SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER Issue 1

Shaping Kids Newsletter

August 2016

WWW.SHAPINGKIDS.COM WHAT’S INSIDE?

ShapingKids was launched in Bangalore in Jan 2016. The idea is to bring Parents and children education / learning centers / institutes on one platform and closer to technology.

This is targeted to be become the best discovery platform which will help parents to easily find play schools, day care, hobby classes, sports academies, enhanced learning classes and many more in their locality. Currently we are having more than 1500+ centers listed and around 3000+ parents registered in Bangalore. We are heading strong in this section and

we wish to expand in Bangalore in full swing by end of this quarter.

We are excited to have new business users and parents joining our community. A Big thank you to all business users and parents who are a part of this family. It’s because of your support that we stand strong and aim to be the largest discovery platform.

We would like to thank the large community of members supporting us on Facebook with our wide range of interesting articles, posts, messages, motivational stories etc. to keep you engaged and provide you updates about ShapingKids.

Newsletter from ShapingKids By Editorial team How to improve

handwriting skills in kids? Page 2

Scared to take the next step? Page 3

15 Indian Kids whose achievements make us proud Page 4

Brainstorming puzzles for your kids

Page 7

Jokes

Page 8

SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 2

• Ensure Practicing is Fun Offer your child a different pencil or crayons or colored pencil that make your kids happy. Try simple words, simple sentences, puzzles etc.

• Encourage Drawing Games

Handwriting is impacted by many ways — holding a pencil correctly, posture, control, dexterity, coordination. The more time your child spends in writing letter or drawing, it further helps your child to develop better writing skills.

• Writing in the Air Encourage your child to practice writing letters, numbers, words etc. in the air. This improves hand movements.

• Don’t hesitate to point the mistake Mistakes could be in letter formations, size, spaces between words, and alignment. Focus on one problem at a time and then move on to the next correction.

• Pencil Grip Let your child try different pencils to discover what suits him/her the best. Larger pencils may be hard to grasp. Use a smaller pencil or marker to

practice hand writing. Using a good grip can improve handwriting as well as reduce fatigue.

• Handwriting Aids Handwriting aids are tools available to help children learn how to grasp a pencil correctly. Choose the handwriting aid which works best for your kid.

• Handwriting Tools Try different tools which can improve your kid’s handwriting. Such as Dry erase board, Plastic wipe off sheets, Raised line paper, Tracing paper, Alphabet book, Erasers, Different colored pencils, Bright colored notebooks

• Frequent Breaks Allow your child to take breaks to ease of tiredness, stress and distraction.

• Motivate your child

Keep your child motivated at all times to encourage him to practice more and more. As parents you know what your child likes doing the most!

• Reasonable Expectations As parent remember to have reasonable expectations based on age. Handwriting differs by age so it’s a continuous improvement process.

GOOD HANDWRITING BENEFITS

Develops a good personality

Helps you keep focused and motivated

Improves learning abilities

How to improve handwriting skills in kids? By Editorial team

SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 3

As a girl who is independent, can take own decisions, can stand up for herself, not dependent on anyone financially. I was scared to take the step of marriage. My parents always treated me like a princess, gave me the best education and ensured that I become independent in all ways. Just out of college I wanted to live life, enjoy working late, and enjoy the power of money, spending it wisely and also saving it for future. Few years passed and I started liking a guy in my organization. We were best of friends but when the question was about marriage I was skeptical. I was wondering what happens to my freedom , my independence , my money , my parents , my future. I was exhausted for days thinking about it. Although my parents never forced me for marriage, they always gave me enough freedom to take my own time to decide as well as the freedom to choose the right guy for me. I had already been working for 4-5 years after college was done. After many days of thinking, talking to friends , talking to parents , trying to judge the guy as much as I can , trying to guess about the in laws , trying as many sources as possible , I still didn't have a sure shot answer. Days passed by and months passed by, I had a take a decision as I had already delayed a lot. Eventually I thought “known devil is better than an unknown devil”. I made up my mind to get married to my best

