theSun, Tue, 6 Jul 2010
CHILDREN, like adults, need to exercise regularly to stay healthy. Exercise actually involves physical activity, and when children run around, hop about and dance along to their favourite music, they are exercising.
While it is good to enrol children in exercise-related classes such as swimming, martial arts, dance or gymnastics, children also need unstructured playtime to keep them active constantly in between those structured exercise sessions.
Experts recommend at least 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise for children above two years of age. It is quite common these days to see children sedentary for long periods due to the availability of media-related distractions such as television, computer and game consoles. Media time has to be controlled so that children can get some ‘total body workout’.
It has been found that sitting in front of the television munching on unhealthy snacks and exercising only your fingers by playing computer games have contributed to an increase in child obesity cases around the world.
According to kidshealth.org, active children will have stronger muscles and bones; a leaner body because exercise helps control body fat; be less likely to become overweight; have lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes; with possibly lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels; and have a better outlook on life.
They will also sleep better at night and are better able to handle physical and emotional challenges.
Make exercise a fun family affair so that they will be eager to participate. Children whose parents are active and exercise regularly are more likely to follow in their footsteps.
These days, with crime rates rising, parents may fear harm befalling their children if they are let out on their own to play outside.
If possible, it is best to accompany your children when they are outdoors and join them in their physical activities. Not only will your children be safe but it will give you the opportunity to spend quality time bonding with them.
You can also take them to the many purpose-built activity centres that have mushroomed around town. For a fee, these places offer activities ranging from toddlers’ gym, inline skating, indoor playground, dance and martial arts classes to indoor rock climbing. Most are located in strategic places such as shopping malls and offer ‘park-and-play’ services where you can ‘park’ your child under proper supervision while you shop or run errands nearby.
You can also play with your children within your house compound if it is not convenient to go to public places. Organise activities such as skipping and playing tag, or indulge in games like hopscotch and hide-and-seek.
You can also dance to fast songs or twirl the hula hoop. Put on a fun exercise DVD that is age-appropriate for your children and get them moving along with it if it is raining and you can’t go outside.
Play ‘pretend’ games such as having to jump over imaginary puddles to reach the ‘treasure chest’, ‘Mother Hen’, tug-of-war, or create a simple obstacle course that makes them run, hop, jump, crawl and climb.
The main idea is to simply get everyone moving regularly, working up some sweat and along with that an appetite for nutritious food to create a family that is happy, healthy and fit.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Duty-bound kids
Children should be taught responsibility at a young age to enable them to grow up into conscientious adults
theSun, Tue, 22 Jun 2010
RESPONSIBILITY is something we need to teach our children. It is not something they can ‘pick up’ along the way as they grow older.
A child will not realise that he needs to tidy up his toys after playing if you don’t teach him to do so. He may not understand that it matters to be punctual for a meeting or a dinner appointment if you don’t model the right example.
Young children learn from mimicking us while the older ones may see through our double standards if we don’t practise what we preach.
Do we leave our things lying around in a messy heap? Do we keep our promises or are we always late for appointments? Do we spend our money carefully? Do we procrastinate or do the important things that have to be done even if we don’t feel like it?
Children as young as three can be taught responsibility, starting with simple chores such as picking up their toys and books and putting them back where they belong.
‘A place for everything, and everything in its place’ is a good mantra for everyone in the family to remember and learn to be responsible for their belongings and keep them in neat and good condition.
School-going children can be tasked with the responsibility of making their own beds, packing their own schoolbags or helping out with simple household chores such as sweeping the floor, feeding a pet or washing the dishes. The important thing is that the task should be age-appropriate and need not be completed perfectly.
Provide them with the tools but let them do the job themselves. Do not criticise if the job is not done well. Instead, encourage and praise them for their effort.
Don’t overwhelm them all of a sudden with too many responsibilities. Setting them up for failure with too many tasks will discourage them. Small successes will motivate them to want to carry out all their responsibilities voluntarily without being nagged to do so.
