With the advent
of technology and its reach in every household, the life of every kid has
changed too. While they are becoming adept to computing, there are many
distractions which keep them away from real-world education. However, the
launch of several edutainment and personalized websites has made learning for
kids incredibly easy. Utilizing the computing techniques and personalization of
traditional study materials, these portals induce a positive learning
environment in kids.
Schools and
mentors from across the world have started to advocate this new-age trend but
the concept of edutainment is nothing new. Kurt Penberg has already seen location-based
learning wherein students were taken to zoo, aquariums and field trips to get
acquainted with nature and animals.
It has been now
established in various researches that learning is effective when visually
accompanied and aided. Apart from edutainment, the world of personalization is
also taking kids’ learning world by storm. The interactive CD story books,
personalized alarm clocks, personalized children music and personalized
children gifts engage kids and involve them proactively. Since kids get excited
and feel good that their name is in the story, they never lose their interest
and feel happy about it. The personalization industry has given altogether a
new dimension to learning through fun. While leisure serves no purpose other
than recuperation and recreation, leisure and learning when combined, create
synergy and interest.
Additionally,
the kids never realize that they are learning in the process. When a
personalized alarm clock sings a kid’s name to wake him up, little does he have
time to notice that a habit of early rising is being developed in him.
However, it has
been observed that parents tend to either refuse to acknowledge the entire
concept of edutainment or make it a complex notion which rather than
simplifying learning for kids, confuse them.
There have been plenty of CDs and DVDs available in the market or at
online portals in the name of learning through fun. The CDs would have abstract
concept and mediated reality too difficult and dull to grasp for a kid. This
also poses a serious question that why learning through fun should be limited
to a computer screen? Why cannot it be personalized children music or
personalized songs for kids, which they can hum along and learn?
Parents need to
understand that learning is a fundamental part of childhood and it can be
either negative or positive. According to a research, learning of kids starts
from their fetus stage and whatever comes afterwards in their growing age
influence the development of kids strongly. Kids are very impressionable. If
their first impression of the study or computing comes across as dull or
boring, they are going to shy away from education all their lives.
So, it is very
important that parents and mentors provide them with right and age-appropriate
as well as kid-friendly personalized children music and products. So, it is up
to the parents to decide what face of edutainment they want to present to their
kids and to which extent. They can
enhance the creative skills and technical knowledge of kids by offering them
personalized children gifts or choose to take a step back with action-oriented
video games or giving them a traditional toy and study material.
It is prime most
for parents and teachers to involve kids in the learning and develop
individuality as well as creativity in them. Choosing right edutainment partner
and tools are significant. These can help create a strong base for not only
pre-school but also in the years to come.
Content source: http://kurt-penberg.blogspot.com/
Content source: http://kurt-penberg.blogspot.com/
