GREAT MINDS THINK AHEAD!

It's been nearly a month since the kids have been  back to school. With the children settling into their new routines, most parents are now prepping to sign up kids for after-school activities. UCMAS Abacus remains a popular choice for many parents but there are some who are still not sure of the benefits the program yields. Go through our list of FAQs to cut the confusion and know why UCMAS is the right choice for every child. 1. I do not see the value of mental arithmetic; children are allowed to use calculators now. UCMAS is not just a math program. It is a mental development program that uses mental arithmetic as a tool. There may be some value for kids doing arithmetic that is fast and accurate but the mental abilities and skills learnt at UCMAS are the ultimate goal and can be applied to almost every aspect of child's life, academic or otherwise. 2. My child is really smart when it comes to math, does s/he still need UCMAS? As we've just s...

Galileo Galilei faced the wrath of the clergy to follow through his scientific beliefs. Deaf and blind Helen Keller rose to become one of the 20th century’s leading humanitarians. Despite virulent opposition and discrimination Martin Luther King fought against racial discrimination in America. Nelson Mandela devoted his life to fighting against Apartheid, earning even a 20-year life sentence in the process. Using only non-violence and non-cooperation Mahatma Gandhi became the face of the Indian freedom struggle. A gunshot to the head did not deter Malala Yousafzai, a young school girl, from standing up for girls’ right to education. History is peppered with examples of people who have overcome exceptionally challenging situations. Armed only with grit and fortitude they changed the world not only for themselves but millions of others. Last year, UCMAS dedicated its 21st International and 13th National Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition 2016 to this mental hardiness and fierce spi...

Did you know playing board games on a frequent basis is really good for you? Games don't need to be overtly academic to be educational, however. Just by virtue of playing them, board games can teach important social skills, such as communicating verbally, sharing, taking turns, and enjoying interaction with others. Board games can foster the ability to focus, and lengthen your child's attention span by encouraging the completion of an exciting, enjoyable game. Even simple board games like Snakes and Ladders offer meta-messages and life skills: Your luck can change in an instant — for the better or for the worse. The message inherent in board games is: Never give up. Just when you feel despondent, you might hit the jackpot and ascend up high, if you stay in the game for just a few more moves. Check out all the benefits below! 1. Taking Turns This is one of the first things you learn about playing games, that there are times when you get to act, and times when you wai...

Critical thinking is a term that we hear a lot, but many people don't really stop to think about what it means or how to use it. Critical thinking is not a matter of simply accumulating information. A person with a good memory and who knows a lot of facts is not necessarily good at critical thinking. Critical thinking should also not be confused with being argumentative or being critical of other people. Although critical thinking skills can be used in exposing fallacies and bad reasoning, critical thinking can also play an important role in cooperative reasoning and constructive tasks. What exactly is critical thinking? Critical thinking means making reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out. It is a way of thinking in which you don't simply accept all arguments and conclusions you are exposed to but rather have an attitude involving questioning such arguments and conclusions. It requires wanting to see what evidence is involved to support a particular argumen...

A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether you're a student studying for final exams, a working professional interested in doing all you can to stay mentally sharp, or a senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there are lots of things you can do to improve your memory and mental performance. Improving memory tip 1: Give your brain a workout By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways that help you process and recall information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute familiar tasks with a minimum of mental effort. But if you always stick to these well-worn paths, you aren’t giving your brain the stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. You have to shake things up from time to time! Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it.” The more you work out your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. But not a...

Children naturally love art – painting, drawing, making music, the theater. Physiologically, the human brain consists of 2 parts, the left and the right hemisphere. The left brain is used in logical thinking and analytical processes. This is typically what is trained in school work that consists of math, reading and science. The right brain is used in emotional perception, intuition and creativity. It is the right brain that is mainly used when a person is involved in creative endeavors such as making art. It is this part of the brain that typical school environment neglects to train. It is shown that when gifted kids solve problems in their areas of giftedness, there is increased electrical activity in both hemispheres. It appears that for the brain to be efficient, the two hemispheres of the brains must work together. By stimulating and exercising the right hemisphere of the brain, the arts strengthen the connection between the hemispheres. Kids should be exposed to the arts a...