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Ways to Enhance Critical-Thinking Skills in Your Child

In today’s ever-changing and rapidly growing world, it is essential that children can do more than a repetitive list of tasks. As a result of technological advancements, best CBSE schools in Bangalore and other cities have started following an all-inclusive curriculum that focuses not only on academic growth but also on the holistic development of students. Children need to have sharp critical-thinking skills that will help them analyze information, compare it, and create opinions. As we continue to progress into a technology-driven world, critical-thinking stands as one of the most vital skills that determine the child’s future. But what exactly are critical-thinking skills? Well, it merely means having the ability to imagine, execute, analyze, integrate, and assess the information gathered from observation, experience, or reasoning.

To develop strong critical-thinking skills, children should believe that thinking is fun and want to be good at it. As parents, your primary duty may sometimes be to ask open-ended questions and guide their thinking process. You can also encourage your child to experiment and refine theories on what causes things to happen. Parents can make this learning process fun and beneficial in a lot of ways. Let us look at some of the methods by which you can enhance critical-thinking skills in your child-

Develop reading comprehension skills in them- Reading comprehension skills is one of the most crucial skills children need to develop in order to build critical-thinking skills. You can encourage your kid to become capable and enthusiastic readers by making reading sessions a fun activity. This will help children to improve their ability to differentiate between various forms of information, understand each topic clearly, and analyze the same.

Ask questions- Enabling your kid to ask and answer questions frequently about what they have read is an excellent way to help them think actively as they study. It also allows children to concentrate on what they are learning about, and they can master the ability to understand and interpret better. As parents, this will help you to identify areas of trouble and find solutions to improve their comprehension abilities. 

Metacognition- Understanding one’s thought process and having awareness and knowledge about the same is known as metacognition. You can encourage your child to think about strategies that they can apply to understand a given paragraph or story. This will help to practice various ways to improve their understanding of the subject and eventually enhance their reading comprehension skills. You can sit with them and ask them questions about the why, where, who, when, and how of any given story or paragraph. 

Connecting the dots and summarizing- Children should be able to make connections while reading. By asking relevant questions, you can allow your child to practice critical-thinking skills and let them understand how one paragraph is associated with the other. You can also ask your child to summarize a story or chapter and determine what is essential in the same. This helps your child in remembering and make a critical analysis of potential outcomes, thus improving their critical-thinking abilities.

Developing critical thinking skills early in life helps kids to analyze the world around them with a better view. In an overloaded world of information and technology, top CBSE schools in Bangalore or elsewhere and parents need to promote fun and engaging activities in the child’s learning process that will help them to develop essential skills. These skills add value to the child’s education process and make them ready to compete in the future industry.

Know All About the Importance of Environmental Education in Schools

The importance of environmental education is explained in the words of Mollie Beattie, “In the long term, the economy and the environment are the same things. If it is unenvironmental, it is uneconomical. That is the rule of nature”.

What is Environmental Education?

In today’s world, education forms the basis for everything, including the environment. Environmental education is a process that allows students to explore the current environmental issues, involve themselves in problem-solving and to act upon to improve the environment. Some of the top IGCSE schools in Bangalore have taken the initiative to include environmental education into their curriculum. The curriculum brings nature into the classroom as well as take the students outside to learn. This helps the students to develop a better understanding of environmental issues and have the skills to make an informed and responsible decision.

Why Environmental Education?

Imaginations and enthusiasm are heightened- As it sparks imagination and unlocks creativity, it helps students get more enthusiastic and engaged in the learning, which leads to higher student achievement in the core academic areas.

Critical and creative thinking skills are enhanced- Students are encouraged to research, investigate how and why things happen and come up with their own solutions to tackle environmental problems.

Promotes Tolerance and Understanding- It encourages students to investigate varying sides of issues and helps them gain a different perspective of different cultures, thereby instilling a sense of cultural and social awareness in them.

Healthy lifestyles are encouraged- Environmental education gets students to go outside and address issues. This helps them become more proactive and aware of health issues like obesity, depression and ADD.

Helps in strengthening communities- This form of education promotes a sense of place and connection through community involvement. Students decide to learn more and take action to improve their surroundings. For the same, they reach out to community experts, volunteers and families and help to bring the community together and address environmental issues impacting their neighbourhood.

