Pre-kindergarten is the first significant milestone in your child’s education. Yet, it’s also challenging because you and your child are separated for most of the day. Your child will be learning many new things, so it’s vital that they feel comfortable and secure in their new surroundings. Knowing exactly what to expect during their first day of school can make the separation anxiety a little bit easier on both of you and ensure that they are making the best possible transition into their new classroom.

The following activities will help you and your child be fully prepared for kindergarten.

👉 Talk about the classroom

Talk about what you know about the classroom, like where it is located, what it looks like, who goes there, and why. Then, ask your child questions about their thoughts and feelings on going to pre-k. Are they excited? Nervous? What do they think might happen? What do you think will happen? Tell them about how their day will go, what activities they will do, and who they will have as teachers or other staff members at the school.

The best preparation for this transition is knowing that this is just one more step in the growing-up process. Maintain a sense of excitement for this new experience with your child, but also make sure to ease any worries they might have about leaving you for the first time. Leaving for a few hours doesn’t mean your parent/child relationship will change, it is just another step toward independence!

Here are some ways to help your tot experience the class environment:

• Sing songs together that promote good behavior and positive interactions with friends and family members.
• Read books together that focus on getting ready for school or starting a new adventure in life, such as going to the dentist, or visiting grandma’s house for the first time!
• Have pretend playtime with toys that represent items found in a classroom setting like desks, chairs and pencils etc.

👉 Teach your child how to follow directions

You know that your child will enter a classroom full of new challenges, but you probably haven’t given much thought to how they will learn to handle those challenges. Your child is used to playing freely in the house and doesn’t have much experience following directions. If your child is not used to listening, this is the time to start practicing. You can start with simple commands like “Put your shoes on”, or “Pick up the Toys”. 

If they don’t listen the first time around, don’t give up! Keep repeating the command until they comply. This will help them learn to follow directions when teachers ask them to sit still, listen and behave appropriately in a group of other children. Practice at home will make all these things easier for your child.

👉 Help them learn how to share

Many kids struggle with sharing even though they want something or someone else has something they want! Teaching them how to share early on will help them be more willing to do so in pre-K. How you approach the issue of sharing will depend a lot on your child’s age, developmental level, and ability to communicate with them effectively.

Younger children may not understand the concept of ownership and therefore have difficulty grasping why they can’t just take something another child has. To explain why it’s important to share with others, you can start by teaching them about fair play and fairness—that if one person is playing with a specific toy, then everyone who wants to use it should take turns.

These lessons can also be reinforced at home through routines where you’re all using the same item at the same time, like when one sibling is drawing at the table while another is playing with blocks nearby. Show your child by example that sharing space is essential for everyone to get along.

👉 Establish a Routine

A new routine can be challenging for tots, and it will take some time to get them used to it. This is why you should start weeks before school starts. You want to ensure that your child’s sleep schedule is in order, their eating habits are correct, and they know what their day will be like when they return to school. 

Begin by creating a schedule for the day with specific times for meals, snacks, playtime, and quiet time. Be sure to include special events like going on walks and trips to the library in your schedule. Ensure your child is well rested and fed before beginning your daily routine. Tired children are much more likely to have trouble adapting to a new schedule.

The first week of school is always filled with tears, but it doesn’t have to be this way. By setting up a routine for your child that follows their natural daily rhythm, you can avoid many pitfalls of adjusting to the demands of school life. 

At Square Panda India, we are committed to building the future of education. We bring together educators, parents and children, using cutting-edge technology to directly improve learning outcomes. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

Self-paced learning is any learning activity where the learner controls the pace at which they progress through material, often by selecting their content and using it at their own convenience. This can take the form of flipping through chapters of a textbook or watching videos at a slower pace than normal or faster. It can also include activities like reading and taking notes on chapters that interest them most, or answering practice questions before moving on.

Self-paced learning is not entirely new, but its prevalence today made it the norm for educational institutions. After all, their core mission includes ensuring continuous learning happens regardless of where and when students do it. According to Global News Wire, the global self-paced e-learning market is anticipated to reach USD 10960 Million by 2027, with a CAGR of 8.2%.

Students who choose self-paced learning have many reasons for making this choice. Some of these reasons include:

• A busy schedule, which hinders their ability to handle their coursework at their own pace without being held back by other students or having to compete with other students for resources.

• Being motivated by knowing they are in control of their learning process, and can move forward as fast as they want.

• Possibly being more motivated when they feel they are in control of their own progress and the material is not being spoon-fed.

• Knowing they can get help from an instructor or tutor when needed, because they do not have to wait until class starts or until there is an office hour available before getting help with something difficult for them to understand on their own.

