Counting on Fingers Really Helps Kids Improve Their Math Skills–By 40% New Study Shows (2026-02-26T11:37:00+05:30)

By Yan Krukau via Public Domain on Pexels 22-08-2025, Some teachers consider finger counting a signal that youngsters are struggling with math, while others associate its use as advanced numerical knowledge. Now, new research is the first to show that children’s performance in arithmetic can show a “huge” improvement through the teaching of a finger-counting method. Swiss and French teams explored whether finger counting can help primary-school-aged children to solve math problems. They said adults rarely use their fingers to calculate a small sum, because such behavior could be attributed to cognitive impairments or “pathological difficulties” in math. But young children under age 8 who use their fingers to solve such problems may be seen as intelligent, probably because they have already reached a level that allows them to understand that a quantity can be represented by different means. The research aimed to determine whether children who don’t count on their fingers can be trained to do so, and whether such training would result in enhanced arithmetic performance. The study, published in the journal Child Development, focused on 328 five- and six-year-old children at kindergarten, mainly living in France, and tested their abilities to solve simple addition problems. The kindergarteners were recruited through their teachers, who voluntarily took part in the experiment, which included a pre-test, training held over two weeks, a post-test closely after the training’s end, and a delayed post-test. The results showed an “important increase” in performance between pre- and post-test for the trained children who did not count on their fingers originally—from 37% to 77% of correct responses—compared to non-finger users in the control group. Whether children who use finger counting are using it as an arithmetic procedure or understand something deeper about numbers will still need to be determined with future research. “Our findings are highly valuable because, for the first time, we provide a concrete answer to the long-standing question of whether teachers should explicitly teach children to use their fingers for solving addition problems,” said study leader Dr. Catherine Thevenot. “Finger calculation training is effective for over 75% of kindergartners,” she added. “The next step is to explore how we can support the remaining 25% of children who didn’t respond as well to the intervention.” Dr. Thevenot, of the Institute of Psychology at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, says the study came about as a result of conversations with primary school teachers. “They often asked me whether they should encourage or discourage children from using their fingers to solve calculations. “Surprisingly, the existing research didn’t offer a clear answer, which left teachers understandably frustrated with my frequent response of ‘I don’t know.’ “This recurring question, coupled with the lack of concrete evidence, inspired me to investigate the issue myself. “When I first saw the results, I was amazed by the huge improvement in performance among children who didn’t initially use their fingers to solve the problems. “Before our intervention, these children were only able to solve about one-third of the addition problems during a pre-test. After training, however, they were solving over three-quarters of them. “This improvement truly exceeded my expectations,” said Dr. Thevenot. “The difference was striking, especially compared to the control groups, where gains were insignificant. “An important question now is to determine whether what we taught to children goes beyond a mere procedure to solve the problems. “In other words, we want to know whether our intervention led to a deeper conceptual understanding of numbers, specifically whether children better grasp how to manipulate the quantities represented by their fingers. “In fact, we have already started addressing this question and the initial results are very promising. However, we still need to carry out additional experiments to confirm that these improvements are indeed a direct result of our training program.” Counting on Fingers Really Helps Kids Improve Their Math Skills–By 40% New Study Shows

Back to school: what are the money lessons to teach your kids at every age? (2026-02-20T12:16:00+05:30)

Angel Zhong, RMIT University As parents prepare for another school year, there’s one subject that often gets overlooked: money. Financial literacy isn’t just about numbers. It’s about building skills that will shape your child’s future decisions, from buying their first car to planning for retirement. The good news? You don’t need to be a finance expert to teach these lessons. Start with age-appropriate concepts and build from there. Here’s what to focus on at each stage. Primary school (ages 6–12): Making money real Young children understand money better when they can see it and touch it. This is the perfect time to introduce pocket money – a regular allowance that teaches them money doesn’t appear magically. And once it’s gone, it’s gone. Start small. Five dollars a week gives a seven-year-old enough to make choices without overwhelming them. Should they buy that chocolate bar now, or save for three weeks to get the Lego set they really want? This waiting game is crucial. It teaches delayed gratification, which research shows is linked to better financial outcomes later in life. When your child saves for weeks to buy something they’ve been eyeing, they’re learning that big goals require patience and planning. Use clear jars or piggy banks so kids can literally watch their money grow. It makes saving visible and satisfying. Some families use a three-jar system: spending, saving, and sharing (for charity or gifts). This introduces the idea that money serves multiple purposes. Let them make small mistakes too. If your eight-year-old blows their entire allowance on stickers and regrets it by Wednesday, that’s a five-dollar lesson that could save them thousands later. Secondary school (ages 12–18): Real-world money management Teenagers are ready for more complex financial concepts. This is when you shift from teaching about money to teaching with money. Open a bank account together. Walk them through how banks work. Tell them that banks are not just storing money, they’re businesses that pay you interest to keep your money there and charge interest when you borrow. Explain that the interest you earn on savings is usually tiny, while the interest you pay on debts is much higher. Introduce the concept of debit cards, but explain how they differ from credit. A debit card only spends money you already have. This is a good time to show them how to check their account balance and track spending through banking apps. Talk about wants versus needs. Your teenager needs school shoes. They want the $200 branded pair. This isn’t about saying no. It’s about showing them trade-offs. “If you want those shoes, you’ll need to contribute $100 from your savings. Are they worth it?” If your teenager gets a part-time job, teach them to check they’re being paid correctly. The Fair Work Ombudsman website has easy tools to calculate award rates, the minimum pay rates set for different industries and age groups. A 16-year-old working in retail should know what they’re entitled to earn. This is also the time to introduce the concept of paying yourself first. When money comes in, savings come out first. Even putting aside 10% teaches the habit of treating savings as non-negotiable – it’s not whatever is left over. School leavers (ages 18+): Building wealth basics Young adults entering work face a new financial landscape. They’re earning more, but expenses grow too, such as transport, social life, and maybe rent. Start with superannuation. This is money an employer must put aside for an employee’s retirement. It may seem irrelevant when your child is 18, but a young person who understands super early has a massive advantage. Here’s why: compound growth. Money invested at 18 has 40+ years to grow. Even small amounts become significant. If you put an extra $20 a week into super from age 18, you could have at least an extra $300,000 by retirement, thanks to compound returns. That’s the snowball effect, when the investment gains on your contributions start earning returns as well. Introduce investing apps, but with caution. Digital investing apps such as CommSec Pocket and Stake make investing accessible with small amounts. They let young people buy into diversified funds, which are collections of many different investments, rather than trying to pick individual shares. Explain the fundamental trade-off: higher potential returns come with higher risk. Shares can grow more than savings accounts, but they can also fall in value quickly. Teach them about the share market without jargon. When you buy shares, you own a tiny piece of a company. If the company does well, your share becomes more valuable. If it doesn’t, your share can lose value. Diversification – spreading money across many companies – reduces the risk of losing everything if one company fails. The lessons that matter most Financial education isn’t really just about money. It’s about decision-making, delayed gratification, and understanding that every choice has trade-offs. It’s a life skill you build over time, one conversation and one decision at a time. The most valuable lesson you can teach at any age? Money is a tool, not a goal. It gives you choices and security. Teaching your children to use that tool wisely is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. Start these conversations early. Make them normal. And remember, you’re teaching as much by how you handle money as by what you say about it. Children notice when you compare prices, when you talk about saving for holidays, when you decide something isn’t worth the price. Angel Zhong, Professor of Finance, RMIT University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

