Taking on responsibility may sound like a challenge for most young people. However, they may find it thrilling to make a choice or take an action without the input of parents or other adult authority figures. When young adults grow up with no sense of responsibility, they may often have trouble adjusting to society. The problem then grows beyond an individual, and engages an entire community. Thus, instilling personal responsibility in children early on becomes vital. 

Personal responsibility is the keystone of all other behaviors.
As a parent, you want your children to grow into responsible adults. But how do you impart responsibility among children? Is it through discipline, or do you coddle and pamper them? In a sense, the answer is both. You must be consistent in your discipline and praise them for good behavior, but also teach them what constitutes acceptable behavior and what does not. When children are young, they are learning to be autonomous beings and making choices that affect their lives. As parents, we have to help them navigate the world and develop their confidence and ability to do so.

If a child doesn’t understand that they are in charge of their own actions, it becomes impossible to teach them a sense of responsibility. At the same time, parents also need to be responsible for their children’s actions. You have to take ownership over what they do to set an example and teach them how to be accountable.

There are many ways to cultivate personal responsibility in our children. Here are just a few:

🖊️ Be a Role Model

Children learn by example, so it is essential to demonstrate the behaviors you want them to adopt. If you want your child to demonstrate a certain set of behaviors, be their guiding light by setting a good example. Children will likely follow suit, so they must see you doing things for yourself without having to ask for help or rely on someone else.

🖊️ Encourage Independence and Self-Reliance

Children need to learn how to make their own choices, act on those, and deal with the consequences of those actions. So they need opportunities to practice making decisions and figuring things out independently — such as solving problems independently or taking care of tasks like getting dressed or packing lunches. Let them try things alone, even if you have to start the task first, so they can see what you’re doing. 

🖊️Reinforce Positive Behavior

Give them more opportunities to do activities that require them to be responsible, and let them know how proud you are of their good decision-making. For example, if your child puts toys away after playing with them, praise or give reward for the accomplishment. A pat on the back, a high-five, or encouraging words work just fine. By making sure that they feel good about behaving responsibly and knowing they will be rewarded for it, you can help set the stage for your kids to grow up into responsible adults capable of making sound judgments. 

🖊️ Teach Problem-Solving Skills

Help children learn how to identify problems and come up with solutions. Encourage them by praising them when they come up with creative answers — even if they aren’t always successful at solving problems immediately! For instance, if a child says, “I don’t know how to build this”, you could ask, “What do you think would help?” This way, the child learns to come up with ideas and solutions on their own.

If you notice your child has a problem they can’t solve on their own, it’s okay to step in and try finding a solution together. You don’t want to overstep your boundaries and take away from the sense of accomplishment they get from solving problems independently, but there’s nothing wrong with facilitating and encouraging their efforts. Be sure to give lots of positive feedback when they do come up with workable solutions!

🖊️ Teach Them to Say “No” 

Kids need to learn to say no to people who ask for favors or gifts they do not want. This is an important social skill that will help them avoid being taken advantage of. It could also teach them to be polite when someone makes an unreasonable request. Teach your child what “no” means, then practice saying it aloud until they get comfortable with it. If you are worried about hurting someone’s feelings, teach them how to say “I would rather not” or “ No, thank you.”

🖊️ Teach Them That There Are Consequences For Bad Behavior

Young children are naturally curious, but don’t always understand the consequences of their actions. As they grow, they need guidance to develop good habits and have an attitude that will help them become responsible adults. Most children know by age five or six that if they hit another kid or break something in a fit of anger, there will be consequences (e.g., time out). But parents need to keep reinforcing this. When kids get in trouble, you have an opportunity to explain what’s wrong with what they did and how to make amends for it. Take the time to talk about mistakes, apologize for your own mistakes, and help your kids devise ways to fix things. If a mistake is relatively minor, try to find a way for them to learn from it without punishing them too harshly. Think of it as building a foundation to build upon when they’re older.

Square Panda encourages holistic development among children with its programs, and engages parents and communities as well in the learning journey. To know more about solutions and interventions, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

In India, most teachers use traditional tests to assess students’ progress. These exams are given at the end of each unit or term to measure how well students have retained the knowledge they’ve gained. However, modern educational requirements demand assessment methods that foster student growth and improved teaching methodologies. This is where formative assessment plays an essential role in improving student learning outcomes.

Formative assessments are learning strategies to provide immediate feedback on student progress, and can help teachers determine exactly where each student stands. This helps teachers understand their students are up to speed before moving forward with new concepts or skills.

