1. Digital Learning Resources: With technology playing a major role in supporting the student’s education during this pandemic, there are several other platforms that have been actively working to promote quality education. The educators, with the help of such applications and platforms, can enhance students’ compromised skills and boost their knowledge. This will, in turn, prove beneficial for them as their interest will witness an upsurge followed by active participation. That’s how the schools can ensure that their students are getting delivered quality education. The Top 10 schools in Sonipat are making the most of these applications as well as digital learning resources
2. Structured Learning Process: In order to accelerate effective learning, a structured learning process does wonders. Educators must work on preparing a routine and structured learning process wherein engaging students actively must remain the key agenda. Such an approach will welcome participation followed by growth of interest and motivation. As a part of routine, repetitive or revision sessions must be included in the curriculum which will help students come up with their doubts and that they will not miss the key to the chapters. A structured learning process works affectively in online education 
3. Learning Recovery Programs: One of the finest ways to recover learning loss is by initiating a collaboration with several learning recovery programs available over the Internet. Such programs prove highly beneficial for students who have been trying to cope with the learning loss. The educators or school committees can proceed with a joint collaboration and initiate special recovery programs for a set of students. Also, these can be done occasionally scheduled post their regular sessions. These will benefit the students to a great extent and ensure that their productivity does not get lost in a long run 
4. Skills Development Sessions: Learning loss not only affects academics but also lay a major impact on skills. For instance, there are several students whose communication skills get impacted by the same. Educators delivering skills development sessions can benefit their students by working effectively on their development. Such sessions will not only boost their confidence but also make their foundation skills stronger than ever. Likewise, parents can work together with the tutors too. Practicing skills development at home in some way or the other will let a student keep a track of essentials. The Top CBSE schools in Sonipat frequently deliver skills development programs as a part of the curriculum 
5. Individual Open Sessions: Any loss can be healed with a conversation. Conducting regular open conversations with students will help them cope with their learning loss. Educators can also focus on individual students, specifically the ones who have been struggling hard with matching up with the course. Here, not only educators, but parents can do the process that in turn will make their ward relieved from the loss. Keeping track is essential followed by regular conversations with a child. This is an excellent opportunity for students to talk about their fears and anxieties that have been affecting their performance 

With Covid affecting students’ education to a great extent, learning loss has been significantly witnessed. It is one of the major issues that need to be addressed with utmost priority. Children have been losing their skills and motivation during online sessions quite often now – The prime aspect relating is shutting down of their schools. 

Swarnaprastha Public School works with utmost dedication to ensure that their students are being administered on regular basis. Varied approaches are being implemented to boost students’ participation so that they do not lose their confidence in the new normal. That’s what makes Swarnaprastha a part of the best schools in Sonipat. 

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1. Design Complex Activities: Complexity is the key to attracting attentiveness from students. When students are provided with easy assessments, they tend to solve those with minimum consultation. However, when it comes to the complex ones, collaboration becomes a must between an educator and student. Design activities that involve both tutors and students to work together as a team. Such can be done by initiating activities like research, case studies, discussions, etc. Student-centric collaboration can only be done by the way of these complex projects. The best boarding schools in Sonipat promote student collaborative learning more than those doing individual studies with minimum participation. 
2. Small Groups for Maximum Participation: Teamwork or Group work does wonder when it comes to solving theories, or undergoing assessments. In order to ensure maximum participation, it is essential for educators to make sure of the fact that their groups have been kept tiny. A huge number of students in a single group result in conflicts and less participation from students. But, when it comes to a group of 4-5 students, participation becomes mandatory. That’s where the tutors also begin to take note of every activity. Some tasks can be a quiz, case studies, group discussions, etc. Hence, collaborative learning can be successfully commenced with smaller groups. 
3. Sharing Resources: One of the best strategies to initiate a collaboration is teaching the art of sharing to students. Educators, if deliver activities involving students sharing the commodities followed with interest will boost student-centric learning. Also, these will embrace their interpersonal skills. Tutors can undertake hand on activities by dividing students into different groups. In order to initiate sharing process, the students could be offered limited resources. That’s when the group will learn how to effectively make use of the team and showcase considerable results. 
4. Be a Coach: Sounds strange right? But that’s the way to effective student-centric collaborative learning. Instead of being a tutor to the students, try to become their coach instead. For instance, get involved with students, talk to them, generate open conversations, teach them skills, practice with them, and so on. That’s when a student will become comfortable and grasp most of the knowledge at a faster pace. Such an approach will prove extremely beneficial for the long run and collaborative learning in the form of a team will initiate quality education. The top 10 day-boarding schools in Sonipat practice these approaches practically to ensure their collaborative learning is being successfully initiated. 
5. Designate Roles: In order to boost the confidence and make a student learn the responsibility, an educator must designate roles within team members. For instance, a team of students must comprise a monitor, an assessor, a timekeeper, a meeting leader, an attendance recorder, etc. Such roles accelerate an exclusive level of confidence which results in better participation. That’s when they do not lose their interest. It keeps the team engaged in the long run. Also, the students understand the relevance of their roles too. Educators must implement the concerned strategy to ensure collaboration amongst students.