Learning at your own pace has many benefits, one of which is that it enables you to go through the material as often as necessary until you fully understand it. Here’s why it is highly effective among students:

🖊️ Combats Short Attention Spans

Some students cannot concentrate on anything for long periods because they have short attention spans. With this type of learner, it makes sense that they would want to learn something quickly to move on to something more interesting than what they are currently doing!  Self-paced learning does just that – it allows these learners to move from one thing to another in a matter of minutes. It also helps students improve their concentration levels because they are not forced into studying while they are tired or exhausted from other activities, such as work or schoolwork.

🖊️ Increase Memory Retention

Self-paced learning allows students to be in control of their own learning processes. They’re able to choose which topics they want to focus on, how much time they want to spend on each one, which types of assignments they want to do, and whether or not they want to repeat specific lessons or go over something again before moving on. By giving themselves this freedom, students have more control over their memory retention, which means that when it comes time for a test or exam, everything that’s been learnt will be fresh in their minds.

🖊️ Improved Learning

Students who have difficulties with a particular concept or topic don’t feel pressured to keep going until they get it right. Instead, they can take a break and return later when you feel more ready!  When students are forced to work through an assignment quickly, and before they fully grasp the concepts, they will often need to reread the lesson or ask their teacher for help. Students can ensure their comprehension level is high before moving forward with new material by taking a self-paced approach and pausing when necessary.

Are Schools Accepting Self-Paced Learning?

While traditional schooling is still very much in use, an increasing number of students are turning to self-paced learning methods for their education. This trend is likely due to the increase in online resources and how many school districts are switching to more self-paced curriculums. If students enjoy a class or subject matter, they can spend as much time on it as needed to master it. If they feel like they’re struggling in a particular subject, they can move on without waiting for a teacher to be available or not feeling like they’ve left something important behind. 

In fact, many classes now have instructors that use videos to teach instead of simply lecturing in person—they record themselves going through the material and then allow students to watch the videos at their own pace at home, in their own time. 

While blended learning has been gaining popularity as a way to deliver instruction and assessments, it’s not the only way. A blended approach allows students to learn at their own pace in an environment that supports self-directed learning. It also gives teachers more flexibility in how they deliver content and interact with students.

The Bottom Line

Self-paced learning is a method of teaching that allows students to learn at their own pace. It offers flexibility and freedom to students, which is why it has become one of the most sought-after teaching methods. At Square Panda, we use a mix of experiential, play-based, sensorial, and blended learning to help everyone reach their educational goals. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

In mainstream schools, every student must learn certain things before proceeding to the next class. However, not all students learn at the same pace. Some are quick learners while others aren’t, and therefore need a little push and additional attention to attain maximum potential. 

Nothing can be more challenging than having a child struggling at school. No one likes being left behind, and who wants to put in extra effort when you already feel that you have exhausted every available option? As parents & educators, you want your children to do better in school, and when they fall behind, it becomes your job to get them back on track. 

Remedial education is the solution to giving kids an extra push. It has been designed to help students who have not been successful in traditional academic settings, and provides instruction and practice in skills that will enables learners to progress in the general education curriculum.

Remedial education is a holistic way of addressing learning difficulties, an umbrella term for special education or supportive learning programs which provide instruction in basic skills like reading or arithmetic. The curriculum varies from state to state but usually addresses several disciplines like literacy, social studies, math, science, and sometimes physical education.

Why is Remedial Education Important?

Remedial education is essential for students to receive instruction in basic math, reading, and writing skills that they have not yet acquired. In addition, these students find learning difficult in a classroom due to earlier struggles with language development and basic learning skills. Remedial classes can accommodate students’ needs by being able to provide one-on-one or small group classrooms for students. There are many reasons why there is a need for remedial education, including:

• Students may have had trouble learning in the past and need more time to develop the skills they need to succeed academically. Remedial education provides a chance for students who have struggled with basic skills to build confidence in themselves and improve self-esteem—something significant for high school students looking ahead to college or career training programs.
• Students may not have been exposed to the same level of academic rigour as others when they were younger. Remedial education provides an opportunity for students who are likely to become disengaged from school or drop out early to get the support they need to succeed in postsecondary education programs or careers.
• Students may come from an environment where they do not have access to quality instruction or resources. Remedial education provides an opportunity for students facing academic challenges due to learning disabilities or other factors to receive additional support from qualified teachers and counsellors to achieve their goals.
• Students may have been dealing with issues at home that made it difficult to focus on academics. They may have had trouble adjusting socially and felt isolated or alone. Or they may have struggled with an undiagnosed learning disability that was never addressed or treated appropriately within the public school system. Remedial education can give a push to such children, positively affecting a student’s ability to learn and be successful in school. 

