AmitySchoolDubai

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How to develop logical thinking skills in your child?

Logical reasoning and thinking are inculcated in early childhood. It is essential to sharpen these skills, as they are influential in driving critical decisions in life. However, not everyone will have good logical skills. A few may acquire it innately, while others have to work hard to improve this skill. Although, research shows that it is best if logical reasoning is developed in childhood. So, is there any proven method to enable these skills in our children? Follow this article to know more. 

Importance of logical thinking in children  

Through logical thinking, everyone is able to arrive at a conclusion. Logical reasoning helps overcome drawbacks, by establishing a pattern, relationship or facts.  Usually, logical thinking is defined as a sequence which leads to an interpretation. Mathematics is a highly logical subject. It demands your children’s logical reasoning to a great extent. Read on to know what works to hone logical thinking.  

 How to improve your mathematical skills and analytical thinking?  

Analytical thinking and mathematical skills will progress, as and when children are exposed to a series of logical activities from their pre-school. Here are a few ways to improve kids’ logical thinking.  

 Solve problems   

Depending on your children's capacity, ask them to solve a problem that you give them. By doing so, their critical thinking will automatically push them to decipher the issue.   

 Establish responsibility  

This task aims to encourage children to step out of their comfort zone. Give them a situation that requires them to think. Eventually children will learn the do's and don'ts of solving various issues.   

 Sequence worksheets and games   

Sequencing games involve arranging things with a pattern or an order. These can be pictures, objects, numbers or alphabet sequencing, and it helps children organise their thoughts and plans.  

 Sorting by shape   

A sorting game is an exciting activity for kids, as they are able categorise shapes, colours or objects by keeping various parameters in mind. As your child attempts the sorting game, question them to help them reason and understand the logic that will help them ace the game. 

 Treasure hunt   

A treasure hunt is all about finding something with the help of clues. Find out what children like and create a quest based on their interests. Make simple clues, so they will find it fun.   

If your kids are in kindergarten, pictorial clues will be easy. When they solve the clues, their thinking skills will be active, pushing them to succeed in the hunt.   

 Pretend play   

Pretend play is precisely like solving problems or giving responsibility. Instead of giving a severe real-world complication, you can give them funny and imaginary circumstances. They will find it exciting, and at the same time, their creativity will flourish.   

 Connect dissimilar ideas   

Offer your kids contrasting ideas to check if they can identify them. This activity will enable your children to think more and point it out.   

 Encourage decision-making   

If your children cannot arrive at a decision, help them by laying out the pros and cons of the matter. When they are in the same situation next time, your children will weigh the benefits and disadvantages themselves.   

 Prompt uniqueness   

Each child is unique. Hence teachers and parents should encourage children's individuality and let them pursue their tricks to fix an issue.   

 Inculcate and inspire creativity   

Children cannot get creative and improve logical thinking skills without their parents' and teachers' help. It is your responsibility to be inspiring and motivate them to be creative.  

Amity School, Dubai has an established curriculum that encourages students to think independently. Academics and developing crucial logical-thinking skills have been our primary focus since kindergarten classes. This is how Amity has been training students since its inception in Dubai.  

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Importance of Physical Education

All children are cute with their bustling energy and curiosity to learn more. But do you know what makes them attractive? Their ability to be active and alive with playful games and sports, which keeps them fit. These days, kids spend a lot of time in front of computers and mobile screens, playing virtual games. So, why should they go out in the sun and play? Take part in games that make them confident and flexible with reduced stress and depression? Get to know how and why schools can make your children hale and healthy to lead a better life with physical education.  

 Better Academic Performance: 

Physical activities influence academic performance indirectly. Processes like creative thinking, attention, concentration and intellectual competence develop due to physical activities. Studies reveal that even 30-minutes spent in any physical activity improves students' attention span. Children who participate in these activities tend to stay focused even after the second or third hour of classes. Also, their visual abilities improve, which in turn affects children’s attention.   