friend. That wasn't all, from this day to the wedding day, I was judging everyone and every situation to see if things are falling perfect as I had expected it to be. Feeling of losing my identity scared me the most. I think that's the biggest worry for working girls. Wedding preparations started and for me my parents respect was the most important thing in my life. I didn't want them to feel that they at a disadvantage because they are girls parents. I wanted to safeguard them from societal pressures. My parents are extremely broad minded. Having raised 2 daughters, provided the best education, giving them the freedom to choose the groom takes a lot of courage in our society. Of course things are changing now but still... Finally the D day had arrived and I was dressed in my wedding lehenga, busy thinking what will happen next, my "to be” husbands face gave me some assurance but it was my mind playing on continuously. The wedding was done with all rituals. My parents had a sense of satisfaction and I was happy seeing them happy. I was married and I came to my husband’s house, it wasn't my comfort zone, I didn't know the people , I didn't know the walls , it was a complete strangers zone. Well my in laws turned out to be broad minded in many ways, they tried their best to make me feel comfortable in the existing set up. I was lucky to have my best friend as a husband. I could share the likes and dislikes with him very easily and he would understand my situation. Slowly I started settling in and since I had to ensure that I keep working, I

ensured that I had good support system at home. I hired cook who would come for cooking breakfast, lunch and later in the evening for preparing dinner. I got a good maid. I managed my time such that I would bring groceries on weekends. My working are extremely hectic and giving time on weekdays is very difficult. But whenever I have time from work I spend time with my husband, in laws, talking to them, sharing stories, preparing new dishes and so on. My in laws too turned out to be supportive about my work. It is then that I understood how important it is to have supportive family. Every wedding has its own ups and downs and I learnt that despite anything I have to manage everything so that I continue working peacefully. I love my work, I love my independence, I love my financial stability, and I love so many more things. Now things have settled in and it's been few years of married life and I am scared to take the next step of being a mother. All the thoughts that I had about freedom and independence has come back again with a larger intensity. People around me keep asking about it but I don't want to do things till the time I am prepared for it. I have seen my friend’s life changing completely, and some have managed to continue working even after kids. I would love to have kids but wondering what would happen next. A girls life is full of if's and but's. Well this time I’m not sure how much time I will take to make this decision. Have you been in this situation? Or it's just me? Source: Picture

Interesting stories that came our way – Scared to take the next step? By Editorial team

SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 4

15 Indian Kids whose achievements make us proud

1. Shorya Mahanot - A prodigy in abstract art

Seven year old Shorya Mahanot started his tryst with colors when he discovered his sisters' art books. But unlike them, he gravitated towards abstract works, very much like Jackson Pollock, who incidentally happens to be this young prodigy's role model. When asked about Pollock in an interview, Shorya replied, "He also makes paintings like me."

2. Truptraj Pandya - Correction. That's Master Truptraj Pandya

Pandya was just 18 months old when he started playing the tabla. At age 6, he was awarded with a certificate from Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest ever Tabla Master.

3. Priyanshi Somani - The Human Calculator

Somani, who's now 15, won the overall title in the Mental Calculation World Cup in 2010. A native of Surat, Somani is the only participant to have achieved 100% accuracy in addition, multiplication, square root in all five Mental Calculation World Cups.

4. Kautilya Pandit - 'Google Boy'

Six year old Kautilya Pandit from Haryana is exceptionally good with general knowledge and current affairs. Without any help, Pandit can recollect the general details and statistics of 213 countries off the top of his head. Last year, Pandit also co-hosted the Children's Day episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati with Amitabh Bachchan.

5. Anshuman Nandi - No toys, only drumsticks for this kid

Four year old Anshuman Nandi from Tripura is already famous as one of India's youngest drummers. He picked up drumming while observing his dad teach it to some of his students. Nandi has already made a mark in the national arena by showcasing his skill in India's Got Talent and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

6. Chitresh Tatha - Globetrotting voyager

Twelve year old Chitresh Tatha from Tamil Nadu has a bright future in sailing. This year, at the Asian Games, he was the youngest sailor to participate from India. He trains for almost 6 hours a day and sails in the Optimist Dinghy category. His exploits have seen him travel all over the world including Ireland, France, Bahrain, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Malta.

SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 5

7. Tenith Adithyaa - Inventor extraordinaire

This 11th grade student stays up till 3AM on most nights tinkering in his lab. He already has 17 inventions under his name including an Adjustable Electricity Extension Board and a Banana Leaf Preservation Technology. In July this year, he also spent some time getting mentored in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

8. Angad Daryani - The next Elon Musk?

Teenager Angad Daryani from Mumbai used open-source hardware to come up with a virtual e-reader for the blind, a boat that runs on solar power, an automated gardening system called Garduino and also India's cheapest 3D printer called Sharkbot. He started his own kit company knowing that kids in India cannot afford expensive DIY kits. Oh yeah, he also dropped out of school.

