Category: Education

Are you thinking about placing your child in cyberschool? Determining which model of education works best for your child is crucial. Some students perform well in a traditional classroom, while others excel in a learning environment at home.

Cyberschool offers numerous benefits, especially for children where outside forces often disrupt them in a brick-and-mortar class. However, you must consider many factors before enrolling your child in school.

Here’s an exploration to help you decide whether cyberschool is a safe choice for your child.

Factors to Consider When Making Your Decision

Understandably, many families looking into cyberschools may have concerns about the effectiveness of their education. Parents consider the cyber model for various reasons.

Screen Time

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, younger children should limit their screen time to an hour, while older children benefit from limiting screen time to a healthy habit.

However, a cyber environment provides children with quality screen time. It gives students a chance to reflect on their learning. They also enjoy engaging with teachers and find it incredibly interactive since students can participate using a chatbox, a whiteboard and other online tools.

Additionally, students get scheduled breaks throughout the day. Therefore, they have a chance to break away from the screen and stretch their legs when needed.

Socialization

Many parents consider whether their children receive enough socialization in an online setting. They can rest assured that socialization does still occur between students while remote.

In a virtual classroom environment, peers from various backgrounds — possibly living in different regions — get the opportunity to break the social barriers, connecting with classmates from other communities.

Additionally, students get to make friends with other peers by attending field trips, learning opportunities and outings.

Testing Results

Another major factor that parents consider is the student’s performance in testing. Would they be able to succeed on state-mandated assessments?

The teachers’ experience, support staff, parent dedication and diagnostic tools contribute to a student’s overall success. Diagnostic tools help determine students’ academic needs and support throughout their education.

These points allow cyber students to receive enough support for academic success throughout their schooling career.

Why Should Your Child Attend Online Schooling?

As you consider enrolling your child into cyberschool, you should know how this alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar education offers plenty of advantages.

Firstly, not all pupils have the ability to succeed in a traditional classroom. A cyber class is within a smaller setting. Therefore, teachers can individualize curriculum and instructions for students, making it flexible overall.

Flexible scheduling is one of the many appealing aspects of cyberschool. Students learn at their own pace, which is especially beneficial for families with busy schedules. For instance, parents find remote schooling an excellent fit for their children because they tend to other obligations like sports or family.

Another benefit that cyberschool adds is safety. Students who’ve suffered from bullying are a major reason online schooling is the better option. In fact, some research shows that students experience less bullying when attending a virtual school.

Meanwhile, 19% of students in the U.S. experienced bullying on school property in a 2019 survey reported by the CDC. With all the roughness occurring in schools, cyberschool makes a more desirable choice for parents and children.

Plus, parents don’t have to be concerned about having their children wait for their bus to appear in freezing temperatures. They can gain some peace of mind when their child learns from the safety of their home.

What Makes Your Family a Great Fit for Cyberschool?

If you think cyberschool would make a good choice for your child, here are some essential things to consider when deciding whether it would suit your family.

Parent Commitment

A parent’s commitment is crucial if they want to see their child succeed in this model of academics. In cyberschool, parents or another responsible adult must dedicate their time at home while the student attends school.

Doing so will allow parents to provide academic support while at home. While parent involvement will vary with each grade level, meeting their learning needs is vital. For instance, if you’re a parent of a younger child, they’ll need more direction from parents throughout the school day.

Comfort Level With Technology

Cyberschool requires some familiarity with technology since most learning occurs online. Therefore, parents should ensure they’re computer literate and can set up their devices properly to succeed.

Additionally, parents use email to communicate with teachers, making them responsible for regularly checking it. If you’re uncomfortable using technology, you don’t have to let this deter you.

Virtual schools provide parents with various resources to help their students get started. Students also have orientation, which will help them and their families familiarize themselves with the educational system and technology.

Student Motivation

Before enrolling your child in cyberschool, one last thing to consider is the student’s motivation to learn. It’s critical that your child attends classes regularly and is consistent with scheduling and work.

Students spend most of their time online and attending live classes. Therefore, your child must be able to take on the responsibility of their education, especially as they become more independent. Additionally, teachers will expect your child to participate in class and be proactive in reaching out for guidance.

Some students can shine when using certain techniques to help keep them focused throughout the day. For instance, taking advantage of breaks and setting a daily schedule can benefit your child tremendously.

