ot the final verdict on a child's potential, as the human brain functions in a far more complicated way and its power should not be limited to cramming for exams.
Educator and neuro-education expert Caroline Kwok Man-yuk has researched the relationship between the human brain and learning for more than two decades.
She believes that it is essential for parents and teachers to be aware of a child's mental capabilities. "By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a child's brain, parents and teachers can come up with targeted education solutions," Kwok said. "The most important thing is to stimulate the child's inner motivation to learn."
Together with Math Monkey Hong Kong, a learning center offering game- based programs to enhance the maths skills of children, Kwok is developing a
brain assessment process that will help parents get an overall grasp of their children's abilities.
Based on how the brain works, the assessment will look at five attributes. "Visual" covers the ability to see, maneuver, organize, understand
and think with visual images.
"Attention" is about focusing on tasks for an extended period with or without distractions and the ability to multitask. These two attributes are related to the input of information.
"Logical reasoning" relates to analyzing and solving spatial problems that require a high level of conceptual abilities, while "memory" deals with storing and retrieving what one has learned. These two attributes are utilized in the process of information.
The last attribute is the "speed" of the brain when processing information, which affects the output of our brain work.
Karen Kwan, general manager of
Math Monkey Hong Kong, said that the optimal time for a child's brain development is before the age of seven.
Each Math Monkey assessment lasts about an hour, she said, with groups of three to six children. After completing game-based tasks, each child receives a full report that explains their abilities with respect to the five attributes.
The service becomes available in Hong Kong next month.
Math Monkey will also organize a "No Play? No Gain?" parenting seminar in Causeway Bay on September 8, where Kwok will offer parents professional advice on learning about their children's abilities.
Kwan explained that the weakness of a child's brain is hard to detect in the normal course since our brain tends to use and develop its strengths to compensate for any weakness.
"With the knowledge of
kids' brain abilities [via assessment tests], parents and teachers can come up with
game-based activities that acknowledge their strengths while strengthening their weak spots," Kwan said, adding that Math Monkey will roll out programs related to brain assessment by the end of the year.
Math Monkey is at five locations across the territory.
Regarding the activities, it is important that children find the challenges presented to them as mission possible. With the buildup of self-confidence, they will have more curiosity and motivation to face their weaknesses and learn new things, Kwan said.
Based on her own observation since starting Math Monkey in Hong Kong in 2009, Kwan sees that local children are good at logical reasoning but fall behind in attention and visual tests.
"Kids tend to mirror the adults," she said.
In a fast-paced society such as Hong Kong, people are used to quick analyses and solutions, and are reluctant to heed details or their own feelings. And the kids tend to reflect how adults react to the outside world.
At the same time, overzealous caregivers, whether family members or domestic helpers, also make the children prone to lacking attention or self- reliance.
Some children do not even know how to buckle their shoes because others will do it for them, Kwan said.
Kwok, who is founder-director of the nonprofit charitable organization House of Learning, voiced concern about the pressures of the local education system, and hopes that the idea of understanding a child's brain could spark more discussion among parents and educators.
Also providing corporate training for company management, Kwok is convinced that the new century will seek people of a creative bend.
However, the local school system largely fails in that regard and remains at the rote-learning stage.
"Some kids are not naughty; it's just their brains work faster," Kwok said.
"However, this attribute cannot be reflected in their test scores."
Website:
www.mathmonkey.com.hk.
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