SLC S21W1/ Discovering and Fostering Talent in Children

Hi friends, it pleases me to participate in this amazing contest; I'm a mother of 3 amazing kids who love learning and creativity. Their ages range from 7, 5, and 2. I love playing with them, telling them stories, and praising them when they did well to boost their self-confidence. One of their best subjects in school is mental mathematics. To help them discover their talent in mathematics, I registered them in an Abacus class from age 3, and they're prodigies! Yes, they've received so many stars ⭐ awards!

My kids are very bold, they have had to perform in front of many people since they were 4 years old, and they can read fluently. I've implored various techniques and strategies to instill self-confidence in my kids and help them overcome stage fright.

The first thing I did was to create a safe and supportive environment for them. I used to encourage open communication, telling them to express themselves and tell me how they feel and their fears without being judgmental. I recall when they had their first Bible reading, though they were excited about it, they were pretty scared that they wouldn't be able to stand in front of hundreds of people to read. I told them that they could be bold! And I asked them to pray to the Almighty God to help them be bold and courageous and yes they did it!

Other things I've done were praising and celebrating their little achievement; they love it when I give them a high 10, haha, so they normally make an effort to earn it. I used to praise effort rather than outcome as this fosters a growth mindset; most importantly, I used to rehearse with them, as this will help them to be familiar with the material, thus reducing anxiety and fear.

Sometimes, when they are tense, I normally tell them to relax by breathing in and out 10 times; I tell you, this normally works magic! They know it now. Anytime they are anxious, they will practice breathing. And I've taught them visualizing techniques, to always imagine successful performances, and this has really boosted their confidence. Also, I began with small group performances and increased audience size over time to normalize the experience of being in front of others.

I usually engage them in games and activities like drama; you know, teamwork like this reduces pressure and allows them to focus on the fun part rather than perfection. I don't expect too much from them, Though they don't like making mistakes, especially my second son. But I made them understand that mistakes are part of learning opportunities and not failure.

Finally, I used to speak positively about them and tell them to do the same about themselves, to believe in themselves that they can do it! With all these, my kids are confident and bold; they used to perform well on stage and talk boldly and respectfully with others.

Well, the video said it all, they were so happy! When I told them that I gonna post them on Steemit today they had to perform certain activities for me to video there were everly ready. So I first drafted out some abacus questions for them to solve; yes, I wanted to put them in the mood, but I'll tell you they finished in less than 3 minutes.

When they finished solving, I drafted my own question; you know, I've seen how they normally do it during their competition; I rehearsed twice with them, and we reacted to it!

They are very good at numbers, my maths wizards! In Ella's voice, Hahaha🤣 yes, they were very comfortable participating; even my little princess was eager to write and was mimicking them.

You know, developing mental math skills is very beneficial for them; it improves their concentration and interest in math. It improves their self-confidence, problem-solving skills memories, and their overall cognitive function. It contributes to their success academically and I believe that this has laid a good mathematical foundation for them.

Sincerely, I didn't experience any stage fright; maybe it's because I've been performing all my life, so it was nothing for me. I really enjoyed it, and it's normal.

The funniest movement was when my second was still solving his question, so he was reading out loud move in 6, +1 +2, and - 7 = 2. Ella, my new phone AI assistant, responded, you're a math prodigy! You're such a smart kid; that was the correct answer to the question. Everyone was laughing out loud! Oh my goodness, Ella is something else; my kids won't allow it to rest; they've asked it all the possible questions in this world, and I have to mute it to save my phone battery, haha😂.

Another funny moment was when my daughter brought her books and told me to ask her questions. We all laughed, it was fun all through, though. This is my entry for today. Thanks for the course; I enjoyed it, and I beg to leave here.