Its the result / report day for your young one. Most parents are more jittery than their kids who actually took the exams. We want to know how did they perform, will they be rewarded for their and our hard work, will they score well in maths and science and are they skilled in lan guages? Thousand questions that need answers from the report card. But are their some answers that need to be looked independent of the report card? I think results day is a very important day. Not only because you get the report card, but because you get a chance to see the teacher/s who have taught the kid for one year and have had a chance to observe him/her and evaluate his/her performance in comparison to 50 other kids in the same class. They have a perspective that we lack because they are exposed to hundreds to kids of that age over the years and can spot some real trends which we can not. Its important to use this opportunity to dig deeper than the report card. So what must you really ask the teacher and how?... [More]

400px;">It is birthday of your child/grand child. Are you left stranded thinking what to gift them? What could be a gift that they would like and also find useful? Should it be one more toy, video game CD, that cricket bat, a book .... what? Finding the right gifts for kids is often nothing less than an achievement. You have a lot to think. * Is it right for their age? * Will the gift go beyond just the latest fad and help them develop some skill or hobby that they will cherish for life? * Very important, will they like it? Here, I will outline a 4 step process that will help you find just the right great gift for the kids.... [More]

This is first in a series of 5 blog posts about the financial literacy and value of money for kids. According to one study, kids are exposed to a 450+ advertisements / promotions daily. This could be through TV, radio, movies, news-papers, magazines, bill-boards, internet, mobile phone, shop windows ... you name it. There are 2 reasons for kids centric strategy of most advertisers. * Kids are the most gullible of the consumer segments and yet one of the most influential as well. Our kids exert tremendous say in the purchases made by a modern household, weather its a small ticket daily consumable like a pack of noodles or a carton of milk or a high expense durable item like air-conditioner and computer. And advertisers know it. * Catch them young and you can shape their buying habits for the life time. Make them conscious of the brand now and they will buy it when they have money in the future. Its difficult to change the taste and buying habits of an adult who has tried and seen things. But its easier to shape it for the kids and create demand.... [More]

In one of my previous posts, we said that it is important that kids have fun in the learning process to ensure effective learning. If the student wi ll enjoy the experience, like they do with games, there will be no need for coercion or external motivation. Let us look at this in some more detail and also draw some ideas from sports and video games to achieve this in real life. Research, by comparing studies with sports, has shown that learning process can b e fun if there are 3 elements in it. Learning experience must provides the right le vel of challenge for the student: Challenge or difficulty in a task makes it interesting and provides a sense of fulfilment at the completion of the task.... [More]

An increasing number of parents are on the web these days - for our kids. We use the world wide web to download games and activities for them. Several of us are also using it to find education content to help them learn better. Now a days, an increasing proportion of parents are leaving the kids on the web on specific sites, unsupervised. It is here that there is a need to know better on what is suitable and good for our kids. Here I will provide a list of 5 sites, which I think are suited for children aged 3 -12 years of age. I have analysed these sites on 3 dimensions. * Fun quotient: Will the kids enjoy being on the site? Does the site have enough activities that will engage them? Does it have content that they will enjoy reading, doing and watching? * Learning: Do the kids learn while they are having fun? Is the information at the site factually correct and well researched? Who are the people behind the site? * Safety: Is the site safe for kids? Is the content age appropriate? What about pop-ups and advertisements on the side? Is it a social media? Will you be able to supervise their activity?... [More]

We all realize, and rightly so, the importance of Maths and Science education in the formative years. The role the early education plays in building a strong foundation for later years cannot be over emphasized. How many times have we seen parents are a worried lot because their young ones had a lesser inclination for these subjects. How may times have we seen parents going overboard to try to inculcate maths and science "culture" in their kids through schools, tuitions, extra classes, ...! But have you wondered that why is it that kids show distinct dislike for these 2 subjects in particular? What is it that pushes them away from these 2 subjects to the point of a phobia. I have observed this over the years and often pondered on this myself. I think there are 2 possible reasons for this... [More]

As the time is changing, we are progressing really fast from one era to another, hand in hand with the developing technology. But the question that arises with it is – Is it helping children learn or is it making them confined to a place for simple pleasure (includes, internet, video games, etc.)? These things have confined the child within the proximity of house, reducing the physical activity in terms of outdoor games, and ultimately leading to child obesity. Childhood is a period of growth at a slower rate in comparison to infancy. It is a vulnerable group as important physiological and psychological changes take place. In India and especially in metros, the recent trend has shown drastic increase in the prevalence of child obesity. It has become a major concern as it predisposes children not only to psychological problems but also mechanical disabilities, renal, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases during adulthood and reduces quality of life.... [More]

This is a platform where all the stake holders of education system come together to discuss, share and help to make the education system in India better. We hope that everyone will contribute here and shrae their experiences with each other to bring out the best practices in each area and help child grow the most. Thanks, SchoolCountry Team... [More]