My Child Writes Unrealistic Compositions
Unrealistic compositions: Are they problematic? When your child tells a story, does it tend to be ‘out of this world’ or removed from reality? This is actually quite natural in children’s stories, and even beautiful. With their innocence and childlike naivety, children often generate ideas that are utopia-like or ‘too good to be true’. For […]
If your child can’t keep still or stay focused, this one’s for you!
Dear Parents, Have you ever wondered why your child can’t seem to sit still for more than half an hour? Does your child seem to lack the ability to focus on one task at a time? Or perhaps, you have even thought that maybe he or she might have ADHD. But what if I told […]
3 ways that your child may be shortchanged (and what you can do about it)
As a student, I didn’t like school. Learning was never fun for me and I just went through the motions because I knew that’s what my parents wanted me to do. However, I was blessed enough to score well enough for the PSLE to attend the top secondary girls’ school in Singapore. Most of my teachers […]
5 Ways the IB Trumps the O’ and A’ Levels
Dear Parents, I’m sure that some of you have considered enrolling your children in an IB (International Baccalaureate) school or at least wanted to find out more about the IB programme. Having taught in both systems, (the A’ Levels and the IB Diploma Programme), I would like to offer my humble perspective. The O’ and […]
How to score in PSLE composition writing and beyond…
Our founder, Claudine Fernandez shares tips from PSLE markers below on how to ace the Continuous Writing Section of English Paper 1 coming up in end-September. Vary your use of vocabulary and sentence structure. Show, not tell. There is no need for overly complex vocabulary; what is more important is to use the appropriate word […]
3 ways to deliver good feedback
3 Ways to Deliver Good Feedback Dear Parents and Educators, When we are giving feedback to our children about their written work, it is important that we carefully word our feedback so as to boost children’s confidence, but also to guide them in addressing their areas of improvement. Feedback has to be balanced and objective. […]
Important tips on reading
Elaine Chiew is an author, researcher, educator and an arts and culture reviewer. She has written a number of short stories, several of which have won international writing awards. She also edited the anthology Cooked Up: Food Fiction From Around the World. Elaine is no stranger to Artistic Strategies Academy. She has mentored several batches of […]
Your Child May Just Be a Startup Founder
Recently, we came across a number of interesting infographics showing how startups were formed and how they developed into full-fledged companies. Here are two of them: Source: Best Friend Bible Source: Best Friend Bible In today’s world where the start-up culture is rife and continues to grow, how do we prepare our children adequately to […]
Developing an Innovator’s Mindset in our Children
Many of us are familiar with the Growth Mindset, discovered by Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology. Such a mindset is encouraged in both children and adults because it is the belief that the “most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work”. (Growth Mindset Definition). Yet, George Couros, an Innovative Teaching, Learning, and […]
5 Elements of Good Storytelling
What does it take to write a good story? Perhaps, you could start with these five essential elements of storytelling. 1. Well-rounded characters Well-rounded characters are based on real life characters. Take a look at your favourite characters from books or the movies. What are they like? What outstanding traits do they have and how […]
Enrolling Children in Writing Competitions
The idea of entering a writing competition may seem daunting to many (adults and children alike). However, at Artistic Strategies Academy, we believe in creating opportunities for our students to participate in writing competitions, both local and international. Here are three reasons why we enrol our students in writing competitions: 1. It Builds Confidence When students […]
Bond with your child in creative ways
Bond with your Child in Creative Ways Here are a few activities that both parents and children can do during the last week of the June school holidays! These activities enable you to spend quality time together while igniting your creativity: 1. Clay Creatures Dabble and experiment with clay to make clay characters. You could […]