According to a Unicef report, using formative evaluations can help students understand their learning processes and identify areas in which they may need guidance. Since formative assessments are ongoing throughout the course, teachers can identify problems early on before they become too difficult for the student to overcome later on in the course or even during class. Teachers can offer more examples or practice opportunities when they notice a student is having trouble with a particular topic.

🖊️ Formative vs. Summative Assessment

Summative assessments are tests that are taken once after all of the learning has been completed. They measure how much information has been learned or retained by students. These types of assessments help determine whether or not a lesson was successful or if it needs to be revised. However, they cannot evaluate if there are still gaps in the learning process that need to be filled before moving forward with new material.

Formative assessment is a process that allows teachers to evaluate student learning and provide feedback to students before they move on to the next lesson. As a result, teachers can change their approach, modify their instruction or adjust materials based on what they learn from assessment results. Formative assessments are usually ongoing throughout the semester and are not designed to be used once at the end of a course like summative assessments. 

🖊️ Formative assessment strategies include:

• Pre-assessments are assessments administered before instruction begins and are used to provide an overview of student learning so teachers can plan accordingly.
• Assessments during instruction allow teachers to gauge student understanding of concepts and ideas as they are presented.
• After the instruction has been completed, post-assessments allow teachers to determine if students learned what was expected of them.

🖊️ The Need of Formative Assessments

In addition to a negative impact on the academic year, the abrupt closure of schools due to Covid19 pandemic resulted in children missing out on core-teacher interaction, learning opportunities provided by classroom instruction, and peer interaction. Remote learning also had its own limitations in the Indian context. In order to restore learning after the pandemic, schools need to be able to identify gaps in students’ understanding and be able to provide them with the necessary support.
As a result, post-pandemic, formative assessment has become an increasingly important means to assess learning loss due to Covid19 school closures.

Formative assessments can be administered in many ways: by having students complete quizzes, answer multiple-choice questions or write short responses to open-ended questions. For example, think about a quiz that asks students to recall key points from a lecture or read silently while listening to an audio recording of the studied material. Here are some ways formative assessments foster student growth:

🖊️ Provide Guidance to Students

Formative assessments allow teachers to pinpoint where students are having trouble so that they can provide additional instruction in that area. In addition to identifying specific areas for improvement, formative assessments allow teachers to provide constructive feedback so students can see what they’re doing right and wrong. This helps them learn from their mistakes and become better at solving problems in the future.

🖊️ Promote Self-reflection 

Students who receive formative assessments often have the opportunity to reflect on their work and ask themselves questions like “What did I do well?” or “What could I have done better?” This process can help them develop a deeper understanding of concepts.

🖊️ Help Students Practice Skills without Stress

Students don’t always perform as well when they feel under pressure, so formative assessments allow them to experiment with new strategies and get feedback before the stakes are too high such as during a quiz or test. This gives them a safe space where they can learn from their mistakes and try again until they succeed — which can boost confidence and improve test scores later on.

Square Panda India’s comprehensive programs utilize formative assessments to motivate and inspire students. This helps them realize their full potential while keeping them actively engaged and motivated to continue learning in a joyful manner. To know more visit, https://ecce.squarepanda.in/

Technology advancements have led to new approaches to teaching, learning, and communicating. And robotics has become a powerful educational tool and an engaging way to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topics. The current level of sophistication and accessibility of these resources, as well as their ability to motivate students of different ages and ability levels, is undeniable. 

Some schools have already begun to do this. They’ve realized that incorporating robotics into the classroom helps students understand complex concepts through hands-on experience, which is more effective than just reading about it in a book or listening to lectures. For instance, the UT Education Department has planned to set up a robotics laboratory in 14 government schools in Chandigarh, to enhance cognitive faculty and promote hands-on learning in students. The lab will have DIY robotic kits for students to learn technology and programming concepts. 

In another case, the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has set up a robotics laboratory at one of the Marathi-medium schools under a World Bank-funded project to improve teaching and learning.

Merits of Robotics in Education

Robotics is making waves in the educational sphere, and offers a plethora of benefits to students. With industry leaders touting robotics as the future of manufacturing, all signs point to why schools should strive towards infusing robotics into classroom lessons.

🤖 Preparation for Future Career Opportunities

Robotic technologies can provide an effective platform to help students develop the necessary skills for future career paths. Students who are educated in robotics may better understand how technology is changing our world. Currently, by the time students prepare to enter the workforce, they’re already playing catch-up, because the knowledge they learned in school doesn’t match up with what they’ll need. Robotics helps fill that gap by allowing students to take control of and practice operating machines that simulate real-world situations. Instructional tools such as computer-assisted instruction and online courses can be used to enhance classroom learning in the areas of programming, mechanical engineering, and applied sciences. 

