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Everything You Should Know About Remedial Education

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homeschooling

Is Homeschooling A Viable Learning Option?

June 10, 2022 102 views No Comments
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Homeschooling, often seen as a non-traditional method of learning, has gained much popularity in recent times. The prevailing lockdown and shuttering of schools had made more people impart education to their kids at home, causing a rethink of the traditional ways we look at education. 

Although homeschooling is not as widespread as traditional schooling in India, a growing number of parents prefer homeschooling to regular schooling. There are some success stories to back it up. Sahal Kaushik, a homeschooled 14-year-old from India, became the youngest student to pass India’s highly competitive Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in 2010. He ranked 33rd in India and first in Delhi. Another example would be a Mumbai-born product of homeschooling, Malvika Joshi, who was accepted to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2016 when she was only 17. 

Here’s why homeschooling is a viable learning option.

✏️ Flexibility

Homeschooling allows children to learn at their own pace and speed, exploring different learning methods until they find what works best for them. This means that if they do not understand something straight away, they can go back and try again until they do understand it. Each student learns differently, so it makes sense to allow them to learn however best suits them through auditory, visual, tactile or kinesthetic learning styles.

Some students thrive when given structure, but others do better when allowed some leeway in their day-to-day activities, and homeschooling can be adapted to suit all these peculiarities. For instance, homework assignments and tests may not be necessary if your child learns better by doing rather than reading or hearing lectures at home.

✏️ Greater Parent-Child Interaction

Homeschooling allows parents to spend more time with their children and give them more attention. This means that parents can answer questions and help their children understand concepts at a much younger age than they would be able to if they were in public school. In addition, because the family does homeschooling, it tends to be much more enjoyable for all involved. The child does not have to wait for an answer from a teacher or wait for someone else to finish the lesson before they can move on. Instead, parents can adapt what they teach according to their child’s level.

✏️ Lower Stress Levels

Many children dislike having too many expectations placed on them at school, and this stress often prevents them from performing well academically. By giving your child freedom in their education, you allow them to learn without pressure — which is sometimes the only way for them to succeed! You may also find that other students who have been pushed too hard may resent your child’s lack of pressure and try bullying them because of it. Homeschooling avoids this altogether and lets your child thrive better. 

While there are a few avid supporters of this up-and-coming concept, most people are still sceptical about it. If homeschooling were recognized as a mainstream option, it might not be able to be widely used in India, especially among children that populate rural areas. Without any accountability for the education of these children, their education will be hampered.

But every cloud has a dark lining too, and so too does homeschooling have its downsides.

📚 Inconsistency

One disadvantage is that homeschooling can be inconsistent in its approach, as there can be no set lesson plans or schedules. This can mean that your child may miss out on some valuable parts of their education if they only get one lesson a day, whereas a child who goes to a school will get the same lesson every day until they graduate high school.

📚 Lack of Socialization

Homeschooled children aren’t exposed to the same level of social interaction as their peers who attend school. They don’t have after-school activities or sports teams, for example, and if they don’t have siblings, they may not have another child to play with regularly. Some homeschooled kids join clubs or participate in community programs, so that they can interact with others their age — but it’s not the same as having someone in class every day throughout the school year.

📚 Life Balance

If you’re planning on homeschooling full-time, there will be no breaks from work or school. You will need to ensure that your home is equipped with everything needed for school, including desks and bookshelves. If you’re planning on homeschooling part-time, finding time in your schedule for the extra work involved in teaching your children at home can be challenging.

📚 Lack of Quality Education

You have no control over the quality of teaching your child receives. There is no official regulation of home educators in India, so there is no way of ensuring that they meet any minimum standards. Some parents may not be qualified to teach their own children. You will not know if you are getting good or bad instruction until your child’s grades start coming in, but it could be too late to do anything about it by then.

In a country like India, where there are so many challenges in access to education, a school provides an opportunity for an education that might not be available otherwise. This can be especially important for girls and children from underprivileged backgrounds.

