Sponsored Review
Can’t believe that time whisked by us so quickly! It’s been almost three months since Joey started her lessons at The Learning Lab, and now’s a good time to review how Joey has been doing so far.
When our Learning Lab journey first started, I had some expectations and “wish-list” of what I hope Joey would achieve by the end of a term. While three months seemed like a really short time to see obvious results, I was also conscious of the fact that kids nowadays strive in a fast-paced environment. Their learning curves may be steep, but they are often able to absorb and cope well. I did not want to set unrealistic goals and disappoint both Joey and myself in the end, but I also wanted to give Joey a little push so that she can reach her maximum potential for the subject.
I set these three goals for Joey at the beginning of her term at The Learning Lab:
1. To improve in her self-confidence in Math and not be fearful anymore.
2. To have a better grasp and understanding of Math, especially in the area of problem sums analysis.
3. To have regularity in practicing and revising Math on a daily basis.
Now after three months, the question is: “Have we achieved our goals?” I believe the answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’
At the beginning of this year, I realized that Joey had difficulty understanding problem sums and knowing which principle to apply. Because of that, she couldn’t do well in her school assignments, homework and mock tests. As the months went by, her confidence level dipped and it came to a point where she would verbalize her fear and insecurity by saying things like, “I am lousy in Math.”, “I don’t think I will ever do well in Math.”, “I’m going to fail my Math exams.”
As a mum, it was disheartening to hear things like that from my 9-year-old. Kids should be full of confidence and courage – Not despondent and negative. Therefore, one of my top priorities was for Joey to grow in her confidence in the subject, and not be afraid of it. I know that once she is able to tackle the subject with confidence, she will eventually do well. I wanted to tackle the issue at the core, and help her overcome it once and for all.
Interestingly, while I thought that attitudes and beliefs are the hardest to change, I could see a positive change in Joey’s attitude towards Math immediately after the first lesson. She was apprehensive before the class, but skipped out happily after it. It was obvious from her cheerful account to me about what went on in class, and what she learnt, that she was starting to see the subject in a different light. Being among peers like her, who struggle in Math from time to time, also helped change her perspective. She started to see that Math was not a mountain she could not conquer, and that if she had a good understanding of the concepts, she would be able to do well. That to me, was the biggest benefit from the last three months.
When I had the chance to sit in one of her classes at The Learning Lab, it became even more evident to me that Joey was growing in her confidence in the subject. She looked like she was enjoying the lessons tremendously, and she participated actively in all the Q&A sessions, like the rest of her classmates. That was the thing that intrigued me – The students were obviously in the class because they needed help in the subject, however every one of them was confident and answered the questions asked by the teacher boldly. I believe it was because the students were seated round the table like in a board room, and that facilitated participation and aided in their learning. It was in that kind of environment that everyone, including Joey, learned and improved.
After one of the classes, Joey came home and showed me this comment that her teacher left for her on one of the assignments, and she was overjoyed. Encouragements go a long way, and this case, it certainly helped to lift the spirits of a little girl. I am most grateful for caring and inspiring teachers that helped push my girl along on this journey.
I am glad I started Joey on the Learning Lab journey – It has helped her to overcome her fear for Math and even go on to excel in it. It has certainly taken away some of the stress off my shoulders when it comes to academics. If you are in a similar situation as me as well, I encourage you to check out The Learning Lab and start doing something about it. They have programs for preschool all the way till Junior College at 8 locations in Singapore. More about them here.
Disclosure: The J Babies was sponsored a term of lessons at The Learning Lab for review purposes, along with financial compensation. All photographs (unless otherwise specified) and opinions expressed in the post are solely ours.