Responsible action is taken to better the environment- Through this form of education, students understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment. This helps them acquire the knowledge required to address complex environmental issues and keep our environment healthy and sustainable for the future generation.

Environmental education fosters sensitivity, appreciation, and respect for the environment- It increases the student’s interaction with their environment and makes them take decisions related to the same. Now that the students know how the environment is directly related to them, they become more sensitive and respectful towards the same, thus creating a habitable surrounding for society.

How Environmental Education Benefits Students?

Improves academic achievement- Students are engaged in exciting and practical lessons that teach them more about the natural world and provides them with an opportunity to enhance their scores in different subject areas and grades. This helps students to improve their test scores, thereby performing well in examinations and assessments.

Helps in breaking the indoor habit- Research has suggested that children who experience school grounds and play areas with diverse natural settings. This helps them to become more physically active and civil to each other.

Supports STEM- Environmental education offers an engaging platform for gaining and applying knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This helps students to comprehend each subject better and understand how each topic is linked to another.

Improves focus and cognition- Such forms of education increase the ability of students to focus and improves their cognitive skills. Since students are more exposed to nature and understand how each activity affects the environment, incorporating this subject in the curriculum encourages problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in students.

Environmental education cultivates leadership qualities- Students are expected to interact with community volunteers and guide their teams when they are assigned projects. All of this helps them to builds leadership skills and makes them more confident.

Environmental education helps students because they can see the relevance of their classroom learning to the complex environmental issues confronting our planet. In an effort to provide high-quality education to students, some of the best IGCSE schools in Bangalore or other cities have started integrating environmental studies into their curriculum. Students, therefore, now understand the importance of the environment and put in their best efforts to make the world a better place.

Are International Schools Really Worth the Fees?

As parents, it is common that you put in a lot of thought and deliberation while choosing the best school for your child. And your concerns are absolutely genuine. With so many schools offering different teaching methodologies and curricula, you are bound to be overwhelmed with the various schooling options. While each educational institute comes with its own set of unique learning methods, international schools in Bangalore or other cities provide a distinctive edge to students. 

Finding a school that aligns with your child’s abilities is usually difficult. Choosing an international school may be an excellent choice for students and can add many benefits to their future. However, global schools generally charge higher fees than normal schools. If you are in doubt that investing in an international school might not be worth the fees, then worry not because we have compiled a list of features that will help clear your uncertainties.

Exposure to a new culture-

Needless to say, international schools follow a global curriculum. The course is carefully designed to incorporate world cultures into the learning process, thereby providing education that is globally accepted. Studying in these schools will benefit students to learn about different cultural experiences from diverse backgrounds. Children will get an opportunity to gain insights and confidence to associate with people all around the globe in the future. 

Overall personality development-

International schools often include co-curricular activities as a part of their academic curriculum. These activities help in instilling life skills and social skills that last lifelong. International schools focus on practical learning rather than traditional blackboard-chalk education. Children who actively participate in activities, develop new skills that can help them excel in the future.

Low student to teacher ratio-

Unlike normal schools, international schools often keep the class size small. This helps teachers to focus on each child and give them the attention they deserve. Children who are lagging behind in specific subjects get more attention, and the teachers can notice these areas of improvement immediately. With a smaller class size, students get an opportunity to speak up and share their opinions confidently that helps in building their overall character.

All-rounded curriculum-

The curriculum adhered to, by international schools is frequently updated and revised to keep up with a continually evolving society. The programmes integrate a balance between academics, sports, and extracurricular activities. Schools focus more on the acquisition of skills rather than just memorizing content from textbooks. Most international schools offer various clubs like music, drama, debate, art, and many more with well-equipped facilities that help children to procure new skills.

Along with honing children with both academic and competent skills, international schools help children to gain more confidence in the competitive world. Since the curriculum exposes children to different world cultures, students can achieve global career opportunities in the future. However, it is essential that you check all the facilities provided by the institute like faculty, infrastructure, curriculum, and pedagogy. This will help you in choosing the perfect place for your child’s education from a long and confusing list of the best international schools in Bangalore or elsewhere.

How top CBSE schools in Bangalore are encouraging a waste-free lifestyle

Today, school education isn’t just limited to ensuring students can perform well in conventional subjects such as Math and Science. In fact, the best CBSE schools in Bangalore and other cities are moving towards fostering responsible individuals- whose knowledge isn’t just confined to the four walls of their classrooms. One such topic which educational institutes are focusing on teaching students how to lead a waste-free lifestyle. This is because it isn’t a theoretical concept anymore, but rather a practical lifestyle change. Let’s understand how schools are encouraging a better and greener lifestyle.