If they are irresponsible, allow them to face the consequences. We may be tempted to make another trip to school to hand over the book he left behind, or we may want to sit down with him and help him do every bit of his homework, but if we did, we will not be teaching him to be responsible.
Children need to learn to manage the situation and deal with the consequences of their irresponsibility. We need to refrain from rescuing them all the time.
Teach your child to manage money. Let him keep his savings (as long as it’s not too huge a sum) and learn not to spend more than he has. Inculcate in him the habit to save and that it is not good to borrow money if he doesn’t have enough to buy something he wants. Encourage him to save until he has enough money to buy it.
Let him participate in team-related activities, or do volunteer work and part-time jobs when he is old enough. These are activities that require him to be punctual, considerate of others and perform certain tasks even if he does not feel like doing them.
Finally, like with all other things we want to teach our children, we need to exercise love and patience. Just like us, they need time to learn and change.
theSun, Tue, 22 Jun 2010
RESPONSIBILITY is something we need to teach our children. It is not something they can ‘pick up’ along the way as they grow older.
A child will not realise that he needs to tidy up his toys after playing if you don’t teach him to do so. He may not understand that it matters to be punctual for a meeting or a dinner appointment if you don’t model the right example.
Young children learn from mimicking us while the older ones may see through our double standards if we don’t practise what we preach.
Do we leave our things lying around in a messy heap? Do we keep our promises or are we always late for appointments? Do we spend our money carefully? Do we procrastinate or do the important things that have to be done even if we don’t feel like it?
Children as young as three can be taught responsibility, starting with simple chores such as picking up their toys and books and putting them back where they belong.
‘A place for everything, and everything in its place’ is a good mantra for everyone in the family to remember and learn to be responsible for their belongings and keep them in neat and good condition.
School-going children can be tasked with the responsibility of making their own beds, packing their own schoolbags or helping out with simple household chores such as sweeping the floor, feeding a pet or washing the dishes. The important thing is that the task should be age-appropriate and need not be completed perfectly.
Provide them with the tools but let them do the job themselves. Do not criticise if the job is not done well. Instead, encourage and praise them for their effort.
Don’t overwhelm them all of a sudden with too many responsibilities. Setting them up for failure with too many tasks will discourage them. Small successes will motivate them to want to carry out all their responsibilities voluntarily without being nagged to do so.
If they are irresponsible, allow them to face the consequences. We may be tempted to make another trip to school to hand over the book he left behind, or we may want to sit down with him and help him do every bit of his homework, but if we did, we will not be teaching him to be responsible.
Children need to learn to manage the situation and deal with the consequences of their irresponsibility. We need to refrain from rescuing them all the time.
Teach your child to manage money. Let him keep his savings (as long as it’s not too huge a sum) and learn not to spend more than he has. Inculcate in him the habit to save and that it is not good to borrow money if he doesn’t have enough to buy something he wants. Encourage him to save until he has enough money to buy it.
Let him participate in team-related activities, or do volunteer work and part-time jobs when he is old enough. These are activities that require him to be punctual, considerate of others and perform certain tasks even if he does not feel like doing them.
Finally, like with all other things we want to teach our children, we need to exercise love and patience. Just like us, they need time to learn and change.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cartoon attractions
theSun, Tues, 8 June 2010
THIS YEAR, my daughter has cultivated the habit of watching cartoons immediately upon returning from school. She would just plonk herself down on the sofa and grab the remote control after removing her shoes.
In the beginning, I used to chide her for doing that instead of things I considered ‘more important’, such as taking a shower and starting on her homework.
After several failed attempts, I decided this was not a battle worth stressing about. I rationalised that she needed to ‘chill’ after a long day at school.
Her mind probably needed a break from all the ‘serious’ stuff that had been bombarding it from as early as 7.45am till 2.35pm, with only short breaks for recess and lunch.
