Mother’s Day is coming up and the Meemli team  would like to take this opportunity to salute moms for being such amazing teachers! They’re there from the beginning of life and stay constant all through it. Think that ‘teaching’ only happens in the classroom with ‘real’ teachers? Think again. Here’s a brief list to help you recognize the teacher inside every mother. (To be fair, many fathers do much of these too – their turn will come next month!)

Early childhood

Mother’s lap is a child’s first classroom. The first five years of life impacts how well babies learn and grow throughout their lifetimes. This is probably when you as a Mom do your most intensive teaching to a child who’s doing a fantastic job imitating a sponge and soaking up every bit of knowledge.

The survival stuff.

Learning to eat, drink, climb stairs, crossing streets safely, identifying a dangerous pet from a friendly one. The basics for living.

Life’s essentials.

Survival is not sufficient. With every hug and cuddle you teach your child about love, trust, friendship and all those intangibles that make life worth living.

Building blocks.

Even if you may not call them ‘academics’ (though many do, even for toddlers), you give your child the building blocks for learning: language, math, science, arts. It may be mommy-and-me play for you, but you are teaching and your little one is learning a lot (maybe that why kiddos need those naps!).

Middle Childhood

Your kid is off to a ‘real’ school, with ‘real’ teachers (yes, they do play a big part in your child’s life) for most of the day and you’re no longer the primary source of their learning. But you’re still teaching, though some of what you teach is now influenced by external factors and there are new areas to explore.

School learning.

At this stage, you’re primarily focused on helping your child learn to handle the requirements of school, the ‘schoolwork’ and ‘homework’, not to mention the tests, the projects, and the to-do lists that the teacher sends home. Learning how to cope with school is important and a trusted, loving source like mom makes a huge difference.

Skill building.

Even though your child is being ‘taught’ at school, you may find yourself helping (‘teaching’) him how to do math or interpret the guidelines for a book report while teaching study skills and habits (turn off the TV while doing homework!). This is the time when you also encourage your child to try other activities like sports and music, so she can learn new skills and get a taste of the many wonderful things she may enjoy learning and doing.

Character development.

For sure this is happening during the early years too and will continue through adolescence, but now you and your child can name the traits (honesty, kindness), identify their presence or absence in role models and discuss why they’re important. You’ll be finding teaching moments everywhere from shopping trips to soccer fields!

Adolescence

The pre-teen and teen years are a significant transition, and you may be shifting to a more supportive role in your teaching. Most of all, what you’re doing now is helping your child prepare for adulthood and all that it entails. You’re getting your child ready to take on the world!

Academics.

Maybe you can’t help your child with math anymore, but you try to find someone else who can or encourage him to go talk to his teachers. Maybe you can’t critique an essay, but you help your child brainstorm what she should write about for a personal statement. And you teach your child how to plan and juggle various commitments and deadlines – after all, you do plenty of that yourself!

People Interactions.

It’s about dealing with their peers (Friends! Boyfriends! Girlfriends!), as well as about speaking up at school, asking for summer jobs or help from people they know. And you’re there to teach them how to recognize, accept and handle their feelings and manage their interactions (and give a hug and box of tissues when needed).

Awareness

Your kids are learning about the world and their role in it. They may become aware of the major problems (environment, inequality etc.) and you may be part of many long (and heated) discussions on the future of their world. You may be learning something yourself while offering guidance in understanding these complex issues.

Practical Stuff.

There’s a long list of ‘simple’ things that you get your child to do like managing money, doing laundry, cooking meals. All the things they need to know to be able to head out into the world on their own.

Let’s face it, once your kids have discovered the Internet, it is easy to believe that they can learn ‘how’ to do just about anything from a YouTube video. But usually not the ‘why?’. And Moms have been answering that question from the time when humans first learned to call out for ‘Mom!’.

 

What do you think? Is ‘teaching’ a big part of being a mom for you?

Meemli wishes all moms a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Blog

If your child finds writing essays a drag, do you worry about it? Or do you think it is sufficient if they just ‘get by’ in writing? After all, the job market requires math and science, not writing skills, doesn’t it? If you feel the same way, don’t worry, you’re not alone. There’s a lot more interest in math courses than in courses on essay writing – the big push is for STEM learning but the ‘E’ there is for Engineering, not English! (How much schooling you have may influence whether you think math or English is the more important subject – check out this eye-opening post.)