📚 Lack of Guidance

Home educators may have difficulty finding support when they feel overwhelmed by the task of teaching their children. If home educators are not teaching in a formal setting, they do not have access to resources such as lesson plans and other materials that could help them improve their teaching skills. This can make it difficult for home educators to evaluate their performance and develop effective strategies for improving it over time.

The Bottom Line

Despite the potential drawbacks, homeschooling is a growing form of education among parents. Families can educate their children at home using any type of curriculum that best suits their child’s education needs, allowing them to be challenged and have an individualized learning experience. Whether a family decides to homeschool or not, parents need to understand that the decision to homeschool their child should be carefully considered.

Square Panda’s comprehensive programs aim to nurture the entire education ecosystem, from teachers to students, parents, administrators, and more, by empowering them with the tools and knowledge they need to realise their learning objectives.

To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

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Presenting-The SquareBox!

July 23, 2020 1,715 views 1 Comment
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Start homeschooling your kindergartner with the SquareBox, and with no learning loss. Keep reading to learn more.

Which means, these early years are incredibly important for your children. So, if a child is not learning in this period, there is a potential for great learning loss, the repercussions of which will be felt for years and years to come. That’s also the reason why the school closures due to the pandemic are keeping your children safe at home, but might just end up negatively affecting their education and overall development.

For a company whose entire raison d’etre is early literacy, this was unacceptable. And that’s why, we’ve come up with a whole new learning tool-the SquareBox!

WHAT IS THE SQUAREBOX?
A homeschooling kit for kindergartners, the SquareBox is an actual box (square-shaped, of course) that we’ll be sending your way, each month. Combining digital and physical learning, the SquareBox helps your child receive the best educational experience possible.

Multisensory, research-based, innovative SquareBox homeschooling kit to teach children at home easily

WHY SHOULD I SUBSCRIBE TO THIS?
Uniquely developed to enhance a kindergartner’s essential skills, the SquareBox boasts the following features:

  • Square Panda’s Educational Tools: Our very own multisensory early literacy tools are included in this kit, to be introduced in a phased manner so learners are not overwhelmed.
    We’ll be giving you:
    • The Square Panda multisensory phonics learning system (see how our games work, here)
    • The SquareTales Reading App (learn more about it, here)
    • More educational tools, as they release in India.
  • Guides:
    You have the SquareBox. Now what?
    To help and guide you through the entire set-up process, to tell you where to start, and how, we created a ‘Quick Start Guide’, and a ‘Parent Guide’ (also available on our website to download). These two guides will help you learn more about how the SquareBox works, to help you become a great teacher to your little one(s).
Lesson planners and guides to the Squarebox homeschooling kit.
Planner and Guides to the SquareBox
  • Planners:
    For all those parents wishing they had a detailed blueprint to teach their children for every day of the week, throughout their school year, we have something for you too! We created planners for the year, each month, and every week, so you never have to worry about what to teach them.
    These planners are structured as per a carefully designed curriculum, introducing thematic units to keep your children engaged and learning. As the complexity increases, so do the challenges, as does the skill level.
    The yearly planner comes to you in Month 1, and the monthly and weekly planners are sent every month.
  • Additional Learning Material:
    With every month’s box comes learning material to support your kindergartener’s education, including flashcards, conversation booklets (to aid them as they start to speak), 5 sets of SquareTales physical printed books (to be used from Month 2), and even sticker sheets (to be used as rewards for your little learners).
  • Develop Essential Foundational Skills:
    The SquareBox has been developed to get children ready to enter school, teaching them skills like:
Develop essential early learning skills in my child with the SquareBox

WHAT DO THE WEEKS LOOK LIKE?
Typically, a week will be 5 days of digital + physical fun learning, followed by 2 days of fun play. Instructionally appropriate, these activities are a mix of educational and social; we’re teaching them about using their fingers to make shapes, and we’re teaching them to value housework, too, with fun cleaning exercises.

