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.

With the vast proliferation of digital tools and the growth of online learning platforms, blended learning has gained traction as the go-to instructional strategy for teachers and students in early classrooms. Today’s digital-age learners have grown up amidst technology that would have been almost unimaginable a decade ago, which is why they have found it much easier to transition to a blended learning class as opposed to a classroom in which they do not use any form of technology. 

A study has suggested that when blended with face-to-face instruction, online learning can help preschoolers develop a deeper understanding of course material, promote creativity and collaboration, and result in a greater sense of student engagement.

Blended Learning: A Modern Imperative

Although most early childhood professionals would agree that blended learning is the ideal teaching method for pre-K, it can also be one of the hardest to implement. Finding ways to foster creativity in your classroom will help you build a thriving blended learning environment that will be better than ever before.

Connecting with your students is a vital part of the blended learning framework. By getting to know each student one-on-one, you better understand their personal needs and interests. When you know your students, you can then decide how to bring that learning into the classroom. Creating a dynamic classroom where individual learners are challenged according to their strengths and weaknesses is the foundation for blended learning. As preschool teachers, you can introduce a few concepts of blended learning throughout the year. It’s crucial to constantly break new material down into smaller bits before teaching 4-year-olds who learn new material faster.

Blended learning integrates various learning styles and strategies—such as digital learning, independent study, and project-based instruction. The use of technology enables teachers to assess each student’s skill level and align lessons around their specific interests, needs, and abilities. A teacher can use these methods to determine how well a student is progressing throughout the course, then offer further lessons that target differing needs for each student.

One of the most popular blended learning models, the station rotation model, requires teachers to split their classes into smaller subgroups. Students are given a schedule that prioritizes learning activities, including an online or digital component, which are rotated through on a timed schedule. Another way to implement blended learning in a preschool setting is by a flipped classroom. It is educational training that allows students to go home and review the coursework online. Teachers then meet with individual students to further develop an understanding of the course content. The class time is spent applying material by working through simulations or other hands-on activities. Research has shown that using these modes provide better opportunities for individual instruction and more frequent feedback to the student.

The Impact of Student Engagement in Early Childhood Classrooms

With the pressure to meet academic standards implemented in early grades, such as preschool, teachers need to help their students focus on the tasks at hand. One strategy to help promote engagement is blended learning. This type of learning combines face-to-face instruction with digital tools to provide personalization and differentiated instruction based on student needs, encourage technology integration, and motivate students toward desired ends. It combines the individualized attention of traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms with the adaptability and flexibility of digital tools to facilitate lively, engaging learning sessions. Through blended learning, teachers will meet each student wherever they might be, students will be able to learn what they need outside the classroom setting, and students will have more opportunities to collaborate with their peers.

Screen time in the form of technology and interactive media has provided opportunities for our students to grow in ways we could never have imagined. This, however, raises concerns due to the ever-growing concern of overuse and misuse. This has brought on the need to switch up teaching style in an effort to understand how to use blended learning effectively and what dangers might arise from its use. 

However, when students and teachers embrace technology in the classroom, everyone wins. Students gain access to a more diverse curriculum, and teachers are able to reach more students. With a comprehensive learning platform, teachers can help students bridge educational gaps and set individualized learning goals. Blended learning provides educators with the tools they need to engage students so they are empowered to create an inclusive learning experience, and through it, begin a hopefully lifelong love for learning that stands one in good stead.

Square Panda encourages the use of blended learning in classrooms and beyond, giving students access to the personalized learning they need to succeed. Children learn at their own pace using interactive programs, giving them the self-confidence to realize their full potential. 

To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in 

An understanding of language is the foundation of literacy, with vocabulary development impacting all aspects of communication. Building a stronger vocabulary in preschool will improve reading comprehension and prepare a child to learn and grow. A child’s vocabulary can have a profound effect on their future success in school, so the child must be surrounded with reading material that is varied, interesting, and stimulating. By expanding their vocabularies before entering school, young children are better prepared to understand the classroom literature they are about to read.