🤖 Simplifying Complex Programming

It isn’t easy to learn how to program a computer. Programming requires an understanding of the logical structure and how input is processed into language and action, leading to results. Robotics can make programming easier to learn and more appealing to kids who are otherwise intimidated by the idea.

Robots help children learn by creating an immediate connection between the step-by-step instructions they’re writing down (the programming), and the result of those instructions (the robot doing fun things). Instead of having to take a leap from programming instructions to see their results on a computer screen, children can create robots that immediately show them how their code works as they write it. This helps kids understand that there are actual steps involved in making something happen on a computer—they’re not just playing around with buttons on a screen or typing in random words like they might do when playing a computer game. 

If you have an early learner eager to try programming but overwhelmed by its seemingly abstract concepts, robots can be a great way to make it more concrete and accessible for them to learn. 

🤖 Supporting Disabled Students

Students with special needs struggle to learn the same way as others and often have trouble with social interaction and expressing their thoughts and emotions. But with robots, these students can receive a personalized experience that meets their individual needs. 

Robots can be programmed to give students the support they need—they can read textbooks aloud or answer questions. Some students have sensory processing issues that make it challenging to remain focused on a lesson for the full 60 minutes of class time. Robots could provide the visual and auditory information they need without requiring them to sit still or listen intently for an extended period. 

🤖 Stimulates Collaboration and Teamwork

Robotics is an innovative and engaging way to get kids excited about STEM. It gives them a chance to work together in teams, challenge each other, and fail together. By working together on problems, students can teach each other skills and develop their capacity to work as part of a team. This is especially helpful for students struggling with social issues, as it encourages them to cooperate, communicate, and interact with their peers. 

In addition, it allows students to collaborate on projects, fostering creativity and imagination. This can be an excellent way for students to build their confidence because they will know that their successes are due to the contributions of others and not just their own work. In addition, robotics pushes the limits of what these students can achieve if they are willing to put in just a little extra effort. 

Square Panda’s tech-driven interventions help children from all walks of life be better prepared for future challenges. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in 

Any parent of young children or teacher of grade school students can tell you how challenging it is to get kids out of bed in the morning. In most countries, school starts as early as 7:00 a.m. This means that kids are expected to get up between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. before their day begins. The alarm goes off, and it’s all they can do to force themselves out of the comfort of their bed. Children often react with anger and annoyance when pitted against an early start to the day.

Additionally, students in India typically attend private tuition after school to prepare for exams, as good grades are perceived as a crucial factor for gaining entry into good universities and obtaining employment in the future. This leaves less time for children to have a social life. The problem with this schedule is that it sets up a vicious cycle for children. They stay up late to complete homework and don’t get enough sleep, making them stressed and irritable, which hinders their ability to perform well at school. Once entrenched in that cycle, it’s hard to break free. One parent complained that her son’s sleep cycle has been disrupted due to the fact that he stays up late watching IPL.

🛌 Sleep Crisis

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that children under 13 get 9-11 hours of sleep each night, and teens should get 8-10 hours each night. However, because of the changes in their circadian rhythms during puberty, it can be difficult for teens and tweens to fall asleep before 11:00 p.m. The problem with early school hours is that children are still developing their circadian rhythms — the internal clock that tells us when we should sleep and when we should be awake. It takes time for these rhythms to stabilize, so it stands to reason that school should wait until later in the morning, when children are most receptive to learning inputs. 

Children’s sleep schedules are still developing during middle and high school, making it difficult to wake up early enough to get ready for school and stay alert throughout the day. Furthermore, it’s not just adolescents who are affected by early school start times — parents have their fair share of challenges too. When kids have to wake up before 6:00 a.m., parents are up with them — which can lead to family stress if parents aren’t willing or able to adapt their schedules accordingly.

Research has shown that delaying the start of school by an hour or two improves a student’s sleep duration and daytime fatigue. However, changing school start times isn’t easy. It requires teachers and administrators to rethink schedules, bus routes, and after-school sports programs, as well as having parents adjust their expectations about when their kids will be home from school each day. Across the world, some governments, such as the state of California, have realized that children learn better when they are well rested, and therefore mandated school start later.

Here are three reasons why school shouldn’t start early:

✍️ Students Aren’t Ready To Learn When They’re Tired

When you think about it, it’s no surprise that early starts make students less productive. After all, if you had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning for school, your brain would be exhausted by 10:00 a.m.! The body naturally cycles between periods of activity and rest throughout the day. And when we disrupt this natural rhythm by waking up early and staying up late — which happens when kids have early starts — our mind doesn’t work as effectively as it should, especially at times when you’re supposed to be sleeping. This can have serious consequences on learning ability.

