How Can Schools Help in Making Your Child More Organized
A high premium is placed on the academic performance of a school-going child. But nobody sees the relationship between organizational skills and the academic grades of a student. Many students, although very high on IQ (Intelligence Quotient) are deficient in organizing themselves. Poor organizational skills or capability is related to a student’s understanding of assignments, determining and establishing a plan of action to execute, and finally timely delivery of his homework assignments. This results in low grades and low self-confidence. More often than not kills a student’s ambition for further academic pursuit.
The best schools in Dehradun provide a range of skill-building, and personality development activities for the students to enroll in, and participate in. DPS Vikas Nagar is no less. Read on to find out how can your school help your child become more organized.
Importance of Organizational Skills in Students.
Organizational skills are basically an ability to form a strategy for tackling a particular task, optimally. For students, this set of skills is required to achieve deadlines, maintain a happy study environment and be on top of their work. Some of the best schools in Dehradun provide an enriching learning environment, not to mention a positive atmosphere that encourages the students to give their 100% in their endeavors.
A student, is missing out on these very important skills if his school bag is in a messy state, he loses his assignments frequently, he sits down to complete his assignments at the last minute and ends up copying from his classmates, and lastly, he is mostly unprepared for an examination and resorts to mugging up lessons to somehow answer the test paper. Here he might even look at cheating as a substitute for working on his lessons.
What Skills does your child need?
These are abilities to handle tasks in a methodical way. This might come naturally to a child or can be inculcated through programs and training. It helps a student use his time and energy in an optimal combination so as to achieve goals without getting stressed out. At DPS Vikas Nagar being organized ensures the maintenance of well-ordered work, a relaxed study environment, and on-time completion of assignments. These skills are two-tiered:
- Mental skills: When a student deconstructs a task in his mind; approaching it logically, creating a strategy, and prioritizing tasks within that strategy - he is using his mental organizational skills. This will manifest itself in the student’s ability to create notes, use them at the appropriate time, and at the same time be creative in the classroom.
- External skills: An external organizational skillset include having a neat and clean desk, well-organized notebooks, and using the almanac effectively to plan academic and extra-curricular activities. So a well-organized mind and space will result in a pride-worthy student.
How can Schools help in Developing Organizational Skills in Students?
`1. Adhering to the timetable: We have seen that a back-breaking school backpack is a problem faced by children of all ages and groups. If the reason for this heaviness is to be investigated, we find that more often than not the bag is extremely disorganized and is probably stuffed full of things that are useless for the day’s timetable. So to start with, if the teacher at the classroom level emphasizes the importance of carrying just what is needed; it would highlight, for the child, that unnecessary stationery or textbooks will not earn him medals.
2. Creating a lesson plan: The next step to be taught is how to be organized. Here each subject teacher could underline the process to be followed before a lesson is begun.
a) Students should have everything needed for a lesson, out on the desk before the teacher begins the lesson. He/she should distract or interrupt the class by rummaging through his backpack as and when the need arises.
b) The student should be encouraged to stay focused on the lesson for its timely completion.
c) The task should be finished and not left halfway to be completed at home or in some other period.
This process, if strictly adhered to by the teacher-student collaboration would successfully teach students to develop the habit of organizing themselves. It should be, however, reinforced continually throughout the academic year after being introduced at the beginning.
3. Visual Schedules: A proper visual schedule in the classroom would work as a guide for the students to organize themselves on a daily basis. The teacher could set an example by referring to it frequently in organizing class activities. The students in turn like to follow their teacher’s example and would readily use the class schedule to organize themselves.
4. Checklists: The use of checklists by teachers further pushes students towards organizing themselves. A morning checklist that sets up a to-do list for the class does away with time leaks.
Assign color codes for different subject books and notebooks. This would reduce the time and effort wasted by the students in hunting for the required course material.
5. Systematic Decluttering: Encourage the student to keep his desk and surrounding space clean and tidy. Clean workplaces always keep the student’s psychological morale boosted. This in turn enhances his performance. Regular decluttering and reorganizing of the classroom cupboard would be a good example to highlight the importance of organization of our personal spaces in our daily lives. A classroom job assignment organized in a systematic way would involve students shouldering their jobs responsibly and sincerely. The method of organizing would expose them to organizing their tasks in a similar way.
Additionally, small skits and dramas in assembly or during free periods as reminders for students to stay organized is an exercise adopted by many schools in Dehradun.
Final Thoughts
Schools play a vital role in determining your child’s trajectory, and way of life. At DPS Vikas Nagar, our team of experienced faculty is trained to help children become more organized, with the help of visual aids, class activities, and more. We help students develop a positive and healthy outlook toward life, develop acumen for problem-solving, and encourage them to think out of the box!
Visit our admissions page to know more about our enrollment process.