Separating the Waste

The first step of moving towards a zero-waste lifestyle is by separating the biodegradable waste from the non-disposable. CBSE schools are teaching students how to use the biodegradable waste as compost and disposing of non-biodegradable responsibly. This helps students make use of products which can be recycled and would not harm the environment.

Saying no to plastic

Without even realising, we use a bunch of plastic things regularly. Right from the water bottle to our compass box, every little plastic thing leads to more waste. This is why students are encouraged to things which are durable and reusable. For instance, instead of buying several ball pens, one can use one refillable fountain pen. Also, shifting to steel scales from plastic, using cloth pouches and metal pencil boxes are some other ways to avoid plastic.

Plantation

Along with creating a green environment, plants can improve the oxygen in the air and help us concentrate. This is why many schools are creating drives where kids need to plant trees and maintain them in and around campus. Once the students are done with planting the seeds, teachers make sure that students take care of their plants properly and water them regularly.

Rethinking every action

From reuse, recycle to upcycle – every step, every small decision counts. While schools are doing their bit to foster a better way of living, they encourage parents too to switch to LEDs, use water carefully, go digital and save papers. There are numerous ways in which one can transform their lifestyle just by rethinking every action and being more aware of the current climate crisis.

This is how the top CBSE schools in Bangalore are moving towards an improved way of living. Considering the current state of our planet, it has become imperative for every school to undertake such initiatives and ensure students follow it.

Major Differences Between CBSE and IGCSE Board

The global marketplace is every-expanding; therefore, it’s crucial to empower students with skills and competencies that make them “global citizens.” Educational judgments, today, are based on more than picking the right school. Choosing the right board is even more critical. With a wide range of international schools in Bangalore and other cities, choosing the right one can be a tough decision to make.

In this article, let’s discuss the difference between IGCSE and CBSE so that you can choose the right board for your children.

CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education)

CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) is one of the most popular boards across India. It is recognized by the Union Government of India and follows only the NCERT curriculum all over India. Due to the wide range of schools affiliated to this board, students can continue with the same education till higher secondary.

Moreover, CBSE is an excellent choice for families that frequently move due to their job. Choosing a CBSE school will ensure that your child studies a syllabus that is the same nationwide.

This board provides a combination of subjects called streams. Students can choose from three streams – Science, Commerce, and Arts. Students are allowed to choose their preferred subjects in their chosen stream. While subjects like Environment, Social study, and Languages are not compulsory subjects, every student has to study English.

Students studying in a CBSE school will be encouraged to gain a conceptual understanding of all subjects. While the curriculum followed by CBSE schools leans towards the traditional, it is perfect for those who want to appear for engineering or medical entrance exams.

Finally, CBSE conducts AISSE (All India Secondary School Examination) and AISSCE (All India Senior School Certificate Examination) for 10th and 12th class respectively.

Note: You can find both Hindi and English medium schools under the CBSE board.

IGCSE- International General Certificate of Secondary Education

The University of Cambridge International examinations establishes IGCSE and recognized worldwide. This board doesn’t have a predefined syllabus; instead, it chooses to focus on creating a global perspective. Therefore, students can choose from the most recommended textbooks and reference books to study a particular subject.

IGCSE provides more than 70 subjects and emphasizes on education that is creative and applicable in daily life. The education style can be very demanding. IGCSE offers a range of subjects and combinations without the limitations of a stream. This allows students to choose subjects based on their interests. The curriculum focuses on courses like the International Baccalaureate Diploma program and the North American APT (Advanced Placement Test). IGCSE conducts Cambridge Primary and Cambridge Secondary 1 and 2.

Note: IGCSE schools only teach in English.

We hope this article can help you choose the right board for your child. Regardless of whether you choose the best CBSE or best IGCSE schools in Bangalore, you can rest assured that your child will gain the best in education.

India is all set for International Schools

The Indian education system has evolved with three types of schools; government, private, and international. Each of these schools follows the guidelines of boards such as CBSE, state board, Cambridge board, ICSE board, or IGCSE board.

