We here at HoneyKids love it when people do things a little differently. And we know that many kids benefit from attending private tuition (or enrichment classes), but we’ve often wondered whether there’s a better way than simply doing more of the same lessons after school. So when we heard about the amazing results achieved by students of The Learning Lab, we got curious. And what we found firmly sits in the camp of ‘doing things a little differently’. But before we go into that, you need to know about THIS: The Learning Lab is putting on a fantabulous festival of fun to celebrate 15 successful years in Singapore. Everyone’s invited to join the carnival games and super-fun challenges during an entire weekend of free family fun. Roll up, roll up, it’s carnival time!
The Learning Lab (TLL) created a new kind of private tuition back in 2001 after recognising that simply repeating facts is drastically boring for kids, and sometimes a waste of time and money for parents. Their approach aims to make sure the kids are always stimulated and involved by bringing the lessons of the real world into the classroom. Kids might learn about math ratios by role-playing as chefs and slicing pizzas, or by looking at Manchester United’s win/loss/draw record. In Science class they might think about electricity by discussing Elon Musk and his Tesla cars, and English or Chinese comprehension could be reinforced through reading about Jack Ma’s success story rather than a stock-standard textbook passage. TLL also pitches their lessons above that of the MOE level being taught in schools, so not only do kids learn in a way that prepares them for the real world, they do it ahead of the lessons they’ll take at school, making them much more prepared and confident for the classroom.
The results of TLL’s students really tell the story: last year, 94% of TLL kids attained A and A*s for English and Chinese, and 91% achieved the same for Maths and Science. TLL students are regularly accepted into Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge, and the best schools in Singapore.
After 15 years of woo-hoo-worthy success stories we think TLL deserves a rocking party. To The Grand Carnival we go! For an entire weekend TLL wants us all to forget about study and join them for a festival of pure FUN! The whole family can work their way through a bunch of outdoor carnival games like the Ring Toss and Sharp Shooter, zip through the circuit on hover boards, or challenge friends to a Wii tournament. Kids can try out a few career ideas at the mini role-play experience booths (do you have a mini firefighter on your hands, a surgeon, or perhaps a chef?), cheer on TLL’s teachers and students in their very own live version of ‘TLL’s Got Talent’, and parents can try their luck at winning some great prizes at Citibank’s ‘Sure Win Spin the Wheel’ booth! Of course, no good carnival experience would be complete without some classic festival food so you can munch on tasty hot dogs, fresh buttery popcorn, and pretty-in-pink candy floss. Being suckers for cute stationery, you’ll find us at the merchandise stall stashing as many of the cute-as-a-button school supplies in our bags as we possibly can (limited edition, people!).
So, if you’re a past student who – like many of TLL’s current employees – fondly remembers the ‘olden days’ of classes at Balmoral Plaza in 2001, head to United Square on the first weekend in June to reminisce and catch up with old friends. Or, if you’re keen to learn more about the great work that TLL does, you’re just as welcome to pop along. If you just love a good carnival, that’s as good an excuse as any (and conveniently means the HoneyKids team makes the cut. See you there)!
The FREE party kicks off on Friday 3 June and rolls right on through until Sunday 5 June at United Square.
This post is sponsored by The Learning Lab.