Sports and Children at Wonderful Years

by Mimi Say
Please watch how much effort children put in to perform a task. Please observe too the amount of effort they put in. Most important, the role of teachers are to encourage, not to discourage. The amount of time and effort that both the teachers and children have poured in especially to learn skipping is commendable.


6-year-olds practising skipping with support from peers.
I have seen so many of them transformed from do not want to participate, too scared, no confidence, do not know how to skip to skipping fast and excitedly. Most of them have not been introduced to this type of activity. Thanks to teachers who have put in much effort, this is the result that the children can be proud of. Hopefully parents will continue this type of active gross motor skills at home.

3 and 4-year-olds attempting the Pony Ride.
Even though some of them have no confidence or fear of attempting something new, with right amount of encouragement and motivation, they will be able to do it.

5-year-olds Confidently Whizzing Past their friends

Older children have no qualms or fear at manoeuvring little trikes. Confidence will be elevated when they are able to take control of their gross motor skills.

Team play effort will be strengthened when their friends cheered excitedly for each team members.

8 Multiple Intelligences in Children

by: Peter Petracco

Researching the Theory of Multiple Intelligence

The first exploration into the theory of Multiple Intelligence was in a book by author, Dr. Howard Gardner in 1983.

Dr. Gardner defined intelligence as consisting of three components:

- Ability to create an effective product or service that is valuable to one's culture

- Set of skills that enables an individual to solve problems encountered in life

- Potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which enables a person to acquire new knowledge

Dr. Gardner, who has become a world-renowned authority on the topic of MI, derived this theory based on extensive brain research, as well as interviews, tests, and research on hundreds of individuals. He studied the cognitive abilities of people afflicted with strokes and accident victims, as well as child prodigies, autistic children and those with learning disabilities.

His conclusions became the foundation for his MI theory in that intelligence is not one inborn fixed trait that dominates all a student's skills or problem-solving abilities, but rather each person has different parts of their brains that may be more highly developed than other parts.

While these different parts of the brain are interconnected, they may work independent or in concert to help a student learn depending on the educational environment and the child's preferred intelligences.

With this in mind, Dr. Gardner identified eight different Intelligences that every person would have, to varying degrees. These intelligences are verbal/linguistic, math/logical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist.

The Eight Intelligences Explained

1) Verbal-Linguistic

- The Writer/Speaker Children with strong Verbal-Linguistic intelligence will have a propensity to produce language and sensitivity to the nuances, order and rhythm of words. These students love to read, write and tell stories. They have good memories for names, places, dates and trivia. Professionals with strong VL intelligence will be writers, public speakers, teachers, and actors. Some historical examples include Abraham Lincoln, T.S. Elliot and Charlton Heston.

2) Math-Logical - The Scientist

Children with strong Math-Logical intelligence have the ability to reason deductively and can recognize and manipulate abstract patterns or relationships. Students who have strong problem-solving and reasoning skills will excel in this intelligence. Adults with this intelligence will work as scientists, mathematicians, computer programmers, lawyers or accountants. Some historical examples include Albert Einstein, Nicolae Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell.

3) Spatial - The Builder

Children with Spatial intelligence have the ability to create visual-spatial representations and can transfer them mentally or concretely. Students who exhibit this intelligence need a mental or physical "picture" to understand the information being presented. Professionals in this intelligence are typically graphic artists, architects, cartographers and sculptors. Some historical examples include Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso, and Bobby Fischer.

4) Musical - The Composer

Children with strong Musical intelligence have great sensitivity to the rhythm of sounds (e.g. pitch, timbre, composition). Students strong in this intelligence will enjoy listening to music and may ultimately work as singers, songwriters, composers, or even music teachers. Some historical examples include Ludwig van Beethoven, J.S. Bach, and Mozart.

5) Bodily-Kinesthetic - The Athlete

Children with strong Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence gravitate towards athletics; however, they also may use their bodies to solve problems, or convey ideas and emotions. Students with BK intelligence will be good at physical activities, have good hand-eye coordination and may have a tendency to move around a lot while expressing themselves. Professionals using BK intelligence will include athletes, surgeons, dancers and even inventors. Some historical examples include Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Andre Agassi.

6) Interpersonal - The Peacemaker

Children with strong Interpersonal intelligence work effectively in a group and understand and recognize the goals, motivations and intentions of others. Students with this intelligence thrive in cooperative, group work situations and are skilled at communicating, mediating and negotiating. Professionals in this intelligence may be teachers, therapists, and salespeople. Some historical examples include Mohandas Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Ronald Reagan.

