The benefits of educational posters

by | Jul 5, 2021 | General | 0 comments

Estimated reading time: 3 mins

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What do you remember about nursery and primary school? The colour, posters and artwork on the wall, right? This is because young children are visual learners. All the displays and posters on the wall are not just to make the classroom look pretty, but to aid in a child’s learning. Children’s brains absorb visual information MUCH faster than text. Therefore educational posters shouldn’t just be confined to the classroom, but should also be displayed in the home. Educational posters displayed in the home will help to support your child’s development and help them become the little scholar they can be.

Nelson Mandela stated that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. And he was totally right. A good education can be life-changing and create astonishing results. Knowledge is essentially power!

Nelson Mandela

Below are some of the key reasons why educational posters are beneficial for children:

  • 65% of people worldwide find visual learning more effective, therefore a poster is one of the best ways to do that
  • Posters help to focus and motivate children to learn
  • It’s an effective way to catch and hold the attention of young children, as well as helps to maintain their interest in a particular area
  • They are convenient both for children and parents/teachers, as they help them to absorb the information MUCH faster
  • By having posters in your home/classroom, you provide constant learning for children as it’s always there.

High quality bundle of 6 educational posters for children. The bundle includes; animal alphabet, emotions, A-Z of affirmations, vehicles, weather and solar system. Our posters can be purchased here.

Educational posters

Shop our bundle of 6 educational posters here

So why are our posters great for young children?

  • They provide simplicity, so they’re easily understood by children at a glance
  • They have minimum words, which are effectively presented with eye-catching colour and illustration
  • Each poster is appropriate for the topic at hand and the images correspond well to the subject matter
  • They’re designed very well, they’re not only attractive with bold colours and lovely illustrations, but they’re of the perfect size for content to be easily absorbed by young children.

Here at Little Scholars Playground, we’re firm believers in the benefit of having posters around the home and in the classroom. So whether you’re a teacher, home educator or simply a parent keen on extending your child’s education at home, then we hope that this blog encourages you to incorporate more visual stimulation into your home and classrooms. Our posters can be purchased here.

Natalie

Little Scholars Playground
info@littlescholarsplayground.com

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About the Author

Natalie is the co-founder and illustrator at Little Scholars Playground. She is passionate about literacy, learning, illustrating, black women in STEM and Montessori.

The benefits of wooden toys for children

by | Jun 23, 2021 | Montessori | 0 comments

Estimated reading time: 2 mins

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When you start learning about the Montessori practice you often hear (and see) a lot about wooden toys. But why are they so beneficial? Wooden toys spark your child’s creativity and is a form of open-ended play. Unlike plastic toys that can be over-stimulating with flashing lights and a set outcome. Wooden toys will provide your child with activities that do not have a set outcome. Building blocks, cardboard tubes, wooden kitchens, train sets and sensory/messy play are all examples of open–ended play, because they can play in a number of ways with no set outcome.

Encourages your child’s brain development

Not only do wooden toys inspire creative and imaginative play in children. It is also beneficial for your child’s brain development, helping to improve their cognitive and problem-solving skills. The natural textures of wooden toys stimulate the child’s senses as they encourage them to feel, touch and explore. Because of their simpler shapes, wooden toys also help children build hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

They’re strong and child safe

Wooden toys are also stronger than their plastic counterparts. They will not easily break, meaning no broken small pieces or sharp edges, which is ideal for babies who we know like to put everything in their mouths!

They’re better for your peace of mind and the environment

Of course, wooden toys are also much better for the environment than plastic! They’re non-toxic, but not only that they won’t pollute your home with excessive noise, win, win! As open-ended wooden toys help to keep children from becoming so easily distracted. By having natural wooden toys in your home, it actually keeps your home quieter and more peaceful. We’re all a product of our environment, so offering the best/calm environment for your child will therefore encourage their mind to stay calm and healthy.

