‘The heroes of today are not those who love to display their knowledge, but those who are virtuoso investigators, questioners and problem-solvers’ Guy Claxton.
It has been delightful to welcome all 700 ES students and their families to the 2012-13 school year this week. Corridors and classrooms filled with smiling, curious and unique individuals are what really make ISB sparkle! We hope your children have enjoyed a happy first week and look forward to learning and growing with them this year.
ISB is a school that focuses quite determinedly on improving student learning. Our Definition of Learning demands that we put student learning at the center of our decision making process: we are constantly asking, will this help our students? A new school year has parents often asking a similar question: how can I help my child learn at home? In his book, ‘What’s the Point of School?,’ Guy Claxton offers an excellent series of tips for raising ‘virtuoso investigators, questioners and problem-solvers.’ We hope you find it inspiring as you set about establishing effective learning habits for your children for the year ahead.
Kelly Armitage
Diana Drummond
Tips for Raising Learners
- Be a visible learner for your children
- Involve children in adult conversations
- Let them spend time with you while you are doing difficult things
- Involve children in family decisions
- Tell your children stories about your learning difficulties
- Encourage children to spend time with people who have interesting things to share
- Don’t rush in too quickly to rescue children when they are having difficulties
- Restrain the impulse to teach
- Don’t praise too much – use interest rather than approval
- Acknowledge the effort, not the ‘ability’
- Make clear boundaries and maintain them
- Don’t over stimulate – boredom breeds imagination
- Choose multi-purpose and open-ended toys
- Encourage different kinds of computer use
- Talk to children about the process of learning (without offering too much advice)
- Watch and learn from your children’s learning
Ref. Claxton, G.(2008) ‘What’s the Point of School? Rediscovering the Heart of Education.’ One World: Oxford