Methods of Remedial Education

Remedial education can be provided in many ways depending on the individual needs of the student as well as their desired learning style. For example, some students are more comfortable learning through reading, while others prefer auditory methods such as listening to lectures or watching videos. Below are some of them:

• Supplemental Instruction: A teacher or other professional works with a student individually to help them understand a concept or skill they have not mastered. This can be done in person, via video conferencing, or online. 

• Compensatory Education: Students are provided with extra time and resources to make up for deficits identified through testing or assessment. This approach is sometimes used for students who have previously learned at an accelerated rate.

• Small-Group Tutoring: Students work together in groups of three to six people with one instructor at a time. The instructor gives corrective feedback while they work together on specific assignments or projects related to the course material being taught. This method may be more effective than tutoring alone because students can learn from each other’s mistakes and instructor feedback.

• Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI): CAI uses computers to deliver instruction and practice materials tailored to the needs of individual students. The computer’s feedback mechanism provides immediate assessment and feedback so that students can learn at their own pace. 

At Square Panda, our focus is on getting ECCE right to ensure that the need for remedial education is minimised down the line for students. To know more about our work, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

The first day of school is full of excitement, nerves, and uncertainty. But it’s also the start of a new year and a fresh beginning. To ensure that each student in their class feels welcome and safe, teachers must be aware of how they interact with children, both in and out of the classroom. A teacher’s interactions with students can have a lasting positive effect on how their students view themselves and others. 

A teacher’s job is not just to teach the students, but also to give them a sense of self-esteem and confidence, which can be achieved only if they have the right mix of soft skills and hard skills. In addition, teachers can use soft skills to help students develop a positive relationship with learning, improve their behaviour and motivation, increase academic achievement, and enhance their lives.

Below are some of the soft skills that can help teachers make their students feel comfortable:

✏️ Strong Communication Skills

In the age of social media, it is easy to forget that a large part of school involves personal interaction between teachers and students. That’s why effective communication is so vital in the classroom. Effective communication means that teachers can effectively convey their thoughts and ideas while keeping the flow of information open and accessible.

Communicating well with parents, students, and administrators is the foundation of trust in the classroom, which allows for open dialogue about what’s going well and what needs to be improved. Moreover, teachers need to communicate with each other daily to collaborate on lesson plans, discuss student performance, and clear up any conflicts that may arise between students.

Assertive communication can also help teachers give feedback to students in a non-threatening way, allowing them to improve their performance without feeling threatened or belittled. When talking with parents about a child’s progress or difficulties with classroom material, it helps teachers gain their trust if they approach the conversation in a sensitive manner to show they care about the student as an individual while remaining professional.

✏️ Emotional Intelligence

Empathy is one of the most important qualities a teacher can possess because it helps them understand where each child is coming from and what they need from them at that moment. In addition, a student who feels understood will be less likely to react negatively to things, whether they are solving a difficult homework assignment or leading a stressful home life. 

Too often, teachers are so focused on what they want to accomplish with the lesson that they forget to consider the needs of their students. They may assume they know what’s best for everyone in their class and neglect listening to anyone else’s suggestions. Without empathy, it’s easy for teachers to become disconnected from the people they’re teaching, leading to an environment where children feel unwelcome and insecure.

✏️ Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving Skills

A teacher must be able to deal with problems that are unrelated to the classroom but could directly impact learning outcomes. For example, teachers must know how to handle a disruptive student, make an informed decision about curriculum changes, or what to do when students are dealing with social problems at home. 

To solve these types of problems, teachers must organize their thoughts effectively and be able to apply their knowledge effectively. They must be able to assess the situation before them and then ask questions that will lead them to the best course of action for the given situation. Teachers need to be able to recognize which problems require their attention and which ones can wait until later.

Critical thinking is essential because it helps teachers make meaningful lesson plans that engage students and keep them interested in the material being presented. By thinking critically about their lesson plans, teachers can discover what works best for them and their classrooms, allowing them to create lessons that will help their students thrive.

✏️ Show Patience

Patience is an important attribute for teachers to learn because it helps them deal with the personalities and behaviours of problematic students. For example, there may be a student with a daily temper tantrum or another student who will not follow the classroom rules. Patience helps teachers deal with these students’ issues and lets them control their frustration when dealing with them. It also keeps them from appearing rude or disrespectful in the eyes of their students and co-workers.

And since teachers deal with kids, frustrations will likely arise on both sides of the teacher-student relationship. But moving past those frustrations quickly can keep a bad situation from escalating into something much worse.

By learning soft skills, teachers not only assist their students in building essential discipline, guidance and management of the classroom, but they also extend their careers by furthering their knowledge. Square Panda India empowers teachers by helping them develop soft skills and essential 21st century skills to build stronger relationships with students, leading to better learning outcomes. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.com