Education is delivered differently all over the world. Some countries are perceived as successful in educating the younger minds of tomorrow and others do not succeed as much.
Regardless of the rate of success, we can all agree there is a shared goal we all aspire to achieve. That goal is educating the youngsters of today to shoulder the future of tomorrow. For them to be creative, intellectual and critical in their thinking.
It can be challenging for some people to deliver the required material needed to educate a student. Thus, they choose to settle for the traditional teaching ways which do not really serve the shared goal we previously mentioned.
And so, creative teaching methods are more in demand nowadays. Especially, because of how technology is advancing every passing minute and the different circumstances the world is facing each day.
We now have references available all over the world through the internet; teachers online to teach different languages, skills and materials; quizzes and tests for those interested in challenging their boundaries; communication platforms to reach people all over the world; working online for people in different countries and so much more.
Everything has become so fast paced. People can hardly keep up anymore. Hence, we are all struggling in our own way to learn and develop. We challenge ourselves every day to achieve the goal that keeps us going. In our case, it is education.
Hence, we will track several different aspects of education and break them down until they are as clear as day light for the future minds of tomorrow while giving elaborate examples for clarification.
The first aspect we will consider is language, how do we acquire it, the skills needed to master a language and how to develop them with several examples to work with. Language, as defined by Oxford, is the principal method of human communication, consisting of words used in a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture.
In other words, it is the communication system used by a country or a community. There are different theories for language acquisition.
People believe we acquire language differently and that the process of acquisition is different as well. Thus, there are three main theories of child language acquisition; Cognitive Theory, Imitation and Positive Reinforcement, and Innateness theory.
Acquisition is the way we learn language and pick it up. My personal favorite is the Innateness theory because I do believe language is in our system to begin with and it is triggered once we see and hear how it is used. Regardless of my own favorite, let us elaborate on each theory so you can determine your own favorite.
First, the Cognitive Theory by Jean Piaget is that language acquisition was based on the development of the brain. Piaget said that children should be allowed to explore the world by themselves. This exposure to the world allows the cognitive mind to develop.
Hence, allowing language to develop into a more complicated manner. The cognitive language acquisition theory uses the idea that children are born with very little cognitive abilities. In other words, they are not able to recognize and process very much information. And by first-hand experience it develops.
Secondly, The Imitation and Positive Reinforcement theory by Skinner, an American physiologist. B.F Skinner’s based his theory on his beliefs. Those were of how behavior and actions could be controlled by their consequences.
He believed that positive reinforcement was successful with children’s education because it encouraged them to try their best and complete the assigned task as best as they were able to.
His theory was essentially that children learn to speak by copying the words and sounds heard around them and by having their responses strengthened by the repetitions, corrections and other reactions that adults provide. Especially, praising a child can reinforce his imitative behavior as well as his language abilities.
Finally, the innateness theory by Noam Chomsky, an American linguist. He based his theory on the idea that all languages contain similar structures and rules (a universal grammar), and the fact that children everywhere acquire language the same way.
Thus, it seems to indicate that we’re born wired with the basics for language already present in our brains. Now we know what language is and how we acquire it, so how about we learn the essential skills to develop a language?
Listening, speaking, reading, and writing, are the four main skills to mastering any language, however, there are sub- skills that are essential as well.
For example, grammar, vocabulary and spelling. Even so, what order do we actually learn in? Well… We listen, speak, read and write. You can learn and practice with us on LearningMole.com. So, the first skill we are going to discuss is the listening skill:
a) We listen to people around us using the language and thus, we pick it up,
b) we listen to songs or watch movies, ads or shows in that language we want to learn, and
c) We take listening courses on the internet to practice the skill.
Hence, for listening; environment is the main feature of which it is affected by. The more you surround yourself with the language, the more your listening skill develops and becomes better. Here is the link to practice listening with us:
The second skill is speaking:
a) we imitate words or sounds we hear in our surroundings,
b) we take speech courses; we watch movies, shows or series in the accent we wish to pick up,
c) we sing along with the songs in the language we wish to speak, and
d) We practice using the language we want to learn with others to better enhance our command of it.
Hence, for speaking; environment and practice are the two main features of which it is affected by. The more you surround yourself with the language and practice it further, the better you become at using it. Third is the reading skill;
a) we read several words and know their meaning,
b) we read simple paragraphs,
c) we read articles, newspapers or books in the language we want to develop,
d) we read ads, stories or bulletin,
e) we take reading courses
f) we change the language in our mobile phones or computers to the language we want to practice reading, and
g) We read subtitles of movies, shows or series in the language we want to learn further.
Hence, for reading; environment, practice, and time are the three main features it is affected by.
We help our eyes to normalize the language by trying to surround ourselves with it. Just like any other skill, it needs practice because practice makes perfect, but with us you can make sure practice is indeed perfect:
We practice it daily to learn more quickly on a larger scale because it takes time for the brain to normalize the language. Thus, the more frequently we practice reading in the language we want to learn, the better we become at reading it.
Make sure to check our website to practice reading daily:
Fourth is the writing skill;
a) we write paragraphs about different topics,
b) we research written paragraphs about different topics,
c) we observe the different writing styles,
d) we practice writing new words and using them in sentences,
e) we take writing courses,
f) we transcribe several movies, ads, episodes and videos,
g) we read more about punctuation and how to use it, and
h) We learn how to use different linking words, idioms and conjunctions.
Hence, for writing; environment, practice, time, and research are the key features to master this skill. We surround ourselves with different varieties of writing styles to observe and learn.
We practice writing in the language we want to learn as frequently as possible to make room for mistakes. As writing is a trial and error type of skill. You have to make mistakes to learn from them and know the right way to write it down.
