Enrolling your child into a new school may be the hardest task for a parent. Because it doesn't only involve searching for the right school, but it also includes performing comprehensive research on all aspects of the school. Whether its kindergarten, primary school or secondary school, extensive research needs to be done by parents before they enrol their children into the educational institution. Although there aren't enough questions, you can ask the relevant authorities when you're out searching for your child's future schools. Here are a few essential things to inquire about when you're there: How skilled are the teachers? Teachers play an important part in molding your child, so it is essential to know how trained and skilled they are for their job. Communicate with them in an attempt to find out more about them. They should understand the importance of feedback and keep you within the loop regarding your child’s progress. If there is technology involved in teaching, inquire in depth about their about their teaching experiences and competency with specific technology to gauge whether your children are in good hands. The teachers at the American schools in Sharjah are not only trained to provide regular feedback regarding children but also are well versed in the maters of technology. Is learning limited to textbooks only? Lessons and learning shouldn’t be limited to textbooks only. The children should be allowed to look for and learn from other relevant resources too. Libraries and online resources should be available in an attempt to provide children with learning material. Parents should know what other sources, offer learning for students, other than the conventional textbooks. Are the children involved with any hands-on activities that involve learning? Kitchen spaces, Computer labs, playrooms; all these facilities provide ideal places for the student to learn without textbooks. Are the learning spaces emotionally child-safe? Parents should satisfy any insecurity they might have regarding the physical safety of their children. Emotional safety and wellbeing also play an essential part when it comes to your children's future school. It is important to know whether questions are encouraged or are kids discouraged from questioning. Are the children punished or given detentions? What do these detentions include? How are children disciplined and what techniques are used to discipline them? Although most schools do provide detentions, the nature of detention should be such that it allows the student to learn and grow and not feel humiliated. How does the school use technology for teaching? In the past, most schools had computer labs for learning purposes that allow them to access the internet. However, advancements in smart technology have greatly enhanced learning within schools. Schools today use online resources not only for students to do their homework but also for parents to stay updated about their kid’s performance at school. Interactive online applications have made it easier for parents to stay in touch with their child’s education and performance. Are curricular and extracurricular achievements encouraged? For students who are good at sports, arts and other extracurricular activities, it may be hard to catch up with school work. And it may be difficult to learn at the same pace as the rest of the kids. Parents should ask about any leniency that the schools are willing to show for students involved in other activities. Students that score high in their respective grades should be rewarded for their attempts with rewards like certificates medal sand trophies. Not only does it help encourage other to perform better. Take away A good way to confirm the answers to most of these questions is by taking a campus tour. Where some schools might offer scheduled campus visits, others also offer a virtual option if you’re not able to attend. American schools in Sharjah allow parents to visit the school during working hours after informing the school and setting up a session. Your choice of school will be with your child for a long time. And it will help shape up their future. Instead of switching schools midway, it is better to perform extensive research and ask lots of questions before you finally enroll your child in a school.
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When I was growing up some of my classmates skipped a grade and enrolled in a grade ahead of us. For example, one of my school classmates was shifted directly from grade 5 to grade 7, and the reason was that he was the smartest student in the class. Teachers felt that he might do well even when he will skip the level. Now as the society has progressed, things have gone against the tide. Now the smartest children are held back for a year intentionally, and the reason is to gain a competitive edge over the classmate. The concept is known as redshirting. It does not seem logical like how staying back can give the smartest kid an edge over the ones who are enrolled in school and are continually learning. Academic redshirting is common among kindergarten children by their parents. In this practice, parents do not enroll their children in the kindergarten schools which are present in the region such as Kindergarten school in Sharjah for a year. The percentage of redshirting is increasing and according to the data estimates the redshirting percentage in the United States is between 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent. It is reported that boys were two times more likely to experience redshirting as compared to the girls. There are several reasons cited by the parents who are holding back their child such as the child is the youngest in class, not emotionally fully developed and others.
It is commonly believed that redshirting has more advantage and usually pays off for most children. According to the research, there is a significant correlation between entrance age of school and academic performance later on. There are two different hypotheses which further explore the relationship between age and the school performance.
There is a mechanical relationship between age, maturity and the development of the brain generally known as cognitive development. The older kid will have more cognitive development and maturity as compared to the younger kids, therefore, would be better able to understand the problems and solve it.
The academic pressure for the kindergarten is increasing. Kindergarten has become more like a first grade because of the number of subjects and studies the children undergo. Exemplifying Kindergarten school the administration is giving their best shot to prepare the children for the studies ahead fully. In this thriving environment, older children are more likely to adjust and perform better as compared to younger kids. But if your child is ahead of class and performing better does that mean he or she is learning better? It might be the estimation that the older child with better cognitive development will be sharp. The estimation can be accurate. But there is a fine line between being bright and learning. When you child is sharp, then it means that he will be quickly bored and demotivated in class. Take for example, if you are attending a course, and you learn some of the topics you already know or understood way before your other course mate then what would you do? You would want to skip the topics you know, or you would be least interested in that course. Same goes for the child who is older and ahead of other students. He might be the sharpest, but he is not learning as much as other kids in the class are. In other words, there is no standardized or universal age for enrolling your child to the kindergarten but if you do not have substantial reason to hold your child back for a year it is better to have them enrolled in the Kindergarten school in Sharjah even if he or she will be the youngest in class. Somebody will always be youngest in class so why not your child. Private schools in Sharjah and across the UAE offer a wide variety of curricula to expats and their children who are coming in from foreign countries, and choosing one can be a difficult decision for parents. The choice of curriculum is a vital one in the UAE since it determines what kind of education system your child will be following in their school years, and eventually, what kind of colleges and universities they’ll be eligible to apply for. For families from the U.S, Britain, or India, the choice is often simple enough. Their country’s curricula are offered in all emirates of the UAE, and they end up choosing the “home” option more often than not. However, for people coming in from other countries who have to make a decision, it makes sense to thoroughly research all the available options before they decide if their child is going to be studying in American curriculum schools in Sharjah, or the British institutions. Here are a few things to keep in mind during the process: How long will you be staying in the UAE? |
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