Research suggests that for young children, language does not just talk. It is a primary vehicle for formulating new concept. A child’s language abilities are directly correlated with their cognitive growth, with words representing increasingly sophisticated ideas. And the more words children use, the more new words are available to them, and the better they can make sense of the world around them. They can talk with their parents about new topics, follow along with stories on television, and follow directions from teachers. 

Why does vocabulary instruction need to be in preschool?

The preschool years are crucial for laying a good foundation for language development. Children grow and learn about words through experiences with their environment. In addition to gaining knowledge of meaning from everyday interactions, preschoolers can enjoy building their vocabulary by learning new words from books and rhyming with silly songs. The failure to develop a rich vocabulary in the preschool years has a cascading effect on later reading skills that often hampers academic progress in school. 

Comprehension is a critical component of reading, but comprehension can be nearly impossible for a child without a solid vocabulary base. A study shows that vocabulary instruction should begin in preschool. This will benefit students by building a professionally prepared vocabulary and tone with teachers and peers in an organized setting. The ideal preschool setting provides various opportunities to explore and play with new objects and materials not commonly available in a home. It also allows children to learn from one another as they build relationships and facilitate communication skills. 

Ways to build a child’s vocabulary in preschool

Good teachers have a specific style in which they unleash their knowledge on students in a way that they can grasp. Teachers who have a good understanding of how to use words, especially when discussing themes or subjects, ensure that their students receive a more cultural understanding of the world and its meanings. While there is no one way to teach vocabulary to preschool-age learners directly, there are several methods teachers can use to encourage their students to learn new words and practice them outside the classroom.

📍 Verbal Storytelling

Verbal storytelling provides children with a way to think about the language that is far removed from the formal written word. It enhances children’s sense of audience and their ability to edit what they say, focus on the point they wish to convey, and respond to feedback from others. Children can improve their actual speech abilities using this approach.

Good storytelling begins with an engaging opening. Young listeners are more apt to be drawn into a story if you grab their interest early. Children are also more attuned to your voice, the pitch, the pattern of stress, and even your breathing pattern as you tell them a story. By recounting real-life incidents or telling familiar fairy tales, you can weave information about the world around little ones by using familiar vocabulary.

📍 Share Rhymes and Songs

Songs, rhymes, and poems are familiar features of the classroom in every preschool. Songs help children remember things. They can also help children express feelings and ideas. Rhymes and humorous poems encourage children to talk in sentence patterns that are more complex than they might use when speaking informally or in single words or short phrases. You can use songs, rhymes, and poems to stimulate language growth in young children and help them become increasingly confident using language for their own purposes.

Children can reap tremendous benefits when they hear, say, and learn nursery rhymes. These catchy rhymes can build literary language skills and enhance sound-symbol relationships that lay the foundation for later reading success. As early as one-year-old, children benefit by hearing classroom songs and nursery rhymes. These joyous tunes teach basic language skills and general animal sounds, which lay the foundation for reading. Include at least one nursery rhyme daily in your classroom instruction.

📍 Use Synonyms

Another way to help your children better their vocabulary is to model the appropriate use of new words in daily conversation. The most powerful tool in this regard is a simple substitution of synonyms in place of common words. For example, when referring to a large living space, avoid using the word “big” and try calling it spacious or enormous instead. A child’s mind absorbs and retains more detailed and descriptive information, and they are more likely to remember words, such as spacious and enormous.

Each child is unique and has their own potential, which should be identified and channelized at the right time. Preschoolers are at a unique place where they can readily learn previously encountered concepts, thus creating opportunities to open learning horizons. At Square Panda India, we create research-based programs that aim at making children ready for school. 

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

‘Screen Time’, or the time spent by a person in front of a screen, is growing by leaps and bounds every day.

Photo by Vidmir Raic from Pixabay

Guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend no digital exposure until children are 18 months of age, and exposure with adult engagement at least until they are 5 years old. We at Square Panda follow their instructions, endorsing the use of our literacy platform for children above 2 years of age. We are also great believers of learning via screen time, for the following reasons:

WE LIVE IN A DIGITAL WORLD

Digital media has invaded every part of our lives, in offices, homes, and even schools. In such a scenario, ensuring children are digitally literate is not just smart, it is also staying a step ahead of the times. Supervised screen time, can, if handled correctly, can increase children’s confidence and prepare them for their future.