As much as any other skill, it takes time because it is a slow process of learning a new writing style in a foreign language. So, have patience and perseverance to be determined in the learning process because it will most certainly take time. Together we can do it:
Finally, research is one of the key fundamental features in writing because we learn from others’ mistakes as well as ours. We learn the basics of writing at the beginning through references and research. So make sure you stay in touch via LearningMole.com.
Finally, we come to the sub- skills in learning a foreign language. Grammar is an essential skill in most if not all languages out there. You have to know the grammar of a language in order to know the basic correct form of writing or speaking the language.
Vocabulary is undeniably one of the most required skills in learning a foreign language. It consists of writing and speaking. The larger your vocabulary bank is the easier you will find it to write in the language you are learning.
To become eloquent in a specific language it is advisable to learn as many synonyms, antonyms, conjunctions, connectors and idioms as much as possible. Finally, the spelling skill which serves the writing and speaking skills directly as well.
If you know the correct spelling of a word, it will be easy for you to pronounce it correctly. Especially, if you know the phonetics of the language you wish to learn and speak in. So make sure to check our phonetics:
To avoid spelling mistakes in writing at the beginning of the learning process, it is advisable to check and double check a new word spelling and to have an auto correct feature to technologically support your writing but don’t entirely depend on it.
Finally, we came to the examples part. I will briefly mention several examples which can come in handy when developing one or two of the previous skills. I will specify the language learned as English to facilitate the examples upon which I will elaborate.
First for the listening skill, you can listen to public speakers and TED Talk. For example, two of my favorite speakers are Simon Sinek and Iliza Shlesinger. Shlesinger is an American comedian. Sinek is a British-American author and inspirational speaker. Second is watching movies. Two of my favorite movies are:
· A Walk to Remember (2002) -Romance/ Drama-
Landon is assigned to community service after getting in trouble. His punishment also involves participating in the spring play, during which he falls in love with Jamie, the reverend’s daughter.
· Pride & Prejudice (2005) -Romance/ Drama-
Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 romantic novel written by Jane Austen. Mrs. Bennett insists that her daughters find rich husbands and settle down.
Second is the speaking skill. We imitate when we are children and so should we as adults to learn, in our case, English:
We need to imitate as much as possible because the more we do, the better we get at it. In addition to knowing the right pronunciation and phonetics of course:
We can test our pronunciation with some tongue twisters. Tongue twisters are considered a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. Below, you will find some of the most popular English tongue twisters and our very own tricky words:
Say them as quickly as you can. If you can master them, you will be a better speaker (Taken from engvid.com);
1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
2. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked
3. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
4. Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
5. But she said the butter’s bitter
6. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter
7. But a bit of better butter will make my batter better
8. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
9. He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
10. As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood
11. She sells seashells by the seashore
12. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
13. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream
14. I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop
15. Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines
16. Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
17. I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late
18. You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
19. I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen
20. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
21. I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you
22. I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch
23. Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear
24. Eddie edited it
25. Willie’s really weary
26. A big black bear sat on a big black rug
27. Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks
28. He threw three free throws
29. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely
30. So, this is the sushi chef
31. Four fine fresh fish for you
32. Wayne went to wales to watch walruses
33. Six sticky skeletons
34. Which witch is which?
35. Snap crackle pop
36. Flash message
37. Red Buick, blue Buick
38. Red lorry, yellow lorry
39. Thin sticks, thick bricks
40. Stupid superstition
41. Eleven benevolent elephants
42. Two tried and true tridents
43. Rolling red wagons
44. Black back bat
45. She sees cheese
46. Truly rural
47. Good blood, bad blood
48. Pre-shrunk silk shirts
49. Ed had edited it.
50. We surely shall see the sun shine soon
51. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
52. Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread
53. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better
Third is the reading skill. We read several books and paragraphs about different topics to enhance our reading skill:
Two of my favorite books are; Pamela or Virtue Rewarded which is an epistolary novel first published in 1740 by the English writer Samuel Richardson.; and I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (2006) which is a young adult fiction novel written by Ally Carter and is the first of seven books in the Gallagher Girls series.
In addition to the series of horror/ fantasy Goosebumps by R. L. Stine, Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets and poems by Rudyard Kipling. Here are some random reading comprehensions to read with your children:
The Flowerbed
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Eve. She loved flowers and especially daffodils. She wanted to have her own garden someday, but she was only seven years old. She decided she will start her garden with a flowerbed, but she was not sure which flower should she start with. Thus, she decided to read more about flowers and learn how to plant them.
She learned that Roses are best planted in the spring or in fall. Planting early enough in fall gives the roots enough time to get established before the plants go dormant over the winter. As for daffodils, she discovered that it is known as Daffodil bulbs and that they are best planted in September or November in a well-drained soil.
They will grow well in the sun or part shade. Finally, she decided she will plant a cactus since they have a one similar to it in the classroom. She asked her teacher if a cactus was a flower and if it is possible to make a flower bed out of it. The teacher smiled and told her she should start with one plant and go from there. She told her how to plant a cactus and Eve did it!
Learn more:
Mr. Stranger
Once upon a time, there was a boy named Adam. Adam was five years old. One day, he was swinging in the park with his mother sitting close to him and pushing him on the swing. Adam was having so much fun till he saw an old man talking to himself in the streets.
The old man was tall, he had a hunchback, a long white beard and hair, he was wearing ripped black pants and a ripped green shirt and he looked and smelled funny to Adam. Adam wondered “Why is he sitting on the street?”
