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by Sandra Freese, director of admissions |
Integrating school subjects with real-life experiences in education is crucial to true learning. Education is more than rote memorization of facts. It should preferably provide opportunities for children to learn and apply academic skills to day-in-the-life activities. An example of this method can be implemented by elementary and middle school students with a hot lunch project. A small group of children collect data, such as dietary restrictions and likes or dislikes from their fellow classmates. Following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate recommended nutrition guidelines, the children collect recipes that interest them and coincide with the data they collected. They create a weekly meal plan for their hot lunch offering. A monetary amount is requested from participating students, and, after a research trip to a local grocer, a budget is created. Two project requirements for the students are preparing accounting spreadsheets and creating a cookbook. Academic skills in mathematics, physics, chemistry and language, along with critical thinking, team building and organizational skills, are all utilized through the project. The integration of academic subjects to complete this project helps students understand abstract concepts and how to apply this knowledge. More importantly, they develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. |
| by Eddie Gray Cranium Clubhouse 407-294-6950 www.craniumclubhouse.com |
Research has shown that 50 percent of the brain’s neural network is set by age 5, and 80 percent is set by age 8. A child’s capacity to learn expands at an amazing rate while they are still very young. The key is inspiring children during this unique window of opportunity. Along with early education, parents can seize this opportunity when children have the greatest potential to learn and develop. If designed correctly, an early educational school can take learning to a higher level, beyond numbers and letters, into creative problem solving and critical thinking. For example, rather than having a child simply memorize the letter “D,” they could learn that “dinosaur” starts with “D.” They could then have the chance to become a paleontologist and travel through time to discover when dinosaurs existed. Children could then create scientific journals, while learning about numbers and shapes, as they discover that today’s fossil fuels were yesterday’s dinosaurs. They can use their critical-thinking skills while learning the differences between renewable and nonrenewable energy, and think about and discuss different ways to save energy at home and in their community. A multi-sensory approach encourages young minds to ask questions, helping them apply what they learn to the world around them and move beyond memorization into comprehension. Parents can help boost brain development by exposing children at an early age to experiences that foster curiosity and critical-thinking skills. Finding an early educational school with a multi-sensory approach will help parents seize this unique window of opportunity, igniting a love of learning that will last a lifetime. |
| by Katharine Teicher, admissions director Jewish Community Center of Southwest Orlando at the Jack & Lee Rosen Campus 407-387-5330 www.orlandojcc.org |
As a new school year approaches, many families are getting ready to register their children for preschool. Oftentimes, parents do not know what to look for in choosing a good program or what questions to ask. Once the preschools of interest have been identified, it is important for parents to visit them while classes are in session. By setting an appointment, parents will not have to wait until the director is available to provide a tour, and there will be uninterrupted time to ask questions and observe the program. One thing for parents to look for during this observation is the safety and cleanliness of the room. Are hands being washed frequently? Are all the outlets covered? In what condition is the equipment? Are the teachers warm and gentle? Do they really listen when the children talk? How is it handled when one child does something inappropriate? Is the child spoken to in a gentle, but firm manner, without using shame or punishment? While researching educational possibilities, parents often ask for references. a good way for them to learn more about a school, is by spending a few extra minutes in the parking lot during dismissal time to ask others parents what they think of the program. Preschools that encourage each child to choose his or her activities get high marks from educators. In these programs, a child is free to explore — a freedom that helps develop a positive attitude toward learning. Children in more pressured, teacher-directed, and often academically oriented, programs tend to get turned off to learning. Parents should choose a preschool with a curriculum that is developmentally based. This means that all learning is done in a manner that recognizes that each child is an individual, and the activities are appropriate for the age and development of the child. With all the current research on brain development, there can no longer be any doubt about how critical the formative preschool years are. Parents should choose a preschool that nurtures and enriches a child emotionally, as well as cognitively, and helps to build a healthy sense of self-esteem. |
| by Hang Thai, O.D. The EYEstudio 407-345-7979 www.eyestudioorlando.com |
Amblyopia, more commonly known as lazy eye syndrome, affects 4 percent of the human population. It is caused by the lack of development of vision in one eye, though it can also result from failure to use both eyes in unison. Amblyopia is often associated with crossed-eyes, large discrepancies in the degree of near or farsightedness between the two eyes, or a physical obstruction of vision. This disorder usually develops before the age of 6 and does not affect peripheral vision. Warning signs for amblyopia include heavily favoring one eye over another and even bumping into objects on one side of the body. Such symptoms sometimes are not as obvious, since it occurs only in one eye. When the good eye takes over, the affected person is often unaware of the condition. A comprehensive optometric examination can detect the occurrence of amblyopia. The American Optometric Association recommends that children as young as 6 months old have an examination and then again at age 3. Treatment is more successful when diagnosed at an early age. Treatments include a combination of prescription lenses, prisms, eye patching and vision therapy. Vision therapy works toward teaching the two eyes to work together, which helps prevent lazy eyes from returning. |
Kearney Publishing Corp.
7901 Kingspointe Parkway, Suite 28
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Kearney Publishing Corp.