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Explore the Benefits of Participating in Math Olympiads

The Math Olympiad is a competitive exam. It is designed to challenge and assess students’ mathematical problem-solving skills. It also evaluates their logical reasoning abilities, critical thinking and creativity.

In India, students can participate in these Olympiads at the school, regional, or national level. Students in Classes 8 to 12 are generally eligible to participate in the 1st stage of the Olympiad program.

At the international level, they can participate in the prestigious International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) after doing well at regional and national levels.

Top Five Benefits of Math Olympiads

The obvious benefit of Olympiads is that students develop a deeper understanding of mathematics.

Now, let us explore the other five benefits of participating in Math Olympiads.

Math Olympiads Help Approach Problems from All Angles

Math Olympiad questions are not regular school problems. Knowing formulas may not be enough to solve them. It forces you to think in unique ways to arrive at a solution.

For example, a boy may come across a problem that involves a mosquito crawling on a cube. The kid might know the formula, follow steps, and solve the problem.

But a girl who can imagine the same cube “unfolded” into a flat shape would solve the problem faster. This is because this kid could easily see the straight path.

They Help Tackle Questions Against the Clock

Math Olympiads prepare children to thrive under pressure. Participants have to solve questions in a given amount of time; it could be an hour or two. 

It fosters fast thinking skills, not rushed decisions. Children who keep cool during these two hours usually score better than those who are in a hurry.

Participating in such exercises can help children with stress management. Students learn to stay calm and make smart choices, even when the pressure is on.

This overall experience can help them win in big moments like a job interview or meeting tough deadlines.

They Make Children Self Reliant

Children who participate in the Olympiad tend to become independent thinkers. They learn to set their own goals and identify scope for improvements. 

Not only critical thinking, but it also boosts creative thinking. Thinking creatively is not reserved only for artists or writers, it is at the core of real problem-solving.

In mathematics, using geometry to solve an algebra problem can make you fall in love with numbers.

They Encourage Mastery Over Memorization

You may memorize formulas and develop some shortcuts to solve particular types of math problems. However, if you do not understand the basics, it will not help in the long run. 

Participating in Math Olympiads prepares you for the unknowns. You must understand concepts deeply, not only at a surface level.

They Help Build Real Connections

Math Olympiads help connect with like-minded peers. They offer inspiring experiences, travel exposure and lasting friendships.

Conclusion

Problem solving is a life skill; and Math Olympiads help students master this skill.

Looking for reliable Math coaching classes for your children? At Little Genius, we offer a “Math World” program where our teachers focus on developing children’s logical and critical thinking skills. This course also covers general knowledge and Olympiad preparation.  In fact, we have designed a Math Olympiad question bank for kids to help them score well in this competitive exam. For more information, visit us at https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in.

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Phonics-Based Reading Classes for Kids

To be able to read effectively, multiple distinct parts of the brain need to function together. Children can learn to speak on their own, but reading is not a skill their brains are hard-wired to develop.

The most effective method for teaching children to read is through a structured, phonics-based approach.

As young learners begin to read, the first concept they should be introduced to is the letter-sound relationship. This is exactly what phonics-based coaching does.

Let's explore how phonics classes for kids help them develop fluent reading skills.

How Do Phonics-Based Reading Programs Help Children

Here is how phonics-based learning helps your children with reading:

Phonics do not promote guesswork based on pictures or other visual cues. This method helps kids understand the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds. Children are encouraged to read and sound different letters out. This is how they learn to understand and remember new words.

These programs focus on word families; a group of words that sound similar. For example, in words like cat, sat, bat, and mat, only the first consonant sound changes, while the ending sound remains the same. This is the best way to introduce new words to kids.

Phonics classes do not expect children to start reading effectively just because they are being exposed to books. They understand it takes time and every kid has their own pace to pick up letters, sounds, and words.

Phonics involves a lot of repetition. The idea is to reinforce learning. For instance, when a child breaks down a word like "Cat" into k-a-t, then blends it back together to say "Cat," they will never forget how to read cat, sound out cat, and spell cat.