Sports like tennis and football help develop better planning and execution. Children playing football began to plan at least six months ahead of their schedule. Sports and games that children organize and structure themselves to win, make them creative. All these factors that affect children’s performance are seen to improve with physical activities. Other factors that aid better academic performance include improved cognitive abilities like thinking and perceiving, learning and memory and language. Read on to know how sports influence children’s performance and health. 

Learning and Memory: 

Activities like karate, football and tennis offer children many benefits. These are responsible for the better functioning of parts of the brain like the basal ganglia and hippocampus, as these are known to enhance learning processes and memory. Several research models prove the development of memory and learning in children due to physical activities. 

  Language:   

Language, which acts as the primary point of expression, also benefits through physical activities. Children who play well detect syntactic errors easily and are good with spelling. Syntactic errors occur when a given set of phrases and words add no meaning. These children are also believed to possess enhanced vocabulary knowledge and better comprehension skills. Children who have regular activity breaks during kindergarten quickly learn foreign languages.  

Proper Behaviour:   

Take any physical activity; it comes with its rules and regulations. Strictly adhering to those rules can instill a sense of self-discipline in children. While playing together with others, especially when the team has to score a win. As a result, children develop good qualities like sportsmanship. This also shapes future leaders, who remain a guiding light for people during dark times.   

Advanced Physical and Mental Health:   

Hormones called endorphins are released in the brain during physical activities. The role of endorphins is to trigger positive feelings to ease the pain. Since physical activities often involve a group of people, they can help alleviate stress for a while. Hence, this is a great way to keep anxiety and depression at bay.   

There is no physical activity without wear and tear of body tissues and muscles. With a regular exercise routine, our body is always in proper development, growth and functioning. Physical benefits of exercise include increased and toned muscle fibers, more bone density, and muscular arms and legs. Our sleep cycle also improves, as the body has to repair the damaged tissues continuously, when we feel relaxed during breaks.  

Fighting Obesity: 

Physical activities fight the most significant health issue for all ages, obesity. Obesity makes one’s health vulnerable and often leads to cardiovascular problems. Teaching children to stay fit while they are still young cuts down the chances of potential health risks. A regular fitness regime also increases flexibility in children, which may help them in the long run.   

While these are the many benefits of physical activities, let’s see how Amity School Dubai teaches children the importance of physical education in school.  

Amity believes that sports and other physical training programs must be a part of the dynamic curriculum at schools. It also runs an initiative called ‘AHA’ time that focuses on improving different aspects like balance, coordination, speed and team spirit. This helps the kindergarten students to achieve balance, coordination and team spirit, which form the core concepts of sports and games.  

Visit the Amity School Dubai website to know more about why your children must be a part of Amity and how they can shine in academics and sports!  

[amityschoolblogs]

Importance of Physical Education

All children are cute with their bustling energy and curiosity to learn more. But do you know what makes them attractive? Their ability to be active and alive with playful games and sports, which keeps them fit. These days, kids spend a lot of time in front of computers and mobile screens, playing virtual games. So, why should they go out in the sun and play? Take part in games that make them confident and flexible with reduced stress and depression? Get to know how and why schools can make your children hale and healthy to lead a better life with physical education.  

 Better Academic Performance: 

Physical activities influence academic performance indirectly. Processes like creative thinking, attention, concentration and intellectual competence develop due to physical activities. Studies reveal that even 30-minutes spent in any physical activity improves students' attention span. Children who participate in these activities tend to stay focused even after the second or third hour of classes. Also, their visual abilities improve, which in turn affects children’s attention.   

Sports like tennis and football help develop better planning and execution. Children playing football began to plan at least six months ahead of their schedule. Sports and games that children organize and structure themselves to win, make them creative. All these factors that affect children’s performance are seen to improve with physical activities. Other factors that aid better academic performance include improved cognitive abilities like thinking and perceiving, learning and memory and language. Read on to know how sports influence children’s performance and health. 

Learning and Memory: 

Activities like karate, football and tennis offer children many benefits. These are responsible for the better functioning of parts of the brain like the basal ganglia and hippocampus, as these are known to enhance learning processes and memory. Several research models prove the development of memory and learning in children due to physical activities. 

