40 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • APRIL 25, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
Smart ways to help students gain confi dence in learning
Building the confi dence to try, experiment
and keep going even when things
get hard is a critical part of the educational
process. Confi dence comes more naturally
to some students than others, yet new
research shows that confi dence levels today
impact learning outcomes for students.
Th ree-quarters of teachers say anxiety
and lack of confi dence hinder learning
among their students, according to
the Confi dence in Learning Poll conducted
by Harris Insights and Analytics on
behalf of LEGO Education. Two-thirds of
parents agree their children are not more
confi dent than their peers or themselves
at that age.
Th is is impacting students’ education
in many ways, particularly in the important
STEAM subjects (science, technology,
engineering, art and mathematics).
Th e poll found fewer than one in fi ve students
is “very confi dent” when it comes to
learning STEAM, while only one in three
teachers says their students are more confi
dent in STEAM subjects compared to
fi ve years ago.
As we think about preparing students
for the future workforce, 65% of children
entering primary school today will ultimately
end up working in new jobs that
don’t yet exist, according to the World
Economic Forum. Th is makes confi dence
in STEAM especially important as we prepare
kids for unknown needs.
Building confi dence
Consider the middle-school years as
an important time to grow and maintain
confi dence levels among students. A time
of tremendous physical change, kids are
also dealing with new academic and social
pressures, too. Th e good news is both parents
and educators can take basic steps to
help boost confi dence in learning to help
middle-school kids at home and at school.
With confi dence such a key component
of learning success, how can parents and
educators keep levels high so that students
not only succeed at learning, but also fi nd
joy in it? Th e key is hands-on learning. A
whopping 97 percent of teachers in the
U.S. say that hands-on learning builds
confi dence among their students, though
that doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom.
Here are simple ways to help middle
schoolers gain confi dence in themselves
and their education:
Hands-on learning at home
Adults who incorporate hands-on learning
can make a big impact, with 87 percent
of students reporting that when they
learn via hands-on projects, they tend to
remember the topics for longer. At home,
invite kids into the kitchen to cook together,
talking about measurements and reactions
of cooking ingredients before enjoying
a meal as a family. Another idea: Have them
help out as you use tools to work on your
car, discussing the problem, brainstorming
the potential solutions and fi xing it together.
Hands-on learning at school
When projects come to life, kids can
learn through collaboration and exploration,
which can help improve processing
and retention. Th e new LEGO Education
SPIKE Prime, bringing together familiar
LEGO bricks with digital programming,
lets students learn essential 21st-century
skills through a hands-on approach. Th e
kit includes guides for 32 diff erent creations,
though the possibilities are limitless.
“We believe deeply in the value of
hands-on learning experiences to build
curiosity and confi dence, spur development,
bring more joy to learning and
spark imagination - and that’s exactly what
SPIKE Prime off ers,” said Esben Stark
Jørgensen, president of LEGO Education.
Ask questions through
open discussions
Having open, engaging and nonjudgmental
conversations with middle-school kids
is important to breaking down barriers. Let
them lead the conversation, but if it stalls out,
take the lead by asking questions about how
they think and feel. Remember, no answer
or thought is a bad one. It’s also important,
as an adult, to show vulnerability. If you can
show you’re OK being comfortable with success
or failure, it helps them gain confi dence
that it’s OK to feel that way, too.
To learn more about confi dence-building,
educational opportunities and
LEGO Education SPIKE Prime, visit
LEGOeducation.com/SPIKEprime.
Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/SPIKEprime