‘The Social Garden’ in Mokokchung promises refined fine dining experience (2026-02-16T13:26:00+05:30)

The Social Garden, a new fine dining restaurant, officially opens its doors at Aongza Ward, Mokokchung on February 11. (Morung Photo) A new fine dining destination, The Social Garden, was officially inaugurated on at Aongza Ward, housed in the Delhivery building adjacent to the Imkongmeren Sports Complex, Mokokchung on February 11. The restaurant was founded by two 27-year-old entrepreneurs, Ongjena and Chiben Jamir, who have been friends since their school days. While Ongjena is an interior designer by profession, Chiben is a civil engineer currently preparing for competitive examinations. The Social Garden serves Asian and continental cuisines and features both indoor and outdoor seating arrangements, accommodating approximately 50–55 guests. It also houses a private lounge for more intimate gatherings. The space, conceptualized and designed by Ongjena herself, reflects a Scandinavian-inspired interior, while the outdoor area has been curated in a garden-style setting. Sharing the concept and vision behind the venture, Ongjena revealed that the initial plan was to open a simple café. However, after conducting thorough research and studying the local market, they identified “an urgent need for a proper fine dining restaurant in Mokokchung.” “So we conducted our research, developed a concept, and worked tirelessly to bring the vision to life. And this project is not just for us, but for the people of Mokokchung, for our community. This is like a way of giving back to the community, by providing refined experience through exceptional food and thoughtful interior design,” she stated. She expressed gratitude to Almighty God for His guidance and thanked their friends and family for their unwavering support and sacrifices throughout the journey. ‘Only creativity can survive’ The ribbon-cutting ceremony was performed by Wapang Kichu, Councillor of Mokokchung Municipal Council (MMC), who congratulated the young entrepreneurs and described the restaurant as “one of a kind in Mokokchung.” He noted that Mokokchung is a small town with a limited population and emphasised that “only with creativity we can survive to run a business.” Drawing from his own experience, he cautioned that business ventures are not always smooth. “In business, it is not always up; it goes down as well. You have to prepare for the worst and also not to take success for granted,” he advised. He further stressed the importance of maintaining quality and consistency, particularly in food service, and commended the founders for establishing “a beautiful restaurant in a great location.” The dedicatory prayer was led by Imnakumzuk Jamir, Associate Pastor (Youth), Kumlong Baptist Church, seeking blessings for the new establishment and its journey ahead.   ‘The Social Garden’ in Mokokchung promises refined fine dining experience | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Conceptual design completed for Japan's FAST fusion demo project (2026-02-11T11:54:00+05:30)