  Language:   

Language, which acts as the primary point of expression, also benefits through physical activities. Children who play well detect syntactic errors easily and are good with spelling. Syntactic errors occur when a given set of phrases and words add no meaning. These children are also believed to possess enhanced vocabulary knowledge and better comprehension skills. Children who have regular activity breaks during kindergarten quickly learn foreign languages.  

Proper Behaviour:   

Take any physical activity; it comes with its rules and regulations. Strictly adhering to those rules can instill a sense of self-discipline in children. While playing together with others, especially when the team has to score a win. As a result, children develop good qualities like sportsmanship. This also shapes future leaders, who remain a guiding light for people during dark times.   

Advanced Physical and Mental Health:   

Hormones called endorphins are released in the brain during physical activities. The role of endorphins is to trigger positive feelings to ease the pain. Since physical activities often involve a group of people, they can help alleviate stress for a while. Hence, this is a great way to keep anxiety and depression at bay.   

There is no physical activity without wear and tear of body tissues and muscles. With a regular exercise routine, our body is always in proper development, growth and functioning. Physical benefits of exercise include increased and toned muscle fibers, more bone density, and muscular arms and legs. Our sleep cycle also improves, as the body has to repair the damaged tissues continuously, when we feel relaxed during breaks.  

Fighting Obesity: 

Physical activities fight the most significant health issue for all ages, obesity. Obesity makes one’s health vulnerable and often leads to cardiovascular problems. Teaching children to stay fit while they are still young cuts down the chances of potential health risks. A regular fitness regime also increases flexibility in children, which may help them in the long run.   

While these are the many benefits of physical activities, let’s see how Amity School Dubai teaches children the importance of physical education in school.  

Amity believes that sports and other physical training programs must be a part of the dynamic curriculum at schools. It also runs an initiative called ‘AHA’ time that focuses on improving different aspects like balance, coordination, speed and team spirit. This helps the kindergarten students to achieve balance, coordination and team spirit, which form the core concepts of sports and games.  

Visit the Amity School Dubai website to know more about why your children must be a part of Amity and how they can shine in academics and sports!  

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Importance Of Environmental Education in School

Teachers usually regard environmental education as the ideal method for fusing academic disciplines, fostering young students' intellectual and social growth, and advancing environmental protection. Most leading schools like Amity School, Dubai, place a lot of emphasis on environmental education, which conveys knowledge about the state of the environment today and its potential for the future. It educates students to consider all environmental concerns and encourages them to participate in practical ecological preservation measures. 

 Environmental education enables us to examine the concerns the environment is dealing with and raises awareness about them. We can effectively address these concerns by deeply understanding the environment. Building plans to support and preserve nature is also a component of environmental education. Environmental education provides numerous advantages for the younger generation and the communities that they live in. That's why it must be incorporated into the school curriculum to teach students the importance of protecting the environment.    

 Benefits of Environmental Education 

 1) Boosts creative and critical thinking skills 

 Students who receive environmental education are motivated to do their own research, ask questions about the causes of particular events, and ultimately come to their conclusions on complicated ecological issues. Environmental education inspires the next generation of consumers, workers, policymakers, and decision-makers by developing and enhancing critical and creative thinking abilities. Children can assess the factors affecting the environment through debate and learning about environmental education. 

 2) Promotes a healthy lifestyle 

 Numerous issues, including obesity and anxiety, prevent children from going outside more often. Environmental activities ensure that kids get the most out of their time and have a healing effect on the environment. Students are encouraged to be active and go outside due to their education. It also helps with many of the health problems that students nowadays are dealing with. 

 3) Responsible action is taken to preserve the environment 

 Students that get environmental education learn how their choices and actions affect the environment, how to manage complicated environmental challenges, and what we can do to maintain a healthy and sustainable environment in the future. 

4) Learn to restore environmental balance 

 Students that get environmental education learn how their choices and actions affect the environment. They also learn how to manage complicated environmental challenges, and what we can do to maintain a healthy and sustainable environment in the future. 