Natalie

Little Scholars Playground
info@littlescholarsplayground.com

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About the Author

Natalie is the co-founder and illustrator at Little Scholars Playground. She is passionate about literacy, learning, illustrating, black women in STEM and Montessori.

Our top 7 tips on how to help your child learn English and Maths

by | Jun 14, 2021 | STEM | 0 comments

Estimated reading time: 4 mins

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English and Maths are both very important subjects. They’re the building blocks of everything we do. If your child or the child you care for can get a good grasp of these two subjects, then this will help them progress well in all of their academic subjects in the future.

Our 7 tips on how to help your child with their English and Maths:

  1. Repeat, repeat and repeat

When it comes to English and Maths, repetition is a good thing! It will help your child get to grasp with the English language and those tougher Mathematics. As the saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’.

2. Positivity is key

Staying positive when helping your child with their English and Maths is important. Try not to say things like “I can’t spell”, “I’m rubbish at English” or “I hated Maths at school” (even though it can be tempting). Your child may start to think the same way themselves.

3. Start young

Starting young is key. As soon as a baby is born, they’re like sponges (just think of all the things you don’t want them to pick up and how quickly they do, eek!). Reading to babies and toddlers regularly is great for building reading confidence, reading comprehension and a love for reading. Which in turns helps them to get a good understanding of the English language. It’s also a good idea to start Maths with your child at a young age too. Simple things like counting their little toes and using number blocks is paramount in setting your child up for a positive Maths and English journey.

4. Keep it fun

Try and keep it fun and relaxed. If it feels serious and tense all the time or like a chore. Your child will VERY quickly lose interest.

5. Don’t be too pushy

Although it can be easy to get frustrated with your child at times, especially if you think they’re not concentrating or they can do better if they just stayed focused. Being too pushy can make them even more disinterested, as they start to feel the pressure. Try not to push them to do more than they can. Doing short sessions can help them not to lose interest.

6. Utilise every-day life

To increase your child’s interest and knowledge of Maths. Point out the maths in everyday life, by including them in activities involving numbers and measuring, such as cooking, shopping and travelling.

7. Give your child regular praise

Last but not least, don’t forget to give your child praise when it’s deserved. But remember to not just praise them when you think they’ve displayed signs of being clever. Give them praise for their effort too. This will show them that they can always improve if they work hard.

We will continuously be adding activity sheets and educational posters to our learning resources pages, found here, which will help you improve your child’s English and Maths skills.

If you’re based in the US and your daughter is struggling with Maths, we came across a really good monthly maths subscription box called Black Girl Mathgic (this is not an ad, we just thought it was a great initiative!)

Good luck on your child’s English and Maths journey.

Natalie

Little Scholars Playground
info@littlescholarsplayground.com

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About the Author

Natalie is the co-founder and illustrator at Little Scholars Playground. She is passionate about literacy, learning, illustrating, black women in STEM and Montessori.

Diversity in children’s books

by | May 26, 2021 | All about books | 0 comments

Estimated reading time: 3 mins

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The current state of diversity in children’s books is disappointing to say the least. As a black parent, I have to work harder to find books for my toddler daughter which contain main characters that look like us. On deep reflection, looking back to my earlier years as a child, my favourite children’s books were so not diverse! Far from it. The lead characters were always white, or cuddly animals. Whilst there is nothing wrong with writers, illustrators and publishers creating characters and content inspired by their own world view, it made me think of the impact this had on me, or could have had. For example, subconsciously reinforcing that the world is dominated by one particular racial group. This is a problem for our young people.

So why’s all of this important?

Children are like sponges. They absorb just about everything you beam toward them: data, literature, speech; our actions and everyday experiences. They soak it all up. Being able to identify and recognise yourself in the material you consume, seeing yourself depicted as a main character, is something which can draw the reader further in, exposing children to the courage, achievements and success of the main protagonist. This is particularly important for young people who are beginning to form their own world views: their identity, their place in society, aspirations and goals.