7) Intrapersonal - The Philosopher

Children who are strong in the Intrapersonal intelligence have the ability to understand one's own emotions, goals and motivations. These students have good instincts about their strengths and abilities. This intelligence will be highly developed in professionals who work as philosophers, psychiatrists or religious leaders. Some historical examples include Eleanor Roosevelt and Sigmund Freud.

8) Naturalist - The Earth Lover

Children with strong focus in this intelligence will exhibit an affinity for all things nature. These students will enjoy and thrive when learning about nature topics, such as flora and fauna. Some professions with focus on this intelligence will include forest rangers, botanists, farmers and biologists. Some historical examples include Charles Darwin, John Muir.

Please remember, while we have outlined some of the specific traits, professions and historical examples associated with each intelligence type, everyone has some level of proficiency in each and every intelligence, and it behooves us, as parents, to learn how to cultivate each of these intelligences in our children.

Misunderstood Historical Figures

This last section is meant to shine a little glimmer of hope on all of us who may have not measured up to every task presented in our lives. We hope it helps bring into focus how despite the influence of some naysayers early in their lives, some of the most influential and historic people in the world also suffered from their own misalignment with the "status quo" of their times.

- Albert Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read.

- Beethoven's music teacher once said of him, "As a composer, he is hopeless".

- A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had "no good ideas".

- Abraham Lincoln entered the Black Hawk War as a captain and came out as a private.

- Thomas Edison's teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything.

- And last, but not least, Louisa May Alcott was told by an editor that she would never write anything that had popular appeal.

About The Author: Think * Play * Create Peter Petracco runs WonderBrains, an educational toystore based on the principles of the Multiple Intelligence Theory. He also contributes to WonderWaves, a monthly newsletter full of educational tidbits and guidance on educational toy shopping. Visit the WonderBrains website at http://www.wonderbrains.com

How To Handle Attention- Seeking Kids?

By YGOY

Parents are confronted with children who need a lot of attention. Parental concern for children is tested. A kid who is constantly drawing attention to himself or herself can be annoying. A parent can get tired of him or her. The kid commands your life. You spend most of your time catering to him or her. Some children misbehave to seek attention. Parental concern for the children requires that they deal with such attention- seeking behavior patterns.

Tips to Handle Attention-seeking Kids

• Do not encourage such attention seeking behavior patterns. Do not always respond to their calls. Let them realize you have other things to take care of
• Strike a balance between how much attention you can give and how busy you are
• Kids need for attention should not turn into demands for attention. Do not give into their tantrums, teasing and nagging
• Let them know that they are also important, but other matters also need to be given adequate importance
• Give positive attention and approval to their behavior patterns, which need to be appreciated. Positive parental approval helps children to understand their behavior better
• Do not give negative attention by paying attention to their misbehavior
• Manipulative children should not be encouraged
• Appreciate good behavior
• Even if you are busy give adequate attention to a kid. Merely visiting the school or helping him or her with homework is not sufficient. You should spend quality time with him or her, so that the kid does not seek negative attention
• Give them special time each day
• Ignore the attention seeking behavior approach of the kid
• The attention- seeking kid should be made to realize that there are other kids in the family who need attention as well

Parental concern for children is what forces parents to give adequate attention to their kid. A neglected kid can grow up to be a problematic teenager. Parents need to understand the needs of their children and accordingly devote time.

Raising Emotionally Healthy Children

by    

 Raising children presents dozens of challenges every day, whether it’s getting them to eat healthfully, do their homework, or stay safe. But a good parent must also focus on a child's emotional health as well. And while dealing with emotions may seem more taxing than the day-to-day challenges of parenting, raising children who are emotionally healthy may be easier than you think. All you have to do is love your child and be there for your child.

“What every child needs is a loving, caring adult who is passionately, wildly committed to that child,” says Geoff Nagle, PhD, MPH, associate professor of psychiatry and neurology and director of the Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Emotionally healthy children tend to:

• Perform better in school
• Build enduring, mutually respectful relationships
• Have coping skills that can help them through hard times
• Practice healthy behaviors later in life

Raising Children: The Caregiver as a Role Model

Children learn tools for emotional health by watching how you, the caregiver, relate to them and to other people, and by observing how you cope with the challenges in your life — which include parenting.

Nagle says that this truth may mean changing your home environment, especially if your child is likely to witness or be the victim of violence.

Raising Children: Planting the Seeds of Emotional Health

If parenting were easy, most of us would be perfect, but no parent is perfect, says Nagle. “Even low-risk parents have high-risk moments, but what counts is the overall relationship.”