(Image: Kyoto Fusioneering) The Conceptual Design Report has been put together in the year since the project's launch in November 2024, and involved the two companies and researchers and experts from a number of Japanese universities and public institutions, as well as support from a number of other Japanese companies. The Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (FAST) device, to be sited in Japan, aims to generate and sustain a plasma of deuterium-tritium (D-T) reactions, demonstrating an integrated fusion energy system that combines energy conversion including electricity generation and fuel technologies. The project will employ a tokamak configuration, chosen for its well-established data and scalability. Targeting a power generation demonstration by the end of the 2030s, FAST will address remaining technical challenges en route to commercial fusion power plants. The FAST Project Office notes that power generation refers to producing energy from fusion reactions, but does not imply net positive power production where electricity output exceeds electricity consumption. The project team said the conceptual design work involved "designing the fusion energy plant for power generation demonstration, assessing technical and engineering feasibility, clarifying the project direction, conducting safety and economic evaluations, and defining the plant's fundamental design specifications". "With the completion of the conceptual design phase, the project will now shift to engineering design, accelerated engineering R&D, and will proceed with site selection, site preparation, regulatory approvals, and the procurement of long-lead items, with the aim of construction after 2028," it said. Kiyoshi Seko, CEO of Starlight Engine Ltd and President and COO of Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd, said: "Completing the conceptual design in just one year is a result of Japan's decades of research achievement. FAST is now moving into the engineering design phase. We will harness the strength of Japan's manufacturing industry and accelerate the project with a sense of urgency." Satoshi Konishi, co-founder and CEO of Kyoto Fusioneering, said: "First and foremost, it's a great achievement to complete the conceptual design activities within the planned one-year timeframe. We succeeded in creating an innovative design that incorporates new technologies essential for commercial plants, such as high-temperature superconducting magnets, liquid breeding blanket systems, and highly efficient tritium fuel cycle systems, by mobilising domestic experts. Preparations for safety design, regulatory approvals, and site selection are steadily progressing. In the next engineering design phase we expect to fully leverage our strengths in plant engineering and our broad network across diverse industries, including finance and construction." Kenzo Ibano, Assistant Professor, Osaka University, said: "Thanks to the power of industry-academia collaboration, we have successfully produced Japan’s first CDR for a power generation demonstration project. Working alongside researchers with decades of experience and private-sector partners in driving this project forward is both stimulating and rewarding, giving a strong sense of mission." The Conceptual Design Report is due to be presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research being held from 1 December.Other academics and businesses participating in and supporting the FAST project include Professor Akira Ejiri, University of Tokyo and Professor Takaaki Fujita, Nagoya University, as well as Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Electric Power Development (J-Power), JGC JAPAN Corporation, Hitachi, Fujikura, Furukawa Electric, Marubeni Corporation, Kajima Corporation, Kyocera, Mitsui & Co., Mitsui Fudosan, and Mitsubishi Corporation. Conceptual design completed for Japan's FAST fusion demo project

The Concept of Saving Money (2026-01-01T13:33:00+05:30)

Motsuthung Yanthan: The term "money" is what we always use in association with politics and corruption in Nagaland. But today we will be discussing about it purely on economic perspective in this article. According to general observation, handling of money in most Naga households revolves only around keeping it in savings accounts or inside the steel almirah or using it as a medium of exchange- which is what money is for- to buy consumer and "eventual-perishable" goods. This is normal for the majority of us. Now, our spending habit, which is a major topic of discussion in itself, is not the matter of concern today. Today, it's about our savings. Whether it's for weddings, child education, retirement or vacation, we are always saving money. We save money with the intention of keeping it for later use. But are we really keeping it? If my grandfather kept Rs 50,000 in 1970 in order to build a massive house today, could he have built it? He could've then, but not today. This is what we call inflation. As a result of inflation, the value of money is always decreasing, and more so for an idle one. In India, the inflation rate fluctuates at around 5-7% which means the cost of products are increasing at that rate, and it also means the value of money is decreasing at that percentage. That's right. The money that you are saving is depreciating by 6-7% each year. The most that our dearly beloved SBI bank gives its savings account holders is not even 3%. Meaning that your money in savings account is still depreciating by 3-4% each year. The next best option is Fixed Deposits account. It has it's disadvantages. But the most it gives is also about 5-6%, which is relatively better yet is still below or about the line of depreciating your hard earned money. The impact of these depreciations are not felt immediately. But 30 years or 40 years down the line, if your bare savings of say Rs 50 lakhs can't make you your dream house, you can only regret. Now, inflation is not the one to be blamed here. In fact, inflation is inevitable and a certain amount of it is also needed to keep the economy running. RBI announced that 4% (+/- 2%) is ideal for India. While most developed countries keep it at 2-3%. So, the question is not how to suppress it but how to get one up in the game of keeping your money. And the answer is to let your money multiply itself. There are several ways to do it and it's all up to each person how to do it. In general it is called "investment". And in particular, some of them are stocks, bonds, commodities, real estate, mutual funds, loans, etc. Most Nagas, especially the elders, are reserved on these subjects. And they are not wrong. The money you earned came with the price of your labour. Likewise, the money that is to be multiplied comes with the price of a risk of partially losing it. But everything is a give-and-take in this world. If what you give in investment is your knowledge and time, the risk of giving your money is reduced. By investing your money somewhere you have confidence on, you can keep the principal amount and make it churn out profits, which we here call it multiplying. Even within the realm of investments, there are risk intensities depending on a person's expectations of return. For example, giving out loan to someone in Nagaland, which is a whopping 8-10% of interest returns per month, is highly profitable yet highly risky. And in real estate sector, renting out houses demands high investment cost and slow returns, yet has minimal risk. Likewise, even in stock market, a retail investor carries more risk and high rate of return compared to the one investing through mutual funds, even if they are both trading on equity.The word "risk" is what we don't play with in Nagaland. Whereas, there are billions out there that have already stepped in the field. While it is entirely up to an individual whether to step into smart investment or not, I'm just here to point out that the money you are saving is being lost one rupee after another. The point of true saving is only when the inevitable depreciation is balanced by a calculated multiplication. The Concept of Saving Money | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Gas-powered muscle cars drive into the sunset & turns electric (2026-01-01T13:33:00+05:30)