✍️ Students Fail to Participate in Extracurriculars

An early start to school makes it harder for students who participate in extracurricular activities, such as sports teams or other after-school activities such as music or cricket practice, where they don’t get home until 5:00 p.m. or later. If schools started later, these students could participate in these activities without worrying about missing their homework assignments due to getting home late from practice or games.

✍️ Sleep Deprivation

Being chronically sleep-deprived can negatively impact a child’s daily functioning, especially in a classroom. Sleep-deprived students have more trouble paying attention, completing tasks, following directions, and remembering what they learned. Sleep deprivation can also cause moodiness, irritability, tantrums, and behavioural problems in children. Being tired can make it harder for kids to control their emotions and behaviour when upset or frustrated. Moreover, post-Covid, the transition back to school is already a challenge for children, and with school starting earlier, it makes things even more difficult for students to adjust to.

Decision-makers must consider better scheduling options for their students, especially in higher grades. There are many issues with the status quo, and while implementing a better schedule won’t fix all of them, it is a dream worth dreaming.

Square Panda India’s comprehensive programs take care of a child’s learning needs throughout their educational journey, and uses scientific research and rigour to deliver optimal learning experiences for multiple education stakeholders, in myriad scenarios. 

To know more, visit: https://ecce.squarepanda.in/ 

You might not think it, but room arrangements can actually make a big difference on a student’s performance. As a learning environment, it’s not too surprising that flexibility impacts success by putting the student at the center. Flexible room layouts allow for a more student-centric teaching and learning methodology. In fact, flexibility can be a driver for increased engagement and performance in students, teachers and the school as a whole.

Let’s understand what flexible classrooms are

Flexible classrooms are an innovative idea that strikes a balance between the two dominant educational paradigms: traditional classrooms (with rows of desks), and project-based problem-oriented learning. Each flexible room has its own unique set of features. Children and teachers adjust them to suit the activities they choose to complete while in those spaces. Because no two flexible-space classrooms are alike, and children who study in them may be from different grades, each flexible-space classroom presents unique challenges for those working in them.

Flexible learning spaces are not one-size-fits-all, nor are they static. There is no one right way to set up a flexible classroom; every teacher should decide what works best for them and their students. Below are some of its features:

✏️ Movable Furniture

A flexible classroom allows for the movement of furniture, creating a variety of seating arrangements to best suit a variety of different classroom activities, such as lectures, small group discussions, and lab exercises. The classroom arrangement depends on the curriculum and purpose for which it is being used. In addition, furniture should be comfortable, durable and sized appropriately for students.

Flexible classrooms are designed to give students choices about where they work and how they learn. For example, if a student wants to collaborate with other students on a project, they can move desks into a circle so that all members can be involved in the discussion. If another student needs space from others or wants time alone to concentrate on an assignment, they can choose a quiet corner or workstation away from the group activity.

✏️ Storage Spaces

A flexible classroom has shelves or storage bins for each child’s belongings to avoid clutter around the room. There also might be a little kitchen area where children can make snacks and keep their lunch readily available.

✏️ Technology Integration

The current generation of learners have grown up with technology. They expect it to be part of their learning experience. They live in an interactive world where mobile technology allows them to connect with others continually, access information quickly, and multitask daily. It’s also essential to have technology available to support a flexible classroom layout, where students have the freedom to decide how they organize their time, space, tools and activities.

The technology used in the classroom takes many forms, including interactive whiteboards, projectors, document cameras, computers, and digital recorders. Technology will enable teachers to present content in numerous ways and engage students in hands-on learning activities.

✏️ Display Areas

Display areas also provide opportunities to revisit past lessons and concepts. Children’s work is displayed throughout the room to showcase student effort and encourage peer review. 

✏️ Supportive Materials

Flexible classrooms contain various instructional materials that support multiple learning styles and interests. Materials may include elements such as blocks or number tiles,  audiovisual aids such as videos and games, science kits, art supplies, maps, musical instruments, dress-up clothes, and dramatic play props such as puppets or play money, sports equipment, etc.

It’s important for teachers not just to allow flexibility, but also make use of it themselves. While some instruction will happen at the front of the room, for example, during whole-class discussions, teachers may occasionally move around the classroom while teaching and checking student progress.

The Bottom Line

Formal learning spaces are becoming more flexible and informal, creating a blend of work and lifestyle. While traditional classrooms are the most used learning spaces, they do not offer all the elements desired in a flexible learning space. A study has shown that flexible classrooms provide increased collaboration, more engaging material delivery mechanisms, close proximity between students, and teacher workstations that are not separate from students. Flexible classrooms can help create the right environment for learning for students and educators, and it is something that teachers and institutions everywhere need to closely consider when setting up their classrooms, for it can create a joyful learning environment.

