Parents always want that their children to be well prepared for their future lives. This is not only for their upcoming exams or even result slip. By learning Social Studies, your child is able to develop skills that are highly valued by employers today like reflective and critical thinking skills. Kids also learn to respect and recognize multiple perspectives.
In the Primary school level, this is where the foundation is normally set for learning of the humanities subjects that kids will be able to take in Secondary School.
At primary as well as secondary level, Social Studies helps students in understanding the how interconnected Singapore as a whole is to the environment they live in. This will help them better acknowledge the complexities of human experiences over time. Social studies allow students to examine the complex tensions that often characterize issues occurring around the world as well as in Singapore. Hence your child’s learning begins at the primary level and then it is expanded further and in-depth during their secondary studies.
How can you help your child study and get the most from Social Studies? Since kids learn best as they are having fun, it is also possible for parents to also easily get take part in the experience. What are some of the ways that you can use to help your child create interest in Social Studies?
The Power Of Personal Stories
One great way to ignite your child’s interest and curiosity is by telling stories. This will have them thinking on the issues that affect Singapore and the environment they live in. In particular, personal stories are more powerful. When they are shared through another person’s eyes, then facts and info come alive. Sharing personal stories is a great way to bond that allows you to share life lessons you would like to add to their lives.
Do you still have any memorabilia from your when you were young like medals, key chains, or trophies? Then it’s time to fish them out! These things are good starting points for sharing with your children of how life was during your childhood and how it’s different or similar today. Use the old school yearbooks and show pictures of the uniforms and school buildings or tell them of games you would play during recess.
Bring Out The Story Books
By reading a child is able to have some perception of the world they live in. Using storybooks about culture and history, children will learn about cultural practices from different communities. Easy-to-digest info and colorful illustrations do appeal to a child’s imagination and help to improve their learning. Such topics are also included in the Social Studies syllabus. These are the different ancient civilizations, cultures and also traditions of different communities found in Southeast Asia.
How can this help your child? Due to globalization, our kids will likely be interacting with others from various backgrounds. Thus, parents need to extend their appreciation and awareness of different cultures.
Go over the Children’s Section in the National Library near your home. You will come across the large variety of engaging and informative storybooks. These can help your child develop an appreciation for the Singaporean history and also be aware of the different cultures found the world over.
Take Them On Heritage Trails
Consider planning a fun day out just you and your kids. Visit the heritage trails to places like Kampong Glam, Little India, Balestier and Singapore’s Botanic Gardens. You can pick up some fun facts all through the trail.
For instance, do you know that once Little India was home to the New World Amusement Park, one of Singapore’s first 3 amusement parks?
You don’t have to try planning a heritage trail from the get-go since the National Heritage Board has formulated fuss-free printable documents, full of fun facts and easy activities that your kids can finish during the entire course. Heritage trails offer reliable, engaging and enriching learning experiences. Check with your kids first if they know some of them. The trails are offer something for you and your children to learn. Pop by the coffee shops and enjoy the local meals for lunch or even check out souvenirs and handicrafts.
Introduce Current Affairs
You can familiarize your children with the current affairs by watching the news or reading the newspaper with them. You can let them watch documentaries as this is a good starting point. Particularly, when you see that some of the topics covered in the news are too hard for them to interpret. Current affairs aren’t too complex for your children. So discussing with them about the current issues will increase their interest and awareness of events that are occurring in Singapore and in the world.
For instance, talking about global warming will prompt your child to think of ways they can care for and protect the environment. How can you encourage your child to keep up with the current affairs in Singapore? Ask your child to share their perspective and reasoning before talking about other possible views, issues, and some solutions. This can help them build their own perception of the world they live in.
Wrapping Up
In general, kids are by nature curious and love to explore why things are how they are. So, look at ways that you can use their enthusiasm and natural curiosity and have them looking into the real-life issues which are of concern to them.
The whole idea for this is to offer your children the chances to share their the feelings and thoughts on the current affairs. Doing so will help them participate in, understand, and even make informed choices about the world they live in.
Of importance is that you create and provoke some interest in your child to study social studies. By including social studies in the school curriculum, this ensures that children grow up to be well-rounded citizens.
Here are some interesting articles to develop and heighten your child’s ability to learn:
How to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Your Students
Practical Learning – A Learning Tool You Can’t Afford to Not Use
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