But, the good news is that many leading educators, and science/industry leaders, are advocating the importance of language arts in a well-rounded and effective education – there are quite a few who promote STEAM instead of STEM, to make it Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.

Good writing skills are necessary not just for future writers, but for all students who need to develop the necessary skills to compete in the increasingly complex world of the 21st century.

Here’s why you should care about your child’s ability to write well.

1. Develops logical and critical thinking skills

Critical thinking is a key skill in analyzing the multitude of biases, perspectives, and opinions in the community spaces, media, and books (even some school textbooks). Writing essays trains students to consider all viewpoints and opinions and to argue their own ideas critically and skillfully through a carefully considered thesis and argument – the essence of critical thinking, which can be used for any subject or problem.

Writing and mathematics are inseparable. The most striking example of this intimate relationship is proof writing in Geometry where every mathematical action requires evidence and theory to support it. The practice of writing helps students build universal skills in analyzing, reasoning, and logic, which are essential in argumentative essays as well as mathematics.

2. Promotes individual thinking

Writing essays is the perfect way for students to develop their own opinions, perspectives, and criticisms on everything and anything, from the young adult book they’re reading for fun to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, current events, or their own every day lives. For every book, article, or situation, an argument can be made. And most essays start with ‘brain-storming’, an approach that fosters innovation. Essay writing will aid young students in developing their overall communication skills including the expression of their own opinions, and taking creative and unusual perspectives. All these are highly useful in college and in the competitive workplace environment where effective communications are as important as innovative thinking (after all, what’s the point of having a great idea if you can’t explain it?)

3. Helps build memory and understanding

As a student, I had a difficult time getting through the ancient epic of the Odyssey. After being assigned to write an essay on the role of women (Penelope, Calypso, or Anticleia) in the Odyssey, I gained a deeper understanding of the epic as a whole. Without writing an essay, it would’ve proven very difficult to synthesize and understand the Odyssey or any other assigned reading material.

Understanding complex texts after reading for hours is a tough task for kids and adults alike. The structured approach of essay writing hones the skills that aid in understanding and retention, without requiring a full-blown essay (unless you are asked for one!).

 For more fun details, check out this infographic about writing and the brain.

4. Prepares for college and careers

You, and your teen, probably already know that writing skills are a must for colleges. Almost every college requires personal essays as part of the application process for admissions. Writing is also a key component in just about every college-level class in subjects as diverse as history, anthropology, comparative literature, biology, and math.

As for careers, good writing skills are a requirement in many fields, and especially so for advancement. You may wonder why writing is important when communications are all about 140-character tweets and You-tube videos. Want convincing? Here’s a Harvard Business Review post stating “Effective writing must be a company wide endeavor”.

5. Offers a creative outlet to reduce stress

Our personal favorite! Writing is also a great outlet for stress. Teens and pre-teens have a lot of stress to deal with – personal, academic, social and plenty more. Writing has been proven to reduce stress – maybe that’s why so many professional therapists and self-help advisors recommend keeping journals!

Best of all, writing offers a creative outlet. Not all of us may be capable of playing music or creating works of art, but everyone can write about something – about something that happened to or near us, or someone we know, or a fantasy world we create. Once your child is past the stage of worrying about writing ‘well’, she can write for enjoyment. Encourage your kid to write – it’ll give him a lifetime of confidence as well as comfort.

If your child needs to improve his or her writing skill, make an effort to provide some help. The child’s teacher may have suggestions on activities and resources, and you can of course find any number of workshops and classes, especially during the summer. (For an interactive online course where your child will get personal attention, check out the high quality offerings on Meemli Academy.) Writing is a necessary skill for success as well as satisfaction!

What do you think? Is writing an important part of your work and/or personal life and do you encourage your child to write too?

Blog

If it were up to my thirteen-year-old self, I would have spent all my summers at the beach swimming and eating ice cream. A decade later, I’m grateful that my mom had other summer plans for me. She found writing workshops to enroll me in, volunteer opportunities to sign up for, and most unappealing yet critical to my future success—algebra classes.

