, organized and disciplined. They have to be dedicated, focused and sincere in how they balance all these things.

Dance gives kids many benefits in their life and education. At Kaintal Prep School, one of the best preparatory schools in Patiala, we inculcate dance into our curriculum for a holistic educational experience.

Focus is Important for Kids. Here’s How to Inculcate It.

It is quite often difficult for students to concentrate on things and their work as their focus keeps shifting. So here are some simple yet effective ways by one of the top ICSE schools in Patiala to teach focus to kids and their performance.

Reduce Distracting Elements

Adults are adept at avoiding distractions but the same cannot be said for children with short attention spans. They learn to do it at their own slow and easy pace taking their time to absorb things. It is important as a parent to limit the distractions for your kids until they become smart enough to do it for themselves.

 Keeping Them Engaged Is Essential

Kids are inclined to leave their tasks unfinished right in the middle of doing it due to short attention spans. Like, when a child is trying to solve a puzzle game and if he can’t get through it, he will probably leave it all together. You should encourage your kid to solve the puzzle at least partly if not entirely. This will greatly aid in improving the child’s focus, attention and concentration. It is very important to show an active interest in the task that your child is performing.

Allowing Children to Decide

The kids need to know and feel that they have some say in what they can do with their playing environment. It gives them confidence and self-worth. So permit them to choose as per their own preference. Allow your child to select toys and activities that he loves instead of forcing it upon him. If the child plays with stuff that he likes it will grow his attention span and improve his focus.

Routine Is a Must

Routines are severely underrated yet play such a huge role in improving your child’s focus. Make sure he is following a specific routine when a specific time is allotted to each activity so that it becomes easier for him to avoid things that distract him and instead concentrate on the task he is doing and improves his efficiency and productivity.

Counted among the best schools in Patiala, we put our efforts towards making sure that the focus, attention and concentration of children improves for optimal academic performance and growth.