Tim Kuniskis, head of Dodge Brand talks about the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept that was unveiled, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, in Pontiac, Mich. (AP Photo) Tom Krisher, The Associated Press: Thundering gas-powered muscle cars, for decades a fixture of American culture, will be closing in on their final Saturday-night cruises in the coming years as automakers begin replacing them with super-fast cars that run on batteries. Stellantis’ Dodge brand, long the performance flag-bearer of the company formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, is officially moving toward electricity. On Wednesday night, Dodge unveiled a battery-powered Charger Daytona SRT concept car, which is close to one that will be produced in 2024 as the sun sets on some petroleum models. Stellantis says it will stop making gasoline versions of the Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars and the Chrysler 300 large car by the end of next year. The Canadian factory that makes them will be converted to electric vehicles. Other automakers are moving — or have moved — in the same direction. General Motors has said it will build an all-electric Chevrolet Corvette. Tesla says its Model S Plaid version is the fastest production vehicle made, able to go from zero to 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) in under 2 seconds. Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and other European automakers already have high-performance electric models on sale. And Polestar, an electric-performance spinoff from Volvo, just announced a new Polestar 6 roadster for 2026. One reason for the industry shift is that electric vehicles are simply faster off the starting line. Their handling is typically better, too, because their heavy batteries create a low center of gravity. Stricter government pollution requirements are another factor, too. As automakers in the U.S. face more stringent fuel-economy requirements adopted by the Biden administration and produce a broader range of EV vehicles, they will have to jettison some of their gas-fueled muscle-car models. Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand, said the possibly of government fines for not meeting gas-mileage requirements hastened the shift to the electric Charger. “Compliance fines and things like that associated with a big cast-iron supercharged V8, yes, it’s tough,” he said. Still, it will take a few years for the gas-powered classics to go away. “Over the next several years, I think we’ll continue to have some internal combustion stuff, probably through most of the decade,” said Sam Abuelsamid, a research analyst at Guidehouse Insights. “But increasingly, the focus is going to be on the electric ones.” Under new gas-mileage standards that were unveiled in April, the fleet of new vehicles will have to average around 40 miles per gallon in 2026, up from 25.4 mpg now, the EPA says. The standards are likely to become even stronger in the future, a trend that will compel U.S.-based automakers to shed some gasoline muscle cars if they are to avoid fines. Of all major automakers, the EPA says, Stellantis had the lowest average fuel economy — 21.3 miles per gallon — and the highest average carbon dioxide emissions. So the company likely will have to eliminate some models to avoid fines. Its limited-edition Charger SRT Widebody, with a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V-8, for instance, gets only 12 mpg in city driving and 21 mpg on the highway. To many gearheads, the thought of a muscle car without noise and smells is heresy. But Kuniskis says Dodge is working hard to make the electric experience match internal combustion. The Charger, he said, will generate its own air flow to make an exhaust noise that rivals gas performance cars. And the transmission will shift gears. When the electric Charger was driven through a garage door and entered a building Wednesday night at a racetrack in Pontiac, Michigan, it roared just like a gas muscle car. Electric vehicles, Kuniskis said, have the potential to perform better than gas muscle cars with fast acceleration. But he said they are kind of sterile. “It doesn’t have the emotion. It doesn’t have the drama. It doesn’t have the kind of dangerous feeling that ICE (an internal combustion engine) has when it’s loud and rumbling and shifting and moving the car around.” Kuniskis wouldn’t say how fast the electric Charger will go from zero to 60 mph, but said it would be faster than the company’s current petroleum performance cars. He also wouldn’t say the range-per-charge for the new Challenger, but added that range isn’t as important as making it a true muscle car. Rick Nelson, the owner of Musclecar Restoration & Design in Pleasant Plains, Illinois, near Springfield, cautioned that switching from loud fuel-burning engines to quiet electricity may be a hard sell to old-timers who grew up with the sounds and smells of racing. Nelson, 61, said he restored his first car while a teenager and spent hours at drag strips. He acknowledged that the switch to electricity is inevitable and is needed to attract a new generation that has become used to quiet speed. Still, he said, electric muscle cars won’t have manual shifters, and he’ll miss the smell of racing fuel at the track. Already, Nelson said, businesses are cropping up to put electric powertrains in classic muscle cars. He has been in touch with an engineer at Tesla about retrofitting batteries and electric motors into some classics.“Guys like me are just going to frown on it and laugh at it,” Nelson said of electric muscle cars. “But this isn’t about my generation.”Kuniskis says the shift to electricity doesn’t mean the end of the muscle car. It’s just a new era. “It’ s OK,” he said. “Let us show you what the future looks like.” Gas-powered muscle cars drive into the sunset & turns electric | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Why thinking beyond money is vital for solving the poverty puzzle (2025-12-22T13:03:00+05:30)