His mother got a phone call so she gave her son a bonbon till she gets the call. Adam took the bonbon and went directly to Mr. Stranger as he called him. The old man looked at Adam and was surprised by Adam’s gesture.
Adam gave him the bonbon and the old man smiled and disappeared into thin air as if he was not even there. Adam went back to his mother who just finished her phone call and Adam kept swinging.
Take a few minutes to check the story of the goats:
The Lion Cat
Tippsy is Frank’s cat. Frank is nine years old. He takes care of Tippsy all on his own. He brushes her hair, feeds her, cleans her, and plays with her. Frank loved Tippsy so much. One day, Tippsy decided to go on an adventure without telling Frank.
She went to the forest on her own. Frank was worried and kept looking for her. Tippsy met a bear and ran from him until she was at the river and she met a fish that she decided to eat. She ran and ran till she met a lion that was sleeping.
Tippsy played with the lion after waking him up and they became friends. The next day, Tippsy woke up and remembered her human friend, Frank! She ran back to the bear with her friend the lion who protected her until she went home safely to Frank.
Frank hugged Tippsy and laughed happily while crying and asking her where she went but Tippsy only answered him; Meow?
Take a few minutes to check Rapunzel:
Finally, the writing skill. Writing is enhanced by practice and the more you write about a variety of topics the better you become at writing. Hence, here are some random topics from all over the internet to write about:
Ø Argumentative Essay Topics
· Should plastic be banned?
· Pollution and Urbanization
· Free Education
· Limited access to the Internet?
· Facebook should be banned
· PUBG
Ø Essay Topics on Technology
· Technology
· Computer
· Mobile Phones
· Internet
· Newspaper
· Science
Ø Essay Topics on Festivals and Events
· Teachers Day
· Summer Vacation
· Christmas
· Children’s Day
Ø Essay Topics on Education
· Education
· Importance of Education
· Technology and Education
Ø Essay Topics on Animals and Birds
· Dog
· Lion
· Peacock
· Cat
· Favorite Animal
· Parrot
Ø Essays Topics About Yourself
· Family
· Best Friend
· Hobbies
· Mother
· Father
· Favorite Teacher
· Favorite Game
· My Village
· My Dream House
· Dreams
· Favorite Book
· Ambition
· Summer Vacation
· Pets
· School Life
· I Love My Family
· Favorite Subject
· My Father My Hero
· My Garden
· My Self
· The School Library
· Favorite Author
· My plans
· My School
· Friendship
Ø Essay Topics Based on Environment and Nature
· Pollution
· Global Warming
· Save Trees
· Environment
· Save Earth
· Air Pollution
· Environmental Pollution
· Water Pollution
· Save Water
· Rainy Season
· Climate Change
· Nature
· Importance Of Trees
· Winter Season
· Rainy Day
· Deforestation
· Natural Disasters
· Flood
· Save Environment
· Summer Season
· Water
Ø Essay Topics Based on Proverbs
· Health Is Wealth
· A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
· An Apple a Day Keeps Doctor Away
· Where there is a will, there is way
· Time and Tide wait for none
However, bear in mind the difference between an essay and a paragraph. A paragraph consists of 7- 12 sentences of about 5- 12 words per sentence.
An essay can be anything from around 2-12 paragraphs or more. Both have different types; Narration, Example, Process Analysis, Division/ Clarification, Comparison/ Contrast, Definition, Cause/ Effect, Argument/ Persuasion. But what is a sentence, really? A sentence is the expression of a complete thought or a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
We come to our next stop, the mind. Education is a process like any other. It requires language, as we discussed elaborately, to be delivered and an open mind to receive. However, is there some sort of tips and tricks in psychology that can aid us in educating the young minds of tomorrow?
The answer is yes. Psychology is quite a vast sea of knowledge. So, we have to be aware of what our purpose is and search for ways to achieve it. Our purpose is to educate, so we have to learn how to communicate information to the child’s mind.
Here comes a few psychological facts every teacher and parent must always remember;
Some students learn visually. Others learn by touch, hearing and even smell. If a teacher comes to the classroom knowing that students learn differently, they will be ready to arrange lessons in such a way that all senses are activated.
With such a mindset a parent will be more aware of the child’s needs and capabilities. In turn, they will be able to prepare and offer the information required to be studied in the most beneficial manner a child can learn in.
Take geography as an example on LearningMole.com. According to educational psychology, teaching a child about the states and capitals of different countries should be reinforced in three different ways.
For visual learners, it is preferable to use maps and worksheets. As for auditory learners, it is best to create a song that helps them remember what state and capital go together. Finally for the kinesthetic learners, we have to activate the body.
Maybe by doing hand motions with the song, or do a map game on the floor, where the learner has to hop from state to state as the capitals are called out.
The Kinesthetic learners are the hardest. Especially in a traditional setting. They require activating most, if not all, of their senses to absorb and comprehend the required education. Thus, space and opportunity are a must.
However, traditional setting in delivering education does not suffice such needs. Kinesthetic learners learn through trial and error. They need to make their own mistakes and learn from them the right way to do something.
It can be hard to achieve such measures for kinesthetic learners. However, it will be worth it. Be it, in a classroom or at home, a kinesthetic child will push the boundaries of his peers, classmates or siblings, to the imaginary extent.
Which in turn, will allow for more room for improvement, enhance the learning process as well as be a fun experience for both the learner and the teacher or the parent. Give us a quick visit at fun crafts that might help you pinpoint a kinesthetic learner on LearningMole.com.