She is, after all, still a child, only turning eight later this year. As a result, it should be all right that she does not work that hard as yet. As the old saying goes, all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.
Watching cartoons do actually provide some benefits. And they are not limited to children alone. Some cartoons cater to adults as well.
When adults watch children’s cartoons with them, they can have some fun time together. If the cartoons happen to be the classic evergreen Disney genre that the adults had watched when they were young, they would already know the lessons behind them and can point them out to their children.
We all enjoy cartoons as they make us laugh and laughter is good for the mind and body. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. When you laugh, you produce endorphins that have pain-relieving properties and help strengthen your immunity.
Cartoons can take your mind off work, worries and stress, which has been shown to be a contributing factor to physical illness.
Watching cartoons is not only fun but it is an educational activity for children as well. Cartoons can be used as accompanying tools for teaching valuable lessons, while making learning more fun.
There are role models and heroes to emulate, songs and music to sing and dance along with, and they help children remember educational information more easily. Children can also learn a new language by watching cartoons in different languages.
So what’s not good about watching cartoons?
It’s when we leave our children unsupervised and use cartoons or the television in general as a convenient babysitter or child minder.
For your child to benefit from watching cartoons and other animated movies, you need to help them make the right choices. Watch together with them, if possible, and tell them what’s right or wrong, what’s real or not.
While it is all right for my daughter to re-live her pre-school days by watching Dora or Little Einsteins, it would not be appropriate for her to watch cartoons that contain violence or sexual elements, or those that use swear words freely. These do not teach proper behaviour and values.
Viewing time should also be controlled, lest they go overboard and neglect their studies, homework, exercise, and social interaction times.
Like in most things concerning our children, we need to supervise, monitor, and play a guiding role to develop and nurture their character, morals and values.
THIS YEAR, my daughter has cultivated the habit of watching cartoons immediately upon returning from school. She would just plonk herself down on the sofa and grab the remote control after removing her shoes.
In the beginning, I used to chide her for doing that instead of things I considered ‘more important’, such as taking a shower and starting on her homework.
After several failed attempts, I decided this was not a battle worth stressing about. I rationalised that she needed to ‘chill’ after a long day at school.
Her mind probably needed a break from all the ‘serious’ stuff that had been bombarding it from as early as 7.45am till 2.35pm, with only short breaks for recess and lunch.
She is, after all, still a child, only turning eight later this year. As a result, it should be all right that she does not work that hard as yet. As the old saying goes, all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.
Watching cartoons do actually provide some benefits. And they are not limited to children alone. Some cartoons cater to adults as well.
When adults watch children’s cartoons with them, they can have some fun time together. If the cartoons happen to be the classic evergreen Disney genre that the adults had watched when they were young, they would already know the lessons behind them and can point them out to their children.
We all enjoy cartoons as they make us laugh and laughter is good for the mind and body. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. When you laugh, you produce endorphins that have pain-relieving properties and help strengthen your immunity.
Cartoons can take your mind off work, worries and stress, which has been shown to be a contributing factor to physical illness.
Watching cartoons is not only fun but it is an educational activity for children as well. Cartoons can be used as accompanying tools for teaching valuable lessons, while making learning more fun.
There are role models and heroes to emulate, songs and music to sing and dance along with, and they help children remember educational information more easily. Children can also learn a new language by watching cartoons in different languages.
So what’s not good about watching cartoons?
It’s when we leave our children unsupervised and use cartoons or the television in general as a convenient babysitter or child minder.
For your child to benefit from watching cartoons and other animated movies, you need to help them make the right choices. Watch together with them, if possible, and tell them what’s right or wrong, what’s real or not.
While it is all right for my daughter to re-live her pre-school days by watching Dora or Little Einsteins, it would not be appropriate for her to watch cartoons that contain violence or sexual elements, or those that use swear words freely. These do not teach proper behaviour and values.
Viewing time should also be controlled, lest they go overboard and neglect their studies, homework, exercise, and social interaction times.