Many phonics classes also use multisensory approaches to reinforce learning. This could include hearing, seeing, or saying words, and eventually creating sentences with those words.

Also, phonics classes provide children with reading material to improve their phonemic awareness. These texts are known as decodable books. They offer a targeted and structured reading experience by reinforcing familiar patterns, ensuring fluency and boosting confidence. Looking for reliable English classes in Gujarat? Please visit us here: https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in/.

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What Are Sight Words?

Sight words are high-frequency words often found in children’s books, magazines, and newspapers. Since these words can easily be recognised, therefore, they are known as sight words.

Learning sight words is a significant part of phonics learning for children to develop good vocabulary and strong reading skills. A few of these words include come, once, can, will, but, have, talk, and walk.

Adapting to these words may feel a little tricky, as a few of them do not follow usual phonetic spelling patterns. Therefore, these words are difficult to sound out as well. English experts recommend repetition exercises to memorize sight words.

Let's take a look at some benefits of learning sight words.

How Learning Sight Words Help Children?

Boosts confidence: Lack of confidence acts as a prime barrier to achieving proficiency in English. Therefore, children should be encouraged to read enough in their early stages. When children begin remembering sight words, it gives them confidence when reading or speaking out in class.

Makes children independent: Reading should not feel daunting, as this can discourage children from engaging in book reading. Knowing enough sight words enables them to read a book on their own.

Helps learn new words: Having a sufficient number of sight words in mind not only increases vocabulary of kids but also helps them fathom 25-50% words that do not belong to the sight word category.

Enhances self-esteem: When children know sight words and have the confidence to identify them, their self-esteem naturally increases, which keeps them in a healthy mental space.

Improves processing speed: One simple benefit of being able to recognise sight words in milliseconds is that kids will not need to spend extra time breaking down unknown words into bite-sized chunks.

Three Tips for Teaching Sight Words

Don’t overwhelm kids: Do not bombard kids with more than 3-5 sight words in a session. Having to deal with only a few words in a session helps them memorise these words effectively.

Be patient when they make mistakes: It is important not to pressure kids by pointing out their mistakes time and again during the learning process. If they mispronounce or misspell words, help them recognise the mistakes, understand what issues are causing these errors, and guide them on how to overcome these simple mistakes.

Reward children: Acknowledgements play a huge role in academic success. Rewarding kids with certificates or reward charts for small learning successes can make a world of difference to their confidence and mindset.

Little Genius offers phonics classes for kids both offline and online. For more information about our programs, please visit us here: https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in.

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Learn concepts such as phonemic awareness, phonemes, oral blending, and segmenting. Discover three blending activities that make reading fun and interactive.

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Essential Phonics Terms Children Need to Know

The key to developing strong phonemic awareness is understanding the basic phonics terminology. Knowing foundational terms such as phoneme, grapheme, morpheme, digraph, and diphthong can help kids enhance their ability to decode words and improve reading fluency. 

8 Phonics Terms Every Learner Should Understand

Phoneme: The smallest unit of sound in the English Language is known as phoneme. There are 26 letters which produce 44 sounds, these 44 sounds are phonemes.

Grapheme: A grapheme is a letter used to represent sound (or phoneme). It can consist of a single letter or multiple letters. For example, the phoneme “K” is represented by one grapheme in Cat and Kite, while by two graphemes in Duck, and School.

Morpheme: A morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit of a language that cannot be further divided. It could be a single-word morpheme or a part of a word. For example, Dog = dog + s (two morphemes), and Imported = im + port + ed (three morphemes).

Digraph: A digraph has two letters that together spell one sound; when two vowel or consonant letters combine to form one phoneme, they are known as a digraph. Sh, ch, th, wh and ph are consonant digraphs, while ai, ee, igh, oy, and ur are vowel digraphs.

Diphthong: When two vowels combine to produce one unique vowel sound, they are called diphthongs. For instance, oi in foil, au in caught, and ou in out. 