Cyber Education Can Be a Great Option

While there are several factors to acknowledge when looking at the cyberschool model, online schooling can make a great choice for your child’s education. The main thing is knowing you will benefit from safety and a controlled learning atmosphere.  It will also help them to prepare for future online learning opportunities when deciding where to go to college or university.

However, it’s important to remember that this education model is most suitable for families with motivated, independent children. Therefore, making a list of pros and cons should help you make an informed decision about cyber-education enrollment.

About the Author
Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for her children or whipping up something delicious in the kitchen!

If your child is having trouble in picking up new terms and words quickly, chances are that you haven’t introduced them to the world of vocabulary at a younger age.  At the age of 4, a child with perfect hearing ability has already heard up to 31 million words, meaning that the period of learning new words has already started.

On the other hand, studies have shown that children with hearing disabilities require more speech engagement in order to get the same benefits.

Being a parent, you need to focus on your child’s vocabulary from the very start to make them excellent readers and learners as they tend to pronounce the words more clearly than they already know how to say and read them.

So, if you haven’t done it yet, now is the best time to be prepared to work on improving his or her vocabulary.

A strong vocabulary is the foundation stone for quick understanding, debatable communication, and faster-reading speed.

Though it is not a common practice, still parents should normalize to give proper time to assist their kids to broaden their knowledge quickly.

It is easier said than done. You might be wondering how you can start working on it just now?

There are so many easy and simple exercises that might assist your kids to develop their vocabulary. Despite their obvious value, we often do not have time for it in the hustle-bustle of daily life.

Explore these often-overlooked hacks to help your child build an excellent vocabulary for the future. So, without further dragging, let’s jump straight into it!

Best hacks to improve child vocabulary

1.   Don’t be afraid to use complicated words

As much as you want your kids to understand you, it doesn’t indicate you can’t use “complicated” words. Don’t be afraid to use phrases that a grownup would comprehend but that your kid won’t grasp.

Push your children to ask questions when they don’t grasp anything and be ready to explain. Your children will learn new words from you if you don’t dumb down your conversation.

2.   Ask your child to tell a story

You may read a bedtime story to your child every night. As a matter of fact, this is a wonderful technique to improve one’s reading comprehension and vocabulary.

Sometimes, it is okay to put the book down and encourage your child to tell a story or just ask them how your day was. Then, let your child grab the controls and go wherever their brain takes them.

Use hypothetical questions to teach new vocabulary and topics as the story continues. With your encouragement, they’ll find new words to express themselves, and your recommendations will assist them.

3.   Converse punctually

Another great hack to help your child’s vocabulary grow is to encourage him or her to speak more. Let them talk to people and open up with them. A child’s brain is continuously absorbing new information.

If they hear your voice more often, the more they will learn from you. Give your children repetitive opportunities to communicate and use their expanding vocabulary as they get older.

4.   Gift junior dictionary

It might be challenging for a child to grasp even the most basic definitions in a dictionary because of the complex terminology. The best bet is to go with a reputable, basic junior dictionary that includes examples and animations for kids.

When a child doesn’t know the meaning of a new word or term, he or she can look it up in the dictionary for meaning. This is also a great approach to make them learn new things on their own.

5.   Turn on the subtitles

While spending time with your child watching a movie or a series on television, turn on the subtitles. As a result, your child will be capable of reading complicated words and attempting to memorize their spelling.

Furthermore, the context provided by movies and television shows enables kids to better comprehend the definition of words in varying situations.

6.   Use the building blocks technique

Using building blocks as a beginning point for educating children using simple words is a good idea. If you can, make it fun.

Ask the child to find the blocks that match the letters of a word you’ve written on a block. Start with easy phrases, such as the names of birds and colours, and then progressively increase the degree of difficulty.

7.   Show them visuals

Regularly show visuals or animations of text to your child from newspapers, periodicals, storybooks, or the internet. It is much simpler for a child to make the connection between two things when they are shown a picture along with a new word.

It also actually strengthens the intellectual and analytical abilities in the children. In addition, images are way simpler to comprehend than text.

8.   Let them write and speak out loud

Asking your child to write words or sentences which they found difficult is often the more neglected hack to boost up their vocabulary skills. This practice works great for primary passed kids as now they are learning to speak and understand the longer texts.

You can give them long sentences and ask them to rewrite them in their own words. They might take time to comprehend and paraphrase the texts correctly as they are constantly finding new terms and words to replace the text while keeping the same context.  This will help expose your child to new vocabulary.

Last but not the least, ask them to read the text out loud and let them find the errors and jargon.