With the students coming from diverse backgrounds, the student Centered collaborative learning is becoming a major focus in every growing institution. The approach is being implemented to ensure a productive education. This collective learning is proving beneficial to students in several ways like increased confidence, improved communication skills, teamwork, etc. on the other hand, it has been measured that collaborative learning is also proving beneficial in the development of interpersonal skills. 

Swarnprastha Public School, one of the best CBSE Boarding schools in Sonipat, focus in providing student centric collaborative learning and lay a keen focus on delivering the quality education by the exceptional educators. They implement the best strategies for the same and that’s what reflects in their students. The skills provided by the school’s methodology help students in learning essential skills and succeed in their endeavours.

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Ques. 1: How do I prepare for my Graduation? Owning clarity on choosing a specific career option is a blessing. A school counsellor provides a wider understanding of the prime techniques and ensures to deliver the essentials required to prepare for graduation. Likewise, the counsellor monitors your performance by engaging in frequent consultations. That’s what marks away from the attainment of the goal.

Ques. 2: What competitions do I need to opt for? Standardized tests are one of the essential aspects of getting into the desired college or university. A counsellor will guide you to undertake the necessary tests or competitive examinations post analyzing your desire for college. The counsellors are well aware of the tests and how well they work in accordance with your preferred course. The top boarding schools in Sonipat make sure they have the best counsellors available to make the students grab the best of the opportunities.

Ques. 3: What is the right time to start applying to college? At times, the colleges start their admission process prior to the announcement of results. That’s what a student needs to be aware of. A counsellor ensures that the students are aware of the ongoing processes of universities and colleges. Asking them the right time to apply not only proves beneficial for the students but also, the counsellor to get ample time to concentrate on preparing the student accordingly.

Ques. 4: Where do I find scholarship opportunities? Post relieving from school, some students desire to apply for scholarships. However, getting detailed information from the internet is never enough. The counsellors are best to go for when looking for scholarship opportunities. They guide you with the top scholarship opportunities matching your subject and other requirements.

Ques. 5: What are the deadlines for college applications? Missing out on the application deadline is the biggest nightmare of an applicant. The counsellor ensures its student is not missing out on any application he might be interested in. Asking out deadlines and not missing them is the most a student must ask their counsellors. The CBSE schools in Sonipat keep their students updated with the application deadlines.

Ques. 6: How do I fill out my application form: Filling out an application form requires crucial details that one cannot afford to miss out on or make mistakes on. Your counsellor will be the person to go for wherein; they guide you to fill out even the tiniest details with perfection. Also, with their industry experience, your answers will possess the capability to stand out amongst the application.

Ques. 7: How do I manage the balance between studies and competitive preparations? School studies and preparation for competitive examinations become a hard amalgamation wherein balancing the duo becomes challenging. A counsellor showcases various techniques for students to ensure that their studies are not being affected whilst their preparation for competitive examination is going on. Managing both at the same time gets better with productive counselling.

Ques. 8: Do universities provide Financial Aid? Some students aspire to enhance their career by getting admission into the top colleges but, their pocket makes it harder to commence further. That’s where the counsellor plays a vital role. Your counsellor is well aware of the universities providing financial aid and how the process takes further. Ask your counsellor about financial aids as they hold an understanding of what colleges or universities offer concessions, discounts, sponsorship, and so on for the specific set of students.

A school’s career counsellor is a major personality who not only plays a role in shaping your future but also, guides you by implementing his top skills and resources. However, there are times when students get confused about the questions they need to put in front of their counsellors. 

Both schools, as well as students, now understand the relevance of a career counsellor. Swarnprastha Public School, one of the best schools in Sonipat, primarily focuses on exclusive career counselling wherein their students are provided with the best of the opportunities right before they step out of their school.         

