Rote memorisation may appear useful at the start but more often than not, it hinders the ability to recall over the long run. Since the role of education is to teach children knowledge and skills for the future, memory-based learning could put them at a disadvantage when they move on to higher learning institutions. When they are unable to trace back to what they have learnt, grasping more complex subjects can become a tough feat.
The intricacies of concepts like algebra, photosynthesis, magnetic fields or the world of fascinating English idioms can be mastered more effectively when your child can unpack each layer and put them back together. In more layman terms, we simply mean learning how to learn.
At MindChamps MindSpace, every subject we teach at our after school enrichment classes is coupled with a learning toolkit – the Art of Learning. Our research-backed pedagogy executed through thoughtful activities enables our students to comprehend and recall even the most challenging concepts. Analysing, synthesising, evaluating and applying new concepts become easier and children can tap on their creativity to discover alternative solutions when addressing challenges.
Our proprietary Optimal Flow Method™ exemplifies this best. We help students connect new information to familiar concepts for a more expanded or fresh understanding. They do this by breaking down concepts layer by layer, making sense of the relationships among them, and creating linkages with new information. As such, students move from the understanding stage where they receive and organise information, to storage, synthesis and recall for application. This makes learning a learnt behaviour.
But being able to master concepts at school is only one reason why these techniques are important. Learning how to learn impacts your child’s ability to navigate life complexities with greater confidence because:
1. Teachers Are No Longer The Main Source Of Knowledge.
The growing interconnectedness of the world with our ever-expanding and innovating digital systems opens up infinite numbers of doors to new information. Teachers were once the main providers of rich knowledge, but today, our unlimited access to materials, from books to videos, means we can study whatever and whenever we want.
The ability to self-learn is now more popular than ever, with Generation Z, along with Millennials, being more likely to educate themselves on their own. Having the means to acquire rich knowledge from a diverse range of sources and the techniques to master them can bode well for any inquisitive child.
2. The Future Requires Greater Adaptability.
We live in a climate of volatility, which means the need to learn new skills at every stage of our lives, whether as a student or a working adult, is a given. Knowing how to learn makes obtaining fresh competencies more manageable and fulfilling, so reskilling or upskilling is less of a hurdle but more of an accomplishment. Children who know how to learn since young will have no trouble assimilating into a growing economy characterised by constant change.
3. Passing Down Knowledge Is Key To Retaining Them.
Being able to teach the generations after us is testament to our commitment to nurturing the world’s new changemakers. But the success of teaching lies in the ability of others to comprehend. This means not only do we learn how to learn, but the same mechanics enable us to organise the way we pass down knowledge for the most significant impact. Children who acquire the learning techniques can nurture their younger peers with the same. This also drives greater opportunities for mentorship development.
The teaching methodologies at MindChamps’ MindSpace are rooted in foresight – we help to shine light on the impact our learning methodologies have on our children’s future, starting with our after school enrichment classes and activities. Even as they start off small at the lower primary level, your child acquires a toolkit of a lifetime, which is essentially what the Art of Learning is all about. Nurture your child, the MindChamps way – book a visit to our centres and learn from our experts about how we make this possible.