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Updates and Discussion Topics from Oak LearnersNews & Announcements
Catch up on news, events and trending topics at Oak Learners.
Take a peek inside our Brussel Sprouts exploration!
We start every cooking and urban farming class with asking exploratory questions about our main vegetable of the day. For brussel sprouts, we were curious about if they grow from the inside-out, or the outside-in. We also tried to think of other vegetables that seem similar, and our students were right to think they were similar to cabbages as they are both members of the brassica family!
Strategies For Tackling Homework at Home
Homework at home is truly one of the first things children get tasked with when working outside of school. This defines their habits as the children grow up, and establishing good work habits early can significantly impact those habits progressively in their life.
4 Tips for 2022 New Years Resolution Planning
Happy 2022 New Year! It’s that time again to start planning for your yearly resolutions! To start you off with some goals, or to just inspire you, here are 4 tips to get your New Year started.
4 Tips for Overcoming Procrastination
Procrastinating is something everyone struggles with from time to time. Here are 4 tips to help with your procrastination!
Discussing the Topic of Mental Health
What size is your cup today? What will make your cup overflow? These are questions everyone can ask themselves when considering how they’re feeling on a daily basis. Mental health is an internal resource that helps us balance our feelings, how we cope with daily stresses and how we build resilience and grow from these experiences.
Why Is Personalized Learning So Effective?
Personalized learning empowers students and teachers to take control of their learning experience. In a student-focused classroom, students learn at their own pace, whether they’re ahead of their learning curve or need a bit of extra time to work through certain subjects. Not only does personalized learning give tools for curriculum success, but it maximizes student engagement and interest.
Effective Musical Instrument Practice at Home
Most people understand that the more practice on your instrument, the better you become. When it comes to habits, consistency is an important factor in making routines for practice. Some wonder how you can improve your practice habits without causing too much stress? Let’s look at six ways you can make better use of your time when practicing your musical instruments at home.
The Importance of Remembrance Day
On November 11th, we remember and commemorate all of those who fought and died in their line of duty to serve our country and keep peace.
Partner Showcase: A New Take on Outdoor Education with Larchwood Nature OT Programming
At Larchwood Nature OT we are developing courage, confidence, coordination and deep care for our precious environment in all of our clients. Nature offers many opportunities for supporting development of the mind, muscles, senses, and emotions.
Partner Showcase: Make Music Magical with Little Rebels and Oak Learners
If there’s one thing we love, it’s educational spaces that are totally aligned. The Little Rebels mandate and vision line up magically with the Oak Learners vision to inspire creativity, foster technique and encourage confidence.
5 Mindfulness Activities for Kids
Mindfulness is a human ability that allows one to be present and aware of their surroundings and their own being, allowing them to not be overly reactive or overwhelmed by the world that surrounds them. When you bring awareness to what you’re experiencing, through your emotions and thoughts, you are being mindful.
Virtual Games for Elementary School Students
There are a lot of virtual games that can be played in-class. Young students have thousands of games now a days, with easy access on the internet. There are many to choose from, with some being educational and some that aren’t as much. We’ve compiled 5 educational and fun interactive games for young students to try out for themselves!
Resources & Activities
Learn at home with ideas, activities and helpful content from Oak Learners.
Arts & Crafts: Slime, Slime, Slime!
Slime is a fun sensory activity that promotes motor and cognitive development. Children are engaged in science and mathematics by adding and mixing ingredients and seeing how it all turns into slime. Also, what makes a better way to relieve anxiety or stress than to be able to squeeze a hand full of slime?!
Arts & Crafts: Blow Painting with Straws
Blow painting with straws is a fun activity for children because it provides excellent opportunities to experiment with colour and different ways to paint other than using a paintbrush.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Children have just as much stress, frustration, and/or anxiety as most adults but are not able to understand or control it in the moment. During moments of stress and anxiety children tend to tense up certain muscle groups unknowingly and have a challenging time relaxing them. This can lead to the children being in a state of high anxiety for longer periods of time.
Outdoor Activities: Paint the Snow!
We have been getting a lot of snow the past couple of weeks and this particular activity looked like so much fun to me! All you need is a bin filled...
Games for Virtual Learning: For Teachers and Caregivers of Children (3-12yrs)
As a camp counsellor turned Kindergarten teacher, I use “back pocket games” to build a variety of skills and maximize engagement for my students. Staying active and connected is one of the best ways to focus on ours and our children’s mental health, but has been harder to do while staying home.
Screen Time: Scary or Necessary?
If you’re like me, you have likely spent your child’s early years making extraordinary efforts to limit screen time and avoid the 80’s “TV...
Promoting Community Involvement & Volunteering from Home
One of the most consistent messages we’ve heard throughout this pandemic is to stay at home, but what can we do when “home” starts to feel like a...
5 Tips to help make Virtual Learning a more positive experience
Having the whole family at home and trying to engage with virtual learning and work activities can be beyond frustrating. Keep in mind the following tips to help make the most of your at-home learning experience and help encourage more independent learning skills from your child.
Support Local, Support Learning
First published in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Magazine, November Edition The Pandemic has taught us to value many local resources we may previously...
Popsicle Stick Snowflake Ornaments
The holiday season is here and what better way to enjoy it than creating beautiful crafts for you and your family. Whether you are decorating your...
Raised Salt Painting
Art is a very important part of learning and creative expression. This raised salt painting activity is a great DIY activity to try at home!
Learning Healthy Living In “Fun With Fitness” Class
Last week our “Fun with Fitness” class emphasized the importance of healthy living. Our virtual lesson highlighted that healthy foods are...