Like in most things concerning our children, we need to supervise, monitor, and play a guiding role to develop and nurture their character, morals and values.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Exam Fever
It’s the time of the year when children are tested and parents are stressed
theSun, Tue, 25 May 2010
MOST Malaysian school-going children have probably already sat for their mid-year examinations or are about to do so.
Parents, especially those with younger children, sometimes feel as if they are the ones taking the exams, and not their children.
They tend to get anxious, worried and stressed out if they feel their children are not prepared enough to face the exam.
A large part of our lives as responsible and loving parents involves spending as much time as we can with our children. The security of a loving and stable family and home provides our children with a conducive environment for learning.
When you have a good relationship with your child, he will be more receptive when you tell him about the importance of doing consistent revision in order to be better prepared for exams. He will also share his problems with you more freely and seek your help.
Sit with him and help him as he studies. The study area should be free from distractions such as the computer, television or toys.
Develop a routine for study time, and help him draw up a timetable. Make a list of all the subjects and topics that need to be covered to ensure that he studies everything, and not only his favourites.
Provide adequate breaks in between to allow him to rest. Younger children may have a shorter attention span and will not be able to sit down too long to study.
Short breaks will enable them to release their pent-up energy and they will be more willing to continue studying afterwards.
Make your child practise answering questions. Provide him with worksheets or sample exam questions to do. While it is important for your child to remember what he has learnt, he must also know how to use the information to answer the exam questions within the time allocated.
How we feel and act impact our child. If our stress and anxiety rub off on him, he may end up becoming nervous or overwhelmed.
Try not to upset him, and keep him cheerful so that he will face his exam in good spirits.
Also, make sure he eats healthily and gets enough sleep.
In order to help our children prepare for an exam, we need to have a healthy view of exams ourselves.
Exams are just a way of measuring how much a child has learnt and if he is able to apply the knowledge.
We must remember that all children are wired differently. Therefore, we should not compare our children with their classmates or relatives and neighbours.
Praise his effort. If he had done his best, do not blame or punish him if he does not do well. Help him understand that the results do not define who he is. They are just an assessment tool.
Review the mistakes he has made, and encourage him to learn from them.
Finally, we must remember that we are not the ones taking the exam. We cannot "study" on behalf of our children.
They need to cultivate the desire to do well. They need to learn to face the consequences if they choose not to work hard.
They need to learn to be responsible for themselves and the fact that to succeed, they must work hard.
theSun, Tue, 25 May 2010
MOST Malaysian school-going children have probably already sat for their mid-year examinations or are about to do so.
Parents, especially those with younger children, sometimes feel as if they are the ones taking the exams, and not their children.
They tend to get anxious, worried and stressed out if they feel their children are not prepared enough to face the exam.
A large part of our lives as responsible and loving parents involves spending as much time as we can with our children. The security of a loving and stable family and home provides our children with a conducive environment for learning.
When you have a good relationship with your child, he will be more receptive when you tell him about the importance of doing consistent revision in order to be better prepared for exams. He will also share his problems with you more freely and seek your help.
Sit with him and help him as he studies. The study area should be free from distractions such as the computer, television or toys.
Develop a routine for study time, and help him draw up a timetable. Make a list of all the subjects and topics that need to be covered to ensure that he studies everything, and not only his favourites.
Provide adequate breaks in between to allow him to rest. Younger children may have a shorter attention span and will not be able to sit down too long to study.
Short breaks will enable them to release their pent-up energy and they will be more willing to continue studying afterwards.
Make your child practise answering questions. Provide him with worksheets or sample exam questions to do. While it is important for your child to remember what he has learnt, he must also know how to use the information to answer the exam questions within the time allocated.
How we feel and act impact our child. If our stress and anxiety rub off on him, he may end up becoming nervous or overwhelmed.
Try not to upset him, and keep him cheerful so that he will face his exam in good spirits.
Also, make sure he eats healthily and gets enough sleep.