Importance of Co-curricular activities on the mental health of the students
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, so goes an age-old saying. Its applicability, however, is timeless. It has been found that any activity that breaks the monotony of routine scheduled learning serves to enhance the mental agility and faculties of the students. This could be at home, it could be at school. Extra-curricular activities as they are termed are therefore of extreme importance and occupy a respectable place in the daily schedule chalked out for the students.
What are co-curricular activities?
Extra-curricular activities or ECA can safely be defined as activities that are carried out by students outside and beyond their scheduled academic classes. These activities often happen outside the classroom and might not be included in the visual schedule of the class. This includes being a member of various clubs, wherein there are other people of similar inclinations. This platform provides the student opportunities to interact and display his own skill set around his chosen activity. For example, if a student is interested in dance or music, he or she is provided with the opportunity to learn and perform in organized events. These activities not only decorate or add to a child’s skill set but also allows him to invest time creatively and constructively. This, in turn, helps in learning soft skills that enhance a child’s personality.
Best Co-curricular Activities in school
Studies have repeatedly underlined the role of extra-curricular activities in a student’s daily schedule. These could be:
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Dance: it is an accepted fact that dancing is perhaps the best form of self-expression. It not only helps the student deal with stress but also helps in the physical development of the child.
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Sports: Learning to play a game be it cricket, basketball, volleyball, swimming, badminton, etc., helps in the physical, mental and emotional growth of the student. Playing on the field with mates contributes to developing soft skills also.
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Cooking: Learning to cook teaches the child about nutrition and the alchemy of food. It gives the little chef the satisfaction of creating something. This in turn adds to his confidence levels.
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Swimming: The best way to have water therapy. It relaxes the body and mind and at the same time creates awareness in the child about the importance of observing safety measures. It is a lesson in life skills.
These are a few examples of physical extra-curricular activities. There could be a whole list including martial arts, gymnastics, and so on. A few activities that are not so vigorous and are liked by children who bend towards the creative are:
- Drama
- Storytelling
- Pottery making
- Foreign language learning
- Learning a musical instrument
How do co-curricular activities positively impact the mental growth of a student?
It is of utmost importance that the child loves and enjoys the time that he devotes to his extra-curricular activity. It could be any of the above or it could be anything outside the list. It could be within the school premises, or it could be at home. It could be outside school hours or it could be during the weekend. It should be very different from academic learning and should have nothing to do with his textbooks. That is how the student gets a chance to explore other avenues and develop an all-around personality. Extra-curricular activities have a huge impact on the mental health of a child/student. This should be kept in mind when the parents push the child to fulfill their personal academic ambitions.
The ECA keeps the child’s concentration firmly locked. It promotes interaction within the peer group and allows each participant set his own personal goals and challenges. This freedom contributes to boosting a sense of self-worth in the student. A Survey/study done at the University of British Columbia states that children who actively participated in Extracurricular activities are less likely to be patients of depression. Girls, particularly, turned out more mentally resilient and healthy if they had an ECA.
Today, most parents prod and nudge their children towards STEM ( Science, technology, engineering, and maths). Under this circumstance, enrolling the child in an ECA has become more contributive toward his mental well-being.
Extra-curricular activities not only keep the child happily entertained but also helps him in dealing with loneliness issues. Peer-to-peer learning in the ECA keeps the child motivated as it introduces them to children who have similar interests and problems. These activities are inclusive and accessible; which in itself is an energy booster for a child’s confidence and morale. Ultimately self-esteem and a sense of belonging ensure a healthy mind. Consequently, a healthy body. A happier student will definitely perform better in his academic field and will have a better sense of time management, leadership qualities and positive social development.
Final Words
Scientists tell us that our body is made up such that it reacts to given situations by releasing hormones. Happy moods are brought about by physical activity or any activity that gives us satisfaction. This results in the release of cortisol or ‘happy hormones’. These hormones help us manage stress, anxiety, depression, or any other negative emotion. So, it is not just theoretical but a purely physical response that makes the school-going student mentally resilient, agile, and praiseworthy.
At DPS Vikas Nagar, an enriching curriculum has been curated that strikes a fine balance between achieving academic excellence and ensuring the all-round development of children: Citizens of the World!
DPS Vikas Nagar is open for admissions. Click here to enroll your child into a world of fun learning today!
How does reading help in the personality development of your child?
In a recent BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) article, it was pointed out that “people who often read fiction have better social cognition”. That means that children who read experience emotion. The emotional bond thus created helps them understand and respect the other’s feelings and thoughts. As a result, they are able to forge better and stronger relations with the people around them. So, we could concede that reading has an undeniable impact on the personality of a child.
The best schools in Dehradun ensure that children are exposed to reading at a very early age. At DPS Vikas Nagar our faculty ensures that children are given different kinds of books to read, as well as understand the significance of reading in their growth and development.
Exposure to a different culture other than our own;
Reading a story brings to life people and their situations. We are transported and transposed into the life of the people we have been reading about. For example, if we are reading about Hansel and Gretel or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; we temporarily live the lives of these characters. The child undergoes all the experiences that the children in the fairy tale do. He/she gets a lesson in life skills. Along with this, they see a culture that is entirely different from theirs. New words and phrases to describe emotions, experiences, and situations further enhance skill and knowledge. At the best schools in Dehradun, widened perspective and exposure are encouraged in a child by teaching a love for reading.
