The first step to helping kids discover their preferred genre of reading, is by exposing them to a vast pool of books across different genres. If you think your children are too young to show a liking for one type of genre over the other, you might be mistaken. Though your little readers might be fairly at a nascent stage in reading, they already demand a book of their choice and dislike having to read a book that doesn’t interest them.

When you visit a bookstore or approach a school library, or even if you have to search for books online, as a parent or an educator, you need to be aware of the different types of genres available out there for children’s literature. When you know the genre, it becomes easier to know what to expect from the book. So now buckle-up and read on as we try to elaborate a few of them to you:

Fairy tale

A fairy tale is the most famous genre and children love to escape into dreamland after reading a good fairy tale story. The verses include magic, imagination, unique characters, and places unheard of. There’s wonder and excitement in every line of the book. It starts with once upon a time, and ends on a happy note! There are unicorns that sing and witches who caste evil spells! Sound’s familiar, doesn’t it? Most fairy tales have good and bad characters, but as all good things are meant to be, the story ultimately has a happy ending. Some famous children’s fairy tales are; Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, The Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. Though full of emptions and glorified texts, this genre teaches children important lessons and sets the right foundation for them to understand good vs. bad and moral vs. immoral. Have a look at the extensive collection of interesting reads on Highlights Library which is available in 60 countries across the world, including UAE/GCC in the Middle East.

Spooky Horror

A Horror story is not the most preferred choice for many children, but do you know they do teach important life lessons. Really? Reading a scary tale feels like an emotional rollercoaster with many ups and downs, twists and turns. There is a sudden rush of adrenalin and a constant thrill to know what next? It keeps the reader guessing of all the possible situations that might occur and form different scenarios in mind. And oh boy, what a sigh of relief they get when all is well at the end! Children learn that in life there may be difficulties and challenges, but there is always a way to overcome them. It teaches them to face their fears and keep calm under stressful situations. Some of the famous horror stories with friendly monsters are; Goosebumps, The Witches by Roald Dahl, and series of Halloween season books.

Biography and Autobiography

The difference between a biography and an autobiography is that the former is a description of a person’s life written by a third party, whereas an autobiography is a description about one’s life written by themselves. So, Biographies are more to with important people who made an impact to the society or in their chosen fields of work, and may be alive or deceased, accounted by a third person. This genre helps children gain a new perspective of life. By exposing to great works, done by great leaders or heroic individuals, children get motivated and start exploring their leadership qualities. They also learn from other people’s mistakes & experiences and remember not to faulter when faced with such situations in real life. Some famous child-friendly books under this genre are; Serena Williams, The Story of Hellen Keller, I am Martin Luther King Jr. and I am Malala

Science Fiction

Also termed ad sci-fi /science fiction is a genre that speculates happenings in the future that currently don’t exist in real world. The technological advancements are exaggerated to make scenes that describe time travel, communicating with aliens, or something as dramatic as like robots taking over the world. The famous Star Wars movie was based on sci-fi. This genre definitely encourages children to develop a deeper level of interest in the field of Science, redefine imagination, and just marvel an out-of-this world experience which is pretty fascinating. Sci-fi books that you can get your hands on are; The Wonderful Flight to Mushroom Planet, Cosmic, Grosse Adventures: Stinky & Stan Blast Off! Did you know Comic Con in Dubai attracted 50,00 fans, especially to meet the sci-fi celebrities and their favorite cult heroes.

Contact us

Renewable and green technology has made great advancements in the past decade. From batteries that can store more energy to renewable energy extractions that are far more efficient have been created. This technological development has happened at a time where paying heed to the earth’s environment has become more important than ever. So naturally, helping young students develop a deeper understanding of the matter at hand and its solution has become pivotal for our planet’s future.

Schools and institutions across the globe have begun teaching their young students about renewable energy and the ways it can improve how we consume energy as a civilization. Schools across the Middle East in the UAE and other urban landscapes such as Dubai have adopted ways in which young students can be introduced to such ideas.

LEGO® Education aims to play an important role in this development and shift of priorities in technology. The LEGO® Education Renewable Energy Add-on Set helps young students think critically and ideate in the domain of renewable energy. Young students using the resources and instructions of the kit and the curriculum grow a deeper and more useful understanding of the concepts.