Inclusive classrooms will be the norm in the near future. Educational institutions are already taking steps toward more-flexible spaces for students of all learning styles. Our programs are designed considering the differences in students’ learning styles and how teachers can be flexible in their approach to stay relevant and in tune with the needs of each student. To know more, visit, ecce.squarepanda.in.

In a world that’s becoming more and more globalized, the “majority” language can no longer be the only language being spoken. An increasing number of schools are beginning to offer their students the opportunity to take lessons in a foreign language. Building familiarity in multiple languages can make students smarter, more open-minded, and even more appreciative of their own culture. 

India has seen an increase in the number of courses taught in its native languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and others. In 2021, there were 1,230 seats for study in approved engineering schools for this purpose. The Odisha School Education Programme Authority has created more than 302 textbooks and 2,500 reading materials in 21 tribal languages. 

As parents and educators, we want to equip our children with the tools to succeed in life. Multilingual education is a rewarding way to build proficiency in communication and language acquisition while ensuring enjoyable and engaging learning experiences. Children who are exposed to two or more languages at an early age develop enhanced executive functioning skills and show higher levels of cognitive efficiency—and research indicates that students continue to reap these benefits throughout their post-academic careers.

NEP 2020’s Emphasis on Multilingual Education

The New Education Policy has stressed the importance of using mother tongues and local languages as the medium of instruction. It aims to make the English language learning process easier for students, and aspires to teach in local/regional languages for better learning experiences for students. 

NEP 2020 provides students with access to study Sanskrit and other classical languages at all school and higher education levels. All children, however, will have a choice to select the one additional language that they wish to study. Students in Grade 6-8 will be able to participate in a language project, such as an activity about one of the languages ​​of India, under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative. At the secondary level, several foreign languages will be offered. An effort will be made to standardize Indian Sign Language (ISL) throughout the country.

Here’s how a multilingual classroom makes children smarter:

📍 Builds Empathy among Children

Multilingual classrooms are more likely to produce students who appreciate different cultures and languages. It is vital that we foster empathy in our children, which multilingual classrooms do better than single-language classrooms. Teaching different languages helps them understand the importance of accepting the differences of one another. 

Moreover, when children understand the value of being inclusive of other people’s differences, they learn to be better citizens. As a result, they will be able to respect the rights of others more efficiently and exercise more tolerance towards people who are different from themselves.

📍 Develops Cognitive Skills

Language is not just a matter of communication. A solid foreign language curriculum provides students with opportunities to explore their own world-view through the lens of another culture. This way establishes a foundation for genuine cross-cultural understanding and communication. Early exposure to a foreign language provides children with an opportunity to develop what some scholars call a “language instinct,” giving them a foundation for communicating and interacting with people from around the world.

📍 Positive Effect on Academic Performance

Multilingualism in the classroom fosters positive effects on the academic performance of their students. A class with diverse languages allows for increased collaborations and interactions between its members. Students who speak multiple languages are better equipped to solve problems and engage in critical thinking. This is because they have learned how to view things from different perspectives, which helps them analyze situations more accurately and develop sound solutions for problems.

At Square Panda India, we believe that in a multilingual country like India, children and educators need to be well-versed in more than one language to properly succeed in the future. Our initiative ‘Aarambh’ immerses educators, Anganwadi workers, and children in a multitude of local languages, and aims to greatly impact India’s early learning landscape. Learn more: ecce.squarepanda.in

Formative assessments are a vital component of effective classroom instruction. Rather than using only summative assessments to grade student achievement and development (e.g., administering the same maths test at the beginning of the year, again in May, and again in June), there is a growing emphasis on attempting to gauge student’s understanding throughout the year to influence teachers’ lesson planning and classroom environment. In this way, the formative assessment focuses on developing students’ learning each day instead of testing their knowledge at the end of each learning block.

With this in mind, the Telangana government plans to bridge knowledge gaps through formative assessments. The three R’s, reading, writing and arithmetic, will be taught to students as part of a comprehensive program that aims to improve education standards. The lessons will take place over three hours during February, with regular teaching sessions.

Using a variety of assessments over the week will allow you to keep track of student progress and pinpoint areas in which they have not yet mastered curriculum. Here are some strategies that can enable you to accurately determine whether your students have learned what you taught them, allowing you to tailor future instruction for their needs.

Types of Assessment Strategies Teachers can use:

📍 Summarize

Learning requires students to step back, evaluate what they have learned, and reflect on it. During the formative assessment, you should ask students to make sense of what they have learned, derive personal meaning from their learning experiences, and increase their metacognitive skills.