· Visual: Use the sight sense
· Auditory: Use songs or rhythms
· Verbal: Speaking the information out loud
· Kinesthetic: Use touch and taste to explore the information
· Logical: A more mathematical approach to concepts
· Interpersonal: Learning in groups
· Intrapersonal: Learning alone
So, you need to go an extra mile in exploring your child’s learning abilities to determine which type of learning is best suited for them to receive the education that can later on develop them into the minds of today.
Information can only be stored in the permanent storage of the mind when it is related to everyday events. For example, math concepts like ours on LearningMole.com must be reinforced and applied in real life by the usage of examples or else, the student will have no reason to absorb the information for any other purpose beyond the exam.
Thus, history is one of the most difficult subjects to bring to the present everyday life for different educational reasons, of which; it mainly deals with past events, dates, and people that are dead and gone for many years now.
Finding strategies that are rooted in educational psychology to bring it to life will enhance the process of learning. History is preferably experienced through first-hand accounts, like; museums, field trips and other engaging activities.
People learn from failure and mistakes. In fact, ask any successful person what helped them become who they are now. You will find it is usually a story that goes back to a big “mess-up”. Perfect scores are not the aim as much as mistakes and failure because with our imperfections and mess- up we learn what perfection is.
However, classic grading systems don’t help with such theory, as grades have become inflated, feared, and used as the judge and jury of whether you learned or not, but what did you actually learn? Thus, learning from failure became anything but easy.
It’s not just about “reflecting” upon what you did anymore. It is about changing your mindset and accepting it is a process. Join us in our journey of education on LearningMole.com.
Instead of keeping each subject separate, curriculums that use thematic units enhance the process of learning and education to blend knowledge together in a creative way that is useful and memorable.
For example, a unit on Egyptian history could incorporate history lessons, a unit on linguistics and language (with the hieroglyphics), a science unit (physics and the building of the pyramids), a writing unit (a report on a child’s favorite Egyptian monument), and reading a book about the ancient culture.
The more you mix, the more you learn. Start your learning journey with us on LearningMole.com.
Educational psychology teaches us to take a moment and consider what the learning process really means. The word “learn” varies in meaning. In the classroom, it can be the ability to spout back facts and information for the test.
While on the other hand, there are other forms of learning that are just as important. Taken from Route Ledge Education:
· Memorization
· Acquiring facts or procedures
· Understanding reality
· Making sense of the world
The dilemma of introversion vs extraversion. The debate, of course, reached our classrooms. Teachers might not be fans of their introverted students but why?
Maybe because it’s very easy to assume that “group work” is always the best approach to teach teamwork and ethics. Also, that students who raise their hands are attentive and knowledgeable. However, those students who prefer to work alone are loners who need to step out of their bubbles.
All of which is not necessarily true. Start by taking some time to read up on the latest educational psychology on the topic. Because actually, introversion is a type of personality. It is not a disease or symptom to be treated or dealt with anymore. Introverts are creative, visionary and realistic.
It does not necessarily mean that the other students are not, but it just gives you a quick perspective shift in order to enhance the educational process.
This is somewhat of both a psychological and a logistical suggestion. As creativity is the birthplace of true learning, where a student can initiate thoughts, ideas, problems, and make connections between concepts.
By using the right side of the brain which is the part responsible for creativity. Leaving space allows the chance for creativity to ignite. Logistically, give the student a place to stretch out, move around, or just gaze at the sky.
During a lesson, allow for brainstorming sessions. Leave gaps in the order, so that students can create their own projects using the facts and theories they learned from the lesson taught in class.
A teacher knows how to enable a student to learn. Especially when the teacher becomes a quiet mentor on the sidelines, rather than the dictator of every move or step.
Let them take their own baby steps. So let us brighten our workspace together on LearningMole.com.
When a person wants to memorize a long number, like a phone number, they divide the digits into easy patterns. This is probably because the brain finds it hard to keep a long list of numbers. However, it can do so when they are organized meaningfully.
The same principle applies to classes. Educational psychology tells us a 30-minute class that is not structured with categories, or organized into easy-to-recall bullets, will not be as effective as the one that is.
Another example is, that the media produce news in sound bites because they know they only have a small window of time to grab a person’s attention; teachers should study the marketing techniques of media. That will sort of assemble the information that is retainable. We can help out on LearningMole.com.
For example, if a science teacher is teaching photosynthesis, the students will benefit from investigating the same concept from different angles, such as we do in learning science, and experiment with us on LearningMole.com.
First, the teacher explains the concept. This provides a framework and a context to work with. Second, they explore each part of the process in elaborated details. Third, they explain the whole process again, but this time encouraging students to ask questions.
Fourth, they ask the students to explain it back to them. Finally, they take the process and put it in a relevant everyday situation that stretches the student’s ability to apply the information in real life.
As they reinforce the concept with different angles, the brain will be able to organize the information better. Trying to cover all of the points in one angle will only overwhelm and tire out most students.
This tip, from educational psychology, has been confirmed throughout the years in teaching literature and in improving the educational system overall.
Memorization, according to Educational psychology, helps remember rules and facts, depending on the information that is. For example, for the learning of the multiplication tables from 0-12, shallow learning is helpful (flash cards, timed quizzes, etc.).
Here, try it out for yourself on LearningMole.com. Still we can get creative with some Math tricks:
However, using this technique during a history lesson will not help. A student may in fact know all the dates of the important world wars. Still, they will do so without understanding the social themes and lessons learned from these atrocities. They will have most certainly missed the point of learning history.
We have open access to knowledge and information. With the tap of a tablet or a smartphone, a student can get instant answers to questions. In other words, memorization is no longer as big of a deal as it once was before.
Oral traditions and the passing on of information verbally are becoming extinct. So, rather than resisting the advance of technology, teachers can take the opportunity to delve deep with the students in this fast-paced technological world. That is because they do not have to waste time trying to find facts that are a fingertip away.
