A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows children are mostly likely to start studying music between the ages of nine and 11. Researchers in a 2009 UK study suggested the dramatic drop in music tuition after age 11 was linked to children starting high school. The study also revealed the main reasons for children ending music [...]
When I was younger, I decided to learn Greek. I learnt the letter-sound correspondences and could say the words – the sounds, that is. But although I could and still can decode these words, I can’t actually read Greek because I don’t know what the words mean. Being able to make the connection between the [...]
The transition from preschool to school is a big deal for many children and parents. Over the next few weeks, many preschoolers will take part in a transition program, designed by their teachers, to prepare them for school. They’ll meet their foundation teachers, spend some time in a classroom and hopefully make some new friends. [...]
I am in year 11 and I like to listen to music when I am studying, but my dad says that my brain is spending only half of its time studying and the other half is distracted by listening. He says it is better to leave my phone out of my room and concentrate on [...]
“How was your day at school?” “Fine.” Does this sound familiar? This is the dreaded response to a well-intentioned question that parents might ask. The robot-sounding response is what parents hear when their child limits the information they share with parents, or has stopped sharing information, about their school day. When parents hear “fine,” they [...]
In a recent TED talk titled No Philosophy, No Humanity, author Roger Sutcliffe asked the audience whether a flagpole was a place. Around half the audience said yes, the other said no. He went on to describe the response a nine-year-old gave him to that question: to me a flagpole is not a place, but [...]
For many students, pressure and expectation are just another part of the school experience. There is pressure to perform certain tasks, conform to uniform standards and to achieve one’s full potential. Then there are the expectations – that students will do their homework, turn up on time, and perform to the best of their ability. [...]
Classroom management is consistently seen as a source of stress for beginning teachers. It’s also one of the main reasons cited for teachers leaving the profession. So, it’s no surprise teachers try to use classroom management strategies that appear to be effective at changing problematic student behaviour. Group, or collective, punishment is one such approach. [...]
Education Minister James Merlino has announced a ban on mobile phone use in all Victorian public schools, effective from term one of 2020. The ban aims to counteract several effects of mobile phone use which schools have been struggling with. The most concerning is cyberbullying, which has been steadily increasing in Australian schools and in [...]
It's never been easier to seek out instant gratification and to stave off boredom almost indefinitely. So it's not surprising that many young people are struggling with the repetitive, often boring practice and study required to master skills and cement new knowledge. Anyone can be taught the value and the how-to of deliberate practice, however. [...]