India is all set to offer a growing range of schooling opportunities with International Schools in Bangalore to globally mobile families. The introduction of more internationally acclaimed schools in the Indian education sector might provide plenty of schooling options to relocating families. Notably, you must know that ownership of these international schools in India is divided between private and government institutions, as they obtain government permission. Few of the others are owned privately and often follow an international curriculum.

The curriculum of International Schools 

India is welcoming a high-quality International curriculum with an exceptional learning environment. International schools present their students with labs, design centres, and continuous staff development. Most of these schools follow a common vision of looking beyond national boundaries by having an international staff to bring the best possible features of education together at one place.

One of the most beneficial highlights of studying in any international school is breaking opportunities to study abroad and enhance the career potentials of all the aspirational students and their families.  Universities are well aware that international schools present fruitful recruiting grounds to their students. It’s because the curriculum attends them with the explicit end goal of studying internationally at the higher education level.

Why are International Schools in India the best option?

International schools are all following a unique approach or outlook to thrive in setting impeccable education standards. Most of these schools keep learning in the centre of their strategy. With this, they successfully create a productive environment in the classroom. As a result, the students make substantial and genuine progress with every lesson of every term and every year.

The outlook of International schools values academic learning to develop the skills and personalities of the students. Such an approach eradicates the regurgitating of information by students. With these learnings in the centre, other holistic understandings and valuing areas of Sport, Drama, Music, etc. are also introduced to them. The curriculum can be developed with a wide range of opportunities for the students to become skilful within the school campus.

Precisely, most of the Best International Schools in Bangalore put a strong focus on the talents of individuals and their potentials. Moreover, they extend students with experienced teachers, facilities, and required materials to have the best possible platform to grow. Consequently, the students in the school learn critical thinking, creativity, and conceptual understandings that are developed by the advanced and research-based curriculum.

3 Reasons to Study at an International School in Bangalore

International School in Bangalore

With so many schools out there, selecting the one which will support your child’s growth might seem like a daunting task. This is because every school follows a particular syllabus, has its own teaching pedagogy, values and advantages. Today, many international schools in Bangalore provide students with an experience, which gives exposure to world cultures. This helps upgrade and improve their learning process. Here are a few reasons that explain why your child should study in an international school. Let’s get started.

  1. Experience new cultures

When it comes to the curriculum of international schools, it is designed in a way so that it is accepted around the world. Here, children get exposed to different cultures, communities, traditions and learning, which helps them to appreciate different cultures globally. Plus, your child will often have classmates and even teachers that come from different cultures. This will help him, or her learn and grow in a very diverse atmosphere.

  1. Personality development

International schools are known to celebrate differences in culture, countries and personalities. Thanks to this, children gain lifelong friendships with friends from other backgrounds. This also helps them overcome challenges such as language barriers, and more. Due to this, they realize a sense of independence and confidence. Eventually, they will gain an understanding of responsibility, maturity and a great sense of learning.

  1. A unique experience

Owing to the experiences and opportunities that are offered in international schools, your child can create lifelong memories. Along with this, it will encourage students to revisit a country in the future, study abroad, and consider a career path they hadn’t previously thought of.

These are a few reasons that explain why you should enrol your child in one of the best international schools in Bangalore. Remember, a school plays a vital role in shaping your child’s future. This is why you should make sure you select the one which fosters learning and helps them address real-life challenges. A fruitful future begins with the foundation laid by the school. Stay tuned with our blog section to learn more about international schooling, teaching methods and more.

Why top CBSE schools should focus on environmental education

Whenever schools are designing a curriculum for every class, subjects such as math, science, languages and social studies are included without fail. Today, the curriculum of top CBSE schools in Bangalore is not limited to just these subjects, but environmental education as well. Educators have realised the many benefits of including climate studies in the syllabus. Let’s look at why schools are keen on evolving the curriculum and why others should follow it too.

  • Create enthusiastic students

When it comes to learning about the environment, students are often encouraged to move outside the four walls of a classroom and analyse their surroundings. Right from seeing how rainwater seeps in the ground and helps a seedling sprout, to learning how too much rainfall can prove to be disastrous, students can learn every little thing about nature upfront.

Learning new concepts by experiencing it in real life enhances students’ physical, mental and social health as well. Once an individual has a clear idea of real-world challenges and the knowledge to address it, he is more likely to be engaged to improve it.

