Blog
Updates and Discussion Topics from Oak LearnersNews & Announcements
Catch up on news, events and trending topics at Oak Learners.
Snowflake Cooking Coleslaw
The versatility of cabbage when cooking with kids cannot be emphasized enough. Whether you’re lightly roasting or sautéing the leaves to introduce some oil and salt tastes, searing cabbage-steaks to absorb some Dijon and maple flavours, or munching on it raw in this egg-free coleslaw recipe, kids have ample opportunities to focus on the many ways it can be prepared and their reaction to the variations, rather than deciding the foods merit based on one flavour profile.
2022-23 Diversity Unit: Snorkeling in the Bahamas
Through watching a mini documentary on the Bahamas, our students grew interested in the world’s oceans! We asked as series of questions to guide their learning and launch us into a cross-curriuclar study.
Oak Learners Classroom Teacher Interview #2 – Emma van der Jagt
The concept of teaching and learning matching is that it impacts learning in a way that encourages students to respond more positively to instructional methods while informing faculty about effective teaching practices. This encourages collaboration between the teacher and student which in turn reduces classroom management issues.
Recent research has shown that it is not as effective for a teacher to change their teaching preferences to suit the students in their classroom because they may not be as comfortable teaching in that manner.
Music Lessons – Oak Learners Class Showcase
Oak Learners is dedicated to inspiring minds through Arts Education and our Love of Music! We offer a supportive learning atmosphere, working with your child’s unique learning style to inspire their strengths and interests.
Private music lessons are available to learners of all ages from young to old in a variety of disciplines, including Piano, Guitar, Voice, Ukulele, Drums, Percussion, and Composition.
Oak Learners Classroom Teacher Interview – Maggie Robertson
At the heart of Oak Learners are the teachers that work with students every day to create an environment for the learners to excel with every project, task, and endeavor they complete. We wanted to interview some of our teachers to see their perspectives on their teaching field, get to know them better, and see what inspired them to become a teacher. The first interview we did is with Maggie Robertson, a teacher at Oak Learners wanting to share her experiences! Enjoy!
Oak Learners Before & After-Care Showcase
Oak Learners offers a before and after-care program that has all kinds of exciting activities for your children to be a part of! Before-care starts inside the Oak Learners school between 7:30 AM-9 AM. After-care starts inside the Oak Learners school between 3 PM-6 PM.
Importance of Matching Students with the Right Teacher
The concept of teaching and learning matching is that it impacts learning in a way that encourages students to respond more positively to instructional methods while informing faculty about effective teaching practices. This encourages collaboration between the teacher and student which in turn reduces classroom management issues.
Recent research has shown that it is not as effective for a teacher to change their teaching preferences to suit the students in their classroom because they may not be as comfortable teaching in that manner.
Partner Showcase: Humber College
Oak Learners has teamed up with Humber College and various other colleges to gather talented students across Canada to work inside the school. We interviewed one intern student from Humber College that joined the Oak Learners team, Joshua, to speak more on what they have learned whilst working with Oak Learners, how their experience went, how Humber College saw the experience, and what takeaways they have from the internship with Oak Learners.
Exploring colourful salads in Urban Farming & Cooking Class
Exploring watermelon radish, colourful carrots and red kale, How many of your favourite colours can you see in this meal?! We loved making this...
Art Class (Ages 6+) – Oak Learners Class Showcase
Oak Learners is hosting an Art Class for ages 6 and up every Saturday from 12:45pm-1:30pm! If you’re looking for an art class for your child, look no further! Our art teachers are passionate, enthusiastic, and knowledgable. Oak Learners provides a safe environment for the kids and allow them to experience the satisfaction that comes from guided self-expression. The focus of our art classes is exploring artistic skills, exploring creativity, and so much more!
The Power of Ketchup
There’s no shortage of ketchup varieties available, but no matter what brand name or homemade option you’re reaching for, all bottles provide a perfect introduction to the five core tastes; sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami.
Eggplant Exploration
This or that? Exploring new foods with deeper questions around why one is tastier than another allows you the ability to prompt more descriptive answers when discussing food, rather than giving kids the intimidating “yes or no” options only.
Resources & Activities
Learn at home with ideas, activities and helpful content from Oak Learners.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness Made Simple
You may be asking what cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is? Well put simply, cognitive behavioural therapy is a short-term therapy that focuses on one particular problem with set goals in place. You will learn techniques and strategies in order to reach your goals. With mental health on a decline due to Covid19 you may not be able to seek treatment from a professional so here are some tools that you can do with the children at school or in the home. These tools are beneficial for everyone to work on strengthening their mental health and mindfulness.
Arts & Crafts: Tape Resist Art
The beauty of art is that there are no limits. It unleashes our imagination and creativity!
Art is used in many ways, such as for therapy, to express ourselves or our thoughts.
Tape Resist art challenges children to use different colours and create their designs with the tape. The best part is seeing what it looks like once they remove the tape!
The Importance of Local Libraries in Building Literacy
Etobicoke Lake Shore Press - March 2021 Learning to love reading can be one of the most important gifts we give to our children. Yet, all too often,...
Language Learning: Engaging Older Children With Games
Here are some common games that require minimal materials and can be played while learning any language. These games are typically for older children but can be modified based on a child’s understanding and level of competency. They can also be easily adapted for children to play online.
“Butterfly Hug” Technique
Life events and our daily stressors can have the potential to create a situation in which our emotions become a destructive form of anxiety. These destructive emotions include but are not limited to a racing heart, obsessive thinking and, inability to breathe.
The “Butterfly Hug” method was introduced to help lighten these emotions. This method is a therapeutic intervention to help relax and calm these rapidly destructive emotions.
Arts & Crafts: Origami Jumping Frogs
Origami, the art of folding a piece of paper and giving it life by turning it into anything; a bear, a plane, or a jumping frog! Folding origami requires diligence and accuracy while following the instructions. This activity will challenge children to think and find solutions to fold the paper accordingly and into its form. Origami may sharpen the children’s imagination and memory by creating the desired shape and channeling their creativity. Today, we will make origami jumping frogs!
🍀 St. Patricks Day Leprechaun Trap STEM Activity! 🍀
HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY! 🍀
St Patrick’s Day is here! What better way to celebrate than to make your very own Leprechaun TRAP?!
How to Teach Your Child a Language You Don’t Speak
As we all know, one of the best ways for a child to learn a language is if they are surrounded by people who speak the desired language. However, as we are meeting people less often and aren’t currently travelling, being in an environment where your child can be exposed to various languages isn’t easy. It would be great if the child’s home could be the centre for language learning. But what do you do if you’re monolingual and want your child to be bilingual?
Arts & Crafts: Sensory Bottles
Sensory bottles are fantastic tools that can help calm a child because of the sensory input it provides by looking at the items inside flow or feeling the bottle’s weight. Children may expand and work on their language and social skills by communicating with others and describing their play experience. It is a great way for children to discover, be curious and explore sensory!
Helping Children Understand Their Emotions with Mood Cards
Moods and emotions can be big feelings that even some adults have trouble understanding so we cannot expect children to be masters of theirs. There are many ways in which we can help children understand what they are feelings, such as role modeling, through pretend play, and mood cards. In this blog we will be focusing on mood cards, what they are and how to use them.
Tornado in a Jar Experiment
The tornado in a jar experiment is a great way to teach kids about weather conditions such as tornados and safety measures for nature related events.
Walking Water Experiment
The walking water experiment is a fun way to learn about colours and absorbency. Play around with the mixing, the paper towel lengths, cup sizes, water levels, and see what you can make happen.