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Here are the different types of project-based learning methods that the best boarding schools often employ. No one type alone is sufficient to include PBL in the curriculum in its true sense. Modern-day schools have to mix and match and find the best fit depending on the need of the class and the subject at hand.

Academic-oriented PBL

This type existed even before project-based learning became famous for its obvious benefits. In academic-oriented PBL, students are generally asked to research a related but offbeat topic as compared to their syllabus and come up with a detailed report of the same. The research leads to diverse learning from sources that are not textbooks. Academic PBL can help to brush up basic concepts in a fun way and enable students to find a better grip on their subject content.

Activity-based PBL

The most common type of PBL is in use in the best boarding CBSE schools in Sonepat. Every time a teacher asks his/her students to build a model of the solar system or a replica of the Hubble’s Space Telescope, the motive is to teach the underlying working or the involved concepts through the activity. The model of the solar system can show students how the sun’s gravitational force keeps the planetary system in place. The replica of the telescope can teach students about advanced optics. Activity-based PBL is kinesthetic and the students learn by doing.

Challenge-based PBL

Using everything that the students have learned to date, they are now to tackle a challenge and propose possible solutions as part of a project. That is what challenge-based PBL is all about. The topic can be anything under the sun but it has to be a challenge that the world is still trying to solve. The students can devise a plan to make nuclear power plants safer. They can research possible sites to install solar panels. From global warming to saving the environment, students can learn so much about so many topics with challenge-based PBL.

Inquiry-based PBL

The most effective way to spark curiosity around a certain subject and ensue a detailed learning methodology is by engaging the students in inquiry-based PBL. As evident, it combines the benefits of inquiry-based learning and project-based learning. Boarding school teachers can ask students any question – starting from why humanity is this much dependent on coal to what are the ethical implications of gene-editing technology. And the students are to research and come up with convincing answers without any loopholes.

Place-based PBL

This type is more about working with the community or finding out more about a specific location than actually finishing a project. School excursions are when place-based PBL can take place. Students can research a historical site that they are visiting or work with the local authorities to keep the city’s streets clean. Place-based PBL involves students in their society, makes them aware of the community’s ongoing problems, and teaches lessons that are about the real world.

Student-based PBL

Ultimately, the best school in Sonepat realizes that personalization is the need of the hour in education. And that is where student-based PBL comes in. Here, the student has the freedom, at times, to choose the type of PBL he/she wishes to learn through. The student may also have to choose the topic, the research materials, the end goal, and the assistance necessary. Student-based PBL makes learning more about the student by flipping the classroom and matching the pace in which he/she wishes to learn the involved topic.

PBL is indeed an effective learning tool that emphasizes the process of learning more rather than the end result. And Swarnprastha Public School integrates all the above-stated types of project-based learning in its curriculum because of their proven benefits. Using smart technology, SPS enables its students to seek out different projects and learn their subjects through curiosity, research, activity, and collaboration. The experienced faculty uses the latest PBL techniques to teach students. The resources available at the school are unmatched in Sonepat. In SPS, students learn and retain their subjects along with forming skills that help to complete education.

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The best boarding schools in Sonepat, however, prioritize content and thought to their deserved levels. At a time when we are collectively acknowledging the importance of soft skills, the best schools do not de-emphasize content because both have their own place in our evolving educational requirements.

Content, memory, retention – these are necessary

We cannot deny that learning multiplication tables help with long divisions. Neither can we deny that some concepts of algebra have to be taught as is. Content-oriented teaching helps to form the base upon which thought can develop. A student oblivious of the background concepts will imagine instead of thinking when asked a question. He/she might come up with irrelevant answers as the foundation is still weak. We, thus, have to teach content first and then ask students to think based on the content already taught.

Additionally, teaching through thought only is time-consuming. If we ask students to figure out every concept by thinking or group brainstorming, no school can cover their curriculum in a single academic year. In contrast, teaching content through direct lectures is quicker as students get help forming associations.

Thought-oriented teaching develop soft skills

The best school in Sonipat will also recognize that fast teaching is never on the agenda. Students need to understand the subject matter rather than memorize to develop real skills around the topic. When asked to correlate themselves, students form critical thinking and problem-solving skills along with fluid intelligence and high curiosity levels. The need-to-know factor comes in education that naturally promotes better knowledge retention.