📍 Visual Representation

Presenting information in a visual format often serves as a practical learning tool. Graphical representations of information help people to make connections and increase memory, facilitating retrieval of information later on when needed. When presenting textual information in a diagram, chart, graph or other visual representation, including text, reinforce each lesson’s meaning. This helps teachers address differences in learning style and types of knowledge of children.

📍 Exit Cards

The use of exit tickets is one of the easiest formative assessments you can implement in your classroom. Exit cards are an opportunity to collect data on students’ immediate grasp of a concept that they have just received in extensive group instruction or small group activity. For example, with reading comprehension, students may be asked to summarize a story or draw a visual representation of what the text says about a particular topic.

Benefits of Formative Assessment:

📍 Define Learning Goals

Students need to set and meet learning goals. This helps them regularly check their progress, ensuring they haven’t strayed off course. It gives you a platform to periodically check in with students as a teacher. This fosters a communication culture to ensure that all students are on track and helps you redirect any potential misunderstandings early on so that your lesson stays on track from beginning to end.

📍 Focused Feedback

Regardless of the subject or lesson a teacher prepares for their students, there will always be gaps in understanding. Providing descriptive feedback will give you a detailed account of what students can observe while working on particular tasks. This type of feedback provides teachers with information regarding how students approach a task, whether they are maintaining their focus, and how they are working to reach their goals.

📍 Personalized Learning

Formative assessment is an ongoing practice in which continuous data is collected from your students to determine how effective a teacher’s instruction is. Through this system, the teacher can assess student understanding, make judgments about the success of their instructional strategies, and provide additional instruction when needed. Each person learns at different rates and to varying levels of understanding. Within this scenario, a teacher’s challenge is to create strategies that instruct each student at the right level and helps them achieve their educational objectives.

📍 Self-Paced Learning

Research shows that constructive and formative feedback is an effective strategy for cultivating self-regulated learners. Chunking, previewing, and self-checking are three essential prerequisites to becoming an independent and successful learner. A unique combination of instructions, practice, assessment and feedback provides students with plenty of regulatory opportunities, helping them develop into successful learners.

Square Panda India’s comprehensive programs utilise formative assessments to motivate and inspire students. This helps them realise their full potential while keeping them actively engaged and motivated to continue learning in a joyful manner. To know more visit, https://ecce.squarepanda.in/

As parents, we all want high grades for our kids, and no one wants to see their child struggling in school. But sometimes, things just don’t work out that way. There are few things more frustrating than seeing our kids spending so much time with their homework and trying so hard, but not getting the grades they deserve for all that effort. Now, it might be tempting to scold them for not studying better or longer—but aren’t there enough stressors on kids already?

The first step to building an effective study routine is identifying the problem areas that most frequently sabotage your child’s ability to learn and retain information. Once you understand where your child is struggling and what techniques they need to stay focused, the process of creating a study routine can help them build skills for academics that will last and serve them well.

Here are some reasons why your child might have trouble studying effectively:

• Lack of Planning: Students who do not plan their time effectively will often have trouble with deadlines and miss opportunities to get good grades. Lack of planning leads to disorganization, making it hard to stick to a study schedule and commit enough time for a task.
• Hesitant to Clear Doubts: Students are reluctant to seek answers to their doubts, as they fumble over a lack of clarity about how such queries should be raised. They fail to clarify whether the teacher can be approached personally or during a proper time slot. While the bigger class size and more number of students can make the task of teachers really difficult, the lack of confidence in oneself and the fears that one’s query might be repeated by someone else could be other reasons why students refrain from asking questions.
• Poor Results despite Efforts: Children are typically assigned numerous tasks at school and are instructed to study specific topics. However, these instructions might not be sufficient for the students to reap the maximum benefits from their study time. Even for the really bright kids, getting good grades is a constant concern that haunts them. Therefore, it is essential for you to understand your child’s study habits and how they learn best.

Below are strategies that could be hidden in plain sight, which can help young people develop the skills they need to learn that bit better!

📍 Leverage New Technology

In the 21st century, learning is no longer confined to books and classrooms. With internet connectivity reaching almost every household, it has become possible for children to learn from the comfort of their homes through the available learning platforms. Help your child use their educational apps and study platforms with gamification at its core. Game-based learning has shown positive results, especially in areas where students find otherwise tedious subjects interesting. By choosing the right learning platform for your child, you can increase their interest in specific topics and help develop their cognitive abilities.

