Leading Lights Blog

  THE WORLD OF PIXELS Screen Time and Children: A Practical Guide to Digital Media, Reading and Play Screen Time and Children: A Practical Guide to Digital Media, Reading and Play By Dr. Surabh Mukherjee Educational perspective from Leading Lights About this article: This article discusses children's digital media use from an educational and parenting perspective. It draws on published research and practical observations from education. It is intended for general educational information and is not medical or psychological advice. Digital devices have become a normal part of childhood. Children use smartphones, tablets and computers for entertainment, communication, schoolwork and creative activities. The important question for parents is therefore not whether children should use technology at all. The more useful question is how digital media fits into the child's overall routine. A healt...

How to Create a Peaceful and Effective Study Routine at Home How to Create a Peaceful and Effective Study Routine at Home By Dr. Surabh Mukherjee Educational perspective from Leading Lights About this article: This guide provides practical educational strategies for parents who want to create a structured, supportive and sustainable study routine at home. For many families, homework and evening study can become a source of tension. Parents want their children to complete their work, while children may feel tired, distracted or reluctant to begin. A productive study routine does not need to involve constant supervision or long hours at a desk. Children can develop better habits when the environment is organised, expectations are clear and they gradually learn to take responsibility for their own work. The aim is not to create a perfect schedule. The aim is to create a routine that a child can understand, ...

Beyond Screens: Why Coding is the New Essential Skill for Modern Students Beyond Screens: Why Coding is the New Essential Skill for Modern Students By Dr. Surabh Mukherjee Educational perspective from Leading Lights About this article: This article explores how coding education can introduce students to computational thinking, problem-solving, creativity, digital literacy and structured approaches to learning. Children are growing up surrounded by digital technology. They use smartphones, computers, tablets, games and online platforms for learning, communication and entertainment. But using technology and understanding how technology works are two different skills. A child may know how to open an application, search for information or play a digital game without understanding what happens behind the screen. Coding introduces students to another side of technology. Instead of only consuming digital content, the...

The Abacus in the Digital Age: Why Beads Beat Screens for Brain Development The Abacus in the Digital Age: Why Beads Beat Screens for Brain Development By Dr. Surabh Mukherjee Educational perspective from Leading Lights About this article: This article explains how abacus learning can give children hands-on practice with numbers, mental calculation, visualization, concentration and mathematical thinking. Children today have access to calculators, smartphones, tablets and educational applications that can provide answers almost instantly. These tools are useful, but they can also mean that children have fewer opportunities to work through calculations manually. The abacus offers a different approach. It gives children a physical way to represent numbers and perform calculations. Instead of simply seeing a number on a screen, students move beads, observe quantities and follow a sequence of mathematical ste...