 The younger generations are educated about some of the pertinent issues that could impact the environment through environmental education. They will then have the chance to support international efforts to protect the environment. The students are also prepared for future occupations and given the necessary abilities to become professionals through environmental learning. 

 5) Encourages children to form sustainable habits 

 Students are encouraged to form healthy habits once they are aware of the consequences of their choices. According to research data, humans used up all the natural resources they needed for a whole year in just eight months in 2020 (Earth Overshoot Day). Saying that we must act right away would be an underestimation of the seriousness of the situation. Being properly educated about the problem allows the students to consciously take action, even in the most basic manner. 

 Leading schools in the UAE, like the Amity school Dubai, encourages its students to take part in extracurricular activities that focus on preserving the environment. Drives like tree plantations, cleaning, water conservation, and many others help the students learn about and play a role in conserving the environment. Through this priceless environmental education imparted to the students at school, they evolve into more responsible adults who take proactive measures for the environment. 

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How to Help Kids Cope With Stage Fear

Stage fear is something we have all battled with as kids. This is especially true for kids who are introverts. They get easily worked up and distressed about facing a crowd. However, this is not something that kids cannot overcome. 

Parents and teachers should create a safe environment to encourage kids to work on their stage fear. They can teach kids meditation at early stages, which nurtures their overall progress and develops the right state of mind. As a result, they will learn to relax and stay calm.

 Tips to help children overcome stage fear   

What can parents and teachers do?  

Turn anxiety to excitement   

Generally, for the human body, fear and excitement are one. It is the brain that has to perceive it differently. So, what can you do to turn that into excitement? Cheerfully respond to your kids. Say “I’m excited to hear this”, and try other positive affirmations. While they try to understand your reply, children will eventually feel that their new journey will be fun and exciting.   

Listen to their fears 

Talking to your children will strengthen your bond with them. They can readily disclose their fears to you if they feel safe with you. Have an open mind to their problems and do not judge quickly.  Hug them, make them feel relaxed and try to give your advice. 

 Create a positive feedback loop   

Feedback is an essential part of a child’s development. While constructive criticism is significant, making them feel good and using positive affirmations can go a long way. Shower them with praise for their excellent behaviour in the beginning, tell them how their naughty actions will affect others, without criticising their personality. Never treat them harshly in public. All these will improve your child’s actions.  

How can kids help themselves?  

Children in middle school can experience stage fear too. To overcome this, they can perform a few leisurely activities by themselves to build a positive attitude. Here they are:  

Soothe with self-talk   

Self-talk can usually be harmful and hurt one’s personality. But journal-writing is also another form of self–talk. While journaling, you will get to put down your every thought into words. Go back to your writing and analyse it. When you do this, you might find where you have gone wrong.  

Practice Public Speaking   

The only way to master stage fear is through public speaking. The famous Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw was once a beginner too, before he went on to become a great public speaker. Talk about your opinions in front of your family, friends and acquaintances, which will help you be bold when facing an audience.

   Watch and learn  

You can observe how others carry themselves on stage through videos. Note down what they do differently to stay confident. Try to incorporate those during small performance opportunities.

Prepare and practice 

When you have to give a speech to your teacher and friends, prepare in front of a mirror. Practice till you feel like you can deliver it with ease.   

Enjoy a healthy diet   

Our everyday staples can significantly affect how we behave and react. Have foods that make you happy and healthy. Avoid junk food whenever you can, sip water often and stay hydrated.   

Stay positive and build confidence   

Stay away from people who make you feel negative. Read motivational quotes before bedtime, and be inspired to do and feel good. While you get rid of all the negativity, you will glow with confidence.   

Strategies to help children with anxiety   

Children develop anxiety at various ages during their youth. It may be due to the new school or environment, exam season, social gatherings etc. Small children might form fears because of animals, insects, and heights, which gradually intensify as they grow. As a result, they will show signs of irritability, clinginess, bed wetting etc. In older children, one might notice a lack of confidence, increased angry outbursts, having trouble sleeping or eating. Make your children aware of their anxiety. Explain the physical effects of stress and reassure to them with politeness. If your children are small, distract them by going out often, give them books to read and show pleasing films.   