L. Jamila Haider, Stockholm University and Steven J Lade, Stockholm University According to the OECD, development aid recently reached a new peak of $US142.6 billion a year. But international assistance that aims to alleviate poverty can have undesirable, and often unintended consequences on both nature and culture. And how to alleviate poverty without degrading the environment and cultural values remains a significant global challenge. Trapped in our thinking In a new review paper in the journal Science Advances, we call into question a cornerstone of development aid: the “poverty trap” and its “big push” solution. The poverty trap is a concept widely used to describe situations in which poverty persists under a certain asset threshold through self-maintaining mechanisms. In other words, it’s the vicious cycle of poverty, where the poor get poorer because they cannot accumulate savings or have enough energy to work. The term, which was used by both Jeffrey Sachs and Paul Collier in 2005 to describe households or countries stuck in low-levels of economic well-being, was central to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. The “big push” – one of the earliest theories of development economics – is a still-popular one-size-fits-all approach to alleviating poverty at community and household levels, despite its known limitations. The basic idea of this theory is that it takes a big coordinated push of investment to allow economies to take off beyond a critical point (as defined by the poverty trap). The two concepts, as you can see, go hand in hand. But there’s an issue: though the poverty trap is a prominent way to conceptualise persistent poverty, its strictly economic view of poverty has thus far ignored the roles of nature and culture. With 78% of the world’s poorest people living in rural areas, development aid is often targeted at financial and technological farming solutions. Development agencies encourage farmers to grow single cash crops, or monocultures, such as genetically modified cotton in India, that they can sell to rise out of poverty. This strategy has had mixed results and, in some cases, serious ecological and social consequences that can reinforce poverty. Modelling alleviation strategies In our paper, we provide a way to extend poverty-trap thinking to more fully include the links between financial well-being, nature and culture. Our new approach identifies three types of solutions to alleviate poverty. The first is the so-called standard “big push”, to tip countries “over the barrier” so they have better-functioning economies. The second is to lower the barrier. And this could include everything from training farmers to changing behaviour and practices. These two classifications form the backbone of current aid strategies. But we introduce a third classification, which we call transforming the system, with the goal of rethinking the traditional intervention strategy. Using theoretical multi-dimensional models of different relationships between poverty and the environment at the household or community levels, we tested the effectiveness of these poverty alleviation strategies. For example, a popular and empirically supported narrative is that poor people degrade their environment, but less well-known empirical evidence shows how poor people do not disproportionately deteriorate the environment. They are often stewards of nature and create and maintain features such as agricultural biodiversity. Take for example, the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, which are characterised by high biological and cultural (aka biocultural) diversity. In a context like this, people may be poor in monetary terms but care for an incredible diversity of agricultural crops with their rich ecological knowledge and cultural practices. And the diversity of traditional seeds may, in turn, help make them resilient at a regional level to shocks. In such places, the conventional push “over the barrier” to increase food production (through improved seeds or fertilisers) may risk losing biodiversity or traditional knowledge. Our models show how a transformation strategy in which endogenous actions change the status quo could in some contexts alleviate poverty without serious consequences for nature and culture. This possibility creates space for currently underrepresented narratives of development, such as agro-ecology or food sovereignty. Innovative crops of the Alai Valley in Burgan Suu, Kyrgyzstan. Transformative change The results of the models show that conventional development interventions that ignore nature and culture can reinforce poverty; transformative change may be necessary in those contexts; and asset inputs may be effective in others. These results are synthesised in the “poverty cube”, which shows how we brought together the multi-dimensionality of poverty, different intervention pathways and diverse contexts. Our approach to poverty traps may be useful for people in the development field to think through the implications of diverse development trajectories. Prior to our multi-dimensional poverty cube, poverty-trap models usually considered only the monetary dimension of being poor. Now, development actors can more easily envisage the consequences of different alleviation strategies on not just economic well-being but also on nature and culture – and how they interact. The framework we developed may be useful for categorising interventions and their consequences on nature and culture across different sectors. An interdisciplinary endeavour The paper emerged from a number of years of collaboration between a theoretical physicist, sustainability scientists, and an economist. It involved a highly interdisciplinary research approach. The importance of biophysical and cultural settings for poverty alleviation has long been understood. But interventions continue to be designed based on the poverty trap, a concept that usually neglects these factors. Our poverty cube could help donor agencies better integrate poverty, environment and culture in their thinking and development planning. Integrating these factors will be a major challenge for the Sustainable Development Goals. What we need to do next is dig deeper into understanding how this type of dynamic multidimensional modelling can be used in place-based studies aimed at communities. L. Jamila Haider, PhD candidate, Sustainability Science , Stockholm University and Steven J Lade, Researcher in resilience of social-ecological systems, Stockholm University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Leave notes, play games, go shopping: how to boost your child’s multilingual skills these holidays (2025-12-19T11:29:00+05:30)