PUTTING THE ‘SELF’ IN ‘SELF-CONTROL’

An overuse of anything, be it screens or even play time, is never a good thing. With that said, parents and teachers should try to encourage children to self-regulate the time they spend in front of a device. Teaching them moderation through methods like fear (you can scare them away from too much screen time by showing them its adverse effects), and positive motivation (entice them away from the device by introducing them to something they enjoy more), can have unexpected benefits. Because they are setting their own (moderate) time in front of a device, they become more independent, confident, and self-assured. They are gradually able to identify their own needs and wants, and figure out a way to meet them.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF SCREEN TIME

Research has proven that screen time can actually help, rather than hinder, development of young children. Screen time has also received a ‘thumbs-up’ from child media expert and Vice President of PBS KIDS Digital, Sara DeWitt, who believes screen time can be beneficial if used correctly.

• In light of fear that excess screen time can cause obesity, look to videos, apps, and activities that encourage children to move rather than stare passively at the screen. Square Panda’s games, like Jiggity Jamble and Monster Rhymes, motivate kids to use their bodies while learning English.
  Talking to kids about their pastimes, and more specifically, their favoured games, has a way of opening up the conversation to new avenues. Experts even suggest this can lead to enhanced social and emotional interactions.
  Parents and teachers can control the content, choosing only those programs/products that have a high quality of educational age-appropriate content. And there are a lot of high-quality educational products out there!

SCREEN TIME WITH A DIFFERENCE

For more such images, check out our Instagram and Facebook pages.

We ask parents and teachers across India to say a big, resounding ‘YES’ to screen time with us, because our early literacy system has 40% less screen time with our multisensory approach; kids constantly look away from the screen to search for and pick up Smart Letters while playing with games. Unlike other digital experiences, Square Panda’s phonics-based early education platform qualifies—and many parents would agree with us here—as ‘good Screen Time’. With a product that is research-based (we’ve got our own team of experts in the field of early education, working alongside educators) and has proven results in many schools and homes across America and China, Square Panda’s vast library of educational games makes a child’s time in front of a device more productive.

For more such images, visit our Instagram and Facebook pages.

We think an introduction to the digital world is essential in today’s day and age, but we highly recommend a balanced use of screen time, with children going outdoors as regularly as they learn and play indoors.

What Do You Think:

Take this poll and let us know your thoughts about ‘Screen Time’ in your homes and classrooms:

https://discover.apester.com/media/5c8b35eef115e0e2aae10a1f?src=link

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India

Isn’t it funny how a wrinkled, pink organ that weighs only about 1.3 gms (approximately 2% of your body weight) is the deciding factor in almost every activity you perform?

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Guiding most of your behaviour, this complex organ is the nexus of all learning, meaning we spend a lot of time trying to shape this organ to perform optimally.

Beginning at inception itself, the brain is given high priority, and is nourished with a constant diet of ‘brainfood’, educational stimulation, and an enriching environment.

Then begins formal education, specially designed to mould young minds into the future. You, the educators, give everything you have to sculpt accomplished and fully functioning adult minds from the current juvenile brains you have been entrusted with.

Unfortunately, you cannot know which tactic is working, and which one is failing dreadfully. You cannot possibly measure the effect your teaching has on an impressionable young learner.

Square Panda is very aware that educators all over face the same issue, and so, conducted our own research (see our core team here) and referenced data from experts in the same field. We created a curriculum that is based on those findings, and came up with a learning system that focuses on training an early learner in language acquisition using the most optimal learning styles possible.

To help you understand the research that went into creating the Square Panda phonics learning platform, we compiled all our findings on neuroscience and the early learner:

To read about the early learner’s reading brain, view our previous post.

1) The human brain has no natural correspondence between the spoken language and print concepts (writing). New functional connections need to be formed between the visual and the language systems. (Dehaene, & Cohen, 2007)

2) Kids benefit the most from a systematic instruction that will help them:

• Become aware of the sound structure of syllables (phonology)
• Isolate the units (phonemes) within syllables
• Identify which letters go with which phonemes
• Blend letter sounds together into words
• Use multisensory cues during learning

3) The above benefits multiply when children are taught these skills at an early age.