These are some effective ways to end your child’s fear and anxiety. Apart from academics, extra-curricular activities are great to develop positively.   

Extra-Curricular Activities at Amity Dubai   

Amity believes that extra-curricular activities are a holistic means to enable a child’s growth. These activities make children confident and help them act instantly, another way to end stage fear. Sports and the Arts are a prominent part of our syllabus for children to increase their sportsmanship and fuel creativity. Sports activities drive children to cultivate leadership qualities and team spirit and shape a healthy lifestyle ahead of time. Through Arts, they can learn how to express themselves freely. Amity strives to strike a balance that will enhance a child’s personality to ensure that they have a great future!  

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Creating the Environment for Learning

A good school affords the best teachers. A great school offers a committed faculty team and a well-built infrastructure. Children's learning and development also depends on their study environment or classrooms. They must feel safe, communicate freely with teachers and friends, and experience and understand the value of equality and diversity at their schools.  

The learning environment influences children in every aspect. It covers different aspects like education, care, health, nutrition and safety. That’s why a contemporary early childhood curriculum is very important. It should foster good behaviour, better communication skills, build positive relationships and responsible citizenship.   

This blog aims to let you know how a school's environment and curriculum can affect children, especially of lower primary classes, until adulthood.   

What is a learning environment?  

Learning environments include classrooms, play areas, outdoor activities and caregiving spaces for children's overall progression. It's a place that supports the physical, mental and social aspects of children. A good learning environment must have structures that assist in developing all these qualities in kids.  

 How can teachers create an effective learning environment?  

Learning environments can be made better to contribute to the overall development of a child.  

Physical Environment – The areas must be furnished so children can move around quickly with better access to toys with an expansive outdoor play area and other materials available. It must also comply with the 'Universal Design for Learning' concept so that everyone gets to learn and use it. This aspect also has proper placement of materials, well-lit and airy areas and aesthetic display of things attractive enough for kids.   

Social Environment – An excellent social environment should facilitate conversations with teachers and caregivers and foster friendships, so they can quickly achieve social goals within their school or centre. The activities at this level are teacher-student interactions and group assignments.   

Temporal Environment – The temporal aspect includes the class duration, type of classes and programmes children attend, and their emotional behaviour in these environments.   

A proper learning environment must afford all the qualities mentioned above and possess a curriculum that shapes the entire evolution of a child to an adult. Let's move to the curriculum which these centres have.   

Components of early childhood curriculum  

The curriculum for children of age 0 to 6 or 8 leans on children's personal growth to discover and nurture their interests. It is skill-based so that they acquire a foundation to meet the 21st-century challenges. An effective curriculum and skillful guidance from caregivers must instigate a child's curiosity. The expected results of this syllabus are the development of critical thinking and problem-solving tendencies. Creativity, another substantial and inherent asset that inspires innovation, is also one of the focal points in this programme.   

The following primary focus in the early childhood curriculum is emotional development, self-observation and risk management. Since the early childhood years are influenced by negative and positive experiences, listening to them is extremely important. Self-observation includes knowledge of their bodies, eating habits and healthy lifestyles. Children are taught risk management by giving them various situations where they have to involve themselves with others to learn how to react in a crowd. Teaching them Maths, digital and technological skills is also a part of this syllabus in the kindergarten grades. 

Benefits of early childhood curriculum   

The curriculum followed in schools will help children develop the ability to  

Interact with others and the world   

Use the possible and available resources during adversities  

Learn skills for livelihood   

The curriculum, learning spaces, environment, and benefits show the importance of early childhood programmes. Amity Dubai has classrooms beaming with bright colours and sunlight. They are spacious and equipped with smart boards to provide interactive and engaging lessons to students. There are indoor and outdoor sport and activity areas with recreational facilities. Music rooms, libraries and labs provide students with plenty of resources to empower them. Its world-class infrastructure is committed to taking learning to the next level.   

