English Champ’s Education Method: Creating a Lifelong Learner
A Great Vision
Your child has a super brain and learning ability. For a great head start in life, think of your child as a learner and believe that your child is a super power learner.
With such an amazing tool that your child has – the brain and the heart – a great learner can be created. In this process of creation, aim for one that lasts a lifetime.
Create learners who are:-
Some of the Top Qualities of a Thinker
✔ Analytical
✔ Open-minded
✔ A problem-solver
✔ Structures an action plan, with clear SMART goals
✔ Strong in communication skills, listens and asks clarifying questions
Some of the Top Qualities of an Empowered Learner
“Learning is not done to you. It is something you choose to do”. – Seth Godin
✔ Curious and motivated
✔ Applies self-directed approach to learning
✔ Takes responsibility and accountability of own learning journey
✔ Understands that change starts from self and it requires energy to learn, unlearn and relearn (Reference: Alvin Toffler, Futurist and Philosopher)
Some of the Top Qualities of a Curious Learner
“The future belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it and turn it inside out.” – Anonymous
✔ Loves the discovery part of learning and willing to participate
✔ Continuously seeks to understand what, why and how
✔ Spends time and energy in purposeful activities to learn
✔ Willing to be wrong and hence, focuses on ‘what is’ rather than to be right
✔ Desires to learn through experience (experiential and immersive learning)
Some of the Top Qualities of a Happy Learner
“It is not how much we have but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”- Charles Spurgeon
✔ Perceives better understanding and experiences about people and the world around
✔ Cultivates self-control, empathy and self-motivation
✔ Enjoys the learning journey and with a positive attitude
✔ Embraces new skills as the heart and mind are open to learning
✔ Comes from the space of abundance rather than scarcity
✔ Believes in winner-learner mindset rather than winner-loser mindset
Our Values and Principles
Our 5 Pillars of Practice with the children are:-
Love
“How do you spell ‘love’?” – Piglet. “You don’t spell it. You feel it.” – Pooh
⮚ The evidence on the role of loving nurture in the emotional, social and cognitive development of children is powerful for growth
⮚ Love your child without attaching it to his/her deeds
⮚ Understand your child’s love language and reciprocate it to him/her
⮚ Feel love, project love. Use the heart and not the head in parenting
⮚ Allow your child to explore different areas of interest to find his/her true purpose and calling in life
Explore with Your Child
“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”- Jeniffer Lee
✔ For very young children, the world is a magical place and hence, they are natural explorers to make sense about the people, places and things around them
✔ Children are naturally fearless. With little or no intervention in the daily routine, they explore, fail or fall, succeed or get up and the whole cycle begins again. Your child will learn self-reliance, self-trust, self-love and be on a journey to life-long self-directed learning. This goes beyond childhood and into adulthood enabling him/her to take charge of and design his/ her own life
✔ When you explore with your child, you see what your child sees at eye level. If your child is at a crawling stage, he/she sees what is under the furniture rather than what is on it. Crawl with your child and be cool about swiping the dust off your palms afterwards
✔ Explore what is going on in your child’s head and heart. Ask your child questions to learn about him/her. What is his/her perspective? What are his/her fears, likes and dislikes? What was your child proud of in a situation that he/her had handled? What could he/she had done better? What has he/she learned from the experience?
✔ Let your child know that you are human too and be open to share your feelings about a situation that challenged you as well
Attend to Your Child’s Needs
“Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.”- Urie Bronfenbrenner
✔ Every individual is unique. The needs of your first child will defer from your second or third or any other children you know.
✔ Accept your child as who he/she is without imposing your thoughts and authority on him/her.
✔ Every child’s brain will need a different kind of ‘food’. A brain that processes information visually would need a different approach and education plan as compared to one with higher auditory or kinaesthetic functions.
✔ Be clear between your child’s needs and wants.
✔ Be mindful if you are living your needs and wants through your child by creating the same needs and wants in him/her, be it intentionally or unintentionally
Respect Your Child
“You can’t teach children to behave better by making them feel worse. When children feel better, they behave better.” – Pam Leo
✔ Respect is earned, not demanded. How do you earn your child’s respect? Listen to her, acknowledge her, tell her you love her, tell her how she is special, praise her privately, and praise her publicly. Do not correct him in an embarrassing way, do not mock, belittle or put him down in any way when speaking, and do ask for his opinion.
✔ A child learns respect through observing you. Respect the elders. Respect the people around you. Respect the living beings and things. Respect relationships and commitments. Respect rules. Respect oneself through words, gestures and deeds.
✔ You will be amazed at how smooth parenting is once you are able to fully master this
Nurture Your Child
“Education begins the moment we see children as innately wise and capable beings. Only then can we play along in their world.”- Charles Spurgeon
✔ Working to nurture with nature is by identifying your child’s innate strengths and gifts and use these to nurture him/her. This will minimise your struggle and create a flow in your nurturing process instead.
✔ A child is like a seed planted today and grows tomorrow. With proper formula to nourish the mind, the heart and the body, your child will grow farther and further, bigger and stronger.
✔ Nurturing requires patience, commitment, repetition and trust in the process that eventually you will witness the fruits of your labour.
✔ Nurture with your heart and not your head. Everyone has a little voice in the head. Let that little voice of your child be something positive. This way, you will be nurturing your child towards the most powerful force that he/she will possess which is what he/she says to himself/ herself and to believe.
Building Partnership with the Support System – The LEARN Triangle
The parties in the LEARN Triangle believe in creating TECH learners for the self, the child and others. The parties in the LEARN Triangle also adopt and practise the LEARN system with the child.
The Parent/ Main Caregiver
The parent and main caregiver spends the most time with the child each day.
The Educators
The educators consist of your child’s school teachers, enrichment teachers such as art teacher, language teacher or sports teacher.
The Support Team
The support team includes but is not limited to your child’s specialists such as the doctors, therapists, counsellors; and grandparents, relatives and close friends, neighbours, and the community.
To give your child a great head start in life, select your LEARN Triangle wisely and create an open communication with all parties involved.
“Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.” – Matthew L. Jacobson