Rather, they can spend time exploring themes, studying deeper issues, teaching the art of invention and creativity, discovering the philosophy of critical thinking, and encouraging innovation. We have to keep up with our drastically changing times. Like we used to say; in drastic times, we take drastic measures.
Make sure to check our very own drastic measures on LearningMole.com.
One of the effective methods for absorbing information and enhancing education is to pass on that information to another. Provide students with an opportunity to give lectures, presentations, and develop lesson plans of their own making.
Teachers may instruct students to create a lesson plan for a younger child. Even if the concept is difficult. This guides students to simplify the theory, find relatable stories and real-life examples, and deconstruct the concepts into bite-size pieces.
We know that when students are interested in a subject, they learn faster and more efficiently. They have more focus, tenacity, and initiative. They engage and invest in the material. Teachers may give students the freedom to choose their own topics. That will motivate a class that may be stuck in a rut or lacking motivation.
Learning how to engage a student’s appetite for information ignites their senses to go after the answer with a hunger for knowledge and education.
Since we are mentioning hunger, why don’t you give our cooking for children a visit on LearningMole.com? Or maybe try out our cooking lessons:
We all know how the old saying goes, “Two heads are better than one,” which is true in some cases. Brainstorming is the birthplace of great ideas. However, new studies in educational psychology suggest that might not be so true.
Brainstorming does introduce groupthink – which is a psychological phenomenon where the group forms its own beliefs – but what happens when it doesn’t? Then, the most charismatic individual tends to take over. Thus, groups are not where ideas are born. Groups are where ideas are evaluated.
Psychologists agreed that it takes approximately 30 days for a new habit to take place. As we see with parents who are teaching children a new routine. Like; brushing their own teeth. The parents have to help their child for at least 30 consecutive days.
That is before the brain turns itself to “auto-pilot”. This is when it becomes a regular habit. So should we in learning. The same concept applies. Teachers may explain to students how important daily studies. Rather than cramming, the night before.
The small and daily rehearsing of information makes way in the brain for the information to remain permanently. Study habits can become regular. It just needs guided encouragement to keep going while the brain catches up to the new norm.
In the same way that failure enhances the learning process, feedback is important to the learning process. When students can understand their strengths and weaknesses, they know where they need to improve and what deserves a pat on the back.
When they learn to accept and receive constructive criticism, that is when they learn to grow and mature. When they are redirected to the areas that need assistance, the overall process of learning is enhanced.
That much you probably already know.
However, studies have shown that when you give feedback, it matters just as much as what the feedback actually is that you are giving. Imagine taking a pill now but only being able to see its effect in 5 years vs in 24 hours. Do you get the point?
“Learning” is an abstract concept. Abstract means that it is not tangible, but an idea. We have to help students understand the art of learning, the techniques of learning, as well as the different learning styles. So that, they will be empowered by the process of becoming better suited individuals to shoulder the future of tomorrow.
It can be quite the setback when a new topic or theory is difficult. However, students who understand how to learn will have more patience with themselves and others as they grasp new material. They have to acknowledge that learning is a slow process in the education journey overall.
We move on from Educational psychology to some fun facts about colors, animals, astronomy and zodiac. So first off is colors, what do we actually know about colors?
There are three Primary Colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue. There are three Secondary Colors: Orange, Green, and Purple. Six Tertiary Colors that are formed by mixing a primary with a secondary. What do colors mean? (From SmashingMagazine.com)
Red is associated with hotness, fire, violence, love and passion, anger, and importance. For example, the red carpet at awards shows and celebrity events. Also, red means danger. That is why stop lights and signs are red and warning labels are often red.
Red has different associations all over the world. For example, in China, red is the color of prosperity and happiness. In other eastern cultures, red is worn by brides on their wedding days. In South Africa, however, red is the color of mourning.
Yellow is one of the brightest and most energizing of the warm colors. It’s associated with happiness, sunshine, deceit, danger, cowardice, and hope. As it can be seen in some countries when yellow ribbons are displayed by families who have loved ones at war.
In some countries, yellow has very different connotations. In Japan, it represents courage and in India it’s what merchants wear.
Blue is associated with sadness, peace, and calmness. Light blue is refreshing and friendly. While dark blue represents strength, responsibility and reliability.
Orange is vibrant and energetic. It can be associated with change, the fruit, creativity, movement, earth, autumn, health.
Green is down-to-earth since it is the color of forests and nature. It can represent new beginnings, renewal, abundance, and envy, a lack of experience, jealousy and growth. Green is similar to blue in its calming nature, but it also represents some of the energy of the color yellow.
Purple is associated with creativity and imagination. It is a combination of red and blue and is similar to both. The material used to be extracted from snails to form the color. Thus, it was very expensive and only wealthy people could afford it. Dark purple is associated with wealth and royalty, while lavender is considered romantic.
Animals are creatures living on the earth with us. We need to know more about them and learn fun facts that could come in handy later on. Let us agree that we all just adore cute animals.
Animals are not just cute and live in the ocean. They can also be on the ground and dangerous as we can learn:
Now let us remember the alphabet together using animals:
Insects are also creatures living with us on earth. Thus, let us know more about them on LearningMole.com.
Finally, let us shout out a big HELLO to our extinct friends:
Learn even more on LearningMole.com.
Now moving onto astronomy. Astronomy is the study of everything in the universe and space.