Thought-based teaching also makes space for increased collaboration and unique ideas. Numerous studies have shown that young students learn better in peer groups when compared directly to one-directional classrooms by helping each other to achieve excellence and raising the educational benchmark. Content teaching limits the group’s brainstorming capabilities. But when allowed to think, collaborative learning can deliver excellent results.

How do the top boarding schools balance both?

The direct lecture method is still the best way to teach content. Smart technologies inside classrooms enable visualization of content that assists students to form a better understanding of the underlying content. Let’s go back to our multiplication table example again. Teachers in the top 10 schools in Sonipat now do not merely ask their students to learn. Using smart boards, they also show how multiplication actually works and how knowing the tables by heart can actually help the students in the long run.

Thought-based teaching majorly radiates from the assignments set. If the classroom was all about teaching content, then the assignment is thought-provoking that compels the students to go beyond their textbooks to come up with answers. Home assignments also have the scope of collaborative learning, given the current age of EdTech and easy accessibility to the internet.

Projects are another way to teach both contents and thought simultaneously. The associated research, almost always, begins with a revision of the underlying content upon which the students’ ideas are built. Project-based learning is thus becoming an important tool of modern-day schools to teach lessons like never before. Inquiry-based learning also has a place. After all, curiosity is the best driver of knowledge.

Both content and thought are important

And we cannot merely prioritize one over the other. It all boils down to the school’s goals for a particular academic year and what the lesson is trying to achieve. Among younger students, teaching content is more important as they have just begun their education. At middle school and secondary levels, students need a more thought-oriented approach as they are about to enter a world that will prioritize skills over subject knowledge.

The right balance between content and thought – is what Swarnprastha Public School tries to achieve. As a boarding school, SPS students spend more time in the school environment that conveniently accommodates both content and thought-oriented teaching. Both in the classrooms and through assignments, students learn content first and thought next to critically think about their subjects, analyze the information received, and develop a knowledge base infused with the required soft skills. SPS knows how to embrace the benefits of the conventional and yet acknowledge the contemporary.

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Apart from academic scores and competitive exam results, these universities look for certain qualities among their incoming students. And you need to work on these rather than single-mindedly sprint towards scoring high scores. Most of your global competition will have high grades. It is the following qualities that can set you apart.

1. Passion for the subject you choose

Studying in one of the top 5 schools in Sonipat helps with this quality. To understand if you are truly passionate about a stream, you need to explore multiple subjects first and then exactly comprehend what the niche you pick is actually like. Over time, you need to build expertise in the subject you choose and work on innovative projects to show your passion. The top universities test passion and can easily differentiate the true lovers from the fake ones. You need to take advantage of your school’s career counseling department and find your passion as soon as possible.

1. Your communication skills

The international universities assume that you will have a language barrier to cross because you are a foreign student in a foreign university. They do not expect you to have exceptional English skills but your communication should be impeccable. The top universities generally test your expression and comprehension abilities. I asked a unique and out-of-the-box question, can you form ideas, recall past incidents, and put them into words that the other person can understand? Communication is important in foreign universities because you will meet students from around the globe. And you need to gel with all to thrive in the environment.

1. Your relationship with failure and adversity

In other words, they want students who can persevere and rise above setbacks. And the top CBSE schools in Sonepat already infuse these skills among their students, thus, keeping them a step ahead in international university applications. The curriculum of Oxford or Harvard is designed to test their students. Many have to see failure first to bring out their true potential and thrive in the academic ambiance. Hence, the admission experts do not only look for the brightest minds in the world. They search for students who can stick to the path despite the involved adversity and bring home success rather than waiting for it.

1. Your personal and professional goals

In the questionnaire that they send out as part of their application forms, most international universities ask their applicants what they expect to get out of their college education. And this is where many students falter because not many are sure what they wish to do during their stay in the college or after passing out. “Working for the top company” or “becoming successful” are vague answers. The universities expect you to write down an action plan during the 4 years at college and the following 5 years after. They test if you are organized, know what you are doing, and can plan ahead, given your ambitions.

1. The skill diversity that you will bring to the University

The top international universities are also upfront about what they wish to get from their incoming students and skill diversity is right up at the top of their list. They wish to admit leaders and team players. They want entrepreneurs and able managers. They look for specific cultural lessons, unique exposures, diverse expertise in multiple hobbies, and community awareness on pressing social issues. Your resume need not be long but it must have diversity. You cannot just be good at one thing but should add value by becoming a part of the prestigious college. If you aspire to study in one, awaken your exploring side and try various activities.