Julie Choi, The University of Melbourne: About 5.7 million Australians speak a language other than English at home. Most multilingual children spend their school days speaking English and during term-time, home languages often take a back seat. So holidays – particularly the long summer break – offer a chance to hear and speak their heritage languages more often. Research shows home languages matter for identity, belonging and cultural connection. With relaxed routines and extra time, families can use low-stress, creative methods to strengthen heritage-language use and build confidence. Here are five practical, research-informed tips to help families make the most of this holiday time. 1. Aim for short sessions or moments Research shows small, meaningful exchanges can be more effective than long, formal sessions. So schedule short bursts of home-language use. For example, a ten-minute chat over breakfast, a board game in the home language, or a quick WhatsApp call with grandparents. These moments fit easily into daily routines and don’t feel like lessons. Frequent, low-pressure interactions build confidence and keep the language active in children’s minds. 2. Use artistic, creative play Try making books, scrapbooks, comics, or holiday memory books together. Children can draw, write captions and tell stories in their home language. Creative activities make language use enjoyable and purposeful. Studies show artistic approaches give children more confidence across languages. One Vietnamese parent in research I conducted with colleagues reflected: Vietnamese is not a language my kids think is ‘cool’ […] But now they are actually proud to be Vietnamese. They’re proud to be part of this project and the events that came out of it. This shift happened after a bookmaking project that connected family stories to public events. 3. Make the home language visible Label household items, display bilingual books, leave short notes, or record voice messages for family members. These small actions weave the language into everyday spaces. Visibility doesn’t just signal the language is valued, it normalises its presence. When children see and hear the home language in ordinary contexts, it feels natural rather than “special” or “extra”. This environmental support encourages spontaneous use and reinforces the idea that multiple languages belong in daily life. 4. Be flexible Children may want to switch languages mid-sentence. This is not a problem! Mixing languages is natural and helps children draw on all their linguistic resources to make meaning. Research shows mixing languages (also called “translanguaging”) supports learning and identity. Making meaning and communicating matters more than perfect grammar. 5. Involve other senses If you are at the shops or market, invite children to touch, smell, and taste unfamiliar foods. Ask simple questions in the home language: “How does it look? Do you like it?” Language learning isn’t just about words, it’s about experiences. Engaging multiple senses also makes language meaningful and memorable. As one parent in research I conducted with colleagues explained: Food is always big for my family […] I pick out items that are quite uncommon. I introduce them to the kids. So feeling it, smelling it, tasting it […] If they are interested enough, they will naturally start picking things up if they enjoy it. You can also play music or watch movies/TV in your home language. Research shows students who regularly watch foreign-language TV programmes outside school perform better at reading, listening and vocabulary in that language. This makes entertainment a powerful and enjoyable pathway to language maintenance. These approaches can work for all kids from all backgrounds It’s not just home languages that matter. Children today often show interest in languages beyond their family backgrounds – such as Japanese, Korean, Spanish or Auslan. Supporting this curiosity can open new windows to culture, creativity and global perspectives. Parents can encourage exploration through music, games, apps, or community events. This helps children see languages as tools for engaging with difference and understanding the world. Julie Choi, Senior lecturer in Education (Additional Languages), The University of Melbourne This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Ignore the fads: teachers should teach and students should listen (2025-12-17T11:42:00+05:30)

Greg Ashman, UNSW Sydney When imagining a teacher at work there’s a good chance you picture someone standing at the front of a classroom, explaining concepts and asking questions. Add to this students independently applying the concepts with some corrective feedback from the teacher and you have a form of teaching known as “explicit instruction”. What is explicit instruction? It’s as old as the hills and pretty effective; so much so that the New South Wales government’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) recently published a report that stresses explicit teaching as one of its seven evidence-based themes. You may have heard of the Direct Instruction initiative in Cape York that is being promoted by Noel Pearson. This is a specific form of explicit teaching where lessons are scripted and a clear progression through concepts is mapped out in accordance with the ideas of the American educationalist Siegfried Engelmann. Although it is too early to say how the program is going in Cape York, Engelmann’s ideas have demonstrated great potential in the US, notably through the huge “Follow Through” project of the 1960s and 1970s. There is a large body of evidence for explicit teaching more generally. Different types of research examining a range of learning goals support the basic principles. But not all explicit instruction is equally effective. You might therefore imagine that researchers would be working on ways to fine-tune it. What makes a good explanation? How should concepts be sequenced? How can we ensure students are thinking about the key ideas? What’s the right balance between abstract concepts and concrete examples? Unfortunately, explicit instruction is unfashionable. While accepting that it has a role to play, educationalists often seem ambivalent towards it, sometimes describing explicit approaches using pejorative terms such as “drilling”. The key principle behind explicit instruction is that the teacher fully explains ideas and concepts. In this sense, its opposite is something that is often called “inquiry learning” where students are asked to pose questions and find out things for themselves. In such programs, teachers are seen as co-learners rather than subject-matter authorities. There is little evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of inquiry learning for learning new concepts (although it can be effective for those who are more expert in a subject). When tested in controlled experiments, features characteristic of inquiry learning such as problem-solving are shown to be less effective than features characteristic of explicit instruction such as the use of worked examples. And a number of attempts to introduce programs similar to inquiry learning have met with very little success over the past 50 years. Why is explicit instruction daggy? Despite this, inquiry learning is very much in vogue. Teacher education courses run units on it even though you would struggle to find equivalent units on explicit instruction. A recent report from the OECD on “Schools for 21st-Century Learners” has a whole section on inquiry learning while mentioning explicit instruction only in passing. New science VCE courses in Victoria have focused on incorporating inquiry learning and will require evidence that it has taken place. The physics VCE study design explains that: In VCE Physics students develop a range of inquiry skills involving practical experimentation and research, analytical skills including critical and creative thinking, and communication skills. As the OECD report also suggests, the evidence in favour of inquiry learning may be lacking but it is assumed to be superior in preparing students for the 21st century by developing ill-defined skills such as critical thinking or creativity. Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that such skills are highly dependent upon knowing a lot about the subject: if you want to think critically about physics, then first learn a lot of physics. There may also be philosophical reasons that educationalists choose to privilege inquiry methods over explicit instruction. There is a tradition of questioning teacher-led approaches to education that is at least 200 years old. Philosophers of education such as John Dewey and Paolo Freire have criticised the notion that a teacher’s role is to impart knowledge. Freire called it the “banking model” and found that it did not fit his revolutionary principles. Others believe it to be inimical to the spirit of democracy. How can students grow up to ask questions if we expect them to defer to a teacher’s authority in the classroom? This argument fails on two counts. Firstly, teachers really should know more than their students, so why pretend otherwise? Secondly, it fails to recognise the compassionate and empathetic ways in which contemporary teachers structure explicit instruction in the classroom, providing plenty of time for students to be heard. Clearly, there are instances where we might choose to use varied approaches to learning for a wide variety of reasons. I am all in favour of balance. Sometimes, we may be seeking to build motivation. At other times, we may simply wish to mix things up a bit. However, an unbalanced focus on inquiry learning that sidelines the proven practice of explicit instruction should be a matter of serious concern. Greg Ashman, Experienced teacher and PhD candidate in instructional design, UNSW Sydney This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