4) Studies have shown that specialised brain regions integrate each letter with its respective speech sound; these regions are especially active when this letter and its sound are presented in a multisensory fashion. (Van Atteveldt et al., 2004; Blau et al., 2009; Blau et al., 2010)

5) The research team led by Stanford University neuroscience researcher (who partners with Square Panda), Dr. Bruce McCandliss, said that the rapid brain response to newly learnt words were influenced by the way they were learnt. Words that were learnt through letter-sound instruction showed neural activity in the left side of the brain, the part of the brain that encompasses the visual and language regions.

6) Systematic phonics instruction is much more effective in grades PreK-1 than in later grades and leads to higher achievement in reading, spelling, word recognition, and comprehension. (National Reading Panel, 2000)

7) For students struggling with language acquisition, multisensory cues may provide complementary information that helps them overcome learning difficulties. (Montessori, 1967; Birsh, 1999; Reid, 2013)

8) Instruction that covers key components of reading, like phonemic awareness and phonics, in English, has a clear benefit for students who do not speak English at home, aka, non-English speaking students. (NICHD, 2000)

9) The instructions and teaching for non-English speaking students should include work with phonemes and phoneme combinations that do not exist in their native language or home language. (National Literacy Panel, 2006)

We believe in teaching the early learner’s brain, which is why our curriculum is largely based on the neuroscience research mentioned above.

Watch our VP of Curriculum and Research, Dr. Vera Blau-McCandliss, talk about early childhood literacy and how we use neuroscience research in our learning system, here.

I hope our article helped every educator out there understand their student’s brain a little better. Visit our website www.squarepanda.in for more information on our neuroscience research into early childhood literacy and the reading brain.

Give us your views on the usage of neuroscience in early education. Start a dialogue in the comment section below.

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India

Crack open a book and it can sweep you away to fascinating new places all over the globe (and some that exist only in the author’s mind).

Turn that page to figure out something you never knew until today.

Read the next sentence, and see a new word leaping out at you.

Whether it is a best-selling fiction novel, a popular self-help book, a cookbook full of delicious recipes, or even the latest issue of your favourite magazine, each page fills your head with knowledge and facts, both obscure and ordinary.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the importance of reading in everyday life. Special research highlights a crucial fact–reading instruction needs to start early on in a child’s education, to have the greatest impact.

Watch this article in blog format here.

Every educator out there knows this, which is why most schools across the globe and in India, start phonics teaching in preschool and kindergarten.

We’re certain that you, being an educator yourself, do the same, incorporating phonics education early, into your curriculum.

Did you ever stop to wonder how your instruction is taken by them? What exactly goes on in a young learner’s brain as you teach them reading skills?

To enlighten you and hopefully give you more insight into an early learner’s reading brain, we have compiled this list of facts and research from our own in-house team as well as experts in the field of early childhood literacy.

Let’s take a peek into the reading brain with this infographic:

Watch our Vice President of Curriculum and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Vera Blau-McCandliss, talk about the research and science that goes into early childhood education.

Watch guest speaker and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Nandini Chatterjee Singh speak about biliteracy and its effect on shaping an early learner’s brain at the Square Panda India Launch.

Stay tuned for our next post, which will focus on the neuroscience research conducted, both by our own researchers as well as those not affiliated with Square Panda, into early childhood education, literacy, and language acquisition.

What are your thoughts on reading and the early learner’s brain? Comment in the section below.

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India

After all these years, you probably have a routine ready. Your methods, derived from years of experience in teaching little learners, have never failed you. The decor on the walls of your classroom(s) are a testament to the hours you have spent making sure that each child’s term in school was not only well spent, but also fun. No doubt exemplary, your learning module (with the constant and diligent support of your hard-working educators) has carried generations of young learners through the gates of early education, into the glittering expanse of future learning.
And to this, if you would like to add a little something extra, if you want to further enhance your students’ language acquisition skills, if you would love to extend additional support to your educators, you are in the right place.

Watch this article in video format here.

Square Panda India is offering schools, preschools, and educators all over India the chance to become a part of the Square Panda brand. You too can be a part of the educational revolution that is sweeping the nation.