That includes objects we can see with our naked eyes, like the Sun, the Moon, the planets, and the stars. It also includes objects we can only see with telescopes or other instruments, like faraway galaxies, and meteors. We should remember:
What is a star? Stars are giant balls of superhot gas. That is made up of hydrogen and helium. They can be so hot by burning hydrogen into helium. That is called nuclear fusion. That is probably what makes them so hot and bright. Our Sun is a star by the way. Outer space is full of wonders so make sure to check out more at LearningMole.com.
Astronomy is an important aspect of education. We need to learn more about the earth we live in, the moon and the planets surrounding it. So let us begin our journey of learning through astronomical education together:
Each planet has a moon or a set of moons surrounding its orbit. It is important to know a few facts about the moon surrounding our earth. You can find all of this information:
Now that we know so much about outer space, how about we observe the planets surrounding our earth together!
· Earth
· Jupiter
· Neptune
· Saturn
Learn more about Saturn:
· Uranus
· Mars
Learn some facts about Mars:
· Venus
It is the hottest planet. Learn more:
· Mercury
Not the hottest planet, but it is the smallest! Learn more:
Now after all of this information, Can you guess which the coolest planet is with us:
Zodiac is an area of the sky. It extends approximately 8° north or south of the ecliptic. The paths of the Moon and other visible planets are also included within the belt of the zodiac. It is also an imaginary belt of the heavens within which are the apparent paths of the sun, moon, and principal planets.
It contains twelve constellations and hence twelve divisions called signs of the zodiac. Each occupies 30° of celestial longitude and roughly corresponds to the star constellations. They are 12.
1- Aries
2- Taurus
3- Gemini
4- Cancer
5- Leo
6- Virgo
7- Libra
8- Scorpio
9- Sagittarius
10- Capricorn
11- Aquarius
12- Pisces.
Each sign has its own strong points as well as its weak points, and its own specific traits. People analyzed the projection of the position of planets. The position of the Sun and the Moon on the Ecliptic. All at the moment of birth.
Maybe astrology can give us a glimpse of a person’s basic possible characteristics. Astrology aims to help us focus our energy on the positive aspects. Maybe gain a better understanding of our potential and our positive traits and deal with the negative ones.
Each of the 12 horoscope signs belongs to one of the four elements: Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These elements represent a type of energy that is present in each one of us. Air signs are thinkers, friendly, intellectual, communicative, analytical, rational, social and form relationships with other people.
They love giving advice, philosophical discussions, social gatherings and good books. The Air Signs are considered Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Fire signs are passionate, dynamic, adventurers, with energy, a source of inspiration, intelligent, self-aware, creative, idealistic people, always ready for action, and physically very strong.
They get angry quickly but forgive quickly as well. The Fire Signs are considered Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
Water signs are emotional, intuitive, mysterious as the ocean, in love with profound conversations, secretive, support for their loved ones and ultra-sensitive. The Water Signs are considered Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
Earth signs are mostly conservative and realistic, very emotional, connected to our material reality, practical, loyal and stable. They support their loved ones through hard times. The Earth Signs are considered Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
Astrology to some is considered art while to others it is a science. Since its explanation is needed to bring different aspects together and formulate an idea about the individual’s character traits. Thus, it is considered art.
On the other hand, the mathematical part of astrology is also considered to be scientific and that may be because it requires an understanding of science as well as math. It has different forms throughout different cultures.
For example, Chinese astrology is based on traditional astronomy. In other words, the development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy. Also, the Chinese Zodiac is one of the oldest known zodiac systems in the world.
It consists of twelve animals. Each animal represents a certain year. The story goes that a race was organized by the Jade Emperor, one of the most important gods in the traditional Chinese religion, who invited all the animals in the world to take part.
Twelve species turned up at the start line: a pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox and rat. According to Chinese astrology, the year of a person’s birth is represented by one of these animals. In addition to the animal zodiac signs, there are five elements of nature in Chinese astrology, namely: water, wood, fire, earth and metal.
· Water element is the birth years ending in 2 or 3
· Wood element is the birth years ending in 4 or 5
· Fire element is the birth years ending in 6 or 7
· Earth element is the birth years ending in 8 or 9
· Metal element is the birth years ending in 0 or 1
Chinese people believe that our birth year can influence our attitude and potential. They also believe that animal birth signs have symbolism and represent specific behavioral characteristics. So which Chinese zodiac element are you?
Ø Horoscope Dates (Taken from astrology-zodiac-signs online)
· Aries (March 21 To April 19)
· Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
· Gemini (May 21 – June 21)
· Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
· Leo (July 23 -August 22)
· Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
· Libra (September 23 – October 22)
· Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
· Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
· Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
· Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
· Pisces (February 19- March 20)
Now that we know so much about which zodiac we are and which element it is, why don’t we get to know their traits before moving on to our next stop? Traits are the characteristics of their personalities.
