The Learning Success Blog

Discovering new cultures is one of the top reasons why people travel, according to Nomads World, and if you are doing so with children, there's no reason why you can’t make learning a priority.

Vacations wield many benefits whose magnitude is difficult to quantify, and they don’t have to be expensive or exotic to teach kids a thing or two.

New, unfamiliar surrounds can inspire creativity and other positive qualities. They can also help children understand their world and environment, learn more about art and architecture, and expand their palate.

My brother, a primary school Principal, told me he often noticed the kids who did well at school had families who were very engaged in their education and in the school community. 

That's not to say children can't achieve at school if their families are not involved.

But it's an interesting observation.

So I thought I would explore the impact of family involvement on a special category of students - those struggling with their learning.  And I spoke with Anne-Marie O'Hagan, a former teacher and now a tutor working with struggling students for her perspective on this issue.

We recorded our conversation for an episode of The Learning Capacity Podcast.

Earlier intervention for children at risk of reading problems, and strengthening the area of their brains that distributes sound will probably prevent a lot of reading failures.

These are some of the conclusions from the latest (2019) research into dyslexia, according to Dr Martha Burns when she presented Scientific Learning Corporation's 5th annual webinar on updates to dyslexia research to mark Dyslexia Awareness Month, in October.

Dr Burns referenced many of the articles about dyslexia which were published in 2019.

Here are highlights from just two of the 2019 articles (courtesy of Amy Takabori from the Science of Learning Blog).

Around a fifth of 15-year-olds in Australia do not have basic financial literacy, according to a new financial literacy assessment results report.

While in no way is debt solely dependent on poor money management, it can certainly be exacerbated by it and it is never too early to learn about the importance of sound financial strategy. Follow these tips and ensure the process is as fun as it is informative!

Money Talks

Money somehow seems to be a slightly taboo subject in many homes, with few parents discussing money matters with their children.

Do you have questions about Dyslexia? 

What is it? What are the causes of this challenging condition?

How are brain scientists and researchers progressing in their quest to understand Dyslexia? And most importantly what are the latest interventions making a difference for people with Dyslexia?

In October each year during Dyslexia Awareness Month, Dr Martha Burns presents an insightful summary of the latest research into the cognitive, genetic and processing differences associated with Dyslexia.

Leonie Swift is a self-described ‘word nerd”. She’s a former librarian with a passion for Plain English. Leonie now teaches people how to write in Plain English so their readers get the message easily and understand clearly what’s been written.

She says Plain English is not only useful for writing documents, school assignments, articles, reports and so on. It’s applicable everywhere, even for writing on street signs.

I recently chatted with Leonie on the Learning Capacity Podcast where she explained why Plain English is not just “dumbing down” writing but is so important if you want to get your message understood. 

And she gives some examples of how it can also be fun.

While children can absorb new information at an amazing rate, they can lose it just as quickly. Did you know that learning loss is a big problem over the summer holidays?                                   

Consequently, six weeks of the new term are spent relearning old material. It is estimated that just two to three hours of active learning a week is enough to prevent learning loss over the summer – and a few hours of private tutoring is an ideal way to maintain your child’s learning (if this financially feasible, of course). If you’re worried about what other parents might think, don’t worry – 96% of parents say they wouldn’t judge others for using a tutor.

How to learn from YouTube

YouTube is the most popular online video sharing platform now in the world, there are millions of interesting videos on a wide range of different topics, many of which can actually be very educational.   

There is something for everyone and there are many opportunities for learning. This article will look at how you can use YouTube for learning new things, as well as developing existing knowledge.

The YouTube Learning channel

Besides being able to search for topics of interest and choosing from the highest-ranking videos, there is actually a dedicated You Tube Learning channel full of videos on a wide range of different topics designed to help people learn new things, develop their knowledge in areas of interest, pick up new skills and maybe even find new hobbies. 

There has been a surge of interest in meditation in recent years due to mounting scientific evidence and research that links regular meditation with improved physical and mental health and well-being.   

Meditation has a great deal of brain boosting effect also, including improved memory, attention span and learning capabilities. This article will explore the ways in which meditation can improve learning.

Improved problem-solving abilities

Studies show that practicing meditation can help us become more creative and flexible in our thinking. This in turn improves our ability to problem-solve and conceive of novel or original ideas.