9.   Patience is key

You need to pay even closer attention to this last hack tool.

Let your child know that he or she is not alone if he or she does not understand anything. Whenever they lose track of a term, let them think back to when they first heard it.

Keep an open mind while educating them and give them more time to absorb the information. Use simple examples and motivate your kids to come up with their own perspectives.

What are the benefits of having a broad vocabulary?

According to studies, students who have a more robust vocabulary perform better academically.

A child from a middle-class home starts kindergarten understanding around 45 million words, but a child from a low-income background only knows about 13 million words when they begin school.

Children who come from families where there is a lot of speech and words are more likely to be able to read and do better in the classroom.

A well-developed vocabulary aids in the development of effective skills such as hearing interpretation, social interaction, written expression, and subject-specific knowledge.

So, working on your child’s vocabulary is a terrific idea to give your child a bright, confident, and successful future.

Conclusion

To sum it up, it is a never-ending yet wonderful journey to help your child develop his or her intellectual capabilities. Use the above-mentioned easy hacks and improve your child’s vocabulary faster than ever.

Lastly, when your child will be all grown up, they will appreciate you for the efforts you have put into making them a brilliant and sharp student.

Math provides us with a vocabulary for solving math issues that are distinct from English. It may appear strange to some students who are not used to thinking in this manner because of its exact rules, order, and logic. Students may broaden their views, acquire strength, and improve problem-solving abilities by learning about the world through mathematics.

Teachers must ensure that they are not teaching their students the language of mathematics but rather showing them how it connects to other aspects of life in order to inspire them to approach mathematical problems with common sense.

A culturally responsive math lesson is one that is meant to be comprehensible by students from various backgrounds and cultural identities. As a result, the syllabus must be accepted by the vast majority of students. Through the use of numerous methods and adaptable teaching approaches, the teacher may ensure that the material delivered in a class is not only comprehensible to all students but also keeps their attention.

Making math culturally responsive starts in the classroom.

A culturally responsive mathematics classroom stresses the most effective approaches for middle school students to think about and solve mathematical tasks. Teachers educate their students about their own culture in order for the math to be culturally responsive. It’s critical that they understand cultural differences and how to deal with them, as well as know how to make students who are different from them feel included.

Teachers are not required to be cultural experts. They merely need a basic grasp of each culture to make students feel at ease. With this practice, they help students learn how numbers, mathematics, geometry, and statistics are utilized in everyday interactions throughout many cultures and may even help them fix problems with their own families or friends.

Teachers incorporating culturally responsive teaching

Math is a universal language that is taught for a variety of goals, including assisting students in analyzing the world around them. When a teacher teaches mathematics in an abstract manner, it suffocates many of their students’ learning styles, making it difficult for them to grasp the relative strengths of mathematics.

By analyzing cultures and reflecting on them, teachers may develop culturally responsive lessons and teach their students how to apply mathematics. This entails learning how mathematics is practiced in various communities and then asking other members of those communities for assistance.

Teachers can also use culturally responsive teaching to enhance instruction and develop more demanding mathematical problems for special-needs students by addressing their barriers and adjustments.

Making a culturally relevant math task, for example, can require combining personal experiences and observations with research. The area of statistics includes culturally relevant mathematics, such as the study of variance in terms of religious views, cultural variety, and linguistic variation. In addition, while planning mathematics exercises for students, a culturally responsive teacher will consider aspects such as age, gender, and race.

Connecting mathematical concepts to real-world scenarios.

Mathematics is a very effective instrument, being a socially constructed activity. It may be used to answer a wide range of problems, from simple multiplication and addition to complicated calculus. Math ties us to our history, teaches us about ourselves, and influences our daily decisions.

Mathematical practices, on the other hand, are difficult to transmit from one culture to another, especially if students find specific topics, like Algebra, intimidating to begin with. Making them understand the parallels and distinctions between mathematics and other cultural activities such as cooking, dressing up, or fellowship is one method for mathematics to become culturally responsive to them.

Unfortunately, some teachers may occasionally simply show students a PowerPoint and allow them to examine the figures on their own, but this is not culturally relevant education. They should provide students the opportunity to engage in more in-depth learning by asking them how mathematics applies to real-world circumstances, such as counting money or reading time. Students improve their mathematical knowledge by making real-world connections and interacting with other people of all ages.