Aries traits are:
· Strong points: Courageous, determined, confident, enthusiastic, optimistic, honest, and passionate
· Weak points: Impatient, moody, short-tempered, impulsive, and aggressive
Taurus traits are:
· Strong points: Reliable, patient, practical, devoted, responsible, and stable
· Weak points: Stubborn, possessive, and uncompromising
Gemini traits are:
· Strong points: Gentle, affectionate, curious, adaptable, learn quickly and exchange ideas
· Weak points: Nervous, inconsistent, and indecisive
Cancer traits are:
· Strong points: Tenacious, imaginative, loyal, emotional, sympathetic, and persuasive
· Weak points: Moody, pessimistic, suspicious, manipulative, and insecure
Leo traits are:
· Strong points: Creative, passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful, and humorous
· Weak points: Arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, lazy, and inflexible
Virgo traits are:
· Strong points: Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, and practical
· Weak points: Shyness, worry, critical, and all work
Libra traits are:
· Strong points: Cooperative, diplomatic, gracious, fair-minded, and social
· Weak points: Indecisive, avoids confrontations, will hold a grudge, and self-pity
Scorpio traits are:
· Strong points: Resourceful, powerful, brave, passionate, and a true friend
· Weak points: Distrusting, jealous, manipulative, and violent
Sagittarius traits are:
· Strong points: Generous, idealistic, and has a good sense of humor
· Weak points: Promises a lot, impatient, and undiplomatic
Capricorn traits are:
· Strong points:: Responsible, disciplined, self-controlled, good managers
· Weak points: Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst
Aquarius traits are:
· Strong points: Progressive, original, independent, and humanitarian
· Weak points: serious, temperamental, uncompromising, and aloof
Pisces traits are:
· Strong points: Compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise, and musical
· Weak points: Fearful, trusting, sad, and dreamy
Moving up onto our next stop: Fables, Fairytales and Legends! We have so many stories to tell you so buckle up because it is going to be a fun ride. Learn more:
A Fable is a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral. Let us read some fables together.
The Grapes Fox
Once Upon a time, there lived a fox in his small house. He loved to hunt and play all day. One day, when he was running up and down, playing in the fields and jumping happily, he saw a bush on a high cliff.
The bush had beautiful shiny red grapes. The fox wanted to eat those grapes so much because they looked so delicious. He tried to reach the cliff, but he failed. He tried again, but failed. He kept trying again and again, but still failed. In the end, the fox was so angry because he could not reach the beautiful shiny grapes and left.
My Brave Friend
Once upon a time, there was a big mighty lion. He was so big and brave. He lived in the forest. He loved to play and sleep. On a sunny day, he saw a mouse who was running so fast because the mouse was scared. The lion woke up and chased the mouse.
He hunted the mouse and caught it. The mouse begged the mighty lion to leave him be. The mouse was so scared. So, the lion decided to let the mouse go. The mouse was so happy and hugged the lion.
The mouse thanked the lion and promised to repay him. The lion laughed and told the mouse he cannot repay this. The mouse left. A few days later, when the lion was hunting again, he got stuck in a hunter’s net.
The mouse saw the trapped lion and ran to his rescue. The mouse used his teeth to bite the net and free the lion. The lion was surprised and thanked the brave mouse. They became friends and played together all day.
The Race
Once upon a time, there used to be a tortoise and a rabbit. They were friends. They loved to challenge each other. One day, the rabbit challenged the tortoise to a foot race knowing she does not have a chance.
The tortoise accepted the challenge because she wanted to teach the rabbit a lesson. On the day of the race, the rabbit sprints and then rests under a tree while the tortoise is still at the starting line running steadily but slowly.
A while later, the rabbit takes another sprint and rests under another tree while the tortoise is still at the starting line. The rabbit falls asleep and the tortoise passes by him and keeps going. When the rabbit woke up, the tortoise had already won the race.
Fairy Tales are children’s stories about magical and imaginary beings and lands. Learn more:
Let us read some fairytales together.
Pinocchio
Once Upon a time, there was an old man named Gru. Gru was a wood maker. He made all sorts of things from wood. Gru was lonely so he decided he will create a toy from wood to talk to.
Gru made a wish before going to sleep that when he wakes up the toy will turn real. It turned out Gru used magical rare wood from an unknown Oak tree by coincidence and he did not even know.
The next day, he found his wooden toy alive and playing with his stuff. Gru was surprised and asked the toy: How? The toy answered him: You wished, right? So Gru decided to name the toy Pinocchio. Pinocchio and Gru became best friends and it turned out that every time Pinocchio lies his nose grows longer.
Little Red Riding Hood
Once Upon a time, there was a girl named Emily. Emily was beautiful and happy. She played and studied all the time. She always wore a red cape that her grandmother made her. One day, her mother asked her to bring some food to her grandmother in the woods but reminded her to beware of the animals. Emily said she will be careful.
When she started her journey, she met a bird chirping. He asked her what was in her basket. She answered: Food. The bird asked for some. She said no. So the bird did not let her continue her way.
Emily decided to give the bird some food so that she can continue her way. She gave him the bread in the basket and then she only had jam and cheese left. Emily continued her way until she came across a huge bear.
The bear asked her for food, but she said no! The bear did not let her pass. Emily decided to give him the jam and continue her way. While walking, Emily came across a cute little mouse who was crying.
She wondered what was wrong and the mouse told her that he was hungry. Emily decided to help the mouse and give him the cheese, but now her basket was empty. Emily nearly arrived at her grandmother’s house when she met the wolf.
The wolf asked her what was in the basket? She said it was empty because all the animals took her grandmother’s food. The wolf decided to give Emily the bread and the jam he took from the animals while following her but under one condition. His condition was to take him to her grandmother’s house.
The Ugly Duckling
Once upon a time, there was a yellow baby duckling crying out. She was lonely and sad. All her siblings were white, but she was yellow. She tried to wash her body in the river so that she would turn white, but it was no use.
Yellow was her color and she could not change it. She decided she will wear a white costume to hide her color. It was still useless because her costume got wet when she jumped in the water.
She tried to paint herself white, but the color came off when she jumped in the water. Then, she kept crying until she met another beautiful yellow duckling when she looked at the river.
A Legend is a famous traditional story that does not have to be necessarily true. Ali Baba, Atlantis, and Bigfoot. Some legends are stories about real people; others are not. So let us read some legends together:
Ali Baba
Once upon a time there was a man named Ali Baba. He worked as a painter. Then one day a group of thieves came to the village and raided it. They stole all the money, food and toys! Ali Baba rode his horse and ran after them.