  1. Enhance students’ cognitive ability

Children with attention-deficit disorder benefit from more exposure to nature. This means, the greener a child’s everyday environment, the more manageable are their symptoms. Also, learning about our environment while being in it is known to help students and teachers be comfortable, less prone to illness and more focused on understanding.

  1. Address real-world problems

Every school in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai and other cities wants to nurture skilled, smart and responsible citizens of tomorrow. When it comes to fostering mindful individuals, environmental education plays a massive role. This is because it encourages students to think, analyse, interpret, reason and develop sound conclusions. Only when one is aware of how to do this in his early years, he will evolve into an individual who can analyse critically and synthesise information. Plus, it instils a healthy respect for nature, teaches how to be kind to animals and people, aids a healthy lifestyle and inspires them to play an active and positive role in an overall improvement of society.

This is how EE helps international schools in Bangalore create students who can think, make sound decisions, address real challenges and work on actively protecting our environment. Stay tuned with our blog section to learn more about schooling, teaching pedagogy and more. Happy learning!

Developing Critical Thinking in Classrooms

Critical thinking is a skill essential to learners in the 21st century so they can successfully navigate through endless mountains of information available today.

Here are some ways international schools in Bangalore build the valuable skill of critical thinking in their students:

Begin with a question

This is the simplest foray into critical thinking. Think about what you want to explore.  It shouldn’t be a question that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no. This question should inspire a quest for knowledge and problem-solving, so that when posed to students it encourages them to brainstorm. As answers emerge from students’ discussion put them on a chalkboard for everyone to see.

Create a foundation

Students struggle with critical thinking if they don’t have the information they need. It’s a good idea to start any critical thinking exercise with a review of related information. This helps students recall facts relevant to the subject at hand.

Use information fluency

Part of critical thinking is deciding which information to keep and which to discard. Students need to learn to collect appropriate knowledge to inform critical thinking. This is supported by Information Fluency.

Mastering the proper use of information and developing the ability to make judgments about information reliability is crucial to students’ success in school and life.

Leverage peer groups

Kids today thrive in environments where critical thinking skills are augmented through teamwork and collaboration. Studies show peers make for an excellent source of information, questions, and problem-solving techniques.

Challenge misconceptions

Critical thinking often demands intensive work and concentration, for which students should be left to themselves. However it can be helpful to step in partway through their process to check on progress. This gives you the opportunity to correct misconceptions or assumptions, which students will benefit from.

The aforementioned methods cover only some of the popular techniques for fostering the essential and lifelong skill of critical thinking in students. The list is exhaustive and varies from education boards, for instance the top CBSE schools in Bangalore may have a different approach to building this skill.

How International Schools Boost Students’ Creativit

The concept of creativity has existed in education for a while, but it is only now that educators, particularly in international schools are making solid efforts to integrate creativity into everyday classroom practices. Cultivating a climate of curiosity and creativity is something educators can work on from the very beginning of every school year. Doing so gets students into the habit of working in collaboration early on with each other to solve problems and arrive at unique solutions.

Here are some strategies that are employed for creating a community of creative and independent thinkers and that the top international Schools in Bangalore follow:

Encourage voice and choice

This involves allowing students to determine their own strategies to make decisions early on. Teachers usually ease into doing this by starting out with giving students less choice and gradually granting them more creative autonomy. Creating opportunities for students to work in collaboration on an activity, choosing their strategies collectively, and sharing their work is a good way to focus on enabling student agency.

Expand the definition of creativity

Creativity is more than only making new things. It also requires problem-solving, inquiry, ideation, and divergent thinking. When teachers use various creative structures, they expand the meaning of creativity in the minds of students to a broader one while simultaneously taking stock of the creative approaches students have been using so far.

Make room for mistakes

Creativity cannot be cultivated without creative-risk taking and when there is creative risk-taking it is almost always accompanied by revisions and modifications. Allowing for mistakes and failures in the classroom teaches students the skill of ‘failing forward’, as each revision is treated like a chance for learning, improving, and growing.

Involve everyone

Every student brings with them a set of unique strengths and expertise.  A community of creative-thinkers flourishes when everyone participates and contributes to create something epic together, which may not have been possible by working independently.

International schools that have put in use these strategies find success in being able to foster a spirit of inquiry and curiosity. This has also influenced a large number of the top CBSE schools in Bangalore to integrate these tools of teaching to develop young minds into creative-thinkers.