New book offers recipes for sleep, energy and immunity (2025-12-10T10:51:00+05:30)

The book ‘Tea Book, from my Apothecary to your kettle’ authored by Moakala Magh. ‘Tea Book - From my Apothecary to your kettle’ by Moakala Magh released: Nothing beats the mulitfaceted purpose of tea, encompassing different blends of cultural tradition, social interaction, and wide array of potential physical and mental health benefits and astonishingly a concoction of herbs or spice can be blended into a tea. Sharing this aspiring concept, Moakala Magh has published her collection of tea compiled in a book, ‘Tea Book, from my Apothecary to your kettle.’ Magh, herself is the brain behind Senje Apothecary, a locally owned and operated skincare and wellness brand inspired by natural and holistic ingredients which has been consistent for more than. The tea Book has 40 recipes, each crafted with a purpose. For instance, there are tea for relaxation and sleep, for energizing, digestion and detox, immunity, healing among others. Carefully given each tea a name, the author has meticulously explained the differences of a herb and spice which are basic building blocks. “At first glance, herbs and spices may seem similar, both come from plants, both are dried and added to teas, but in truth, they are quite different in their origin, flavor profile, strength and purpose,” she explains. As such, for the author, a peppermint, lemongrass, holy basil, chamomile etc may be herbs but spices may be the cinnamon bark, ginger, clove, licorice etc. Speaking to the crafter, Magh explains her fascination of how “nature provides us with everything we need for wellness and balance.” “My inspiration for writing the Tea Book came from a desire to reconnect people with natural remedies and everyday ingredients that have been used for centuries. I wanted to show that tea isn’t just a beverage—it’s a bridge between culture, health, and mindfulness. Writing the book was my way of sharing both the science and the stories behind herbs and spices in a way that anyone can enjoy and apply in daily life,” she shares. Having an indepth connection with tea, Magh is not just a person who loves to drink tea. Her passion extends to her inner physical and mental well-being. “Through research, experimentation, and conversations with herbalists and tea enthusiasts, I’ve learned how certain blends can help with relaxation, digestion, immunity, and focus. I’ve also experienced these benefits personally—drinking herbal and spiced teas became part of my daily routine for maintaining balance and mindfulness. Those personal experiences deeply shaped the insights I shared in my book,” Magh adds. When asked what was her purpose behind writing the book, she notes that it was to educate and inspire people to use natural ingredients for their health and well-being. “I wanted to bridge the gap between traditional herbal wisdom and modern lifestyles, showing that tea can be both enjoyable and therapeutic. The book serves as a practical guide for anyone who wants to understand how herbs and spices can support daily wellness in a simple, natural way.” In our culture, “tea” often means chai with milk and sugar, a comfort drink we all love. But globally, tea has many forms. The tea in my book reflect that wider tradition, they are herbal infusions made from leaves, roots, and spices, Magh substantiates more specifically. “They can energize, calm, or heal, depending on the blend. So yes, it’s a different kind of tea experience, one that’s rooted in both health and heritage,” further says. Speaking of the herbal tea ingredients, the author also says many of the herbs and spices I use like tulsi, ginger, cinnamon, or cardamom have been part of traditional healing practices for centuries. More interestingly, Magh days what she have done is adapt those age-old combinations into easy, modern recipes that suit today’s lifestyles. So, while the roots are traditional, the presentation and approach are contemporary and creative. Making the book more engaging, she also puts that she have categorized the teas in the book according to their purpose and ideal timing. “For example, there are blends for relaxation and sleep, others for digestion after meals, and some that energize and refresh during the day. So, readers can easily find what they need, it’s all clearly mentioned in the book.” To read more about tea and discover its greatness, interested people can buy the book and connect to her directly through Instagram @Senje Apothecary and WhatsApp. New book offers recipes for sleep, energy and immunity | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

The Third Eye: Importance of being well-informed (2025-12-08T13:49:00+05:30)