He followed them deep into the desert where they arrived at a secret cave hidden deep in a mountain of sand. The cave was closed shut with a big metal door that looked impossible to open. Then, one of the thieves said: Open Says Me! And the door opened! They entered and put their stolen goods and then went out and ran back.
Ali Baba waited until they all left and went up to the door and said: Open Says Me! And the door opened! It led to a secret tunnel in the mountain. Ali Baba went in and took all the stolen goods and saw a map.
The map had a lot of villages marked with a big red X. Ali Baba understood it was the villages the thieves raided and decided he will return all the stolen goods to their owners!
Atlantis
Once upon a time, there was a floating island called Atlantis. The island belonged to a man named Rulf. Rulf had a daughter named Hope. Hope was so beautiful with long white hair like her mother.
Rulf was the chief of the tribe which means he was the leader on the island. Everyone loved Rulf and his family. One day, when Hope was playing in the forbidden fields, she fell and broke her leg. She could not move or call for help. Rulf kept looking for his daughter and ignored the island’s people who kept asking him for help as their leader.
Rulf believed he was the one who needed help finding his daughter. He looked everywhere for her. In the fields, the houses, the rivers, but he did not think she would go to the forbidden fields.
That night, Hope kept singing a magical song that her mother taught her whenever in danger to sing. Rulf heard the magical song and followed it until he reached his daughter. She asked him why the grounds she was playing in were forbidden.
Rulf told her it was because long ago, his ancestors used technology the wrong way and that led to their destruction and the fall of Atlantis. That is why these grounds are forbidden, but Rulf did not know that Hope took a rock from the forbidden fields with her back home.
Bigfoot
Once upon a time, there was a big hairy creature with two big feet. His name was Bigfoot. Everyone made fun of Bigfoot because of his weird look and big feet. He was always sad and alone.
People threw stuff at him to make him go away because they were scared of him and his appearance. Until one day, Bigfoot met Jake. Jake was a young brave boy who was kind to Bigfoot.
Jake told him it did not matter what he looked like as long as he was good on the inside. Bigfoot and Jake became fast friends and people were surprised. Jake told them Bigfoot was angry and sad because of how they treated him, but now he has a friend to rely on so it does not matter to him anymore.
The people apologized to Bigfoot and played with him. Bigfoot was now happy and he had so many friends, but his best was and will always be Jake.
The world of music is a beautiful world. It is full of art. This is another aspect of education. Music helps us learn better and faster in a peaceful environment. So, let us learn more about music on LearningMole.com.
Music is all about songs and tracks. A song has lyrics, whereas a track has rhythm and rhyme that form a beat. A poem can contain music. First kind of music is Lullabies. Lullabies are gentle songs we sing before sleeping, like: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Second is nursery rhymes. Nursery rhymes are simple traditional songs or poems for children. For example, The Incy Wincy spider nursery rhyme.
Third is folk songs. Folk Songs are popular traditional songs, like: Oh Danny Boy (A Londonderry Air). It is an Irish Folk Song and the National Anthem of Northern Ireland. Fourth and last but not least, musical tracks and symphonies, like: Fur Elise by Beethoven.
At the end of this journey of education, we need to craft something memorable:
Tangible education depends on the touch and creations of the hand, like on LearningMole.com.
Let us talk more about this amazingly distinguished Japanese or maybe Chinese art? The name origami is a Japanese term from the words oru (to fold) and kami (paper). In China, the art of folding paper is referred to by the usage of the Chinese name zhezhi.
Paper folding was first used in China for ceremonial purposes in celebrations. Any type of paper can be folded and turned into Origami. We have our very own crafts, like you previously saw!
Recycling is important. Find out why:
In addition to being a creative way to get our minds to invent and reuse stuff, it is also the perfect solution for pollution.
As it does not only reuse abundant materials, but it also frees up lots of space on earth and in our homes. Thus, recycling is an undeniably important aspect of education. We have to raise awareness and share our education about recycling with others, so make sure to check LearningMole.com.
Recycling paper is believed to be useless, but as we mentioned it can be recycled as origami gifts or decoration as well as pencil cases. There are so many more ways to recycle paper, but first you need to know how it is actually recycled:
We come to the end of our journey. It was so much fun. We learned about all sorts of different aspects of education. We know so much more than what we used to. The important part is what we do with the knowledge we now have acquired.
Are we going to keep on sharing it so that others will learn as well about all the different aspects of education or are we going to keep it to ourselves? Knowledge is meant to be shared. So share the knowledge. It is only one tab away. Share so that others can have as much fun as you had as well reading this journey of educational aspects.
Education can be a fun topic when you want it to be. We learned about language and what it meant. Scientists had different opinions about how we acquire language. We acquire language in different ways.
We discussed their theories as well as opinions and decided on our own. Language has four skills to practice and each skill is practiced in many different ways. We explained those skills and gave examples on how to practice them with elaboration. Finally, we gave examples and had fun explaining them.
Then, we talked about the 20 Principles in Educational Psychology. Also, we mentioned lots of fun facts about all sorts of different topics: colours, animals, science & astronomy and zodiac. Then, we had a beautiful adventure in the world of fantasy. We told fables, fairy tales and legends.
We even learned different lullabies, sang folk songs, and enjoyed the musical world together. At the end, we crafted and recycled. Our journey was so much fun. Education is indeed fun.
Let us know your thoughts on this journey we had together. Make sure to contact us and update us on any suggestions because we just adore listening to all of you all over the world! Cannot wait to hear from you! Describe your experience in your very own words and tell us what it was that you felt throughout this journey. See you on our next journey, friend!
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