Good grades vs. average grades, we always compare our children to others and add to their stress of already having to deal with a lot in life. At the crucial age when children are growing & developing, they discover the world around them, form social connections, explore their individuality, and further have the pressure to perform well in School and meet the expectations of their teachers & parents. What if the student doesn’t like a subject, say Science? Why is he expected to score well in a subject that is not of his interest then?

The Grading System was initially introduced with the sole purpose of accessing the Academic Performance of students and how well they have been able to grasp the topics that were taught in class. The Education system relied heavily on the percentages, which led to extreme competition to outdo classmates and be amongst the top 3 rankers. Now the question to ask is, does your child’s brilliance in the classroom really translate into success in life later? The answer could be maybe, or maybe not. Well, definitely not, if the child is being put through negative emotions like stress and anxiety early on in life, just to get good grades in school.

However, if parents understand the statement that; ‘Grades are not the focus in School, learning is the focus’, then it becomes easier for the student and all other stakeholders involved.

Most students have a phobia of studying Math as a subject, however, now this can be resolved by trying Mathletics as a fun learning platform. It is recommended by parents in the UAE and students enjoy indulging in the interesting Math modules and access a variety of video content, to ease their fear of learning. Mathletics also supports teachers and home tutors by presenting an analysis of the student’s performance and altering the pace of topics, accordingly.

Through the Blog so far, we have concluded that a love for learning cannot be ignited by creating fear or excessive worry in the child. Freedom to explore and passion for the subject matter are important aspects to be tapped upon.

The traditional education system was centered around the child having to memorize a lot of topics and then presenting them in the exam by recollecting the answers to the questions asked in the exam paper. This exercise is misinterpreted by students, as they would rut the chapter and prepare well only during exam time to get through with flying colors, but later, forget what was learned. This means when a scenario arises in real-life to apply the concepts learned, the child would struggle to do so because he has already forgotten the essence.

Just recently, the IB or International Baccalaureate culture is picking up pace and many traditional educational institutes are moving from state boards to IB. In cosmopolitan cities like Dubai, where expats from all over the world migrate for work, the School culture is changing rapidly. Foreign students mostly drift to IB learning, as it is more hands-on and the focus is placed on learning and not mugging to get grades.

The IB curriculum focuses not only on the usual subjects like; Math, Science, Language, and Social Studies, but goes beyond to inculcate relevant subjects like Robotics, Foreign Language, Fine Arts, Music, and Computer Science, which is the need for the hour. Students even get to choose the Subject they like and drop one that does not interest them.

Apart from Academics, IB schools focus on making the student an all-rounder by enforcing the importance of the following skills; confidence building, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, and social responsibility All these real-life skills are extremely needed to survive and thrive in the digitally connected 21st-century world that we live in.

Students are encouraged to participate in seminars, inter-school competitions, and conduct presentations, for which marks are assigned. This allows the child to express his talent and earn rewards for it, versus writing boring lengthy exam papers by hand. In the Middle East alone, there are about 1,500 English-Medium schools that offer IB Diploma Programs. Since the curriculum follows such a holistic approach, College Universities are able to assess the child’s overall personality and capabilities, rather than just knowing their academic scores. If your child does well in IB, there are chances of easily getting-through top colleges not only in your region of GCC but globally, since the program is recognized all around the world!

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Mathematics has always been a daunting subject in schools in Dubai. But if you look at it with concentrated clarity, it is actually very easy and stimulating. Maths is for everyone and everywhere. You use it when you go shopping, to calculate dates as well as project financial profits for business houses, etc. Maths is a very important skill to have that we use without realising in our daily lives. Maths is a subject that is the foundation upon which other subjects are built such as physics, chemistry or, even advertising. You need this skill to pursue most other careers.

Maths is best done with a fresh mind and in a place where you can quietly concentrate. Once you have the basic principle right, you can do it anywhere and anytime. You will see the world around you with a mathematical eye. You will begin to see shapes in town squares and angles on buildings. A quick brush up with Maths every day improves your calculation skills, your memory and even reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Maths is such a subject that it requires you to practice it every day. It is not something that you can excel at by rote learning. You need to solve a variety of questions on each topic to gain command over the concept. It is imperative to understand where and how the equation was derived from. Maths has reasoning and logical application to solving it and understanding the derivatives makes it easy. Maths is a subject that builds upon the basics. Therefore, having a firm understanding of the key concepts becomes important before moving on to the next topic. Maths is hence called a sequential subject.

Today everything is available online and Maths is no exception. Tutorials, solutions and worksheets are all easily available with a basic Google search. There are also many games available online as well as on our phones that are related to Maths. Schools in the Middle East rely heavily on online platforms to supplement math practice at home and at school. Wowzers is transforming the way you learn maths with its powerful online platform. It allows the student to learn at his own pace, provides support when it detects that the student is struggling and guides them with feedback so that they have a better understanding of their progress. The Wowzers app is available on any device and can be linked so you can access it from anywhere. Its customised curriculum is mapped to both state and common core math standards. Its assessments provide trackable progress and support the student’s graduation to the next level. Wowzers busts the myth that maths is boring or scary with its engaging context and interactive programmes.

There are also many tutorial videos available online on various topics that explain the topics you find comparatively difficult to grasp. Watching these videos and writing down the core concepts and formulae is a great way to form muscle memory. Pinning up flashcards of these formulae on the board in front of you will help you to inadvertently learn every time you glance at it. GCC schools require students to make colourful charts with the basic concepts of maths and have them put it up where they are glanced upon daily to absorb the concepts. Being creative with visual aids also helps in eliminating the ennui that students sometimes feel when it comes to maths.

Taking the help of your teacher, parents or peers to clear doubts will eliminate struggling with concepts in the long run and make it easy and fun to learn as well. These are also the people who can help you to apply maths to real-life situations whether it is checking the restaurant bill with mum or calculating the income tax on your home loan with dad. In the UAE, splitting the café bill with your friends is the best way to learn percentages.

Maths is a subject best learnt by understanding the root cause rather than the solution. You can’t memorise it as every problem has its own uniqueness. But if you know the concept and its application then solving it becomes a breeze.

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