planning, teachers continually enrich
their students’ semantic networks.
For instance, Dr. Chang notes, when
teachers take a lesson on ‘animals
in the sea,’ this is often followed by a
lesson on ‘animals on land’ or another
related topic. This helps students
map and categorize information and
language better.
Learning does not stop at school, it
continues at home too. Parents play a
big role in nurturing and supporting
their childrens’ learning. Dr. Chang
believes that parents have to be aware
of the concept of ‘habits of the mind,’
explaining, “these are not just routine
habits, but reflective choices. Habits of
the mind are like gravity; they frame
you to behave a certain way constantly.
These are important in any educational
environment as students need these
to keep learning and acquiring new
knowledge. They include persistence,
listening with understanding and
empathy, metacognition (thinking
about thinking), creating, imagining
and innovating, taking responsibility,
applying past knowledge to new
situations,
finding
humor,
and
more. These are especially crucial
for bilingualism and biculturalism.”
There are cultural equivalents in
the Chinese tradition as well, such
as focus, calmness, peace, reflection
and wisdom, and others drawn from
Confucian teachings.
Bilingual immersion goes beyond school
and even beyond home. It sets the foundation of a
student’s life as they learn about themselves, their
environments, homes, societies and more.”
and encouraging children to explore
answers from multiple perspectives
are further ways to stimulate and
continually challenge them even
after school. This is the best aspect
of bilingual immersion, that it goes
beyond school and even beyond home.
It sets the foundation of a student’s
life as they learn about themselves,
their environments, homes, societies
and more. “Content is life,” remarks
Dr. Chang, and its impact is life long.
Dr. Chang during a parent workshop
at Keystone Academy.
Bearing these in mind, Dr. Chang
suggests multiple ways for parents to
enable and support their children’s
learning process even at home.
She strongly advises that the home
should be a space for home language.
In addition, parents can provide
resources, and engage in debate and
dialogue to expand a child’s common
sense and awareness about the
world. This could lead to enhanced
thinking flexibility and interpretation.
Independent
problem
solving,
addressing open-ended questions,
www.keystoneacademy.cn
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