In order to help our children prepare for an exam, we need to have a healthy view of exams ourselves.
Exams are just a way of measuring how much a child has learnt and if he is able to apply the knowledge.
We must remember that all children are wired differently. Therefore, we should not compare our children with their classmates or relatives and neighbours.
Praise his effort. If he had done his best, do not blame or punish him if he does not do well. Help him understand that the results do not define who he is. They are just an assessment tool.
Review the mistakes he has made, and encourage him to learn from them.
Finally, we must remember that we are not the ones taking the exam. We cannot "study" on behalf of our children.
They need to cultivate the desire to do well. They need to learn to face the consequences if they choose not to work hard.
They need to learn to be responsible for themselves and the fact that to succeed, they must work hard.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Kinder in the garden
theSun, Tue, 11 May 2010
MY RECENT interest in gardening got me pondering about getting children involved in this activity and how it can benefit them.
I recollected the small nursery in my primary school, which was maintained by the school gardener. As an extension to our classroom learning, my teacher encouraged us to bring some seeds to plant in the nursery. While I was not successful with my seeds, I recall sharing my classmate’s excitement when her seeds germinated.
Gardening can be an activity for children to experience what they are learning in theory. Nothing beats experiential learning with some fun thrown in for the child. There is a myriad of topics a child can learn and experience in a plant’s lifecycle, from the germination of the seed to the growth of the various parts of the plant and their functions, on pollination and the involvement of various insects and worms, on photosynthesis, and finally, composting.
Getting children to tend to their plants and reap the fruits of their labour teaches them responsibility and builds self-confidence. Being able to cook and eat the fruits and vegetables they planted with their own hands give them a sense of achievement and pride. They can be taught healthy eating habits too.
Gardening also helps the child develop a love for nature and the environment. It is an opportunity to help them become aware and conscious of efforts to protect the environment, such as recycling, using organic or natural pesticides, and minimising air and water pollution.
From gardening, you can spin off to other interesting activities such as cooking, and art and craft projects using plants, fruits and flowers from the garden.
Children who usually dislike eating vegetables can be more open to eating those they have planted themselves, especially when you involve them in the preparation and cooking as well.
Gardening gives the child an opportunity to be creative. The seeds, flowers and leaves of various plants can be collected, dried and compiled into a scrapbook as a keepsake. They can also be used to decorate greeting cards, bookmarks and trinkets.
To help them cope with boredom while waiting for their plants to show results, you can get them to cut up potatoes, lady’s fingers and lotus roots, dip them into paint to be used as stamps to create colourful patterns.
They can also make a signboard, a scarecrow or a pinwheel to be placed in their garden plot.
Take them for a visit to a vegetable farm, especially an organic one. Teach them how to make environmental enzyme using vegetable and fruit scraps, which can be used for their plants.
It is not too difficult to start a child on gardening. Give him a small plot in your garden or provide him with a planter box or a few small pots if you live in a condominium.
Give him seeds that sprout and mature quickly. Plant vegetables that he likes to eat, and plants that flower quickly and consistently.
Plants with large and colourful flowers and fragrant herbs are good choices that will appeal to his senses too.
Once you have helped your child get started, you would probably have just found yourself a little Miss or Master Green Fingers.
Gardening could even become his favourite hobby, or a wonderful family pastime.
MY RECENT interest in gardening got me pondering about getting children involved in this activity and how it can benefit them.
I recollected the small nursery in my primary school, which was maintained by the school gardener. As an extension to our classroom learning, my teacher encouraged us to bring some seeds to plant in the nursery. While I was not successful with my seeds, I recall sharing my classmate’s excitement when her seeds germinated.
Gardening can be an activity for children to experience what they are learning in theory. Nothing beats experiential learning with some fun thrown in for the child. There is a myriad of topics a child can learn and experience in a plant’s lifecycle, from the germination of the seed to the growth of the various parts of the plant and their functions, on pollination and the involvement of various insects and worms, on photosynthesis, and finally, composting.
