Learning with fun
While popular slogans like ‘no pain, no gain’ and ‘genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration’ have some merit, there’s a danger they’ll send any kind of fun straight to the frivolous bin. And there’s a big problem with that, because fun is every child’s friend when it comes to learning.
Read more about how the brain functions.
Research says fun is essential
There’s plenty of evidence from medical and educational researchers that says fun is a key ingredient for learning. A Washington Post article, for example, cited brain research that suggests ‘fun is not just beneficial to learning but, by many reports, required for authentic learning and long-term memory’. In a book about research-based strategies to ignite education, neurologist and educator Judy Willis said ‘the human brain and body respond positively to laughter with the release of endorphin, epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopamine, and with increased breathing volume (more oxygen)’. And laboratory research as early as 1954 suggested reward mechanisms in the brain may play a central role in how and why we are able to learn.
It’s even more important outside of school
The research is probably just validating what most teachers and parents today already know. Kids engage more and learn more when they’re doing things and having fun. So it’s particularly important that learning beyond school, such as after-school tuition, is enjoyable. Not only does it enable genuine learning, it also ensures your child doesn’t have to be dragged kicking and screaming to tuition. Even your conversation on the journey to the tuition centre can focus on what makes it fun, rather than reminders of under-achievement areas you’d like to see improving.
Fun with a purpose by design
NumberWorks’nWords tuition programmes are designed to be both effective and enjoyable. It’s a blend that’s been fine-tuned for decades. Children are rewarded with games during their session and the feeling of continually getting better at learning simply adds to their enjoyment. Tutors are skilled at maintaining positive interactions with each student and building their confidence.
“We know we’re getting it right, because kids tell us they love coming to NumberWorks’nWords and their accelerated progress at school speaks for itself.”
