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What are Learning Skills?-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 3 Introduction to SOI-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 4 The Parents’ Role-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 5 Dos and Don’ts-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 6 Understanding The Skill: Creativity with Words-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
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Activity 1: Time Capsule Letter-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 8 Activity 2: Poetic Newspaper-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
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Activity 3: What If? -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 10 Activity 4: Rhyme with Me-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 11 More about Creativity with Words-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 12 Contact Us-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ 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 Virst be equipped with the basic skills of dribbling, passing, control and tackling, etc. In the same way, we need to Virst 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.
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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 proViles 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.
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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.
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Dos and Don’ts ✓ Do the activities with your child
X Scold the child if he does the activities wrongly, instead, explain to him the objective and tell him the instructions explicitly
✓ Encourage him/her to do better
X Carry out the activity for too long (once the child gets bored or tired of doing the same activity, stop for the day)
✓ Encourage your child to be creative when doing the activities! ✓ Have fun carrying out the activities!
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Understanding the skill: Creativity with Words "
The ability to use semantic content (words, concepts and ideas) creatively
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This skill is related to composition and creative writing
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Improving this skill would enable the child to be better able at expressing himself/herself using language
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Activity 1: Time Capsule Letter " " "
Prepare magic markers and papers Have the child write a letter to their future selves If the child does not know what to write, guide him with questions like“What would you want yourself to remember 10 years from now?” or“What are the things you want your future self to be doing?”
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Keep the letter in a nice box or envelope and have the child open the envelope next year!
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Activity 2: Poetic Newspaper (adapted from www.spoonful.com)
" From an old magazine or
newspaper, cut out random words and gather essential small words like “the”, “of”, “is”, “a”,“and”… " Have your child form a poem using these words and stick it on a piece of paper Note: Emphasis of the activity is not about creating perfect poems but to allow the child to explore using different words in different ways and forms
Image Credit: http://spoonful.com/family-fun/build-a-poem
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Activity 3: What if?
" Take turns to ask hypothetical questions
" If you were a king or a queen of a country, how would you use your power? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? If you could choose to have any superhero’s power, what would it be and why?
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Activity 4: Rhyme with Me
✽ Start a story with a sentence ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽
Have the child continue the story and have his/her sentence rhyme with the Virst Write the rhyming words on a piece of paper The game continues until players cannot think of any more rhyming words Forfeits can be decided at the start of the game to make the game more challenging
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More about Creativity with Words ✽ People with high creativity with words are able to express themselves well through writing and speaking
✽ They are also able to understand puns (paranomasia) which is a form of word play
✽ For example I'm reading a book about anti-‐gravity. It's impossible to put down. Sleeping comes so naturally to me, I could do it with my eyes closed.
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On an ending note... We hope that you would Vind 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
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The End! Our March issue will be on Figural Patterns. Stay tuned to find out more about how figural pattern is related to learning and how to improve your child’s ability to see figural patterns!
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