Art and sports refueling station

Let your children shine

In their daily study sessions with their children, many parents may find that their children, despite their apparent diligence, often fail to make clear what they are saying, seem to understand but can't remember, or even fail to achieve what they are actually doing. These repeated setbacks not only gradually demotivate children but also drive parents to anxiety, often to the point of emotional collapse.

Understand children’s difficulties early

Provide timely support

Modern educational psychology advises parents to carefully observe whether their children display persistent difficulties with language activities such as reading aloud, writing, spelling, and spelling. For example, frequent confusion about letter order, difficulty distinguishing syllables, apparent resistance to reading, or difficulty remembering instructions are key signs of dyslexia early on. When parents are willing to understand their children's unique ways of thinking and learning, they can alleviate the feelings of powerlessness and loss of self-esteem that can arise from failing to meet mainstream academic performance indicators.

(AI-generated image)

International psychological literature indicates that chronic frustration with language and math can lead children to develop "learned helplessness," believing that no matter how hard they try, they can't change their predicament. This can lead to negative behaviors such as anxiety, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal. Conversely, if children can demonstrate their talents in art, sports, or on stage, achieving immediate success and recognition, a positive cycle can overcome the shadow of failure and foster a self-image of "talent."

Every child has

Unique smart highlights

Traditional schools emphasize language skills and logical and mathematical abilities. However, Harvard University developmental psychologist Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences reminds us that everyone possesses diverse potential, including musical, kinesthetic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, and introspective abilities. Many children with dyslexia often thrive in non-linguistic areas such as art, sports, and performance. Parents should tailor learning goals to their children based on their strengths and interests to comprehensively promote their confidence and psychological well-being.

Educational psychology also emphasizes that good character, responsibility, interpersonal communication, critical thinking, creativity, self-discipline, and moral judgment are the core qualities that children need to grow into responsible citizens. Modern neuroscience research also confirms that art and sports training can promote brain connectivity, enhance emotional management, and improve concentration, helping children adapt to the changing world of the future.

Leveraging Art and Motion Enhancement

Ten practical tips for self-confidence

Our Special Education Needs (SEN) Coach, Ben Wong – Founder of Encyclopedia Consulting, training design consultant, President of the Victoria Harbour Rotary Club, and the father of a child with SEN – shares his own experience with his daughter, who was diagnosed with dyslexia, successfully gaining university admission. Here are ten practical tips:

1. Start with easy and then move on to more difficult activities, starting with collage, graffiti, small dance steps or basic fencing to help children build a sense of security.
2. Design small tasks that are extremely easy to succeed, provide specific positive feedback in a timely manner, and accumulate good experience.
3. Use painting, music, and sculpture as emotional outlets to relieve academic pressure.
4. Participating in drama, recitation, and stage performances allows children to experience non-verbal achievements and applause.
5. Learn across cultures, participate in school or community sports, and broaden your horizons and confidence.
6. Strengthen your child's strengths and avoid single-minded academic comparisons.
7. Encourage participation in performances, art exhibitions, and competitions to build self-esteem.
8. Allow children to explore their interests in many ways without rushing for results.
9. Parents and children participate in activities together to deepen emotional connections and a sense of security.
10. Arrange visits to art galleries and concerts, choose campuses that value artistic movements, and create a stage for students to develop their potential.

Ben Sir shared that when his daughter was five years old, she painted a flower with pastels on the wallpaper by the window. As a parent, facing such mischievous behavior, one might instinctively scold, "Why did you stain the wallpaper?" But he chose patience, listening to his child's heart with tenderness and curiosity. His daughter gave a touching answer: "I painted flowers by the window to attract butterflies to our house." Ben Sir later understood that children with dyslexia may not be good at expressing their thoughts in words, but they are more adept at expressing themselves through images and creativity. If he had chosen to scold her back then, it would likely have caused invisible harm to his daughter's development.

Ten years later, the daughter won first place in a pastel painting competition at the Savannah College of Art and Design ( SCAD) and was awarded a scholarship for a summer program. Ben Sir often encourages parents: "Raising a child with SEN is like growing a plant. Do we prepare the seeds with warm, moist soil, and carefully protect them from the sun, rain, and insect bites? When the time is right, they will naturally blossom and bear fruit."

Dyslexic children can pursue their dreams

International educational psychology and the theory of multiple intelligences both point out that children can gradually build self-efficacy and healthy self-esteem by gaining positive experiences in non-verbal areas such as art and sports. The cornerstones of lifelong learning are comprehensive qualities such as character, cooperation, ethics, interpersonal communication, and self-management. If parents are adept at discovering their children's strengths, every child can shine on the stage of life and pursue their own dreams.

With this in mind, we've created a new resource called "Nature Play - Parents Learning Together." Targeting parents of the AI ​​generation, we integrate psychology, education, and parenting practices to provide comprehensive support:

- Multiple parent workshops: emotional management, motivation enhancement, parent-child communication and conflict resolution, etc., to enhance parents' skills and mindset in responding to their children's growth needs

- Design the most appropriate "learning plan" for children/parents based on age/growth needs

- One-on-one developmental counseling sessions with psychologists

We don't rely on traditional one-way indoctrination, but rather create a collaborative learning environment for the whole family. We transform professional knowledge into practical skills, allowing parents to put them into practice and guide their children towards a healthy future .

For more information on nature play activities, please visit our various media links: https://linktr.ee/natureplayhk

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Nature play allows children to learn through play, guiding spontaneous learning and fully activating their creativity, social development, motor development, cognitive and sensory abilities! For enquiries and registration, please email natureplayhk@gmail.com or call 9883 9423.

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