Why International Women’s Day is so important for children’s learning
March 8th is International Women’s Day and it’s an important date in the calendar to recognise the impact of women across the globe.
So why is it relevant to children’s learning? Well here at Questa Kids we’ve made no secret of the fact that we want to help set the record straight when it comes to role of women in history, culture, science, well everything! And we’re not alone.
Our own research found a staggering 94 percent of UK parents want their children to learn more about the achievements of women and 85 percent believe schools should do more to teach their youngsters about the world.
As an online children’s educational site, we commissioned an independent poll of a thousand parents of primary school children ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8) and found that 81 percent buy educational content outside of the school curriculum.
A similar percentage, (83 percent) felt the culture and traditions of other countries should be taught as well as British traditions (86 percent).
Our founder Laura Curtis, is a digital learning designer who specialises in creating compelling teaching tools, advising both universities and big business.
She is joined by Dr Ruth Talbot, BA, MB, BChir, DCH, MRCPsych, an expert in child psychology and education specialist, Professor Elaine Ferneley.
“Our ambition is to help parents and guardians in curating curious minds of children through exploring different cultures, using pioneering learning techniques that marry the best in educational methods and child psychology”
“Our ambition is to help parents and guardians in curating curious minds of children through exploring different cultures, using pioneering learning techniques that marry the best in educational methods and child psychology,” says 34-year-old Laura.
“It is also unashamedly designed from a female perspective to give a true reflection of the impact of women on the world stage, so we can empower girls as we have seen the majority of parents want. They can see what it is possible to achieve and Questa Kids will also educate everyone about forgotten women and the hidden female impact on our world which is crucial for boys too.
Just a few of the Questa Kids characters
“That’s why we’re unique in the world of children’s learning and on International Women’s Day, it’s important that companies who celebrate the day do so fundamentally and it’s not just a case of ‘women’ washing their business.”
Questa Kids is primarily aimed at seven to 12-year-olds and the content has been curated to reflect the views of parents and what they want their children to learn and also how they want them to absorb education.
Our research also revealed that parents ranked history (90 percent), food (88 percent), animals (87 percent), music (73 percent) and the natural world (78 percent) as very important topics that youngsters should be taught.
They also wanted children’s play to be used as part of the learning experience, with two-thirds wanting fun facts included, as well as quizzes (42 percent), arts and crafts (40 percent).
Taking that insight on board, Questa Kids content covers gender roles as well as research, mapping, cultural and historical activities, and does not shy away from covering contentious issues with sensitive subject matter (SSM) warnings to allow children to learn more about contentious or complex issue. This enables them to guide and manage children’s involvement and so they can make sense of the complex world around them, such as war.
Said Laura: “Children can start their Questa Kids journey as seven-year-olds and continue their adventure for as long as they want, as we add more chapters and characters. It’s the perfect tool to inspire learning and give them a whole world view. They will be immersed, giving guilt-free screen time and we know from our trials it also has tremendous appeal for some children with learning difficulties as well helping to teach English. “
Zeke and Questa, waiting for an adventure
Questa Kids is Ofsted compliant and curriculum focused using a pedagogical method that combines a mixture of approaches, including the 7Cs, which emphasise both effective learning and soft skills development, while ensuring that the child’s experience remains at its heart.
Added Laura: “We also take into account best practices for digital learning, including aspects such as gamification, effective UX design and incorporating diverse learning styles. Our approach outlines a perspective rather than a fully laid out curriculum, and by combining several different theories Questa Kids becomes stronger while still flexible. Our philosophy is that if children aren’t interested in learning, it is always rendered less effective. It’s fun, brave, open-minded and tolerant, all values we want in the next generation.”
Easy to navigate, Questa Kids can be used totally online, with a 30-day free trial and is then priced at £9.99 per month on subscription or a one-off payment of £99.99, giving 12 months for the price of 10.