📍 Remove Distractions

For most students, distractions are everywhere and can interrupt the learning process when it comes to studying. The biggest distractions in a student’s environment are often their mobile phones, iPads, or television. To keep these things at bay, it’s helpful for parents to find a place for studying where there is no television or other distractions. One way to do this is by setting up your child in a designated study area to focus on their homework without the worry of being disturbed. 

📍 Encourage Short Breaks

Studying for too long can cause symptoms of “brain fade”. Brain fade occurs when your child feels like they are losing concentration, or their brain just doesn’t want to focus anymore. In order to avoid brain fade, parents should encourage their children to take occasional breaks while studying. Recent studies have shown that taking a break during learning is vital for the brain to be able to absorb and retain information.

📍 Encourage Play and Sleep

The world today is a rat race for all. There is no room for error, and every kid feels pressure to be the best they can be. But as parents, we need to understand that our kids are going through a crucial stage in their lives where they need the best possible care. It’s crucial for them to have an active social life and an active lifestyle outdoors. Encourage your kid to play sports and allow them to have a good night’s sleep. When kids are outside playing and having fun, they tend to keep themselves free from worries, which keeps them relaxed. Research has proven that kids sleep better after playing, thus helping them perform better at school the next day.

📍 Appreciate Them

Positive parenting is one of the best ways to raise happy children. While it’s good to put your child in a time-out now and then, helping your child see that their behaviour leads to positive consequences will help them build effective study habits. Kids love to be praised for their efforts and achievements, regardless of whether it’s a big or small win. Celebrating even the smallest of victories can be just the encouragement they need to keep going.

Square Panda India employs a unique learning approach that makes the learning journey engaging, joyful, and often more productive than traditional studying methods. We do this by utilizing techniques like gamified learning, group work, mixed activities, and utilising a personalised adaptive learning platform to adapt content and curriculum to the unique needs of each child. Our programs help children discover and develop the best study habits. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

Just as all of us are unique in our own ways, so too are our learning requirements and journeys. Simply put, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to educational delivery. With the national debate over standards and “teach to the test” performance at an all-time high, alternative education facilities like self-paced curriculum are needed more than ever. 

But questions abound; such as 

• How do you create a self-paced curriculum? 
• What is individualized instruction? 
• How can you incorporate self-paced tasks into your course? 
• What are some of the positives and potential challenges of self-paced learning?

These are questions frequently encountered by course designers. After all, it’s essential to design a learning module that allows students to learn seamlessly at their own pace. When children can determine the duration and speed of their learning, it increases their retention of learning, and helps them become motivated to soak up knowledge at a rate that is comfortable for them. However, not all students work at the same pace or have the same motivation level. This is where a self-paced curriculum works best. 

So, what is Self-paced Curriculum?

At its core, it is a way to organize students into an interactive learning environment that encourages responsibility and accountability. This form of management creates a different type of energy and activity in the classroom, where each student’s contribution is essential to the learning process. A Forbes study emphasized the importance of self-paced learning, where several schools have adapted this model to make changes in their curriculum.

Below are a few benefits of having a self-paced classroom:

• Students of all ages can find success with a self-study model that caters to the needs of each individual. They can focus their attention on the most relevant material based on personal interest, thus reducing feelings of frustration, anxiety, and boredom in an otherwise rigid classroom environment.
• The self-paced format lets students take responsibility for their learning, construct their study plans, and pursue goals at an independent pace. This keeps the momentum by regularly reviewing the materials and organizing their time.
• Self-directed curriculum allows students to control their learning. Self-directed students benefit from learning-management systems that give them real-time data on test performance, in addition to insights into their strengths and weaknesses.
• Students are inspired to learn more when they can move at their own pace and take control of their learning. They will try new things, take on challenges, and experience new insights.

So to help you create a self-paced curriculum design, keep the following principles in mind:

📍 Keep the Content Simple

The number one reason most students fail to finish an online course successfully is that they get overwhelmed with the amount of content presented. We all want students to take ownership of their learning and use the instructional time constructively. However, overly complex content discourages learning, making it difficult for students to use the site effectively, ultimately doing more harm than good. No matter how great your content is, no one wants to navigate a mindless maze just to get to what they need. These four things can help you avoid this pitfall:

• When designing your online curriculum, it’s essential to keep the navigation as simple and streamlined as possible.
• Don’t add more information than is necessary. Keep it simple by giving one instruction at a time.
• Reduce the need for students to click or scroll by embedding content into each screen to avoid distractions.
• To keep students on track, keep your directions short and precise.

📍 Keep the Content Organized

If you have been teaching for a while, the chances are that you have encountered students who haven’t followed your instructions. They ended up confused about assignments and learning material, and often frustrated that they could not locate what they needed. 