Syllable: A syllable is a speech unit that can be either a whole word or a component of a word that includes a vowel or vowel sound. For instance, “book” has one syllable and “phonics” has two.

Onset and Rime: Within a syllable, the onset refers to the consonant or consonant cluster that comes before the vowel. Rime is the rest of the syllable, which contains the vowel and the following sound. For example, fan = f-an, plant = pl-ant, the first part is called onset and the second part is called rime.

Vowel and Consonant: In the English language, the vowels are represented by the letters a, e, i, o, and u, while all other letters are classified as consonants. The articulation of vowels and consonants differs, particularly in the way they are produced in the vocal tract.

Little Genius offers English coaching with a focus on developing phonemic awareness to build a solid foundation for reading, speaking, and writing skills. Our English course is the elementary grammar course. If you want to improve your child’s language proficiency, please visit us here: https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in/.

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Phonics Classes For Kids: Phase 1 Explained

Phonics becomes an important part of children’s life when they begin their schooling. It helps them understand the relationship between sounds and letters, laying the foundation for early reading and writing skills development.

Known as the Letters and Sounds scheme, many schools in England use this systematic approach to help children learn to read phonics in “six phonics phases.” This approach can be adopted by teachers, schools, tutorials, or even parents who homeschool their kids.

The six phases gradually introduce children to general sounds in their surroundings, phonemes, graphemes, the sounds of letters, equipping them with the knowledge they need to develop reading and writing skills.

In this article, we look at the “Phonics Phase 1.”

What Does Phonics Level 1 Involve?

Phase 1 primarily focuses on developing children’s listening skills by helping them recognise certain sounds. Becoming aware of several sounds in their surroundings enables them to better understand the phonological concepts.

This phase introduces children to seven concepts: environmental sounds, instrumental sounds, body percussion, rhythm and rhyme, alliteration, voice sounds, and oral blending and segmenting.

Environmental sounds include natural sounds such as rain falling, birds chirping, etc., while instrumental sounds may include the tapping of drums, or the blowing of a trumpet. Body percussion involves teaching kids to create rhythms and sounds using their different body parts, such as clapping with hands or whistling through the mouth. 

Voice sounds include sounds produced when we talk, sing, shout or whisper. Blending is the process of combining individual sounds to form words: C-A-T → CAT. Segmenting, on the other hand, is breaking words into individual sounds: GOD → G-O-D.

During this phase, children are engaged in several listening activities, including singing and listening to songs, stories, and rhymes. This enables them to differentiate, blend, and segment speech sounds and words orally. 

However, if a few kids are unable to do these things by the end of phase 1, it does not mean they will not be able to after moving on to the next phase. Speaking and listening activities continue in the next phase as well, to strengthen their ability to recognise words and sounds, as well as to listen and speak. Little Genius offers phonics classes for kids in Gujarat. We also offer online classes that anyone from anywhere can join. If you want your child to become a better reader, creative writer, and successful communicator, you can connect with us by visiting: https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in/.

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Phonics Classes For Kids: Phase 1 Explained

Phonics becomes an important part of children’s life when they begin their schooling. It helps them understand the relationship between sounds and letters, laying the foundation for early reading and writing skills development.

Known as the Letters and Sounds scheme, many schools in England use this systematic approach to help children learn to read phonics in “six phonics phases.” This approach can be adopted by teachers, schools, tutorials, or even parents who homeschool their kids.

The six phases gradually introduce children to general sounds in their surroundings, phonemes, graphemes, the sounds of letters, equipping them with the knowledge they need to develop reading and writing skills.

In this article, we look at the “Phonics Phase 1.”

What Does Phonics Level 1 Involve?

Phase 1 primarily focuses on developing children’s listening skills by helping them recognise certain sounds. Becoming aware of several sounds in their surroundings enables them to better understand the phonological concepts.

This phase introduces children to seven concepts: environmental sounds, instrumental sounds, body percussion, rhythm and rhyme, alliteration, voice sounds, and oral blending and segmenting.

