Train Up Your Child's Thinking Skills: Creativity with Symbols

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Content Page What are Learning Skills?-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 3 Introduction to SOI-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 4 The Parents’ Role-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 5 Dos and Don’ts-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 6 Understanding the Skill: Creativity with Symbols-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 7 Activity 1: Sudoku-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 8 Activity 2: Start to End-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 9 Activity 3: Guess the Value-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 10 More about Creativity with Symbols-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 11 Contact Us-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 12 References-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 13


What are Learning Skills? Learning skills also referred to as Cognitive Skills are foundational skills needed in areas such as comprehension, memory, evaluation, processing, logic and reasoning, etc. Using sports as an analogy: In order to play soccer well, the player must Xirst be equipped with the basic skills of dribbling, passing, control and tackling, etc. In the same way, we need to Xirst equip our children with the basic skills of learning such as paying attention, reading words effectively, being careful with their work, retain their learning well, etc so that we can ensure a motivated, engaged and successful learner. At ThinkersBox, we hope to help children to ‘Learn to Think and Think to Learn’ by improving and strengthening their underlying learning skills.


The Structure of Intellect (SOI) The Structure of Intellect (SI) Model was established by Professor J. P. Guilford, a well-­‐known psychologist in the 1950s, as a way to measure intelligence. The model was further developed into the SOI by Dr. Mary Meeker, Guilford’s student and a school psychologist, in the early 1960s. The SOI proXiles was used to provide classroom teachers with information on how they can plan classroom materials that could meet the different needs of their students. The most important contribution however, was Dr. Mary Meeker’s realization that intelligence can be taught, trained and improved. At ThinkersBox, we work closely with SOI Systems to assess, train and improve the learning of children and help them become successful learners.


The Parents’ Role In response to parents’ need for resources and ideas to help their child learn better, we have developed this series of guidebooks with simple, easy to implement home-­‐based activities for parents to do with their child. These activities are meant to be fun, engaging and promotes parent-­‐child bonding. As you work with your child, you would begin to realise their potential and the true meaning of educating our children (beyond school textbooks and subjects) **Instructions for the activities are suggested as a rough guideline. Feel free to change it to suit the age and learning of your child.


Dos and Don’ts ✓  Do the activities with your child ✓  Encourage him/her to do better ✓  Encourage your child to be creative when doing the activities! ✓  Have fun carrying out the activities!

X Scold the child if he does the activities wrongly, instead, explain to him the objective and tell him the instructions explicitly X Carry out the activity for too long (once the child gets bored or tired of doing the same activity, stop for the day)


Understanding the skill: Creativity with Symbols v  Creativity with symbols is the basis of mathematical (i.e. calculus) and physics genius (i.e e=mc2)

v  Improving this skill would enable the child to manipulate symbolic interrelations from different perspectives (i.e. algebra)


Activity 1: Sudoku v Play a game of Sudoku

v For beginners, draw a grid of 3 by 3 v Let the child know that in each row, column and diagonal, the numbers should add up to be 15 v Only the numbers 1-­‐9 are to be used

v Resources: http://www.dailysudoku.com/sudoku/kids/ http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/ sudoku_for_kids.htm

7 1 4

1 7 2


Activity 2: Start to End v  Have the child form different equations (using 4

operations, +,-­‐, ×, ÷) with the following starting and ending numbers: Start with 6 get 34 Start with 5 get 36 Start with 7 get 23 Start with 29 get 7 Start with 11 get 30 **Parents may choose any 2 numbers for the child to form equations, or may increase to more numbers as the child gets better at it


Activity 3: Guess the Value v  Tell the child that you are going to think of a value for a

letter and he/she would have to try to Xind out the value

v  Create an equation using the value v  Have the child solve for the value v  Let the child have his/her turn to think of a value and create an equation

a

4 + A = 7 2 + A = 5 2 + 1 = A What is A?

A is 3!!!

c


More about Creativity with Symbols •  •  •

Although the activities shared has all got to do with numbers, creativity with symbols is more than the creative use of numbers “Symbols” here could mean musical notes, symbolic pictures/ Xigures and letters People with high creativity with symbols could turn out to be great music composers, mathematicians and semioticians


On an Ending Note... We hope that you would Xind these activities as fun and effective as we meant for it to be. Let us know if you’ve enjoyed using these e-Books @ http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WS8Q9CR For feedback and suggestions, email us @ enquiries@thinkersbox.com For more information, visit us @ www.thinkersbox.com For more interesting reads, follow our blog @ www.kidslearntothink.com


References & Credits Background Image: www.dioma.deviantart.com


The End! The last “Creativity� installment would be made available by the end of January. Do check back for that!


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