Since the multiplication tables (little did I know then that my phone would take care of it), I was always behind in math. When asked why I was struggling with third grade math, I responded that it was “too black and white.” That day my mom got me some colored pencils to use for writing math. Thanks, Mom.

But the real turning point for me with math didn’t come from a sudden “ah-ha” moment in the classroom. It came from the summer when my mom signed me up for learning – some of it was ‘re-learning’ – math. I spent may hours hunched over graphing paper and xy equations, visions of parabolas blurring before my eyes. But I started off high school math with a grasp on algebra and geometry that most other kids didn’t have. The confidence that gave me set the tone for my entire high school math experience—I made it all the way to AP Statistics, and got a high enough score to waive my college math requirements at UC Berkeley.

Turns out there may be a scientific explanation for why I struggled with math so much until I finally got that summer tutoring. “Summer learning loss”—when students lose what they learn over summer vacation—was happening to me. For every two steps forward I made with math during the school years, I took one step back during vacation. Keeping myself engaged over summer was a way to ensure that I kept moving forward.

Is summer learning loss something you should be worried about with your child or student? Here are some must-know facts on “summer learning loss”:

Students score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they did at the beginning of summer vacation

Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. Low-income and at-risk students have the biggest drops in test scores, and since they usually have lower scores to begin with, it worsens the achievement gap between disadvantaged youth and their peers. For an in-depth look at the research behind summer learning loss, visit Time Magazine’s The Case Against Summer Vacation.

 Students will lose about 2 months of math computational skills over the summer

The greatest areas of summer learning loss are in math skills. On average, students lose about 2.6 months worth of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during their summer break.

 Parents play the biggest part in preventing summer learning loss

Studies have shown that learning loss occurs much less in families that continue to keep their kids learning in different ways: enrolling children in classes, participating in reading programs at the local library, or taking advantage of other, often free, learning opportunities.

 

So how can you prevent summer learning loss for your child? Here are a few creative, effective, and cost-efficient strategies:

1. Sign up for camps or activities that boost learning

Not every summer activity has to be “academic” for students to hold on to their critical thinking skills and creativity. If given the right environments, our brains can learn in new ways from doing activities we normally don’t do. Theater, art, outdoors—even carpentry or robotics for kids—are all great camp or workshop options for your student. Make sure that the places you sign your child up for will allow he/she to develop social and/or leadership skills in a healthy, positive atmosphere.

2. Can’t do camps? Do it yourself.

You’re not alone if standard summer camp prices are out of your budget. Lucky for you, many families in the same situation have already come up with great activities and projects that parents and kids can do on their own, or with friends. Besides, if you feel like you don’t spend enough time with your child during the school year, summer vacation is your chance! Show your child that learning over summer can be fun. Looking for ideas? Check out some great ones from the team at Meemli!

3. Help your child prepare for school.

From my own experience, I can testify that a refresher in a tough subject helps build skills and confidence. To do their best academically, your child may just need some focused time, with a topic they struggle with, preferably with some personal attention and guidance, and summer is the best time for that. There are many academic camps and summer school opportunities out there, so you have plenty of choices. If possible, look for low-pressure learning environments that are fun and convenient, so your child still enjoys the low-stress benefits of summer break.. Meemli’s online summer courses may be perfect for you and your family as they’re all of the above!

There will always be a part of us that cherishes summer vacation as a time of rest and relaxation, with no lunches to pack or schedules to adhere to. Go ahead and take that time for you and your family—maybe with a trip to a beach, making sure to stop for ice cream on the way. If you are able to, get away for a full-on summer family trip. But remember to balance out work with play, and keep the gears in your kids’ brains turning. Your summer choices can help make your child’s school year so much easier!

Do you have a story about an awesome summer learning experience? Or have you ever been victim of summer learning loss? We’d love to hear your stories!

Blog

“In like a lion, out like a lamb”. Have your kids ever heard this old saying about March? Dating all the way back to the 17^th Century, it was undoubtedly meant to give people hope that winter was almost over—and it is! After wishing and waiting since winter break, spring vacation is finally in sight. Students of all ages are looking forward to an escape from the daily grind of school: waking up early, sitting through lectures, taking tests, doing homework, and getting up the next day to do it all again.

