When science speaks of gestalt, it defines the subject as a ‘unified whole’; to perceive as an organised entity rather than the sum of its parts. Putting that into the perspective of children and their learning, a gestalt one brings to mind holistic development.
A holistic development for the child emphasises higher-order cognitive processes to address every aspect of their growth. Grounded on the fact that their emotions, physiological needs, and creativity are vital contributions to their learning and development besides academic excellence, parents ought to engage their children in and with their environments to expand their learning opportunities.
As parents, we want the best for our children so we try to equip them with the general knowledge and techniques that will get them through their adolescent age – and benefit them for the years to come.
Enrolling your child in an enrichment class is a tried and tested way to broaden their social awareness, gain skills in a new discipline and let them have fun in an environment away from the classroom.
Here’s 4 classes to get you started.
- Sports
Whether it’s swinging a bat, swimming lengths, or kicking a ball around a field, playing sports will improve your child’s metabolism and keep them fit. Meaning all that unused energy pent up inside their tiny bodies will be put to good use. Besides the health benefits, you will see improvements in your child’s social behaviour as they interact with their peers while working in teams.
If you’re looking to sign your child up for sport classes, www.tinytots.com.sg is a good place to start!
2. Coding
In our day and age, we revolve around technology. We have apps for everything – from gaming to cooking, and even scheduling. Learning about code enhances your child’s problem-solving, analytical and logic skills. While it may seem like it’s too hard for children to grasp, coding is, in fact, really simple. There are even classes that teach children how to code games, providing a platform that’s fun and interactive while increasing your child’s fluency with technology.
You can enrol your child in coding classes at firstcodeacademy.com!
3. Cooking
With the Junior MasterChef series taking over our televisions by storm, it’s safe to say that you’re never too young start cooking. While learning to be more than just a helping hand in the kitchen, children also pick up creative and motor skills when they’re cooking. Mixing, baking and kneading is highly interactive and will keep your child occupied for hours! Even a simple sunny-side-up will keep your little ones entertained as they watch the yolk turn from a clear gelatinous liquid into yummy breakfast.
At Creativeculinaire, your child will be a master chef in no time!
Check out the 2016 pics and videos from our annual Parents World Junior Chef competition. Send us an email to info@redtreegroup.org to register your interest and find out more about the next Junior Chef event.
4. Arts
Nothing like being on stage to boost a child’s self-confidence. Choose from activities like ballet, acting, piano, guitar or singing – they all help to develop language and communication skills, as well as assist them in building emotional intelligence, to connect with their peers better. The arts is a beneficial outlet to get those creative juices flowing so your child can really learn to express themselves.
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Ballet for example, is a beautiful art form of expression and emotion. Not only that, children learn flexibility, motor skills and movement at a young age, as well as exercising discipline and perseverance. Singapore Ballet Academy is a perfect place to start, offering Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus and examinations for the art of ballet.
Competition!
In conjunction with Singapore Dance Theatre, Parents World is giving away 10 pairs of tickets to the second week’s opening performance for Ballet Under the Stars on 8 July 2016, 7.30pm, at Fort Canning Green. To win, simply submit your NRIC details, full name and contact number to writer@redtreegroup.org! We can’t wait to see you there!
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