Primary School pupils in Scotland could be taught a second language from as early as Primary One, under new proposals.
School children in Scotland could start learning foreign languages from Primary One
Recommendations from the Modern Languages Working Group that children should learn a foreign language when they reach primary age are being considered by the Scottish government.
Minister for Learning, Alasdair Allan, said that he will now investigate the possibility of introducing second language teaching from Primary One.
Other key recommendations from the report produced by the Modern Languages Working Group include the idea that Primary and Secondary schools should work together to ensure better progression generally in language learning.
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Education games are a fantastic way for children to improve their learning whilst taking part in fun activities. There is a host of modern and traditional games that children engage in on a daily basis, both at home and at school.
Games such as snakes and ladders, chess, drafts or Monopoly will all require children to use their strategic thinking.
Games that involve numbers, co-ordinates, puzzles or riddles will all contribute to children’s development in a number of areas. Below are just a few of these:
Treasure Hunts
A traditional treasure hunt can be used to draw out skills in numeracy, literacy and even history. Ask your child’s teacher what history topic your child is currently working on and incorporate this into your hunt. For example, if your child is studying the Egyptians then you could create a desert setting for your children and put them on a mission to discover a lost tomb or hoard of royal jewels. Children can then complete the hunt in character and role play different characters and famous scenes from that period to develop their literacy skills.
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Children and teenagers who watch excessive amounts of TV are less likely to get their correct intake of fruit and vegetables, according to a new US study.
Children who watched television beyond the average period made snack choices ahead of fresh produce.
The study of 12,642 private and public school students found that for every extra hour of TV watched, beyond the average of 2.5 hours a day, kids between 5th and 10thgrades were 5% less likely to eat vegetables every day, and 8% were less likely to get hold of daily fruit.
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The education of thousands of children across the UK is being compromised as delays to public funding mean that many will continue to carry out school work in buildings that are in a poor state of disrepair.
A poor working environment can have a range of negative effects on children’s educational development
Although the government has earmarked a fund to renovate buildings for the worst affected schools, research by the Local Government Association (LGA) has shown that hundreds of schools are still waiting to benefit from the Priority Schools Building Programme.
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