With increasingly grim stats (a UNESCO report in 2012 estimated around 124 million children between the ages of 6-15 haven’t started their schooling or have dropped out, globally), we need all the tools we can get to entice kids into learning.
That’s where we come in:

Assisted by an adaptive cloud-based software, Square Panda’s multisensory phonics learning system empowers young learners to learn through educational and interactive gameplay.

*Read all about Square Panda India and its many many attributes here.

Here are eight reasons why you should partner with Square Panda India:

Personalised Learning System Based On AI:

We have created (and are constantly updating) an adaptive software that is based on Artificial Intelligence. This diagnostic engine measures every learner’s learning level, progress, challenges, game preferences, and play patterns, each time he/she plays a game. It gradually personalises their learning experience by showing the most appropriate level in each game for that child at that particular point in time. This analysis helps you fuel their reading and learning resources, creating an interactive and effective learning environment for young learners.

Comprehensive Well-Researched Curriculum:

We based our curriculum on the following teaching styles–Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, and Gardner’s ‘Theory of Multiple Intelligences’. We added to this the latest findings from neuroscience research on young learner’s brains, both by our in-house teams and outside researchers, and created a library of age-appropriate games that are suitable for any curriculum, be it ICSE, CBSE, SSC, IB, or ICGSE.

Complete Curriculum Package:

Not only do we offer a comprehensive curriculum to enhance language and literacy skills, we offer an entire curriculum package that consists of:

• A flexible syllabus tailor-made for Indian schools.
• Yearly updation of said syllabus, to keep up with the changing boards.
• Storybooks, reinforcing the regular teaching system.
• Workbooks, for additional practice.
• Rhymes and songbooks.
• Stories based on Indian festivals, to increase understanding and knowledge of Indian customs and traditions.

 Real-Time Assessment:

Our adaptive engine gives educators an instant look into individual students’ performance–their strengths, deficiencies, their progress in each game, and even suggestions on which games they can play to improve their skills, all in clear and concise reports.

Teacher Manual:

For ease in operating our system, we provide complete and detailed guidelines on how to run our curriculum alongside yours, as well as instructions on each game and its expected outcome.

Periodical Teacher Training:

We don’t expect every educator to have engineer-level technical skills, which is why we give technical training to every person operating our phonics platform. There is also an online certificate course for pre-primary teachers.

Extensive Support To Teachers:

Teachers everywhere, across all grades, whether in pre-kindergarten or higher, are always in a flurry of activity. Acknowledging this, we created a support system that we think will help them. We offer:

• Workbooks.
• Storybooks.
• Periodical Teacher Training (for guidance on how to use our learning system, what each game brings to the table, and more).
• Teacher Manual (for other essential information).
• Song and Rhymes books.
• Syllabus (that perfectly aligns with your school’s syllabus).

 Co-Branding:

Partner schools link their name to the first literacy product, ever, to win STEM approval. We give our partner schools all the above benefits, and more, as they come along.

Hurry! Your school can become a ‘Square Panda Partner School’ too!

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India

Watch this article in video format here.

Images by RitaE, Anemone123, StockSnap, Pezibear, Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

Sight. Sound. Smell. Touch. Taste.

Each sense unique. Each sense vital. Each sense necessary to function normally.

Now imagine any of the things you do every day–devouring a plate of piping hot noodles, watching that long-awaited movie in the theatre, playing a friendly game of cricket with the neighbourhood kids…

Did you ever notice that every one of your actions require the use of two or more senses, never just one?

You smell, see, and taste the noodles.

You see and hear the movie.

You see, hear, touch the bat and ball.

Vital to an experience individually, when combined, our senses transform a regular activity into something absolutely divine.

And yet, many traditional classrooms end up depriving their students of a multisensory experience, preferring to teach using only sight and/or sound.

‘Multisensory‘: A word to describe using more than one sense at a time, the multisensory model has also been prescribed by countless researchers as the optimal way to teach children, especially young learners in nursery and kindergarten.

*Watch Square Panda VP of Education and Research, Dr. Vera Blau-McCandliss, talk about learning using a multisensory experience here.