Environmental sounds include natural sounds such as rain falling, birds chirping, etc., while instrumental sounds may include the tapping of drums, or the blowing of a trumpet. Body percussion involves teaching kids to create rhythms and sounds using their different body parts, such as clapping with hands or whistling through the mouth. 

Voice sounds include sounds produced when we talk, sing, shout or whisper. Blending is the process of combining individual sounds to form words: C-A-T → CAT. Segmenting, on the other hand, is breaking words into individual sounds: GOD → G-O-D.

During this phase, children are engaged in several listening activities, including singing and listening to songs, stories, and rhymes. This enables them to differentiate, blend, and segment speech sounds and words orally. 

However, if a few kids are unable to do these things by the end of phase 1, it does not mean they will not be able to after moving on to the next phase. Speaking and listening activities continue in the next phase as well, to strengthen their ability to recognise words and sounds, as well as to listen and speak. Little Genius offers phonics classes for kids in Gujarat. We also offer online classes that anyone from anywhere can join. If you want your child to become a better reader, creative writer, and successful communicator, you can connect with us by visiting: https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in/.

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What Are Essential Business Management Skills?

In this fast-growing world, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, run a business, or at the very least, learn management skills that might not only help them in their professional careers but also in leading their lives better. The combination of a Business program and management skills is not something that can be learnt by memorizing; they demand discipline and a fixed schedule for various tasks.

However, compared to adult professionals who are often rigid and therefore difficult to adjust and adapt, it is easier to learn anything at a younger age, even to unlearn something. 

Kids are more flexible. The age between 6 to 12 years is a formative period, where children are highly inquisitive about learning and can easily adapt to different challenges. They learn more quickly during this period than at any other time in life.

Looking ahead, this makes life a lot easier for kids as they get older and enter the competitive stages, like college or the working world.

Early Management Skills to Learn For Kids

Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential for conveying ideas, providing feedback, and facilitating collaboration among friends, family, and colleagues. Children can easily learn languages by imitating sounds associated with the letters, helping develop good communication skills.

Behavioral Management: This skill helps kids communicate effectively and sensitively in a group setting. It also contributes to making their overall demeanor likable and genuinely respected. The nurturing begins at home and continues throughout school life. It is important to keep a track of the way they engage with different people around them - friends, family, neighbors, or the helping staff. Developing great patience  at an early age can result in better behavior management.

Emotional Management: With all of us surrounded by screens for comfort and entertainment these days, emotional management has become crucial. Social media and global networking have led us to form a filter bubble around us, making it tough for even adults to manage their emotions. The inability to manage emotions can block people’s ability to be flexible and open minded. Children are very open minded and take in varied opinions easily. Rather than discouraging them, they must be encouraged to maintain an open mind. This makes them agile in their approach towards life and people, which is good for mental growth. They must be taught never to get attached to their comfort zones and to be willing to work outside of them for essential life growth.

Money Management: Learning this skill at an early age provides kids financial confidence. It also prepares them to lead their lives within a given budget. This habit can be developed by encouraging them to save their pocket money in piggy banks. This also helps kids refrain from making unrealistic demands on their parents. Eventually, it helps them spend money wisely as adults on genuine needs. 

Time Management: Prioritizing tasks effectively allows people to meet deadlines and improve productivity in different tasks, whether as kids, students, or professionals.

Business Management Skills For Professionals

Below are the key business management skills that aspiring leaders should cultivate:

Leadership: The ability to inspire and guide teams is fundamental. Effective leaders motivate their employees, set clear goals, and foster a positive work culture.

Strategic Thinking: Managing tasks and responsibilities requires strategic thinkers who can see the big picture and develop long-term strategies in accordance with business objectives.

Analytical & Decision-Making Skills: To make well-informed decisions that consistently lead to success, business leaders must critically evaluate data and circumstances. The success of an organization can be greatly impacted by the ability to make choices quickly.

Budget Management: A thorough understanding of financial concepts and efficient budget management guarantee that resources are distributed sensibly to meet corporate goals.

Project Management: This skill involves planning, executing, and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed on time and within budget. It requires great attention to detail and ability to work under pressure.

