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From exam papers with answer guides to activity books: Ways to help your child think smarter and score better
Home to a range of word puzzles, flashcards, magazines, plus current affairs and assessment books, OpenSchoolbag.com.sg offers academic products for children aged two to 18
Learning should be a healthy combination of books, hands-on activities and experiences. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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The academic landscape has changed over the years to include more educational toys and tools that help motivate children to enjoy learning and grasp and retain concepts better.
When coupled with assessment books, this creates a holistic learning experience for your child while helping them develop a positive approach towards education.
Dr Anthony Fok, who has more than 15 years of teaching experience, agrees that learning should be a healthy combination of books, hands-on activities and experiences as this helps with a child’s development in school and in the real world.
“Learning from a book is good for teaching theory but another important part of learning is application,” says Dr Fok, an education consultant who has also written books for preschool, junior college and university students. “This can be in the form of fun experiments or games. Children need to be able to transfer and apply their knowledge to solve everyday problems.”
The right learning resources can also make a difference. But make sure to focus on quality over quantity and look for ones that are specific to your child’s needs, says Dr Fok.
Topical assessment books can help your child focus on topics they are finding hard to understand. They also help your child to revise what they have learned in school.
“For the English Language, there are many assessment books available that target specific aspects of the language like grammar, vocabulary, listening comprehension, and cloze passages,” says Dr Fok.
If your child is revising for their exams, assessment books that contain practice papers or mock exams are probably your best bet.
“These types of books usually contain several practice papers in the examination format which can help your child get used to and become more confident for the exams,” adds Dr Fok.
If you are looking for the right resources to support your child’s learning needs, OpenSchoolbag.com.sg should be your go-to. This one-stop website carries over 4,800 learning products for children of all ages ranging from toys, magazines and assessment books.
Navigation is a breeze as the website is segmented according to products which have been adopted by schools and best-sellers by categories. There are also dedicated tabs for important examinations such as the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
“I like how it’s easy to search and filter for products,” says Ms Reena Chelliah, 41, mum to eight--year-old David. “It helps me to immediately zoom in on what I’m looking for which saves me time and effort from wading through a host of books and toys.”
For dad-of-two Terence Lim, 41, past-year school exam papers were what drew him to the website. “I like that they all come with the answer key with full explanations, which makes it easier for me to go through each question with my children.”
Another added bonus: Since OpenSchoolbag.com.sg is fully online and open 24/7, you can shop at your convenience. Your products can be delivered as early as the next few days, plus it also ships internationally.
To enrich your child’s learning journey, Dr Fok and some parents share tips on what can help and things that are available on OpenSchoolbag.com.sg that can help.
Children aged two to four : Learn through play with sensory games
At this age, children learn about the world around them through play. They are also developing hand-eye coordination and are visual learners, so sensory toys, word puzzles and picture or interactive books are a good way to introduce them to numbers and alphabets.
Dr Fok’s advice: “Toys and games help children to focus better and for longer periods of time, as well as provide a source of fun. Children retain information better when they associate happy memories with it; and because they associate learning with fun, they become more motivated to learn.”
Parent’s tip: “Puzzles have been a great way to learn through play and develop motor skills for my daughters. They especially love the ones that are colourful and come in interesting shapes, such as dinosaurs or animals.” – Mr Eugene Quek, 36, father of two, aged four and two.
Children aged five to six: Feed their inquisitive minds with stimulating materials
As children prepare for primary school, resources that help them with reading and writing are key. They also become more inquisitive so educational toys , stimulating games and fact-based books will be of interest to them. Books on simple life lessons will help prepare them for an expanded social setting.
Dr Fok’s advice: “Educational magazines often contain interesting topics and can help foster curiosity. Social skills are just as important as academic ability and if children know how to make friends and are confident to ask for help when they need it, they will be ready for most situations, including primary school."
Parent’s tip: “When my children were around this age, they started being a lot more curious, with many ‘why’ questions. Hence, I bought them books containing fun facts about different topics and they were excited to tell me about all the new things they were learning.” – Ms Geraldine Tan, 39, mother of four children, aged between five and 10
Children aged seven to eight: Instil a life-long love for learning with out-of-the-box resources
Parents with children in this age group should get them accustomed to the primary school syllabus while encouraging them to read independently and voraciously. Learning skills beyond the normal curriculum, such as coding and robotics, can also teach resilience and perseverance and unlock more of their brain power.
Dr Fok’s advice: “Help children at this age discover that reading can be enjoyable. Instead of dictating the books they read, find out their preferences and be open-minded about their choices. Beyond school, coding is an excellent activity that can help with logical reasoning, creative thinking and even improve maths skills.”
Parent tip: “When my son started primary 1 last year, I enrolled him in an after-hours robotics and coding class. I feel it’s helped him understand maths concepts better. At home, I encourage STEM activities by getting him model assembly kits. They come in various characters such as robots, vehicles and animals.” – Ms Reena Chelliah, 41, mother of two, aged eight and two 8
Children aged nine to 12: Keep them engaged with quizzes and interactive activities
Children in this stage will have to start preparing for yearly exams and PSLE in Primary 6. Introduce simple and interactive resources to help them revise and keep them engaged. Picking up general knowledge will also come in handy for the oral examination and compositions.
Dr Fok’s advice: To avoid last minute panic studying for major examinations, students should set a study plan and stick to it. Developing examinations skills such as time management during practice papers will also be key. Tools that help develop deeper understanding of concepts, such as flash cards and mind mapping, are particularly useful.
Parent tip: “Instead of purely memorising, I encourage my son to use mind maps to internalise the concepts taught in school. This also helps him draw links between what he’s learnt and the real world, and see connections between different concepts.” – Mr Patrick Ling, 48, father of one son, aged 10
Teens aged 13 to 16: Broaden their horizon with real-world knowledge
Help lower secondary children ease into a larger workload while exploring their interests in and outside of school. The focus for upper secondary students should be preparing for their GCE ‘N’ & ‘O’ levels. This should also be a time for students to gain knowledge of current affairs and explore topics they are interested in or have an aptitude for, such as learning about other cultures, global warming, the arts, and health and political issues to encourage critical thinking skills.
Dr Fok’s advice: “In preparing for major examinations, one of the best ways is to ask your child to imagine they were the teacher and what they would want others to understand. By teaching others, they assess and revise their own knowledge. This approach will also be extremely beneficial when they progress to the GCE ‘A’ levels. Secondary school can be a daunting time. Don’t just pack long hours of homework and revision into their schedule though, make sure they have time for a bit of fun and relaxation too.”
Parent tip: “My daughter has always been interested in world affairs even from a young age. Now that she is in secondary school, I make sure she has the right reading tools to expand her knowledge which has contributed to her English language skills. We also have frequent discussions on what’s happening around the world and its impact on us which has helped her as a school debater as well.”- Mrs Liu, 51, mother of one, aged 13
At the end of the day, Dr Fok emphasises celebrating the small successes throughout a child’s learning journey, no matter their age.
“Children learn in different ways and at their own pace. Beyond focussing on outcomes, recognise and reward the effort they put into their learning. This can serve as a powerful form of external motivation,” he adds.
“Educational tools and supplements shouldn’t bring more stress to children; instead, they should be a stepping stone to help build up their confidence.”
Visit OpenSchoolbag.com.sg to find all the latest learning resources.
Visit OpenSchoolbag.com.sg to find all the latest learning resources.