Nagle offers the following tips to help you raise children who are emotionally healthy:

• Know what behaviors are expected at a given age. One of the most common problems parents face (especially new parents) is that they do not know the appropriate developmental milestones for their child’s age and what behaviors are reasonable to expect. Becoming informed about developmental stages will help you respond better to your child's needs. Also, knowing the appropriate behaviors for your child's age can help you better identify real problems. The signs of emotional health vary with age, and what is appropriate at one age may be a red flag at another age, says Nagle. If you have concerns about any of your child's behaviors, talk to your child's doctor.
• Don't turn your back on your own problems. If you are struggling with emotional issues yourself, or battling substance abuse or addiction, you need to get treatment. If you don't deal with your problem, it will turn into your child's problem, too. A study of 984 teens who had been adopted as babies showed that those whose parents suffered from depression were more likely to be depressed themselves. No matter how swamped you are with balancing your overall life and raising children, seek help for these issues, says Nagle.
• Spend quality time with your child. It can be hard to come home at the end of a long day, take off your work hat, and put on your parent hat, but this is exactly what your children need you to do. “Find a way to be present for them, to find out what happened in their day, what worked, and what was hard for them,” says Nagle.
• Choose the right child care. For many working parents, crucial decisions in the course of raising children revolve around who will care for their children during working hours. Your children’s health — emotional and physical — will be maximized with a person or institution where there are only a small number of children for each caregiver, the caregiver is not depressed or overwhelmed with her own concerns, and the caregiver has been educated about child development.

The question of how to provide a good foundation for the long-term emotional health of your children has a seemingly simple answer: you. Putting that answer into practice is challenging, but infinitely rewarding.

Sports and Children

by Better Health Channel

One of the activities to cultivate a healthy living at Wonderful Years Kindergarten

Summary

Active children are more likely to mature into physically active adults. Benefits of sport and physical activity for children include reduced risk of obesity, increased cardiovascular fitness, improved coordination and balance, better sleep and improved social skills. Reducing sedentary time may be as important for health as increasing exercise time. Best of all, getting moving is fun

Benefits for children

Some of the many benefits of sport participation for children include:

• Reduced risk of obesity
• Increased cardiovascular fitness
• Healthy growth of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons
• Improved coordination and balance
• A greater ability to physically relax and, therefore, avoid the complications of chronic muscular tension (such as headache or back ache)
• Improved sleep
• Mental health benefits, such as greater confidence
• Improved social skills
• Improved personal skills, including cooperation and leadership

An active child VS a deeply engrossed child.

Sedentary pursuits

Around 30 per cent of Australian children don’t participate in sport at all. Common sedentary activities that compete with physical activity include:

• Homework
• Computer games
• Internet use
• Television.

Encourage your child to be physically active
Parents can help their children to be physically active in a number of ways, including:

• Lead by example - be physically active yourself.
• Make sure that some family outings offer opportunities for physical activity, such as playing sport together.
• Encourage your child to walk or ride their bicycle for short trips, rather than rely on you to drive them.
• Support your child’s efforts in sport. Make sure you’re there at each match, cheering them on from the sidelines.
• Set time limits on sedentary activities like computer games and television.
• Consult with your child’s school on ways to encourage greater participation in sports and physical activity.

Quotations about Children

Welcome to The Quote Garden! 

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.  ~Stacia Tauscher You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance.  ~Franklin P. Jones Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it.  ~Harold Hulbert Children seldom misquote.  In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.  ~Author Unknown While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about. ~Angela Schwindt Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child.  ~Joan Almon Women gather together to wear silly hats, eat dainty food, and forget how unresponsive their husbands are.  Men gather to talk sports, eat heavy food, and forget how demanding their wives are.  Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun.  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960 Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.  ~Phyllis Diller Children need the freedom and time to play.  Play is not a luxury.  Play is a necessity.  ~Kay Redfield Jamison It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.  ~Frederick Douglass

The Story of a Cherry at SMG.

By Mimi Say

The story of a cherry at SMG (Part 1)

Lady: Do you want to try Malaysia cherry?
Boy: What is it? 
Lady: It's very sweet. Try it.
Boy: Ok!
Lady picked a cherry and give it to the boy.
Lady: Eat it. It's very nice.

Boy: Thank you but there is only one. I'll save it for my Father...

The Story of cherries at SMG (Part 2)

Lady: Okay, then I'll pluck more for you.
(After plucking more - a handful of cherries...)
Lady: I'll get you a plastic bag to take them home.
Boy: I'll only need a small bag, not a big one.
Lady: Here you are.
Boy: Thank you aunty, now I have MORE to give to my Neighbours and Relatives...