The kit enables learners to develop the following scientific practices:

Asking the right questions

What are the biggest benefits of deeply understanding the concept, is that it allows the children to ask the right questions when it comes to renewable energy and various sources that it is derived from! And as history is evidence, asking the right questions leads to the right solutions. Practically learning and creating models of renewable energy extraction enable the students to develop an innate curiosity towards the subject, further strengthening their knowledge.

Developing models and investigating

The LEGO® Education renewable energy kit enables students to learn from creating models that are representations of real-life problems faced in the energy sector. With hands-on learning the students can investigate and further develop ideas that we as adults know, thus forming the base of their knowledge in energy and renewable sources. Even Saudi Arabia which is a part of the GCC countries announced the ‘Middle East Green Initiative’ to fight climate change, under the guidance of Crowned Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Practically learning also makes the subject of renewable energy interesting to young students by giving them engagement along with intellectual stimulation. Engaging the students in scientific and engineering investigation also allows their scientific temperament to develop and prosper at a young age.

Analyzing data and mathematics

Practical experiments in the real-world lead to data that is used to develop further technology. The kit stimulates exactly this process with the help of practical learning and allows children to calculate and further understand their readings. This solidifies their understanding of the subject with the help of learning that is applicable in the real world and only scaled down for the understanding, but not dumbed down. The mathematics involved in processing data and computing readings from their kids allows the students to be practiced with the mathematics involved in creating such models in the real world, gearing them up for future scientific endeavors.

Creatively solving problems

Scientific advancement requires the most creativity in terms of any field out there. This kit enables the student to practice and exercise the right brain muscle. Helping students develop knowledge and to help them creatively solve real-world problems through scientific innovation is the goal of this kit. With various models to experiment with, the students learn with example and with practice. The curriculum allows learners to craft explanations for general scientific phenomena while also being able to look at them with the ability to solve problems that exist.

Engaging in discussions of science

When the class works with multiple projects at the same time trying to find the best solution to the problem, students arrive at different solutions that they think are appropriate. This develops the student’s ability to argue for their ideas. And also helps simulate the real world where scientific experiments and information is exchanged and verified by peers. This collaboration of engineering and scientific endeavors is what leads to the development of technology at large. Right from design to operation and data, students can discuss and arrive at solutions that satisfies the problem at hand, giving the scientific endeavor of theirs meaning beyond only the learning.

This renewable energy kit by LEGO® Education aims to work with young students in developing the fundamental understanding of renewable energy while also developing a scientific temperament that goes deeper than knowledge and information. The kit includes; six main model activities and five complete instruction manuals to build, that help them develop critical thinking in developing engineering and design solutions.

Contact us

It all starts with once upon a time! Children have vivid imagination and love to listen to stories. Bed-time tales have always been a popular method to put children to sleep. Though technology has made its way to children’s tabs and laptops, nothing can replace the experience of having a parent or grandparent sit beside the little one and dramatize a scene from Eric Carle’s famous book ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, or pretend to play multiple characters from the story of the ‘Three Little Pigs’ by ‘huffing’ and ‘puffing’ your child to sleep.

Every night or even day, be it a class teacher or a parent, children look forward to stories that transport them into imaginary lands and eagerly await the introduction of a new character each day. Stories allow children to escape reality and imagine a world of wonder where everything they dream of is possible.

There are a number of genres and types of stories that especially enthuse children. Kutubee is one such platform that is popular amongst parents and teachers as it broadcasts over 1,000 books dedicated to children. And the cool thing about Kutubee is that English books are translated into French and Arabic languages to cater to a larger target audience in the Middle East including Dubai, GCC, and other parts of the world.

So now that we know where to hunt for the next story book, let us share a few tips that can help bring out the true storyteller in you and make it an even more memorable experience.

Use words that adds to the child’s vocabulary

Children’s books often have words that are repetitive in nature and are found in verses across the book. This indicates that the word has to be emphasized upon in order to link the story and get the meaning out of it. Some books may have words that children have never learnt before. Say for example you come across this phrase ‘delightful Nancy’ all through the book and children are unaware what ‘delightful’ truly means. However, repetition is the best teacher and as the plot in the story book unfolds children start to understand the meaning of the word and by the end of it, they would have made sense of its meaning & learnt a few new words to enrich their vocabulary. Schools across the UAE have dedicated story time period at least for the preschool graders, so as to make attending school a joyous experience and encourage children to look forward to school each day.