9. Aravindh Chithambaram - Chess Master

Forget Viswanathan Anand, this young chess prodigy could very well be the next Magnus Carlsen. Last year, in an event featuring 21 Grandmasters and 30 International Masters, a 14-year old Aravindh (who was seeded 53rd) beat four grandmasters and won the Open GM tournament. His coach RB Ramesh believes that Aravindh can be a serious threat in international meets if only he gets to play in those events more often. For that, he'd need financial assistance. Let's hope things do work out for this kid, because he's one hell of a talent we can all be proud of.

10. Pari Sinha - Giant Killer of the Chess World

In a country of prodigies, 4-year old Pari Sinha is one step further. This chess sensation from Bihar checkmated opponents twice her age in State Level Championships and ended up with a podium finish, where she was the youngest ever contestant. Currently she is being coached by Subhendu Chakraborty. Watch out for her in the coming years.

11. Anand Gangadharan & Mohak Bhalla - The genius duo

Anand and Mohak, two friends from Delhi's Mount Carmel School, turned their science exhibition project into an amazing invention - a shoe that also works as a portable charger for mobile devices. They call it the "Walkie Mobi Charger" which generates 6 Volts of electricity as opposed to the 5 Volts that most chargers generate. If this gets mass-produced, there will be lot of healthy people around. Way to go, boys!

SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 6

12. Shalini Kumari - "You're welcome, old folks."

Shalini Kumari, from Bihar, saw her grandpa not being able to visit his favourite spot, the terrace garden, because he was using a walker. This motivated Shalini to design an amazing new variation of the commonly available walker that also works when you need to use it to climb up and down flights of stairs. These new walkers will soon be made available for sale in the market.

13. Satyam Kumar - Youngest ever to crack IIT entrance

Satyam, the son of a farmer from Bihar cracked the IIT entrance exam by getting AIR 679. This was his second attempt. Dedication level - Boy genius. Even Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is a fan.

14. Moin M. Junnedi - The 'Boy Wonder'

Moin has suffered more fractures in his life than he has bones in his body due to osteogenesis impertecta, a disease that makes bones so brittle that coughing can fracture them. But this didn't stop 16-year old Moin from winning the 50m backstroke gold medal at IWAS (International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports) World Games in Puerto Rico last year. He also holds the record for being the youngest Indian swimmer with a locomotive disability, earning him the nickname 'Boy Wonder'.

Source - ScoopWoop

15. Akrit Jaswal, performed his first surgery at the age of 7

Akrit performed his first surgery at the age of 7. He entered in the medical college at the age of 12. Also appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey

Show” and is working on a cure for cancer.

Source: Storypick

SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 7

Puzzles By Editorial team

This section provides kids wide variety of puzzles to trigger their minds and inculcate critical thinking abilities. Please take a print out and let your kid enjoy the puzzles.

Find your path

This puzzles helps you find your path with twists and turns and curves throughout the grid.

Fun Math’s

Fill in the missing numbers by doing the calculation

Copy the Dog

Recreate the dog and color it bright and cool

Find the different one

Point out the one which different from the rest

Find hidden words

Look out for words in horizontal, vertical and diagonal direction

OWL, FROG, HIPPO, FLY

Join the dots

Discover the hidden art

Fill in the blanks

Choose the correct option from below

1. I _____ my white shoes. ( Love , Look)

2. I love ______ red shoes. ( me , my)

3. ______ love my blue shoes. ( It , I)

4. Did ____ cry? ( He , Have) 5. It’s all ______ ! ( Go , Good) 6. Here ______ my mom. (

Comes , come) 7. Did ___ know that? ( He ,

Him) 8. ____ like it. ( I , He) 9. She ____ chocolates. ( Like

, likes) 10. I like _____ in the sun (play ,

playing)

SHAPING KIDS NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 8

Q: Why did the computer go to the doctor?

A: Because it had a virus! Q: Why are frogs so happy? A: They eat whatever bugs them Q: What did the triangle say to the circle? A: You’re pointless! Q: Why was the math book sad? A: Because it had too many problems.

Q: Which is the longest word in the dictionary? A: "Smiles", because there is a mile between each "s"! Q: What do you call a sleeping bull? A: A bulldozer! Q: What do you call a belt with a watch on it? A: A waist of time

Q: What bow can't be tied? A: A rainbow! Q: What is the tallest building in the world? A: The library! It has the most stories! Q: Why did the banana go to the Doctor? A: Because it was not peeling well Source: Jokes4us

Shaping Kids

Newsletter

Thank you for reading though this edition. We will publish our next edition in the coming month. We ensure to get the best articles to you and your kid.

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Jokes By Editorial team