Getting children to tend to their plants and reap the fruits of their labour teaches them responsibility and builds self-confidence. Being able to cook and eat the fruits and vegetables they planted with their own hands give them a sense of achievement and pride. They can be taught healthy eating habits too.
Gardening also helps the child develop a love for nature and the environment. It is an opportunity to help them become aware and conscious of efforts to protect the environment, such as recycling, using organic or natural pesticides, and minimising air and water pollution.
From gardening, you can spin off to other interesting activities such as cooking, and art and craft projects using plants, fruits and flowers from the garden.
Children who usually dislike eating vegetables can be more open to eating those they have planted themselves, especially when you involve them in the preparation and cooking as well.
Gardening gives the child an opportunity to be creative. The seeds, flowers and leaves of various plants can be collected, dried and compiled into a scrapbook as a keepsake. They can also be used to decorate greeting cards, bookmarks and trinkets.
To help them cope with boredom while waiting for their plants to show results, you can get them to cut up potatoes, lady’s fingers and lotus roots, dip them into paint to be used as stamps to create colourful patterns.
They can also make a signboard, a scarecrow or a pinwheel to be placed in their garden plot.
Take them for a visit to a vegetable farm, especially an organic one. Teach them how to make environmental enzyme using vegetable and fruit scraps, which can be used for their plants.
It is not too difficult to start a child on gardening. Give him a small plot in your garden or provide him with a planter box or a few small pots if you live in a condominium.
Give him seeds that sprout and mature quickly. Plant vegetables that he likes to eat, and plants that flower quickly and consistently.
Plants with large and colourful flowers and fragrant herbs are good choices that will appeal to his senses too.
Once you have helped your child get started, you would probably have just found yourself a little Miss or Master Green Fingers.
Gardening could even become his favourite hobby, or a wonderful family pastime.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Comics revolution
These books are now considered useful teaching tools for the young
theSun, Tues, 27 Apr 2010
I learnt a new word from my seven-year-old today. It is ‘tephra’.
I was talking to another adult about the current volcanic ash situation in Iceland when my daughter told us the rocks that are blown out from the volcano during the eruption are called tephra.
Knowing that she must have read it somewhere, I asked her the name of the book. It turned out to be a comic book, a science-based one, which I had bought for her some time back.
When I was young, the comics that I read were Beano and Dandy which ‘taught’ schoolroom antics and mischievous pranks.
Later in my teenage years, I read the Archie comics which gave an insight into the typical’American teenager’s life played out by Archie, Veronica, Betty, Moose, Jughead and Reggie.
Local newspapers, meanwhile, offered the likes of Bringing Up Father and Dagwood – nothing close to real educational content, let alone science.
I’m sure there were educational comics back then but they were not readily available in my part of the world. I would think the limited copies of Tintin at my school library were as close as I could get to ‘educational’ comics.
Nevertheless, comics brought excitement and played a part in developing my reading interest. Hence, I believe they do and can play a part in encouraging children to read and learn.
While I’m no expert in this case, I would think a ‘good’ comic as one that teaches and entertains. After all, learning should be fun.
However, it should be well written with good grammar and syntax, albeit simpler compared to books. It has to be also free from profanity and sexually suggestive or obscene pictures.
The storyline needs to be age appropriate as well with interesting and factual and relevant content.
And how do comics really help?
Comiclife.com lists a summary of The Key Benefits for Students Using Comics by Marilee Sarlitto, found in a 2003 article titled Creating Comics: Visual and Verbal Thinking in the Ultimate Show and Tell (Janette Combs, 2003).
The benefits include:
» giving a great visual representation of knowledge;
» presenting what is essential;
» making it easier to remember a visual graphic containing key information;
» engaging through thinking, creating and writing;
» being a perfect avenue for writing dialogue;
» inciting students with low interest in writing;
» helping organisation through storytelling and storyboarding;
» using visual images to convey meaning to a story or topic;
» developing creative and higher level thought processes;
» developing composition techniques through visual-verbal connections;
» enriching reading, writing and thinking;
» serving as an assessment and evaluation tool; and
» sequencing which promotes understanding.