One way of resolving this is better organization. Whether you’re a high school teacher, college professor or home tutor, you’ll want to keep your important material organized and easily accessible. For instance, label file folders with the course name and number, and save lesson plans in labelled files on your computer desktop. Course organization should not be an afterthought — or worse, a quick fix at the end of a development project when it becomes clear the course still lacks structure. Instead, course organizations should be part of the development process, not just a “fix-it” final check. 

📍 Give Clear and Consistent Directions

Students need a road-map to help them accomplish the task at hand and reach the final destination. Good communication practices make it easier for students to know how to find their directions and expectations. Many teachers wait too long to begin setting classroom expectations and communicating how the classroom functions. 

It can be challenging for students to adjust if you randomly tell them what is expected behaviour in a classroom and what happens if the homework assignments are not clearly posted or explained. Provide your students with well-written lessons, activities, and projects. Instruct them in sound techniques of research and grammar. Students must learn to respect deadlines and follow directions.

At Square Panda India, our team of experts develop adaptive, self-paced curriculum that joyfully engages children throughout their learning journey. Our programs are tailored to deliver improved learning outcomes that can be measured and provide a more holistic educational experience. To learn more, visit our website – ecce.squarepanda.in 

Remember postponing your assignment until the last minute before submission? While many children are familiar with the concept that procrastination is bad, fewer know why. As technology advances, the opportunities to put off work increases at a rapid pace – this often results in countless hours spent on smartphones, tablets, and video games. It’s not uncommon for a student who has no idea how to get started on an assignment to meander and while away time checking YouTube videos and Instagram posts before diving into the assignment. 

Most students have experienced the four D’s at least once during their academic life: Dread, Delay, Doziness, and Dawdling. Procrastination is a habit that feeds off fear and prevents students from using the time allocated to study effectively. The following are the top three reasons why students tend to get into procrastination.

👉🏻 Fear of Failure – The fear of failure may come from not wanting to do something if you will not succeed at it. This can also cause stress and overwhelm a student, making it harder for them to concentrate on the task at hand and make an effort to finish it.

👉🏻 Lack of Motivation – Motivation is the key to sticking to and finishing any task or project, be it at work or home. When children are motivated and keen on a particular task or project, they give themselves the power to move forward and do what they need to do. When children lack motivation, they feel there is no sense in doing something unless someone forces you or entices you somehow. In such moments, even the most minor tasks seem like a personal Everest.

👉🏻 Waiting for a Better Time – This reason is closely connected with a lack of motivation. Often, people think that they will be more successful or motivated if they put off their work until a better time comes along. This can exacerbate the problem, as a “better time” might not come along until tomorrow or next week. 

Even today, student procrastination remains a widely discussed and observed phenomenon. However, there is little agreement regarding its causes or the best way to combat it. There is quite a bit of variance between how different students procrastinate, and since no one solution fits all, it can be challenging to find the right solution for a specific student. Considering these points, here are ways to encourage children. 

⚈ Multiple Deadlines
A series of smaller deadlines lead to improved performance and better results than if there was only one deadline for all work to be handed in. This is because working towards that deadline helps us better focus and act upon the task at hand. When you break a large project up into smaller bite-sized chunks and spread these across smaller deadlines, it can reduce your stress, improve concentration, and increase your confidence while also making the project more manageable. 
Have students turn in drafts of their work instead of waiting until the last minute to write the whole thing. This makes it easier for busy students to manage their time and show their professors what they know. In other words, having separate deadlines — such as weekly milestones — is more helpful than having students hand in all of their work at the end of the deadline.

⚈ Supportive Feedback
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to providing feedback to students. You and your students are unique, so it’s essential to consider several factors when choosing a method to ensure the best results. Get in the habit of telling your students what you loved about their piece, especially if it’s something that you don’t usually compliment. This positive feedback can help build confidence and improve performance in the future. The purpose of your feedback, the types of assignments you’re giving your students, and the makeup of your classroom all affect how you interact with them.

⚈ Teach Time Management
With an ever-increasing workload and an almost unending list of assignments and projects, it becomes easy for students to get overwhelmed quickly. But there are simple strategies you can teach them to help make a stressful situation more manageable. Students who employ time management effectively are better able to be productive, which is vital to achieving good grades.

In the face of high competition in the sphere of education, it is imperative that students are equipped with appropriate tools and resources to make learning an effective and seamless process. Square Panda India offers a comprehensive studying solution for children, thanks to our Personalised Adaptive Learning platform that adapts to the needs of individual learners. Our programs promote adaptive learning that allows students to engage in their assignments and avoid procrastination actively.