Multisensory process have also been shown as playing a key role in beginners learning letter-sound correspondence, both behaviourally and neurologically.

In the UK, Sir Jim Rose published his final report (2006) on ‘An Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading’. It affirmed that the childhood acquisition of speaking and listening skills, and phonetic knowledge, is greatly enhanced by the use of multisensory approaches.

This teaching method greatly benefits struggling readers and children with developmental abilities too, as they are assisted by multiple stimuli. Schools around the globe are gradually warming up to this style of teaching, especially in young students, but the ‘multisensory’ aspect is confined to a few subjects. Examples include singing songs, conducting science experiments, and more.

Listening to the need of the hour, Square Panda created a learning experience that greatly boosts skill level and retention…we enhanced our learning system with a multisensory phonics learning platform.

Understanding that every learner internalises information differently–some learn through touch, some though sight, and yet others though sounds–we knew we had to create a system that catered to each learner individually, as well as something that worked for everyone on a larger scale.

Meet our 45 Smart Letters™.

If their brightly coloured toy-like bodies (consonants in purple, vowels in yellow) weren’t enough, these Smart Letters have been created with food-grade plastics, making them completely safe if ingested (not that we recommend anyone munch on the letters!).

Completing the circle of ‘sensory integration’, these Smart Letters are paired with interactive educational games for children as young as 2 years of age.

Padding this already impressive early literacy program, our ‘multisensory’ approach is sure to greatly strengthen any little learner’s language acquisition and development. By providing students with multiple learning pathways, we hope to give each child a chance to succeed.

So come on and give multisensory teaching a try!

Have you tried teaching the ‘multisensory’ way? Tell us your experience with ‘multisensory’ teaching in the comment section below.

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India

The sizzle of butter in the pan…

The pitter-patter of raindrops against your window…

The constant chatter of your neighbour on the phone…

Present all around us, sounds are an integral part of our lives. It comes as no surprise then, that ‘sound’ is one of the first things taught to children.

Specifically, the sound of letters.

WHAT IS IT?

Called phonics (or phoenics in British English), it is one of the best ways to simplify reading English, by teaching learners what each letter of the alphabet sounds like.

WHY LEARN WITH IT?

Research conducted shows a link between phonics instruction and learning to read correctly and with confidence. Children comprehend the written word more easily and accurately when letters are introduced via phonics than through any other method. Early beginners in phonics instruction (between the ages of 3 and 8) often show the best results. Research goes so far as to show that learning to read via phonics increases the enjoyment of the learner, thereby increasing their chances of becoming lifelong readers.

The National Reading Panel (NRP), US, had issued a press release, stating: “In the largest, most comprehensive evidenced-based review ever conducted of research on how children learn reading, an independent panel has concluded that the most effective way to teach children to read is through instruction that includes a combination of methods.” The panel determined that effective reading instruction includes teaching children to break apart and manipulate the sounds in words (phonemic awareness), teaching them that these sounds are represented by letters of the alphabet which can then be blended together to form words (phonics), having them practice what they’ve learned reading aloud with guidance and feedback (guided oral reading), and applying reading comprehension strategies to guide and improve reading comprehension.

PHONICS IN INDIA

Many schools across India start their phonics instruction young, in preschool itself.

This instruction can include:

– teaching the sound of letters (‘a’ is said as ‘ey’, ‘b’ is said as ‘bee’, and so on)

– teaching letter combinations (‘sh’, ‘ab’, and more)

– ‘blending’ the above two together to create words. (/sh/o/p/)

– Guessing or ‘decoding’ what new words mean, based on the students’ knowledge.

PHONICS AND SQUARE PANDA

The above reasons are precisely why we at Square Panda created a learning system that puts the spotlight on phonics. Backed by our own extensive research,

Meet Dr. Vera Blau-MacCandliss, PhD, Cognitive Neuroscience, and VP of Education and Research at Square Panda

we created educational games that have elements of phonics instruction woven so seamlessly into them, that children don’t think they are studying at all!

Our characters spell out words phonetically (watch it here) and even learn songs, the phonetic way (watch it here).