In the United Kingdom, between 2017-2019 only 5% of children’s books had an ethnic minority main character.* This is startling disparity, especially as we know that the collective human experience is not built on the story of any single racial group. Yet when it comes to children’s literature, parents searching for diverse books have to go the extra mile.

For those children from ethnic minorities groups, the absence of seeing themselves represented as main characters, sends a stark message; that by society failing to represent you, you don’t matter. This is clearly not acceptable.

So what can be done?

Well, acknowledgment of a problem is a good place to start. But statistics, reports and endless conversations about the under-represented, require action to begin tackling the disparities.

So what’s to stop black people writing their own books?

The answer to this question is debatable and runs deep. But we can all accept that differing circumstances, opportunity and representation within the publishing industry are challenges yet to be overcome by people from ethnic minorities groups.

We believe that the under-represented, as hard as it may be, must begin to create content and showcase our identities within the literature presented to our children. This is a problem for the whole of society to address, but a need for black writers, illustrators, educators and entrepreneurs to step forward is urgently required. After all, we are uniquely (but not exclusively) placed to tell our stories from our point of view.

Our mission at Little Scholars Playground is to begin to tackle the imbalances described, one book at a time.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Comment below, let’s start a conversation.

Denhue

Little Scholars Playground

info@littlescholarsplayground.com

*CLPE’s Reflecting Realities – Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children’s Literature published 2020

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About the Author

Denhue Little Scholars Playground

Denhue is the co-founder and Author at Little Scholars Playground. He is passionate about literacy, learning, writing and STEM.

Welcome to Little Scholars Playground

by | Apr 25, 2021 | General | 0 comments

Estimated reading time: 3 mins

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Welcome to the home of Little Scholars Playground! We’re a children’s book publisher and early years hub. We create diverse children’s books and learning resources.

It started in 2020 lockdown

Our founders were having a casual conversation about how difficult it is to find wide-ranging books for young children with main character representation of black people specifically. As people of action, the founders quickly determined that between them, they possessed the skillset to begin to chip-away at this problem.

Fast-forward and Little Scholars Playground was born. With a single mission to create engaging, diverse children’s literature, tackling this imbalance one-book-at-a-time

Why we’re calling for greater diversity in children’s books

We feel that it is very important for children to read books with main characters that look like themselves. It’s not only good for a child’s confidence and self-worth. But we also feel this will help develop their love for reading. As well as helping to instil strong aspirations and helping to encourage a child to reach their full potential.

A third of children in English schools are from an ethnic minorities group^, however in the UK only 5% of children’s books feature a main character from a non-white background*. Also, children are 8.2% more likely to see an animal main character in children’s books than a non-white character*.

There are more books with black characters, so improvement has been made. However we found most of the books to be focused on hair or history, which is definitely needed but can at times feel heavy for young children. We want to create fun, positive, iconic characters that are loved by all. We want black children to dress up for World Book Day and not be asked who they’re dressed up as.

STEM and black children

Between us we have 20 years’ experience of working in the STEM industry, so we’re also passionate about encouraging young black children to embrace STEM.

Meet the people behind Little Scholars playground

Natalie is a tremendously talented illustrator with a particular passion for making sure all children have representation in literature. She’s a product designer by profession, with a career spanning across digital design, coding and marketing. As a mother to a daughter, Natalie is conscious of the lack of black women in the STEM industry and works to encourage black women and girls to develop a passion for STEM.

Denhue is the father of a toddler daughter who began his writing career experimenting with breaking down big ideas for a young audience. By profession, Denhue is an aeronautical engineer and has a degree in Aerospace Technology with Management. This has plenty to do with his natural interest in STEM related topics.

*Stat according to the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE)

^Stat according to the Department of Education

Natalie

Little Scholars Playground
info@littlescholarsplayground.com

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About the Author

Natalie Little Scholars Playground

Natalie is the co-founder and illustrator at Little Scholars Playground. She is passionate about literacy, learning, illustrating, black women in STEM and Montessori.

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