 

But, spring break may not be all about fun and games. Some teachers give assignments during the break (much to the consternation of their students. And if they don’t, some parents worry that a week of non-stop games and hanging out with friends may unravel the learning habits their kids have built up through the school year.

Worry not! We have some ideas to keep spring break relaxed and refreshing while still keeping those young brains sharp and primed for learning.

1. Learning on their own

If you can handle the timing and transportation a short break program from your local Y or city recreation department may be an option.

If not, look for something closer to home. Kids can do what they consider to be fun activities (like playing video games), but with a little push to take a do-it-yourself perspective, it can become a learning activity. This DIY approach builds critical thinking skills as well as the confidence and pride from accomplishing something. Looking for inspirations? Check out our fun ideas for learning during breaks and don’t forget to share it with your middle/high school kids!

2. Learning with parents

Learning with your child is a great way to deepen your relationship and maybe even learn something yourself. And yes, there is the added benefit of being a role model. Spring breaks are pretty short, so this may not be the time to try to master a new language with your child, but there are plenty of other opportunities if you look for them.

Some ideas: read and discuss a book together (advanced credit: write a short, short story!), do a puzzle a day, research something you and your child both care about, learn about how your car engine works, or create a journal if you’re taking a trip. If you’re up to it, you could even take on something academic together (what is nanotechnology all about?) Or ask to be invited to join one of your kid’s DIY projects! The opportunities are endless if the desire is real.

3. Take it online

While spring vacation may be a break from school, it might not be a break from academics. First, there might be assignments from the afore-mentioned teachers eliciting dramatic groans from their students. There’s nothing more to be said here than “just do it”.

There is another need: some kids may need to catch up on a key topic. Maybe their teacher recommended reviewing solving equations or practicing developing thesis statements. There are many online sources where your child can find concepts and practice problems in video and other forms to view, download and learn on their own. Your child’s teacher may be able to recommend the best sites for your child.

But not all kids are ready for self-study. The very reason why they need to do some extra work may be because they need someone to give them more active guidance. They need someone they can ask questions of and who can respond with patience, something that can be hard to provide in today’s full classrooms.. And many kids learn better with visuals than a wall of text, which is not easy to find in traditional textbooks.

At Meemli we offer a great solution for kids who need a little bit more than an online video or presentation, for the kids who need to discuss with a real, live person, not software, for interactive learning. Our online workshops and courses on Meemli Academy have all been carefully crafted to offer a fulfilling learning experience for pre-teens and teens (middle to high school). Best of all, they’re pressure-free and fun so your child can enjoy learning as well as de-stressing during the break. To check out available courses (with special timings) for spring break, visit our Meemli Academy page.

 

Spring break is not far away, so a little planning on how you and your children would like to spend it is definitely timely. Whether there’s any conscious, purposeful learning or not, we wish you and your family a refreshing vacation. And we’d love to hear about your fun activities and suggestions for the break!

 

Blog

Ah well, January is gone and February is winding down fast. Maybe you stuck to your New Year’s resolutions to cook more, eat better, workout everyday. But, let’s face it, most of us have settled back into our normal routines now that the holidays are over and we’re juggling busy schedules and to-do lists. And, with every passing day, it just seems harder to get motivated to stick to lofty goals, which then leads to feeling guilty and unworthy. Resolutions were not supposed to make you feel bad about yourself!

 

But some goals are a lot more flexible and forgiving, which makes them just so much easier to stick with and get done. At Meemli, learning is our thing, and we know a lot of people make resolutions to learn something at the start of a new year, often targeted towards an external goal. Adults learn a new coding language for work. Students take classes to beef up their college applications. Harried parents sign up for stress management classes. Older adults take language classes before a vacation. All good, but how about learning for fun? How about learning just because?

 

Here’s our pick for a resolution that anyone can choose to make any time and keep for as long as you want:

 

Learn what you choose, how you choose, when you choose.

 

What does that mean? How do you go about doing it?