In short, comics can help students to write, read, remember, understand, organise, think and be creative.
Besides reading them, students can create their own comics. A number of websites have made it easier for you to create your own comics. Some require you to purchase their software while others are free.
According to Bill Zimmerman, creator of MakeBeliefsComix.com, many of the visitors to his site have been educators who use it to teach reading, writing and the learning of English and other languages.
It certainly looks like comics are gaining acceptance as another useful teaching tool. The next time you and your child hit the newsstand or bookstore, see if you can find some interesting and educational comics for a change.
theSun, Tues, 27 Apr 2010
I learnt a new word from my seven-year-old today. It is ‘tephra’.
I was talking to another adult about the current volcanic ash situation in Iceland when my daughter told us the rocks that are blown out from the volcano during the eruption are called tephra.
Knowing that she must have read it somewhere, I asked her the name of the book. It turned out to be a comic book, a science-based one, which I had bought for her some time back.
When I was young, the comics that I read were Beano and Dandy which ‘taught’ schoolroom antics and mischievous pranks.
Later in my teenage years, I read the Archie comics which gave an insight into the typical’American teenager’s life played out by Archie, Veronica, Betty, Moose, Jughead and Reggie.
Local newspapers, meanwhile, offered the likes of Bringing Up Father and Dagwood – nothing close to real educational content, let alone science.
I’m sure there were educational comics back then but they were not readily available in my part of the world. I would think the limited copies of Tintin at my school library were as close as I could get to ‘educational’ comics.
Nevertheless, comics brought excitement and played a part in developing my reading interest. Hence, I believe they do and can play a part in encouraging children to read and learn.
While I’m no expert in this case, I would think a ‘good’ comic as one that teaches and entertains. After all, learning should be fun.
However, it should be well written with good grammar and syntax, albeit simpler compared to books. It has to be also free from profanity and sexually suggestive or obscene pictures.
The storyline needs to be age appropriate as well with interesting and factual and relevant content.
And how do comics really help?
Comiclife.com lists a summary of The Key Benefits for Students Using Comics by Marilee Sarlitto, found in a 2003 article titled Creating Comics: Visual and Verbal Thinking in the Ultimate Show and Tell (Janette Combs, 2003).
The benefits include:
» giving a great visual representation of knowledge;
» presenting what is essential;
» making it easier to remember a visual graphic containing key information;
» engaging through thinking, creating and writing;
» being a perfect avenue for writing dialogue;
» inciting students with low interest in writing;
» helping organisation through storytelling and storyboarding;
» using visual images to convey meaning to a story or topic;
» developing creative and higher level thought processes;
» developing composition techniques through visual-verbal connections;
» enriching reading, writing and thinking;
» serving as an assessment and evaluation tool; and
» sequencing which promotes understanding.
In short, comics can help students to write, read, remember, understand, organise, think and be creative.
Besides reading them, students can create their own comics. A number of websites have made it easier for you to create your own comics. Some require you to purchase their software while others are free.
According to Bill Zimmerman, creator of MakeBeliefsComix.com, many of the visitors to his site have been educators who use it to teach reading, writing and the learning of English and other languages.
It certainly looks like comics are gaining acceptance as another useful teaching tool. The next time you and your child hit the newsstand or bookstore, see if you can find some interesting and educational comics for a change.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Gratifying youngsters
Whether it is a bribe or reward, children should not be trained to expect something for being obedient
theSun, Tue, 13 Apr 2010
I HAVE been guilty of negotiating unnecessary ‘win-win’ deals with my child to avoid the stress of power struggles. I give my child a new story book to keep her quiet during dinner at a restaurant, although reading at the dinner table is prohibited at home. I know I’m not alone in this. Some parents would buy their children candy or chocolates to prevent them from screaming in the supermarket. Others tell their children that they can have their dream toy if they do as they are told.