Adapting to a user’s learning level and age, each game gradually increases in difficulty, moving from three-letter words to four-and-five letter words. The composition also changes, from CV/VC (At/To) words—‘C’ stands for ‘Consonant’, ‘V’ stands for ‘Vowel’—to CVC (Hat) and CVVC (Read) words.

Games like Bubbles reinforce letter sounds, while games like Lagoon (above) and SquareLand teach common consonant blend and blend phonemes. (Phonemes are the smallest units of speech that differentiate words, e.g., pin and pan. Here, ‘i’ and ‘a’ are different.) Even decoding skills—which occur when a student uses phonics to accurately read a word—are focused on, in games like Space Cows.

Focusing on developing confidence in children—while speaking, while reading—our learning system eschews negative feedback altogether, instead relying on prompts and positive reinforcement even if a learner has gotten something wrong. Our adaptive engine records areas where the learner needs more practice, regularly repeating that letter/word at periodic intervals, spacing it out with new letters/words to avoid boredom.

Combined with AI technology and a neuroscience research-based curriculum, our phonics learning system greatly increases a child’s phonics literacy. Not discriminating between backgrounds, nationalities or even race, our games are the perfect tool to employ while introducing or reinforcing phonics to your children/students.

We’re hoping to empower children using phonics, and also, in a larger sense, languages and literacy.

Watch this blog video here.

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India

The moment we had been waiting for finally arrived!

Square Panda celebrated its launch in India on February 19, 2019 at the Westin Hotel in Mumbai.

You may recall, dear reader, from our previous post, that while we are well-known across America, we have just opened our doors in India.

We introduced our amazing multisensory phonics learning system to India at the ‘Language, Literacy, and Early Childhood Education‘ event.

An audience comprised of the biggest names in education were left completely enthralled with the talks presented by our speakers…

especially when Guest of Honour Andre Agassi walked in.

Take a look…

Square Panda CEO and co-founder Andy Butler with Andre Agassi, who spoke about his journey from tennis to education, and from there, to Square Panda. (below) (Watch the video here.)

(above) Andre Agassi’s Q & A session with the audience.

Read his interviews with the Times of India, Economic Times, and Inside Sport.

Our Speakers:

Ashish Jhalani, Managing Director, Square Panda India, kicking off the event with an introduction to Square Panda. (Watch his speech here.)

Dr. Nandini Chatterjee Singh, cognitive neuroscientist from National Brain Research Centre on deputation to UNESCO-MGIEP, talking about ‘Shaping the Biliterate Brain – Acquisition of Literacy Skills in Two Distinct Languages’. (Watch her talk here.)

Dr. Vera Blau-McCandliss, VP of Education and Research, Square Panda, speaking about ‘The Research & Science Behind Today’s Early Childhood Learning’. (Watch her speech here.)

Andy Butler, CEO and co-founder, Square Panda, enlightening the audience on the ‘Future of Technology for Early Learners’.

Dhruv Bhargava,  VP, Data Science & Software, Square Panda, on Personalisation & Adaptiveness for Better Young Learners’. (Watch his speech here.)

Also actively engaging the audience interest were our two panels:

Panel I: The 6 C’s of Early Education—Collaboration, Communication, Content, Creativity, Critical Thinking, ConfidencePanel Speakers (from left to right): Bhavin Shah-Moderator, (Director-CEO, Education World), Vani Shastri (Director at SEED & Seed Academy, Chennai), Nitya Ramaswami (Executive Mentor, Alfa Group of Schools), Bhargavi Ajit (Adapt India).

Panel II: Evolution of Artificial Intelligence Aided TeachingPanel Speakers (from left to right): Fatema Agarkar (Co-founder, KA EduAssociates), Pooja Goyal Sharma (Head of Strategy and New Initiatives, Klay Prep Schools and Daycare, Bangalore), Dr. Seema Negi (Principal, Sanjeevani World School), Dhruv Bhargava (VP of Data Science & Software Engineering, Square Panda, California).

Appreciating all the efforts made in the education sector, the following people were awarded a special Square Panda trophy:

For more photos, visit our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Thank you to everyone who made it to the event; we couldn’t have done it without you. We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.

To know more about Square Panda, visit our website.

– Sanjana Shukla, Content Writer, Square Panda India