Setting out with SBOA

Everyday a new online learning site pops up. Many are paid and some are free. When searching for CBSE class 10 online learning concept videos some things to look out for are Audio and video clarity Understandable Language  7 minutes duration or lesser Teacher engagement A knowledge tracker A few of the online classes cater to specific entrance exams like IIT-JEE, NEET or NID. Brands like  Allen, Bansal, FIITJEE cater to JEE and Aakash and Brilliant for NEET. But these can be opted for once you decide your group in class 11.  For Class 10, If you have not enrolled in any of the paid coaching classes, then you can look at some free alternatives to improve your understanding of concepts. Byjus   This is currently free for the duration of the pandemic. The advantages are Sticks closely to NCERT / CBSE Curriculum Animated Concept Videos Enthusiastic Teachers Live Classes  A Learning path Tracker Basic Testing And a gamified testing model is also available. You can try the paid version if yo

With the ongoing COVID crisis, most children are unable to attend school. This has definitely left a gap in their education calendar. Here are some interesting resources that can keep them up to date on important issues sarong the globe and pave the way to deeper understanding of school concepts, be it science, math, english, social studies or a foreign language. Ted-Ed Earth School   The Earth School offers 30 adventures for learners of all ages to discover, celebrate, and connect to nature. This is done in collaboration with organizations including National Geographic , WWF , and the BBC who have offered top caliber videos, articles, and interactive resources that will be shared around the world. The Quests are designed to encourage young people to connect with nature and their environment. Typing Club   One skill that will never go a waste in our digital times is learning how to touch type. TypingClub is the most effective way to learn how to type. It is a gamified typing tutor for

Indian society values education above everything else, so it's natural that schools and parents embraced online schooling the moment the Pandemic struck. Every school, parent and student are dealing with the unique challenges that come with learning via screens, systems and devices. It’s a good idea to prepare yourself with the basic requirements of online schooling. Choosing a Device Children should not use Mobile phone screens for online learning. The small screen size can cause eye irritation and short sightedness. Screens need to be at a distance of at least 18 inches from the eye to reduce eye strain and that is impossible with a small screen. A Desktop, Laptop, Chrome book, iPad or other android tablets with a minimum screen size of at least 10 inches or more would be the best for online learning.  Retina displays and similar technologies are designed to be eye friendly. Even a used deskt op with a 21 inches monitor (which are common these days)  wil

SBOA is introducing the XSEED  Curriculum in the 1st Standard this year. As per XSEED , this Curriculum design is led by alumni of Harvard, Cambridge, IIM, and IIT, the team of 250+ professionals consists of former principals, education experts and child psychologists with strong competencies in curriculum design, professional development and assessment. XSEED  sheds more light on it's curriculum by saying..... "At the heart of XSEED is the belief that learning is a cycle based on experience, analysis, action and reflection as compared to telling which is one-step. XSEED is thus designed around the 5-Step Experiential Learning Method that replaces the one-step ‘Telling’ approach. XSEED scientifically tracks student and school performance. Schools using XSEED have reported 2-3 times improvement in academic performance in pilot studies." As a parent I've seen the videos and the books and I think it is definitely a huge leap in the way content

The new ROBOTIX classes are all set to begin around the end of August. When we started learning computers, remember our parents hardly knew anything about it, now life has come a full circle with our kids getting into robotics. If you are anything like me, then you don't have a clue! As I persisted researching the topic, few things became clearer. The basic requirements for robotics is not just imagination and curiosity, it also needs tons of patience and perseverance. It seems to help the kids explore their creativity, develop some personality (remember patience & preseverence!) and in the process add on to their existing knowledge of Math, Physics and Computer Programming. I believe for the tiny tots, it would be very basic and more advanced for the older kids. The fees for the ROBOTIX class in school is Rs.2000 One class per week is conducted and the days are Monday for 1st & 2nd std Wednesday for 3rd & 4th std Thursday for 5th & 6th std Friday fo