Problem-Solving skills: The capacity to identify issues, evaluate options, and implement solutions is vital in navigating challenges that arise within life or a business setting.

Little Genius Academy offers a program designed for kids with an aim of building future business leaders. This business management program includes key fundamentals of business like marketing, financial literacy, management, advertising and promotion.

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One of the Highly-Rated Phonetics Classes For Kids

Phonetics class for kids can teach them to read by correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters. When children learn phonics, they not only learn the distinct sounds associated with the letters, but also how those letters work together to create more sounds.

According to certain research studies, the best age for introducing phonics programmes to kids is when they have learned to identify all the letters of the alphabet – usually between three and four years of age.

How to Teach Phonics to Kids?

Begin with simple consonants and short vowel sounds

You can always start with a group of letters that kids can use to combine and make new words. For example, give them a set of letters such as D, O, G or C, A, T and ask them to combine these letters together to make at least two words. This way children can understand how those letters work together to create new words.

Teach them blending with simple 3-letter words

Once kids become aware of a few letters, help them practice ‘sounding out’ simple three-letter words. Please ensure that those are simple consonant and vowel sounds that kids already know. For example - Pen, Hen, Bat, Tap, etc.

Introduce complex consonant combinations. Gradually move to 4-letter words

Once children master most letter sounds, your phonics curriculum will guide you in introducing letter combinations that alter sounds, such as st, gr, lm, ng, and sh. Start with easier-to-sound-out combinations and demonstrate them using real words your students can read to reinforce learning.

Make them practice vowel combinations such as ea, oo, and ai

Contrary to consonant combinations, vowel combinations are often more complex and irregular, and therefore, difficult to remember. Exercises that involve identifying words with similar vowel sounds (e.g., bear, hair, learn, pear) can help reinforce and solidify this understanding.

Three Phonics Activities to Make Learning More Fun

Play Dough Letters:

This is a fun, hands-on activity perfect for kinaesthetic learners. Call out different letters of the alphabet and have your child use play dough to form them. For extra support, place a flashcard of the letter they are working on in front of them as a visual guide.

Word Walk: 

This activity will be suitable for kids with high energy levels who can’t sit still in one place. All you need to do is grab chalk, write down a few simple words on streets, and let your kids walk along each word while reiterating them loudly as they go. You can do this activity with your kids every time you go out for a walk, or when returning home after buying groceries, etc. Make sure to use words your child is familiar with. 

Phonics Dice:

Take two simple wooden blocks and write a letter on either side of them (or use alphabet dice if you have them). After letting your child roll the blocks, have them pronounce each letter's sound and the word that goes with it. 

If you are looking for one of the best phonetics classes for kids in Ahmedabad or Vadodara, Little Genius will be a great choice. To get more details about our courses, please visit us here: https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in/

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Supporting your Child’s Reading Journey with the Magic of Phonics

Phonics plays a central role in how children learn to read. If you have a young reader at home, you might recall the excitement when they first started learning letters or the pride you felt when they successfully sounded out their first word. It’s truly like watching an entirely new world unfold before their eyes.

Once children are familiar with the alphabet and the sounds associated with each letter, they can start using those skills to read words and simple sentences. Establishing strong phonics skills early on is crucial in helping your child become a confident, independent reader.

What is Phonics?

Phonics is the system where letters represent sounds in spoken language. Think of words and sentences as a kind of code. When reading, you're essentially breaking that code by connecting letters to their corresponding sounds, allowing you to decode words. This process of decoding is at the heart of phonics.

Why is Phonics important?

Phonics is one of the most effective methods for teaching kids how to read. It equips them with the tools to decode almost every word they encounter. Mastering phonics provides a significant payoff, as the more success children have in reading words through phonics, the more capable and confident they become in their reading abilities. 

How do Children learn Phonics?