Actions speak louder than words

Many a times children recollect the song or a story by reproducing the action. To make story time more inclusive & participative, the storyteller can use actions and ask children to replicate the same. Every time the phrase exclaims ‘pitter patter raindrops’ the storyteller can ask children to wriggle their fingers and assume raindrops falling from the sky. This is how one can connect the scene with the actual experience.

Appropriate voice modulation

The essence of effective storytelling is to make the sessions as lively as possible! Voice modulation is used to add variety and excitement to the story, rather than just reading out from a book in monotonous pitch. The storyteller may choose to speak soft, loud, slower or faster, as per the dimensions of the plot. When you modulate voice it conveys emotions and stimulates the same reaction amongst the young audiences before you. Also, while depicting different characters in the story the teacher or parent needs to get into the role and try to give it life by sounding ‘bold’, ‘timid’ or ‘funny’ as demanded by the story. Example: To express the lines of a timid mouse practice a squeaky sound in low pitch, whereas when you quote the lion make him sound a bit hoarse, loud and confident.

Bring the story to life with props

To make the story a visual delight, one can incorporate a prop box with soft toys, animals, finger puppets and visual cards. Children can take turns to feel, touch and interact with the characters to enhance the tactile experience. It is not necessary to have props all through the story. Just choose a few important scenes and correlate the characters to the book. Props give meaning to the story, they even become ‘role models’ when for instance ‘Popeye The Sailor’ is shown eating spinach and growing stronger by the day.

The above pointers were just a dot in the ocean. You can read and look-up for more such interesting storytelling techniques online. However, we can’t ignore the fact that great storytelling is rooted in consistent practice. So, practice in front of a mirror, practice in an empty room, practice at home, if you want to deliver a story without any fumbling or unwanted pauses.

Contact us

Just when toddlers enter school at about 1.5 – 2 years they are introduced to play-based learning. Most K-12 school following the IB curriculum in UAE-GCC, and other parts of the world, adopt the play-way model. Songs and rhymes are important techniques that are a part of the play-way method. Wondering what good a 4-8-line long nursery rhyme can do to a child? Before we proceed to enumerate the unending possibilities of songs and rhymes to preschoolers, let us explain what action songs are.

What are action songs?

Movement and action songs are sing-song phrases that are accompanied by actions. There are some classic action songs which never go out of fashion and are still popular in preschools. Some of them are; Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Row Row Row Your Boat, If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! amongst many others. Then there are action-songs that are currently trending & every kiddo grooves to the beats of these rhymes. Like some examples are; Baby Shark and The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round, amongst many more.

Even 30-40 years later you would probably remember the verse and sing-move along to nursery rhymes you learnt in school. Such magnanimous impact is testament to the impression that nursery rhymes leave on the person and its retention capacity.

Here are a few benefits that are derived by introducing children to action-songs:

Enhances Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination is a basic skill which needs to be practiced by toddlers. It is a complex cognitive process which syncs the visual and motor skills, so that the child can move his hands after processing the visual information received by the eyes. ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ is a fun song where children use their fingers and make the spider walk up the water spout and then pretend to form rain drops by wriggling them. This is great exercise for little ones as they are learning to use their hand muscles by carefully observing the teacher & mimicking the actions.

Vocabulary Enrichment

Did you know by the age of 2-3 years, children mut be introduced to 200 to 1,000 words? In this span, it is important to expose your babies to as many new words as possible. So, what is the best way to introduce these words to them? Of course, by way of songs and rhymes. Singing helps children hear words and learn its pronunciation. And repeating the poem over a period of time registers words that form a new addition to their pool of vocabulary. Action songs are thus a fun musical way to teach and reinforce language, vocabulary and understanding of words.

Improves Self-Esteem and Confidence

When the child joins his peers and sings along with actions, he develops confidence. A feeling of inclusion is fostered and the child becomes more open. Their personalities develop and children learn to emote their feelings verbally. Research also suggests that earlier the child is exposed to tunes, the more capacity the brain has to develop music tonality and thereby improve musical sense & appreciation for music in children which boosts their self-esteem.