Swarnprastha Public School students are best equipped to apply for the top international universities and crack the admission procedures. Being one of the best boarding schools in Sonepat, SPS students are already independent, collaborative, academically ahead, and skilled. SPS also provides early career counseling to its students to pinpoint their professional path and offers a range of extra-curricular activities to build diverse skills. Schools, after all, are precursors to colleges and universities. A student needs to get the best schooling to become eligible for a top international university.

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The top 5 boarding schools in Sonipat, thus, focus heavily on reading comprehension from the early stages. They enable students to read for deeper comprehension and understand not only the meaning of the lines but comprehend the theme, plot, characters, setting and more. The schools generally achieve such a result by employing the following tactics.

1. Tackling underlying oral comprehension weaknesses

The study which found that excellent readers can comprehend poorly connected the reason for it to weak oral comprehension skills. A student may identify a series of words written together but when he/she hears it, the meaning of the sentence feels lost. Hence, the first step to enable reading for deeper comprehension is to identify if the student’s oral comprehension is in good shape. If not, we have to go back to the basics where teaching vocabulary along with reading and writing skills become necessities. While reading, a student will hear himself/herself. Oral comprehension naturally plays a vital role.

2. Teaching comprehension directly

Talking about basics, it does not get any better to teach reading comprehension directly to students to build the skills in primary or middle school students. The step is pretty straightforward where the teacher reads a passage aloud and explains the meaning directly. Struggling students will pick up the skill faster this way and may replicate the teaching methods soon in their own reading exercises. The complexity of the passage has to vary depending on the student’s current reading levels and he/she might need a personalised approach to build mastery.

3. Visualising the text in front

The best school in Sonipat rarely gives up the visualisation strategy following the preschool stages. Just like nursery students learn the meaning of the word “elephant” by seeing a picture of the animal, older students can rely upon technology to visualise how Switzerland looks like before reading a passage about the country or use the picture of Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March to understand the event’s description. Visualisation aids comprehension and media can come in handy at all stages to help students develop deep comprehension of what they are reading. Smartboards and projectors have made the exercise easy today.

4. Clarifying the lesson’s goal

What will you learn by reading this passage and chapter? Then, going back to evaluate if the reading goals have been met after the student has read the passage. Goal-setting before teaching or engaging in reading exercises creates a motive for the class. The student starts reading the passage after knowing what to expect. The mind automatically begins searching for answers while reading. It thinks after reading every line and throws back questions that need clarification. As the teacher intervenes to explain meanings, the student can pick up the text’s plot efficiently. In a way, the initial goals spark curiosity which helps to learn.

5. Teaching reading comprehension reciprocally

Reciprocal teaching, a strategy employed by the top schools in Sonipat, can be applied to reading comprehension as well. Students take up the role of teaching themselves where the teacher merely acts as the supervisor. One student reads a passage aloud, another summarises the meaning. Another student asks the questions around the passage while another clarifies the doubts. For the second round, the roles switch among these students and each student now has a different responsibility in reading. Peer-to-peer learning is effective for retention. When applied to reading, deep comprehension levels can be achieved as a group.

Swarnprastha Public School has always taught reading skills to its students for deep comprehension. And these are the few strategies that SPS applies almost daily. The result is visible in the school’s overall board exam performance where the average marks secured are quite high. SPS builds the right educational foundation among its students from the nursery levels and they become self-learners by the time they reach the higher secondary grades. Reading is vital for learning and Swarnprastha teachers pay keen attention to this skill. Without deep comprehension, reading has no meaning.

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The top schools in Sonipat have the following 7 aspects in their classrooms. These help to maintain a highly effective learning atmosphere and students naturally learn what they are supposed to in schools. Every aspect shows the students’ learning depth and the outcome is a complete school education in every sense.

1. Students ask meaningful questions

In a classroom where students are learning effectively, curiosity will reign the atmosphere. And the students will never have unrelated random questions, they will ask intellectual ones related to the subject at hand. Learning leads to questions and questions lead to more learning. An indifferent student is rarely motivated to learn anything, let alone the complexities of STEM and history. If questions prelude every lesson, be sure that the students are willingly coming to class to learn.