The Olympiads are conducted every year at SBOA from 1st std. The enrollment is done through the class teacher. You will have to register for each paper separately. The class teacher will inform the students about the dates and fees. It pays to prepare for the Olympiads  as the whole portions for the current standard will be taken into consideration for the paper. The most popular books used for preparing towards the Olympiads are from the below publishers and can be ordered online. The links are below. For Class 1 Amazon.in Widgets For Class 2 Amazon.in Widgets Amazon.in Widgets Photo Courtesy :  Jomphong   @ freedigitalphotos.net

Amazon.in Widgets Some addtional sites for teaching English (I recomend you got through the post named "Kick start your Child's English skills for school" ) http://www.ngfl-cymru.org/  - Gives you the basic alphabets www.orgdot.com/ABC/  - This is an ABC catcher game ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk  - This is a read along Nursery Rhyme site, very colourful and interactive http://www.getreadytoread.org/  - This will help you read with the interactive Gus and Inky Also check out the below blog for free online stuff http://help-with-schooling.blogspot.in/ Photo Courtesy :  RAWPIXEL-609018-UNSPLASH

Amazon.in Widgets English as a first language for kids who speak their mother  tongue  (Not  English ) at home is a challenging task. The basic ground work to be done before they go to school would be To hear a lot of spoken  English This would be easy if both the parents are fluent in  English , but if you are not, then select TV shows, that are preferably cartoons, with clear diction and neutral accent for  eg .  Miffy , Noddy,etc. And sit with them and explain what is being spoken. To be read to  The lesser the words the better, Bright board books are excellent. Start with very simple stories and telling them the basic rules of handling the book, then read to them with a clear expressive voice and  follow  the words with your fingers. Choose an quite time of the day when the child is also alert not necessarily the bed time. To familiarize them to alphabets Hang up an alphabet chart or get them ABCD refrigerator magnets to use. Just keeping the alphabets within their f

Amazon.in Widgets It a usually agreed fact that knowing basic English before the kids start school will boost their morale and make life so much easier for them in an English medium school. Kids in Chennai grow up for the first 2 to 3 years hearing a speaking their native language which could be mostly Tamil and sometimes a variety of languages based on what their parents speak. So when on the first day of school the teacher starts to dish out  instructions  in English the little one who are not comfortable with the language lag behind significantly. This lag may take years to overcome. So with a little bit of help from you and the below interactive sites, we can make their lives a lot easier as they start school. The  best FREE online  resources for  teaching your kids   correct  English  are as follows http://www.starfall.com/ By far the most comprehensive site for learning  English , the colourful presentation makes it a big hit with 2-4 year  olds. www.rif.org/leadi

Amazon.in Widgets The sites that might be useful for 1 - 2 year old kids are http://www.fisher-price.com/  (Easy to colour online pages, peak-a-boo online games, simple ABC song) http://www.smart-central.com/  (All your favourite nursery rhymes and popular songs set to music) http://www.storyplace.org/  (Simple, short, colourful and interactive stories) http://www.tikatok.com/  (you can write your very own story and even get it printed as a proper book!) http://www.starfall.com/  (Great site for Phonics and independent learning) All the above sites require parental guidance and instructions for the kids on mouse handling. Never let the toddler sit at the computer unattended. Photo Courtesy : Unsplash

With my kids moving on to classes where Olympiads are becoming increasingly more complicated and competitive. There are four exams that can be taken NCO - National Computer Olympiad NSO - National Science Olympiad IMO - International Math Olympiad IEO - International English Olympiad For the dates on which these exams are conducted and the classes eligible please refer to their website below http://www.sofworld.org / The site provides sample questions, training apps, previous years question papers, links to stores selling practise books, etc. We took the exams for the last two years and was an eye opener. I would call it useful for the below reasons... It trains the kids to get accustomed to the competitive exam papers patterns that most college entrances have. It gives them limited time to finish the paper. Teaches them to get comfortable with answer shading on a computerized answer sheet. The best is the accurate feedback given. The feedback highlights