kids Archives - A Million Lives

June 12, 2018 by Greg Underwood

The 5 Secrets to Your Child’s Academic Success

If you want your child to be able to take their pick of fantastic opportunities in the future, you will understand their education will be the foundation for their success. As excellent grades can lead to college, university, and an exciting career they will love.

While intelligence and a natural aptitude can improve their chances, there are many ways parents can help their children to gain an educational advantage. Ensure your child reaches his or her potential by reading the five secrets to academic success.

1. Start Their Education Early

Studies have found that children who start education earlier are less likely to require special education services or to be held back in school. It has also been found that they are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and enjoy a successful career, when compared to those who did not attend preschool. So, give your child the best possible chance of success and start their education as soon as possible.

2. Help Your Child to Fall in Love with Reading

There are many reasons why you should encourage your children to read. In addition to improving their vocabulary and language skills, reading can increase their intelligence, empathy, and creativity. So, the more books your child reads, the more they will learn and grow as a person. Try different genres, authors and topics until your child finds a book that triggers a passion and makes them fall in love with the written word.

3. Invest in Their Education

Every child has a right to an excellent education, which is why you must endeavor to find the best school to harness their strengths, remove their weaknesses, and help your child reach his or her potential. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to enroll your child in an outstanding kindergarten or an exceptional high school, you should carefully consider each school to ensure it offers the environment, reputation, and dedication to helping your child to flourish academically and socially. Learn more about Quinton House Private School.

4. Offer Educational Experiences

Prove to your children there is more to learning than just books and exams. To do so, provide your kids with fun, practical and interactive educational experiences, which can help them to absorb information easily and develop a passion. For example, you could take your child to a museum or gallery near you, or you could visit a historical city or landmark. For example, if your child is currently studying ancient Rome, bring history to life and take them on a vacation to Rome, so that they can learn more about the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Piazza Navona, plus more.

5. Avoid Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprived children will struggle to function both inside and outside of school, as they’ll be unable to concentrate in class. Sleep is essential for the body to heal and rejuvenate, and it allows the brain to recharge itself. You must, therefore, ensure your child enjoys at least eight hours of sleep each night, which will improve their focus and will help them to perform better academically.

January 13, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Why a telescope is a great investment for your kids education

Optical instruments, in general, and telescopes, in particular, aren’t necessarily popular when it comes to getting perfect presents for children. In many cases, parents will think that these devices are far too complicated to work with, and that’s why they might steer clear of them.

The fact of the matter is that microscopes, magnifiers, as well as a variety of telescopes and binoculars, be they made for terrestrial or astronomical observation, are quite useful, and some of them are especially user-friendly.

One of the first things that you ought to consider if you are in the market for an educational present and have no idea how to go about things is the child’s age. If he or she is three years old, it’s very likely that you will have to purchase a plastic and somewhat cheaply made handheld telescope or binocular. Toddlers are more or less clumsy, and that’s only natural.

But if you take the time to create a habit when it comes to the kid’s interaction with science-related objects, it won’t take long before he or she actually develops a genuine interest in them. The age of the gift recipient should be the primary factor you ought to take into account also because you need to ensure that the child is capable of handling the device.

As you probably know already, kids tend to get bored fast. Therefore, ease of use is one of the significant aspects you should consider if you want to get a highly usable telescope. Looking at the stars is a great activity, but you also have to take into account that telescopes made for this purpose are often outfitted with slightly fragile optical components that might easily break when they are handled roughly.

Moreover, astronomical observation calls for a bit of a schedule. You can’t look at the sky when you’re in the center of your town because light pollution is particularly high in that area. You might not be able to look at the moon efficiently if there’s too much light pollution around you.

So, the ideal setting for looking at the sky is outside of town in a field where there’s little to no light available. What this means is that parents will have to organize trips with their kids to show them how the device works. If you aren’t prepared for that kind of commitment or if your busy schedule prevents you from doing so, we recommend a terrestrial telescope.

Most of the time, handheld telescopes are convenient, easy to use, and light to pack in any bag. You can take them with you when you travel, and you can look at various items and living beings in your garden or yard. They can be designed by a variety of brands ranging from Celestron to Meade, and if you want to get the right one for your endeavor, we suggest checking out a professional review on this subject.

With the assistance of a telescope, you’ll be able to explain to your kid that the world that surrounds us is far more magnificent and mysterious than we might think, judging by what we can see with our naked eye.

January 11, 2018 by Greg Underwood

What Your Kids Can Learn from Camping

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As with most parents, you have probably come to the realization that there is something lacking in today’s society that we enjoyed as kids. Previous generations spent more time with their parents and less times connected to friends, some of whom they’ve oddly never met! With so much time being spent on cell phones and the Internet, it’s a wonder we know our kids at all.

This year, why not take the kids on a camping vacation? There is much of what they can learn while being surrounded only by nature and it is up to you, as a parent, to show them another side of life. Find a suitably large tent on websites like My Family Tent where you can get enough information to know you are making the right choice. Then book your campsite so that you can start preparing to finally get to know your children.

How to Enjoy Life in a Non-Digital World

One of the best things kids can learn when camping is that they really can survive in a non-digital world. You don’t need a computer or a cell phone, and you certainly don’t need the latest Xbox or Nintendo game system to get by. What you need is a healthy appreciation for nature and a few ideas on how to keep busy with nothing to distract you but a few birds, the sound of crickets and frogs and perhaps a passing squirrel or fox. Camping is fun and there is much to do if you leave the devices at home.

Survival Techniques & Self-Reliance

Perhaps we have done our children a vast disservice by creating all the apps and hi-tech devices they’ve come to rely on. In fact, fewer children than ever are visiting libraries than in any previous generation. Why do you think that is? If you guess the Internet, you are 100 percent correct. Why go to the library to research your upcoming term paper when you can do a quick online search to find all the reference materials you need.

What do you think would happen if the Internet suddenly went down and never came back online again? Would your kids know how to put together a model plane without a YouTube DIY video? Would they know how to find the phone number for the nearest Pizza Hut? Probably not! Few kids even know what the hardcopy yellow pages even are anymore, so teaching them a few survival skills on a camping trip just might help them learn to think for themselves!

A Respect for Nature

Finally, camping helps your kids learn a healthy respect for nature. From getting in the tent during a sudden rainstorm to watching how bees pollinate wildflowers, they now have time to be aware of their surroundings. Yes, they can watch online videos and television shows like National Geographic, but there’s nothing like the real thing. If you want your kids to leave a better world for their children someday, and their children’s children, teach them a healthy respect for nature.

Make this a year of being together without distractions from the digital realm. It will certainly be a time to remember. That’s for sure.