2. The questions come from everywhere

A student can read the chapter to be taught beforehand and bring questions to the classroom from the textbook. Or, he/she can observe the world around, along with reading the chapter and raise questions from a variety of observations. The first method tends to make learning one-directional, textbook-oriented. But the second method makes learning divergent, application-oriented. Effective classrooms encourage the second type of curiosity. The best school in Sonepat will always motivate students to think beyond their syllabus.

3. A wide range of learning models are employed

Not only direct-lecture and smart technology, but an effective classroom will employ a variety of learning methods to teach students almost all subjects. These include the flip classroom model, peer-to-peer learning, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and so on. No school can just stick to one method because it feels that the model tends to work the best. No one method is accommodative enough. Plus, variety in learning methods also eliminates monotony and keeps the students engaged.

4. A variety of assessment methods

With assessments as well, the focus does not simply lie on grades in effective classrooms. Teachers assess everything to understand that if students are learning the intended lessons and design the future pedagogies based on the feedback. Top scorers receive the same kind of appreciation as the top participators. Assessments include everything, starting from subject knowledge to creativity to interest levels to grasp of context. Learning is effective only when assessment is proper.

5. Room for introspection

Assessments do not only serve as feedback mechanisms for the teachers. They are feedback for the students as well. And once students identify their mistakes, shortcomings, they need time, space and guidance to ponder on those mistakes before working on rectification. Effective classrooms do not leave their students in confusion about a poor grade. The teacher works with the students individually, figures out ways how things can be improved, and keeps track to show the students that progress has indeed happened.

6. Personalised learning

Curiosity, lessons, assessments and introspection – all boil down ultimately to personalised learning. And the best CBSE school in Sonipat will have the model to extend personalised care to both performing and struggling students. An effective learning environment takes care of the learning needs of every student. A performer gets more exposure while the struggling student gets special help. Personalised learning propels students to academic greatness and raises the benchmark of classroom education.

7. The right definition of success

This is where an effective classroom defines how much importance should students, parents and teachers give on marks or grades. How much focus does skill development deserve and what does true educational success mean? Curiosity will not mushroom if students are just focused on marks. Similarly, subject knowledge will suffer if students only focus on extra-curricular activities. An effective classroom defines success, keeps reminding the definition and checks in regularly to measure progress.

Swarnprastha Public School’s classrooms have all the above 7 aspects. The school strives to maintain an intellectually active ambiance on the campus that is both effective and result-centric. SPS students learn through curiosity and motivation. Teachers teach through modern learning approaches and balance academics and skills. Over the years, Swarnprastha has always remained a step ahead when it comes to effective learning and the proof is visible in the school’s consistent boards and alumni performances in the real world.

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One of the most effective ways to develop critical thinking among school students is to continuously ask them the following 5 types of questions. These need to exist in every subject taught in the classroom, every project assigned and every co-curricular activity offered so that the students develop the habit of inquiring and pondering upon the same even when the moment has passed.

1. Factual or knowledge-based questions

The foundation of developing critical thinking as a skill is to get the facts right. While exploring the unknown, facts present the starting point from where the hunt can start. Thus, questions like “what are the three Newton’s Laws” or “who were the six great emperors of the Mughal period” are necessary to explore how a rocket launches into space or whose rule was better and why. Students need to memorize the basics. Factual questions can help the process. Once the foundation is strong, teachers can build on that.

2. Didactic or structured questions

The top CBSE schools in Sonepat separate didactic from factual questions as the latter can be random but the former has to be structured, although both depend a lot on the student’s memory and capacity to recall. Consider the following series of questions:

• What are the three of Newton’s Laws of Motion?
• Why do we feel a jolt every time a car or bus applies the brakes?
• What is Inertia of rest and motion?

The above three questions are related. The answer of the first paves the way for the second and accordingly the third. Didactic questions give knowledge structure and further solidify critical thinking.

3. Evaluative or opinion-oriented questions

The author said in his book that Akbar was the greatest among all the Mughal rulers. Do you agree with this statement? Such questions provoke students to present their personal opinions. They also teach not to accept everything at face value and question the intention behind the same. As evident, this skill forms the core of critical thinking where a student sees a statement, researches further on the same, and develops an informed opinion that is fed from multiple sources. Evaluative questions force students to think. Answers rarely come from one’s memory or a single textbook.