What is the difference between bribing and rewarding a child? The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines bribery as “money or favour given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct...; something that serves to induce or influence”. Meanwhile, a reward, according to the same dictionary, is “something that is given in return for good done or received, or that is offered or given for some service or attainment”.
Based on these general definitions, we can say that giving something to a child prior to good behaviour is a bribe. It is to influence them into doing something we want them to do. Meanwhile, giving them something in return for being obedient can be defined as a reward. This is to reinforce the idea that good behaviour results in good consequences.
Be it a bribe or reward, we need to be mindful of a few things whenever we are tempted to offer our child some goodies in order for him to behave or do our bidding.
» Do not let this practice become a habit. If you reward your child for every little thing he does, it will soon become an expectation. He will expect to be rewarded for just washing his hands, for example. He may start demanding for a present every time you tell him to do something.
While there are times we can give a child something for a job well done, we should not allow him to think that he has a choice or can negotiate. There must be times when we need to be firm and
remind ourselves that we have the right to ask them to do certain things, and expect them to do it simply because we said so.
» Do not shoot from the hip and offer rewards freely. The child will comply to a request from the parent simply because he wants the specific reward. The moment the reward stops, the good behaviour will also stop.
» Do not offer food as a bribe or reward. For example, giving a child ice cream, sweets or cookies to make him pick up his toys will not teach him responsibility, and will create an unhealthy association with such foods. Teach your child about eating healthily and do not use junk food as rewards or incentives.
Rewards need not always be in the form of material things. Sincere praise, a hug and telling him you are proud of what he has done could help boost a child’s sense of self worth. Praise him when you observe good behaviour and when he does things on his own accord. It will encourage him to continue with the same behaviour in future.
theSun, Tue, 13 Apr 2010
I HAVE been guilty of negotiating unnecessary ‘win-win’ deals with my child to avoid the stress of power struggles. I give my child a new story book to keep her quiet during dinner at a restaurant, although reading at the dinner table is prohibited at home. I know I’m not alone in this. Some parents would buy their children candy or chocolates to prevent them from screaming in the supermarket. Others tell their children that they can have their dream toy if they do as they are told.
What is the difference between bribing and rewarding a child? The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines bribery as “money or favour given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct...; something that serves to induce or influence”. Meanwhile, a reward, according to the same dictionary, is “something that is given in return for good done or received, or that is offered or given for some service or attainment”.
Based on these general definitions, we can say that giving something to a child prior to good behaviour is a bribe. It is to influence them into doing something we want them to do. Meanwhile, giving them something in return for being obedient can be defined as a reward. This is to reinforce the idea that good behaviour results in good consequences.
Be it a bribe or reward, we need to be mindful of a few things whenever we are tempted to offer our child some goodies in order for him to behave or do our bidding.
» Do not let this practice become a habit. If you reward your child for every little thing he does, it will soon become an expectation. He will expect to be rewarded for just washing his hands, for example. He may start demanding for a present every time you tell him to do something.
While there are times we can give a child something for a job well done, we should not allow him to think that he has a choice or can negotiate. There must be times when we need to be firm and
remind ourselves that we have the right to ask them to do certain things, and expect them to do it simply because we said so.
» Do not shoot from the hip and offer rewards freely. The child will comply to a request from the parent simply because he wants the specific reward. The moment the reward stops, the good behaviour will also stop.
» Do not offer food as a bribe or reward. For example, giving a child ice cream, sweets or cookies to make him pick up his toys will not teach him responsibility, and will create an unhealthy association with such foods. Teach your child about eating healthily and do not use junk food as rewards or incentives.
Rewards need not always be in the form of material things. Sincere praise, a hug and telling him you are proud of what he has done could help boost a child’s sense of self worth. Praise him when you observe good behaviour and when he does things on his own accord. It will encourage him to continue with the same behaviour in future.
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