WHAT IT GIVES MY KIDS?
The SquareBox ensures your children are still learning even while they are away from school, without realising they are learning.
Our bite-sized lessons (only 45 minutes per day) are perfect for their little attention spans.
Don’t have 45 straight minutes to spare? Don’t worry, our program is flexible too!
You can schedule their learning AROUND your own schedule, for the best experience for both you and your kindergartner.

IDEAL AGE GROUP
The SquareBox was developed for children in kindergarten only. For queries about other age groups, please contact us at 022-49394444 or email support@squarepanda.in.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS AFTER I GET THE SQUAREBOX?

The process to get your own easy homeschooling educational kit for kindergartners

WHERE CAN I GET IT?
For details about the subscription plan and how to get a SquareBox for your kindergartner, visit our website.

The pesky virus that is waging war on the planet might be responsible for shutting down schools, but don’t give it the power to derail your child’s education too! Subscribe to the SquareBox today! Learn more at www.thesquarebox.in.

Square Panda India offers comprehensive early childhood programs that put children on a path toward academic success by setting them up with the tools they need to succeed, and creates the supporting ecosystem needed to ensure lifelong learning and success. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in 

Here are some useful videos to explore the topic further:
Why Educators Are The Key To Successful Early Childhood Education
5 Reasons India Needs A Strong Early Childhood Education System
8 Activities To Build Social And Emotional Skills In Early Childhood Education

You may also be interested in reading some of our blogs on early education:
The Economic Impact Of Early Education
How Adaptive Learning Can Transform The Early Education System In India
Why We Need Phonics In Early Childhood Education

We hope that you enjoyed our post on early education. If you have any tips or suggestions please leave a comment below. If you would like to collaborate with us, you can drop us a mail on marketing@squarepanda.in.

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4 Tips To Balance Schooling At Home With Working From Home

July 20, 2020 444 views No Comments
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*While this article is aimed for parents of children in junior kg, the main points apply to parents with older children too.

Scene: You are on your sofa. Your child is scribbling away on the wall, while their study books lie abandoned under the sofa. The television they insisted be turned on, blares loudly in the background. You make one more attempt to get your young child to sit and study with you. Suddenly you realise, it’s time for a Skype call with your boss, and your hair isn’t even brushed yet!

Square Panda scribbling on the wall with crayon.

Sound familiar?

This scene repeats in hundreds of homes across India, and even the world, as you read this article. Parents and families everywhere are scrambling to balance all the tasks that have suddenly landed in their laps.

Square Panda is here to help. Use the below suggestions to balance your schooling at home, with working from home.

– Share The Work: You don’t have to do each and every task by yourself. Ask your partner and family to share in the responsibility of managing your house and your child’s lessons. For convenience and a lighter workload, you can even plan your work in shifts.
An example: If you are doing the cooking, let your partner and child clean the table and dishes. That way, your child develops their motor skills, and also understands dignity of labour.

– Plan In Advance: You do need to know what to teach your child a few days or weeks prior, to avoid confusion on the day in question. Laying out everything clearly ensures that there is repetition of certain essential tasks, but allows you to space them out far enough that your child is not bored.
An example: Select a theme for the week, like plants or vehicles, and set all your activities during that period to this theme. If you want to teach them numbers, do it using plants/vehicles. Use plant/vehicle examples to teach them about different colours.

– Introduce Self-Learning Activities: Allow your children to learn independently allow you to attend that Skype work call in peace, satisfied that your child is engaged in a fun learning task.
An example: Task them with creating their own storybook (see how). This little craft activity gets their hands moving, their creative skills are completely engaged in making up a new story, and they are then more enthusiastic to read this book they have authored.

– Plan AROUND Your Own Schedule: Create (or find) a program that allows you flexibility to work with your schedule.
Examples: You can plant engaging scientific facts into your bedtime stories, your cooking time can be their play time-just hand them some dough and let them unleash their creativity. Everything you do can be a source of learning (for more ideas, watch this webinar on Montessori learning by our incredible guest speaker, Ms. Jayamala Jadhav).

Want more on schooling your kids at home? Watch this space for more…Until then, check out our amazing early literacy products here and here.

Credits: Written by Sanjana Shukla

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