Culturally relevant math tasks

Mathematics becomes culturally responsive when it includes culturally relevant tasks that allow students to learn from their family and friends. Students may develop their own unique perspective on the subject they are learning and how they should apply it in the classroom by studying from a cultural background.

From our cellphones and laptops to clocks, calendars, and calculators, mathematics is all around us. As a result, teachers must teach mathematics in the context of other disciplines so that students may better comprehend how the subject applies to their daily lives, and students must be able to see how mathematics affects their everyday lives.

According to Progidy Game, culturally relevant mathematics tasks may be incorporated into cultural festivals, and because various countries and cultures have fireworks festivals, you might teach how to calculate speed using fireworks in sample questions.

Introduce students to a diverse group of mathematicians

It is critical in today’s environment for children to be exposed to a diverse group of mathematicians. If the instructor is matched with students based on their cultural backgrounds, and everyday learning experience can make mathematical lessons culturally responsive.

Students have diverse mathematical competencies and abilities depending on their cultural origins; thus, by putting this notion into reality, the teacher may introduce students from various cultural backgrounds to an advanced topic in mathematics. This method will benefit them in better comprehending the nature of mathematics and its applications in every day life, as well as fostering a more advanced mindset toward conceptualization and problem-solving skills.

In a multicultural society, it is essential to understand that everyone comes from various origins and has distinct life experiences. When constructing mathematics education for diverse student populations, such considerations must be taken into account.

Mathematics is a requirement for human survival. To study mathematics, one must first comprehend and appreciate the subject as a whole. People learn mathematics in a variety of ways, and these methods represent personal narratives of mathematical learning. The goal is to gain a better knowledge of how different people engage in the learning process and respond to other learning tasks.

It was a typical day in kindergarten. The sun shone in through the window, the children were laughing and talking as they worked on their art projects, and the teacher was droning on about something or other. But this wasn’t any ordinary kindergarten class. This was an experimental classroom where the children were taught how to be creative. And it was working!

The students in this class were always coming up with new and interesting art projects. They would use whatever materials they could find, including recycled materials, to create their masterpieces. And they loved doing it!

Your child will have a blast completing these 9 art projects, which are also educational! By the end of kindergarten, they’ll be sure to have developed many skills.

Here are 9 of the best kindergarten art projects that your child will love:

1. Marbleizing paste

Marbling is one of my favorite art projects for kindergarteners. You can do it every week!

Marbleizing is making pretty patterns from powdered paint. There are many different ways to do this project, so you can find something fun that works with your class’s learning style.

This activity requires very little instruction, which makes it great for beginners. This article gives an idea of how to set up the room for this activity.

You will need small bowls of water and calcium powder mixed in them to prepare the plaster. Then, you would put the ceramic tiles in the bowl and mix more water and calcium hydroxide until smooth.

After the mixture has dried overnight, you can use a chisel or cutter to carve the design into each tile. Lastly, wash the tiles and add a glaze if needed.

These painted marbleized tiles can be used in a variety of ways. You can use them to decorate walls or placemats. They can also make cool decorations for doorways or as clip-on bookends.

2. Sugar water experiment

Do you know what happens when you drop something really heavy into a glass of water? The object makes a little splash!

That’s because there are only around 1-2 pounds (about 0.45 kg) of pressure acting on that water surface. Pressing your finger onto the surface of a glass of water is how you feel the force pulling at your fingertip.

When you drop things in, it can make the water move more quickly, which creates bigger splashes. Or sometimes pieces break off the thing dropping so fast that the piece tears through the water.

How can we use this idea to help kids learn about shape? By having them drop different items into a cup of water!

Here are some ideas for this activity :

Have the children choose one or two shapes to try their hands at making. Then have them go back to the lab and explore another way to create a smaller splash with those shapes.  This is an example of how kids learn science while creating art.

3. Mixing paint

This is an easy art project that can be done with children of different ages. You will need to purchase some supplies, so the total cost is relatively low.

This project involves the use of colors, shapes, and lines. It also requires no special materials or equipment. So what you are getting for your money is not just the price of the paint but the time you save by doing it at home instead of going to the store.

For young kids who love painting, this is a do-it-yourself kind of project. They will enjoy exploring new ways to mix colorings and see how different people have suggested different methods.

More advanced students may learn something from this too. By learning about why certain colors mix in specific ways, they can build on their knowledge when they move on to higher grades.

Furthermore, since this project uses two common types of paints, there’s a good chance they already have them around the house. No buying necessary!