4. Interpretive questions

Take the same preceding statement to the question of point 3 but instead of asking for a student’s personal opinion, frame the question as – Why do you think the author made such a statement? What was the provocation? By asking the students to interpret the motive of the other side, critical thinking spills over the boundaries of one-sided opinions. Evaluation and interpretation together can better answer the question of Akbar being a great ruler. Without interpretive questions, students cannot become unbiased judges where on top of one’s personal opinion, the situation of the other person who made the statement matters.

5. Analytical or inquiry-based questions

Lastly, analytical questions should mark the perfect ending to critical thinking. Or, at least, directing the students to think critically and ask further questions that have not been asked by anyone else. Is there a place in the universe where Newton’s Laws are not followed? Akbar might be a great ruler but was not Ashoka better who actually wanted to end violence and sought peace? At this stage of critical thinking, the students will have the facts. Their knowledge is structured, evaluated, and interpreted. The idea is to probe further, open the gates of innovation and imagination and critically analyze more topics that are related to the main theme.

The reputed Boarding schools in Sonipat work on critical thinking along these lines. The questions change as per the subject, the pattern varies based on the pedagogy. But the types remain constant where one flows after the other and takes the shape of a pyramid with critical thinking right at the top. Swarnprastha Public School’s approach is exactly this. The boarding school has always prioritized critical thinking in its classrooms as the skill is vital to developing other associated habits. Through closely stitched questions, SPS teachers provoke students to ask more meaningful questions and find out answers through research, collaboration, exploration, and communication. Critical thinking is essential and asking questions is the way to develop it.

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What are soft skills?

Soft skills are basically the characteristic traits which form the personality of an Individual. The soft skills allow individuals to use their knowledge and technical skills in the best possible way. During the academic life, soft skills help a child perform better in academic and extracurricular activities. Moreover, the enhancement that their personality undergoes also helps them in their career later on in life. A person with well-developed soft skills is likely to find employment more easily and be more productive at a job. A good boarding school can help children develop various soft skills such as:

• Decision making: In order to succeed in life, one certainly needs to be a good decision maker. The ability to make the right decision at the right place and time can help an individual in various ways from their career to personal life. When children grow up under the shadow of their parents, decision making skills do not always develop well as the parents make most of the decisions. However, when children grow up in a boarding school, they have to make most of his/her everyday decisions. When they face any difficulties, they approach the mentors, who help them make the right choice and explain the reasoning behind it.
• Communication: From education to employment, communication is necessary in every field. A person who lacks communication skills wouldn’t be able to express himself/herself to others. This can pose serious problems in one’s personal life or job. In a boarding school, children have to communicate with their teachers and peers on a regular basis. The mentors help them develop better oratorical and writing skills for effective communication. The children get to learn how to approach a person in the right way and convey a message, which remains a valuable skill for a lifelong period of time.
• Teamwork: Ever since childhood, children are taught about teamwork by their parents. However, nothing beats practical experience when it comes to learning. In a boarding school, the mentors teach the children the significance of values like teamwork, cooperation and compromise. The students are able to practically use these skills while working with their peers and friends in various day-to-day activities, sports and projects. The best school in Sonepat with boarding facilities would therefore offer sports amenities to help the students learn teamwork better.
• Mutual respect: Studying in a boarding school teaches students about mutual respect. They learn to respect other individuals from various ethnicities, and become much more open minded. The mentors facilitate this process by helping the children understand the concept of equality. This is evidently a valuable teaching as it helps the children become better people who would treat others fairly irrespective of their race.
• Extracurricular activities: As boarding schools act as a home to the children; various activities need to be arranged for them to cater to their recreational needs. Apart from amenities like playing areas, the schools make arrangements for a variety of other extra-curricular activities too, such as art, music and other performances. These boost the creativity of the students and help them flourish better. The mentors help the children choose the right activities for themselves and provide them with the necessary guidance.
• Leadership abilities: In one’s professional life, leadership skills are of considerable significance. It helps an individual progress through their career and attain success by effectively leading their teams and taking initiatives. The boarding schools present children the right opportunity to boost this skill while the mentors guide them. While living in a boarding school, the children often have to take up various initiatives for projects, sports or other activities. This helps them learn how to manage a team, take a decision for the benefit of the team and be impartial.

A reputed CBSE school in Sonipat, like Swarnprastha, would certainly hire mentors with considerable experience in this field. These mentors provide the children with the necessary assistance that their parents cannot when the children stay in a boarding school away from home. They communicate with every child and offer individual care, seeking out their strengths and weaknesses and helping them develop the necessary soft skills. 

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