Cognitive Development of a Child
This is a faculty that refers to our perception and interpretation of our environment and our world. It is a response that is decided by our intelligence, reasoning, language, and processing of information. When we read to a child (as an exercise for encouraging the habit), we are giving them a background, a foreknowledge to decode the world that they are inhabiting. By relating and connecting things they are nudged to make sense of whatever they see, hear and feel. The fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel (one such book for children) makes the young reader relate with the brother-sister in crisis. Consequently, they comprehend the emotions and feelings of others and learn to see beyond themselves.
Exposure to different locales
A storybook can be a medium of travel. One can travel and see different cities and countries, even an alternate world by way of the printed word. For example, if a child is enjoying J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series (another example of books for children), he/she gets to live a life that is completely different from their own and yet very similar. A fantastical world is interesting and intriguing; particularly when one’s own peer group is an inhabitant of it. It gives birth to curiosity and the habit of observing things. This is a very child-friendly way of introducing children of various age groups to new geographical and cultural experiences. In the best schools in Dehradun, with the help of reading, the children are exposed to virtual travel which can be converted to the real thing where they are the protagonist. The actual experience then becomes more enjoyable.
Parent-child reading relationship
When a parent makes it a regular routine to read with or to the child then it results in developing an enriched and enhanced relationship with the child. It becomes a common ground where parent and child meet to enjoy an interest that is giving pleasure to both. A sense of deep friendship develops between the two where the child does not feel hesitancy or fear retribution from parents. Some of the best schools in Dehradun allot a specific time of the day that has been assigned for reading becomes a shared event that also nurtures a sense of reassurance and emotional stability in the young person undergoing a dynamic real world.
Enhancing Literacy Skills
When a story is read to a child, often the child tries to understand words and expressions that are new to him by the expression that accompanies the story-reading. It helps in stimulating a brain function related to processing language and its acquisition. Regular reading also helps the children sharpen their concentration and imagination. They draw mental pictures and create environments as the story unfolds. They even try to guess what might happen next in the story. Besides DPS Vikas Nagar, many of the best schools in Dehradun, aim to improve the faculty of concentration, imagination, and creativity to work the ideas that form in their heads by focusing on reading various genres of books. Additionally, it also improves the children’s academic performance by great percentages.
How does reading impact a child’s personality development?
We have all read books, some time or another, which have drawn an emotional response from us. We might have laughed, cried, felt angry, or enjoyed an other-worldly experience. It energizes us situationally and guides our behavior in the long run, in a larger scenario and a bigger perspective. It does affect the way our personalities and character take shape in our formative years. According to the American Psychological Association, Personality here refers to “individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving”. These patterns are more or less grounded in biological and environmental factors that we experience, as we evolve. These include our family, friends, teachers, and the people that we interact with on a daily basis. So besides the social cognitive skills that are affected by reading; the habit also influences us in what we want to make of our lives. Books often determine a child’s idea of home or what kind of life they would want there to be. They help the children decide upon a path and their choices.
Books not only inspire our imagination but also have the power to command us to action. A child might be encouraged to mimic a character from the book he or she enjoys most. But if children are not introduced to reading, they might never find the inspiration to stimulate them to strive towards great achievements.
DPS Vikas Nagar prides itself on having a vast library, offering an extensive variety of books for children of all age groups. Click here to know more about one of the best schools in Dehradun
Inter-School Art and Photography Competition_ Kasiga School
A Proud Moment for DPS Vikasnagar: 20th July 2024
On 20th of July, 2024, the students of grades 7 and 8 from DPS Vikasnagar showcased their artistic talent at an Inter-school Art and Photography competition held at Kasiga School, Dehradun. Recognized schools from across Dehradun such as Doon International School, Mussoorie International School, TonsBridge, Unison, and Shri Ram Centennial, among thirteen other, participated in this competition.
Our school was proud to have students participate in four different events, and their hard work and creativity paid off as they won in two categories:
1. Block Printing: Aanya Singh and Aaradhya Rathore secured the 1st position.
2. Collage Art: Saanvi Sharma and Tarun Rathod were ranked 1st.
This event was a significant opportunity for our students, offering them an exposure to diverse artistic techniques and styles. It also allowed them to learn from and be inspired by their peers from other schools.
The students were escorted by our dedicated teachers, Ms. Neelam Barthwal (Art teacher) and Mr. Naresh Shah (Dance teacher). Their support and guidance were instrumental in our students' success. Our principal, Ms. Soneyaa Kumar, congratulated all our participants for their outstanding performance and the winners for bringing pride to DPS Vikasnagar. Their achievements reflect the dedication and talent that our school nurtures. She expressed her eagerness to provide more opportunities for our students to grow.
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