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How to help your child stay organized for everyday school?

After a long and fun vacation, getting back to routine for school is always a bumpy ride. It isn’t easy to get children out of their vacation mode and get them organized.

Do you often wonder- ‘How can I help my child get organized?’ Here are a few valuable tips for helping your child.

Tips to get your child organized for school

1. Plan out the day

A day when not planned out can turn unproductive and confusing. Provide a daily planner to your child and encourage them to note down what tasks they need to finish in a day. This will help them accomplish tasks without procrastinating. Make a checklist of tasks and strike each out once done.

2. Mark your calendar

For some homework or assignments, you should mark your calendars. Using a calendar will help them stay prepared for an important event or deadline and thus teach them to keep track of their progress.

3. Prepare for the next day

Next-day preparation is one of the best ways to avoid early morning hassles. Help your child fix their bag for the next school day and keep their clothes ready by the night before. Also, ask them to go through their deadlines and checklists and see their progress through the tasks. This will also help them take up responsibilities and manage their day better.

4. Make a weekly schedule

If you have a well-planned-out schedule for a week, you know exactly what tasks to prioritize. Set a designated study time for your child and encourage them to follow it sincerely to see what schedule works the best for them. This way, they do not miss out on studies and finish their homework on time. Organizing homework assignments according to when they are due will teach them to stick to tasks and work stress-free around deadlines.

5. Give them small cleanup tasks

As crucial as homework or studies are, it is also essential that children help with household chores as much as possible. Conducting weekly cleanups for their room or cupboards helps them keep their things in place and not lose them.

What is the best way to stay organized at school?

To improve your child’s school organization, you need to play a significant role in helping them through it. Keep track of their assignments, books, and papers, so you also get to be more involved in their

school life. Take up activities to improve organizational skills to create a healthy, stress-free atmosphere at home. In schools like Amity School, Dubai, your child can thrive in an environment that teaches them a good balance between studies, fun, and hobbies.

Helping them better organize their chores and school tasks will eventually help them stay organized and adhere to deadlines through their adulthood. This way, they can put in their best efforts in studies and work and spare some more time for fun!

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How to Make Science Fun for Kids

One of the most frequently used words by most kids is ‘WHY?’ Children are naturally curious about their immediate environment, how the world works and how they can explore these avenues. It evokes a sense of wonder, excitement, and adventure and makes learning new things all the more fun!

 One way to engage a child’s curiosity is by exploring different science experiments to help them find out how things work. Hands-on experiments and projects are one of the easiest ways to learn and understand the wonders of science. 

 Seeing is believing. One way to help children find joy in science is by engaging each and every one of them. While doing this, it is essential to find ways to work around accessory and sensory challenges that some children may experience. Thinking outside the box and finding ways to tailor activities to suit all kinds of children is key.

 Here are some ways to help children explore and enjoy science.

 1. Modify experiments to fit sensory needs

To make science enjoyable for children, it is important to tailor your activities to their needs by using experiments like the ‘fingerprint balloon’ or ‘walking water’ experiment. Additionally, teaching them about scientists who overcame obstacles and went on to become world-renowned scientists. 

 2. Nature Study

Experimenting with seasons is a great way to get kids to learn science through nature. For example, planting flowers in the spring and watching them grow and change through different seasons. Another great activity is walking outside and exploring plants, trees, and local wildlife in the area.

 3. Explore technology and renewable energy 

With our world moving to greener and cleaner technology, it is important for children to explore technology and renewable energy. Some ways to do this are by exposing them to compost pits, solar energy by building a solar oven, electrochemical and plant energy sources by making solar water purifiers. 

 The Amity School Dubai curriculum is aligned to the CBSE education system and aims at raising achievement levels of each and every child, encouraging children to be independent learners, supporting sustainability, creativity, ambition, and fostering the ethos of global citizenship and meeting the emotional, physical and mental wellbeing needs of our children and community.