Here’s how:

Pick something just for you.

That means learn something for fun, not because you have to. Pursue something you’ve always found interesting. You can choose to learn to play just one song on the guitar, or learn to be really good at it. Practice 25 common Russian phrases just because your grandfather was born in Russia. Re-learn subjects from school to see if you still remember anything. Even if you don’t live in wine country, you can learn more about winemaking. Choose whatever subject you find fascinating, and dig a little deeper.

Choose how you will learn.

Maybe you want to sign up for a class, or maybe you don’t. As you probably know by now, there are tons of ways to learn something new. Read a book, download a course or talk to other people. Sometimes the best way to learn something is to ask an expert. (Grandpa would probably be more than happy to teach you those 25 Russian phrases!). Your choice.

Make up your own schedule/timeline.

It doesn’t matter how much time you want to commit to this resolution. Take one day, or make your target ongoing for a few hours every week. Think short-term, or plan a schedule over the next year or two. It’s your time and whatever works best for you. And, since this learning isn’t something you have to do, you never have to feel pressured. Stuff happens and plans change. Extend your timeline whenever you need to, with no qualms.

 

Still need convincing? Here’s why you should try learning just for the fun of it:

1. Boost your brain.

Learning new things actually changes your brain – in a good way. (Read the science behind learning here.) Worried that you’re too old to learn? Age is not a barrier, though it may take some adjustment. Stretch your brain to stay sharp, for now and for when you get older. Great minds think – period!

2. Feel good.

Accomplishing a task makes us feel fulfilled, satisfied and self-confident. Especially if it is something you have wanted to do for a while. So choose something you enjoy, or something you’ve always wanted to do.It’s a break from your role as a parent, professional or whatever other titles you hold. You’re a learner, choosing to know and do something that’s of meaning to you. There’s a sense of fulfillment that comes when you immerse yourself in something that interests you.

3. Lower your stress.

Taking classes during your spare time? It’s proven to be good at lowering stress. You don’t have to take a course in stress management to enjoy these relaxing results, either. Since you’re in control of your learning and it’s free from external pressures, you can work on your resolution without stress, guilt, deadlines or dread (the perception of being in control is another stress-reducer, and you don’t have to be a control-freak to appreciate it!) .

4. Be a role model for your kids.

As a parent, you’ll help your kids see that learning can be a fun life-long activity. Maybe they’d want to learn with you. You can show, by example, that learning is not a chore, and maybe they’ll approach their schoolwork with more enthusiasm. Start new conversations in your home as you share learning with your loved ones. And consider getting other family members involved. Aunts, uncles and grandparents can all be great role models, too! For more about being a role model, check out this article.

5. Make yourself more interesting.

Ok, this may not be THE reason to learn, but it certainly gives you a fun conversation starter next time you attend a party. You don’t have to limit yourself to talking about housing, schools, kids, childcare, the nasty bug that’s going around – you now have something new to share. Those 25 Russian phrases you’re working on may come in handy!

 

It’s easy to see why resolving to learn something is a no-lose proposition. Throughout the year, we’ll suggest some new ways for families to learn together (subscribe to get updates!). Now we’d love to hear your opinions. What have you always wanted to learn? How will you go about achieving your anytime resolution?

 

Let us know!

Blog

Yay! School’s out! You can relax, hang out with friends and family, do fun stuff and forget all about learning.

Wait, what? Forget all about learning? Most likely, your teachers (and parents) don’t want you to forget all about it.

Even you may not want to turn your brain to mush binge-watching old TV shows for two weeks straight. Let’s face it, you know how hard it is to get back into the groove when school starts again and your brain feels like stale fruitcake.

But what if learning wasn’t just about textbooks, problem sets or reading assignments? What if you could build your learning skills without studying – and have fun doing it? Take charge of your own learning (and your brain!) and do something you already like to do, but with a goal that gets you to think about it.

We at Meemli fully understand the desire (and need) to take a break and have fun. We also believe that learning is something you can do in non-traditional ways so it’s not a chore (or a bore).

Here are some fun ideas that our team put together for learning activities that:

• Can be done at little or no cost with readily available materials
• Don’t take up too much time
• Can be done pretty much anywhere in the world
• Build your critical and creative thinking skills
• Are totally controlled by you!