File photo: IANS New Delhi, (IANS) There is a paradigm shift in what brings success- the need to know and know quickly is the key factor dominating professional and personal domains. This is because knowledge-based decision-making is a prerequisite for progress in any field. Instant communication of information across geographical boundaries -as soon as any of it comes in public domain- makes it important that one has a global mindset for withstanding competition since a competitor could spring up from anywhere in the world. Being well-informed is not a one-time event since as information was always coming in. Dow Jones News World Wide is as current as 30 seconds. ‘Innocence is a bliss no more’ and we are in an age where -as Frederik the Great said- ‘it is pardonable to be defeated but not to be surprised’. Information, by definition , is ‘ an intelligible data or fact that tells you what you did not know before’ and obviously in a given context someone else may turn out to be better informed, which would give the latter a competitive advantage-for whatever worth it might be. Right decision-making requires that one has the right information at the right time and that this information made a difference between a ‘decision’ and a ‘guess’ - and hence between success and possible failure. Knowledge-based decision making implies that right decisions cannot be attributed to personal ‘charisma’ of a leader or his or her ‘inheritance’. Those who are successful today are also likely to be information-savvy. They share some common characteristics. They do not shy away from new information, they like to categorise information as they go through it, they have curiosity born out of a spirit of inquiry, they have a healthy interest in human psychology and behaviour since all business is human activity and since even life is lived through human interactions and finally, they prefer an authoritative opinion to gossip. Such people have a certain ability to distinguish more useful information from the rest as they consciously or unconsciously follow Pareto’s principle that said-‘ there are a significant few among the insignificant many’. They are proactive about seeking information following the dictum ‘you must find information: information does not find you’ and tend to presume that information being sought was certainly available. They check out on what information was already there within the organisation and then logically proceed to find out where else to look for it pursuing the What?, Why? and Where? of it. In these times of social media being misused for producing misinformation and deepfakes, well- informed people liked to fact -check or seek corroboration of the information before acting on it. They do not get into the habit of collecting information for collection sake and like to swiftly act on information once its quantum was found adequate for decision -making. If information is basic to success, then it is necessary to have some idea of how to enhance one’s knowledge and make it complete-looking. It is essential to know that knowledge comes in ‘integral packages’ and its components must all be understood well. A teacher of children should know not only about the curriculum but should also be well up on child psychology if she wants to be successful. An employer engaging men and women should- in addition to the knowledge of the business establishment- be familiar with legal obligations about providing work-place safety to women. Secondly, an organisation should be able to garner the ‘tacit knowledge’ that today’s employees carried with them. Appropriately called ‘knowledge workers’ they should be encouraged to provide a feed-back on the job for which a systemic arrangement should be made by the leadership- the latter should be aware that ‘nobody knows everything but everybody knows something’. Further, orientation programmes should be held to sharpen observation capacity of the members as good observation is a knowledge enhancer. Albert Einstein’s famous dictum, ‘ imagination is more important than knowledge,’ should always be remembered as it referred to the ability to see the big picture behind the facts presented and not to ‘miss the wood for the trees’. The 9/11 Commission in the US was said to have found fault with CIA’s lack of imagination in the context of the available information that the hijackers were interested in getting trained on ‘take off’ procedures paying no attention to ‘touch down’ part of the exercise. Prof. Walter Anders of Alabama University, writing on The Political Economy of Terrorism, held the view that Americans could not understand the phenomenon of ‘suicide bombing’ - wondering how ‘rational agents could carefully prepare and execute a plan that called for their own demise’. Also, flawless communications could be proactively used for knowledge enhancement. The format for the feedback from the employees should be intelligently prepared - keeping the requirement of ‘clarity’ of communication in view. On reaching a level of knowledge adequacy there should be a determination of where information collection would stop and decision-making would be done. Knowledge helps the decision-maker to transit from a state of uncertainty to a state of certainty. In the fast pace of all transactions, ‘time’ has emerged as a new ‘resource’ comparable to money, manpower, and equipment because faster delivery brings in competitive advantage. Elimination of ‘time stealers’ like the gap between a decision and its communication to implementers or the gap between the communicated decision and its execution, adds to productivity and hence profitability. Knowledge of the competitive environment, including the strengths and weaknesses of rivals is particularly important for businesses and it spans across political, legal,economic, socio-cultural and technology-related matters. Artificial Intelligence (AI ) applications are fast coming into use for introducing cost-effectiveness through automation and improving corporate governance on the whole. It is becoming clear that an early insight into the needs, environmental forces and trends that others had not noticed is what puts an organisation in the lead. Reliable information that helps to know ‘what lies ahead’ indicating the risks and opportunities that were there, is called Intelligence. Crucial business decisions often require Intelligence, not open information available to everyone else. It can be seen that ‘all Intelligence is information, but all information is not Intelligence’. Leading business houses have an Intelligence Analysis division under the name of ‘Strategic Planning’ or ‘Market Analysis’ to churn out Intelligence through analysis of information. AI-based Data Analytics was aiding that process. ‘Knowledge Workers’ are becoming ‘Intelligence Innovators’ who were using AI Agents for developing new lines of businesses, enhancing customer outreach and improving inventory and supply chain management.Since Intelligence is ‘exclusive’ information available only to the owning organisation, it is to be handled on a note of confidentiality to preserve the competitive edge. This has made the ‘information security’ realm increasingly important for the Corporate world. There is a convergence of the functions of Vigilance and Security in so far as ‘insider threat management’ was concerned, as this was based on the presumption that a corrupt employee was also vulnerable to the machinations of the adversary. Moreover, at a conceptual level these functions were now being considered as a part of the organisational mainstream - not a stand-alone duty as was the case earlier. The Chief Vigilance- cum -Security Officer had to have knowledge of the processes, functional divisions, and personnel of the organisation to perform his or her tasks, and this put the individual among the best-informed members in regard to the corporate body concerned. The Third Eye: Importance of being well-informed | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com