Enhances Listening Skills and Learns to Follow Instructions

In order to sing the poem, the child should know the lyrics. When everyone is singing together, the child starts developing keen interest in listening to the words and sings along. He learns quickly that if he won’t listen carefully, there are chances that he might feel left-out because everyone else in class in engrossed in singing the rhyme along with the teacher. The child also learns to mimic actions and facial expressions by following the instructions given by the educator.

Sparks Creativity

Rhymes help children transcend into fantasy world. They meet new characters, sing & dance along with them and visualize scenes that open new dimensions. At the end of the poem, encourage children to answer questions by asking them what they learnt from the song. You would be amazed to discover how innovative their responses are.

Egg Nursery Rhymes by Reading Eggs

To partake in this musical sojourn Reading Eggs presents to you Eggy Nursery Rhymes to sing and dance along with your little ones. Classic nursery rhymes can be downloaded via the app on the Apple Store on an iPad or iPhone device. Reading Eggs has gained popularity in the Middle East, including Dubai and is recommended by schools to parents. And you know what’s even more exciting about this app? There is an in-built karaoke feature for children to sing to the tunes of their favourite rhyme. Besides this, there are games that focus on teaching rhymes, phonics, words, and spellings. If you haven’t already downloaded the app, we urge you to get it today!

Contact us

Energy- The thing that makes everything work. How do you explain something so fundamental to young students? You can’t touch it, you can’t see it, you can only observe the effects it creates. Learning about an intangible entity like energy requires practically learning. The Energy Works Kit offered by Carolina aims to achieve just that. The kit helps define energy and enables the instructors to dive into various types of energy and how we use them.

The kit offers equipment and apparatus sufficient for a class of 30 students. The 6 lessons that make up the program take students through concepts of how Energy flows, how machines work with energy, and how Energy can be harnessed. Various models of machines are built throughout the program to shed light on how different kinds of energies work. Already adopted by most schools in the GCC, the Energy Works Kit is already a favourite.

The 6 lessons take the students through the following:

1- Where does energy come from?

Lesson number 1, “Where do you get your energy?” explores all the different sources we get our energy from. How it is harnessed and how it is used in making things work. The lesson is spent observing and taking note of all the different kinds of energies used by the students and present in their environment. This enables the students to understand the concept of energy and apply it to their immediate surroundings. The first-hand experience of different types of energies also enables the students in understanding how energy changes from one form to another.

2 – About Potential Energy & Kinetic Energy

Potential energy & kinetic energy are the 2-broad classification of energies. Learning about them and understanding their effects on objects allows the students to develop a deeper understanding of all kinds of energies. Kinetic Energy is moving and Potential Energy is a type of energy that is stored in various forms. Several activities are conducted in this lesson to create a differentiation between these broad classifications. The activities enable the students to learn even further of the kinds of energies that exist around them.

3 – How energy is converted to different forms.

Conservation of Energy is a fundamental law. This concept is taught to the students through the different forms energy is found in. Since, energy is neither created nor destroyed it moves from one form to another and thus changing matter in the process. This lesson focuses on identifying instances where energy changes forms. Investigating different forms of energy enables the students to understand how energy is converted and transformed to different types that they experience in their daily lives.

4 – Energy in water waves

Water waves as in motion experience the Kinetic form of energy, making the water move in a particular manner. Observing interaction of energy in water gives the learners a wider understanding of how energy affects objects. Interference and wave patterns teach them how energy affects other energies as well. Waves as a medium are explored in this lesson and since they form the base of all energy transfers, this develops a deeper understanding of energy in the curriculum.

5 – Alternate forms of energy sources

In this lesson the students learn of the alternate forms of energies such as wind, solar, geothermal energy as alternatives to fossil fuel as a primary source of energy. Various advantages and disadvantages are pointed out for these alternative energy sources and the students create models for wind and water energy harnessing. The students learn how their apparatus transfers wind and water energy into mechanical energy that is usable.

6 – What has been learnt about energy?

In this lesson the students look back to what they’ve understood about energy and the way it interacts with the world. Team projects are worked on enabling the students to apply the information they’ve gained throughout the course. Presentation of projects takes place, giving students the opportunity to explain their work to the rest of the students.

Teaching young students with practical applications enables them to develop a deeper understanding of the subject. Kits created by Carolina achieve this by making education and learning an involving experience. With several educational institutions from the Middle East in countries like UAE including Dubai, having adopted the kits, the young students are now learning even the most complex concepts practically.

Contact us