Phonics is most effective when taught systematically, starting with the basics and gradually progressing to more complex concepts. For most children, phonics education begins in kindergarten and is typically completed by the end of second grade. Here’s a quick breakdown of how phonics learning progresses year by year:

Kindergarten - This year is all about discovering how letters and sounds work together. Children learn to recognize the alphabet and differentiate individual sounds in words. When they begin matching letters to sounds, they are starting their phonics journey. By the end of kindergarten, your child will be able to sound out simple words like "cat" or "bed."

First Grade - This is a pivotal year for reading development, with phonics taking centre stage. Your child will move from reading simple words like "bat" to more complex words with long vowel sounds like "shake" and words with vowel combinations such as "train." By the end of first grade, your child will be reading one-syllable and even some two-syllable words, like "picnic" or "rocket."

Second Grade - In second grade, children continue to grow as readers, building on first-grade phonics skills while learning to tackle more advanced words, such as "rainbow" or "suddenly." They will also learn to break down longer words into syllables and understand prefixes and suffixes.

Easy Ways to Support your Child

Find opportunities to explore letters, sounds and words - When you’re out driving or at the store, encourage your child to look for letters or words. For example, ask them to find the letter their name begins with or decode simple words like "pet" or "stop."

Provide a variety of reading materials at home - Keep easy readers within reach, as these are specifically designed to match the reading level of beginning readers. You can find many of these books at your local library. 

Offer plenty of encouragement and support - Stay involved in your child’s reading journey by keeping reading sessions positive and relaxed. Praise their efforts and don’t hesitate to step in with help when needed, especially if they feel frustrated. 

Continue reading aloud and enjoying books together: Reading your child’s favourite picture books or starting a chapter book at night keeps the fun alive. This shared experience is a powerful motivator for children as they work toward reading independently.

At Little Genius, we offer a specialised phonetics class for kids. Visit our website to learn more about our courses and how they can benefit your child’s reading development. https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in/

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Fun and Engaging Ways to Teach English to Kids

Learning a second language can be challenging, especially for young children. However, with the right methods, English learning can become an exciting and enjoyable journey. In this blog, we will explore innovative approaches that make English learning fun for kids.

Interactive Language Learning App - In today’s digital age, interactive language learning apps offer a dynamic and engaging way for children to learn English. These apps utilise gamification techniques such as quizzes, puzzles, and rewards to enhance the learning experience. Popular apps like Duolingo, Memrise, and Bibalala English make learning English enjoyable and accessible.   

Storytelling and Role-Playing App - Storytelling and role-playing activities are excellent tools to spark children’s imagination and make English learning enjoyable. Teachers or parents can create stories where kids take on different roles, practice speaking in English, and expand their vocabulary. This fun approach not only enhances communication skills but also boosts language fluency.

Creative Arts and Craft - Integrating arts and crafts into English learning allows kids to express creativity while reinforcing vocabulary and language comprehension. Activities like making flashcards, creating English-themed collages, or designing board games can make learning both immersive and enjoyable, blending education with fun.

Multimedia Resources -  Using multimedia tools like videos, songs, and cartoons can significantly enhance the learning process. Visual and auditory stimuli engage multiple senses, making English learning interactive and exciting. Platforms like YouTube and educational websites offer a wealth of age-appropriate English content that both parents and teachers can use to make lessons enjoyable. 

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality - Emerging technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are transforming education, including language learning. With VR devices or AR apps, children can have immersive English learning experiences, practising conversational skills with virtual characters and exploring virtual environments. This innovative approach makes learning English both educational and entertaining.

English Language Games - Games designed to teach English skills are gaining popularity. These games focus on various language elements such as grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation in a fun and engaging format. Whether through online word puzzles, board games or card games, learning English through gameplay can motivate and captivate kids.

In conclusion, English learning doesn’t have to be a tedious process for children. By adopting innovative approaches that incorporate technology, creativity and interactive methods, we can transform English into a fun and exciting journey for young learners. Whether it’s through interactive apps, storytelling, multimedia resources or virtual reality, the possibilities for engaging language learning are endless.  Little Genius is one of the best English and Grammar classes in Ahmedabad. To enrol your kids with us, visit our website https://littlegeniusacademy.co.in/