 

1. If you’re into games…

Does playing video, computer or board games help you relax? Take your favorite game and think about how you would do it differently, in detail. How would it work, what would be the rules? As we know, the rules are what make games challenging and interesting. Keep refining it. Who knows, someday you could actually create/code the game. This is a good one to do with friends, too!

2.  If you like cooking…

Cooking is great – making a meal mixes chemistry, physics, and math. Plus you get something to eat for your efforts! But this is not just about taking a recipe and following it. Experiment. Change it up, but put some thought into it and start with a goal. What if I halved the recipe? How can I fit it into 3 little pans? Can I add jam instead of sugar? Failure is OK, and most likely still edible!

3. If you love movies…

What if you were the one behind the camera lens? Think (or learn about) about all the stuff that actually goes into making a movie and dream a little about a movie you’d make. How would you go about it? How can you show a car chase without causing accidents? Want to know about all the stuff real moviemakers ahve to think about? Prepare to be impressed by this awesome checklist!

4. If you like messing with paper and art…

In one word – origami! Sure, you can fold boats and hats and cranes, but how about figuring out your own creation? There’s geometry in those folds! (Check out origami here.) Oh yes, there’s another word, art. Art for art’s sake is universal, but how about art with a purpose? What if you chose to illustrate an idea (or a set of ideas)? Create your own infographic like ours? That takes planning and creativity!

5. If you’re crafty…

Are you into the ‘maker’ DIY thing? And/or do you like to knit, crotchet, sew, or glue stuff together? Then forget instructions and patterns. Think of something that you’d like to make where you choose the instructions, patterns, or how-to guides. Experiment, revise, repeat. Maybe you’ll end up with the best ever click-clack toy for your little brother or super-hero getup for your little sister. (Get inspired by checking out this site for techie maker ideas and this one for other craft ideas for teens.)

6. If sports are your thing…

Whatever sport you play, you know you can get better at it. There’s practice and watching/learning from the pros, of course. But what if you analyzed it for yourself? Angle the ball differently to make a basket. Put more power into your kick. Change the way you stand. Make your own training schedule. These are all solid learning skills to help you up your game, or just enjoy the process!

7. If you like writing…

You may not be able to finish penning the “Great American Novel” within your two-week break. You don’t even have to start on one. Give yourself a fun goal, which might take some effort and unconventional thinking. Write a two-page mystery involving just one character. Dabble in a little poetry, if that’s your thing. Who knows? These may be the early works of an award-winning author.

8. If you enjoy making a point…

Do you enjoy taking a stand and arguing for (or against) something? Pick a viewpoint that you favor, even if popular opinion says otherwise. Do the research to figure out whether you’re in the right. See if there’s science (or popular opinion) behind your idea. For example, fourteen-year-olds should be able to drive if they can see over the dashboard. That should be fun!

9. If you’re passionate about nature…

There’s a world of fun learning activities outdoors. Literally. Watch a crow for 15 minutes and see, really see, what they do. (They’re amazingly smart, by the way.) Know more about snow. Take notes, draw conclusions from your observations. (This will give you tips to make a nature journal.) This might be the start of something you might be excited to work on in the future.

10. If you want to save the world…

In other words, you like volunteering and helping people. You’re probably already doing that, but how about solving a problem your way? Pick one social problem, preferably not too big, that you wish you could fix. For example, kids who don’t have access to computers in your school. Think about how you would go about fixing the problem. There are many steps and many dos and don’ts to make it a challenge, but this might become something you can actually get done someday.

Most of these can be done with friends or on your own. And while our list keeps it simple in terms of tools and props, you can do your own add-ons and take it as far as you’d like to go (make movies!).

We’d love to hear about it if you actually tried any of this! Let us know about your activity and how you liked it, and we promise to do a blog post featuring your experience. To share your activity, click here to contact us directly and we’ll get in touch with you for more details.

(Parents, teachers, if you’re reading this, feel free to share with students you know and rest assured, we take students’ privacy seriously and will be careful about what we share.)

Do you have your own go-to creative activities? Do share them!

Blog