There are lots and lots of exams and tests that children take all throughout schools. But we are not talking about that here. We are talking about what we as parents do with our children.  A test need not always be in the written form or in a formal set-up. So then what is a test? Is it a way to find out what a child doesn't know or what he knows? 

We often test our children when we ask, "Do you know the names of all the continents in the world?"  instead of saying " Let us talk about continents!".
 
Would a child be happy and eager to be tested if the tests only exposed their ignorance or shortcomings? Would the child see the test as a fun activity or a stressful one? In fact, they begin to associate the 'whole' act of asking questions with the 'act' of testing rather than a 'fun' way to learn and explore. Which is the sad part :(.
 
While a certain amount of testing is definitely needed to evaluate, motivate and challenge the child, if we want them to learn more - there other ways to do so:

• Provide opportunities for the child to showcase what he/she already knows
• Engage him/her with new challenges in a positive environment to make learning fun
• Be encouraging and supportive in both cases

Do share with us other ways to make learning enjoyable for children.

Contributed by Anubha Jain, currently a learning facilitator with Sparkling Mindz. She is an MBA graduate from a premier institute and an Engineer prior to that. She also has several years of corporate experience under her belt. She has chosen to shift her career to work with children.

Lakhs of people are 'good' singers, but ever wondered what makes one of them 'great'?

Is it just mere LUCK? Then, all of us should roll the die and wait for it to tell our futures! Or just the fact that you were in fact born with a 'Golden Voice'. You might be gifted with a good voice but singing is an art, no doubt, learnt with years of practice. You master the nitty gritties of pitch, rhythm and raaga to gear up up for performances. What, then, differentiates a 'good' singer from a 'great' one? 

I'd have to say, the following:

1. Confidence in their own ability. Confidence to get up on the stage and perform without becoming a bundle of nerves
   
2. Self-Awareness, knowing limits of their own abilities, knowing what aspects of their singing still needs work, knowing which song highlights their strengths
   
3. Ability to Think Out of The Box - the ability to surprise others, bring out something unique by combining your strengths, giving that unique twist to an existing song that gives you the edge
   
4. Ability to create a unique niche - systematically analyzing what made others great, sizing up existing competition and consistently displaying a unique trait that catches people's attention
   
5. Willingness to look beyond failures - not giving up too quickly on your dreams, in fact using minor failures to fuel their 'inner voice'
   
6. Last but not the least, dogged determination - believing in yourself (not foolishly, not without self-awareness, but still...) even when no one else did, waking up early in the morning to put in the necessary hours of practice and giving yourself every opportunity you can to succeed
   

I'm not saying that every child who can sing should focus on becoming a 'great' singer. Only if that is what you want to do in life! 

Now, come to think of it every career requires these skills and possibly, one of the best gifts we, as parents, can gift our children today are these skills. If you are interested to find out how to cultivate these skills in your children today, you can reach us here and we would be glad to work with you!

I was at a children's book library recently when i glanced upon a book with an intriguing title and cover page.
Thought of giving it a shot and little did i know i would stumble upon something so entertaining yet full of learning for children in the 8-13 years age group.
 
The book i am talking about is called "The Diary of Amos Lee - I Sit, I Write, i Flush" - written by Adeline Foo.
 
The bold title may turn some parents off due to its apparent setting, but in reality it offers a lot of lessons to pre-teens without being preachy. It is written as the diary of a 9 year old boy; Amos and is set in Singapore. The book has gained huge popularity among the Asian audience and here is the author's summary of the book for those unfamiliar with it: http://www.amoslee.com.sg/home.html

In simple but engrossing language, the book shows that the everyday life of child like Amos is laced with opportunities and challenges and how he uses various thinking skills to tackle them. Amos helps his mother with her writing assignments and demonstrates creativity and communication skills in his own writing. He is faced with challenges at school in the form of a bully and trouble with best friend and after some hiccups, he resolves them by using interpersonal skills and making the right decisions in line with his values. Throughout the book he takes up interesting assignments and even tries his hand at entrepreneurship - all of which require him to be resourceful, apply critical thinking and work in teams.
 
The creative illustrations help keep up the entertainment quotient of the book and its a delightful read for the young and adults alike.