4. Making sock cakes

This is an easy craft that you can do with your children to start the school year. And it’s also a project that can be completed in just one afternoon!

Sock cakes are an ancient Japanese art form, which consist of stacking layers of colorful socks and icing to create a cake.

This tradition began as a way for kids to learn how to count by moving objects around and emphasizing their role as food producers – like making choices about what they eat. Plus, it’s fun to make something unique and delicious using things that people don’t typically use.

5. Paste wrapping

This art project is perfect for beginners because there’s not too much preparation required. You will need paste, newspaper, and a mold to make the shape of your choice.

Once you have these materials, just put them together in this way. The children had a lot of fun playing with different types of shapes and sticking them onto the paper.

Some toddlers preferred placing the object first before applying the glue, others loved creating their designs. Either way, everyone enjoyed putting all the pieces together after it was dry.

6. Candles melting experiments

Do you know how candles are made? You can try your hand at making some of them using simple, accessible ingredients like wax, baking soda, and salt.

For this experiment, you’ll need to start with plain white candle wax. Look for wax online or in stores that sell craft supplies.

You can also purchase special-purpose waxes, such as tea light (sage) wax or colored wax pads for creating color effects. These wicks would be better choices if you were doing an educational activity with children.

This is an easy one! All you have to do is melt some water in a glass bowl. Then, sprinkle paraffin wax into the water gradually until everything melts evenly.

Once all the material is fused, put it upside down in the oven. It should pull away easily once it’s done. 🙂

There are several possible explanations for why solid objects might change shape when heated. The best explanation is that molten plastic releases internal stress and resumes its original form, which is what usually happens.

7. Letting rainfall on the canvas

This art project is very simple but also fun. You will need paint, water, paper, and some pots to put in the container.

Let the children choose which color they want their pot to be. Then, get two jars and fill one with water. Ask the child what colors of paints he/she would like to use.

Paint the jar with red paint and then add yellow paint to make it orange. Repeat this for as many colors as you feel comfortable.

Then, ask the child to grab an empty glass or mason jar and let them pour whatever color they want into it. They can mix all the colors or just leave each color alone separately in its jar.

When the kids are finished putting everything away, give them a box to place the smaller jars inside that will hold them while they decide what to do next. It helps keep track of how much stuff they have and sets a good example for recycling.

Once they’ve decided where they want these colors, bring out the bigger jars and have the children blend all the colors until you end up with only one color.

Ask the children why they made such a choice and wait for someone to explain it to them. Probably there was a reason they chose this color over the others!

8. Use newspaper to make soil

Start with some hard-boiled eggshells (for older children) or beans (2–4 years old). Add any desired herb including sea salt.

Then, melt some butter in a small bowl for younger children, or just add water for older children.

Mix all ingredients until you get a very smooth substance that resembles chocolate pudding. This is your soapy mud.

Next, let the kids decide what they want their garden to look like. Does it resemble wood? Or concrete? Give each child a square of paper and consider packing material, grass cuttings, dried fruit, flowers, etc.

Have them mix up whatever looks good to them. Don’t worry about perfection because parents will be picking up supplies after lesson two, anyway!

9. Bucket of paint to make art

For your students to understand that art is all around them, there are many opportunities during the school year to create artistic designs. One example is using buckets of watercolor or natural materials such as sand, dirt, cement, etc.

These supplies can be expensive, so check online for cheap deals.

Supplies you will need are a bucket, egg carton (or something similar), a clean glass jar, a label, a small stick/cherry, markers, and coloring books. It’s great if they are age-appropriate because kids have fun with stickers in colors that mean something special to them.

First, get some blank labels from the drugstore or office supply store. Some good ideas include name, address, phone number, or even email.

Put up one label per page after writing a line item below it explaining what the label means and who it belongs to. For instance; “ write me an essay of no more than 1 page describing our topic and illustrating how math is relevant to it.”

Next, put up posters asking people to help keep pens sharp and scissors nice and tidy by putting paper on both ends of the tray when doing their homework.

Let children know that these are very important tools that they should use whenever they work at home or go back to school. This way, they respect the effort others have made to get everything done nicely.

About the Author:

Amy has a wealth of parenting experience, from when she was an expectant mother to now being the parent of both a teenager and a preschooler. Her blog AmyandRose is aimed at simplifying life for new parents as they navigate their way through parenthood while balancing other aspects of life.

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Is your child ready for Kindergarten?  Learn why preschool is good for your child.