We now have an almost limitless repository of tech tools created to complement the delivery of information to students.

The end product is increased efficiency and automation in the distribution of learning material.

Find out how free online learning can be for 8th graders to boost their academic knowledge.

 

I'm the author of this article and I'm a qualified abacus teacher, answering questions from around the world online abacus and various questions from online-soroban.com students.

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The 8th-grade curriculum is typically the last grade in middle school.

A busy year, the 8th grade may be considered a bridging year – this is where students are introduced to certain complexities; the aspects of which had been previously glossed over.

Any teacher worth their salt knows the 8th-grade curriculum is indispensable when it comes to preparing the students for high school.

Getting the student up to speed with numbers, math, other subjects like grammar, syntax, and punctuation where the education is concerned.

Laying down the theory of magnetism, how sound and waves work and chemical reactions for the Sciences and History introducing different political and social strata.

One thing is certain, skipping the 8th grade is not an option.

That said, the world is on lock-down.

Facing a challenge never seen before, a natural-born killer, Covid-19.

Personal protective equipment, quarantine, lock-down, e.t.c have become common household phrases.

And our dear 8th graders are caught right in the middle of all this.

With the key advances, technology has witnessed during the past century, the very essence of learning has witnessed a pronounced change.

With such a wide array of information at our disposal, there is no excuse for ignorance.

“I don’t know” is no longer an acceptable answer. Not knowing has been substituted almost insidiously by the popular slogan “let me Google it...”.

 

1-1.What Are Some Free Online Learning Tools for 8th Graders?

First, let us understand the definition of learning tools as used in this context.

The phrase learning tool is used when talking about any program, application, or technology accessed via an Internet connection with the aim of enhancing both the teacher's ability to present information and the student's ability to access the aforementioned information.

Whether you’re in kindergarten or university, learning languages or maths, there is a website created to suit your preference.

I do not exaggerate when I say there is a practically inexhaustible list of learning tools on the web.

It is the parent’s responsibility to recommend age-appropriate tools that are guaranteed to protect their child’s safety and privacy.

Learning tools marketed towards younger children will normally require a certain kind of adult supervision/participation and the parent should always read the terms of service before allowing children to use the site.

Parents are encouraged to oversee – look over the child’s shoulder - ensure that all activities are age-appropriate.

These tools have become quite viral (especially with the Covid-19 lock-down) and for everything we do in a physical classroom, there seems to be a version capable of doing the exact same task if not more.

Case in point; we walk around with a gadget smaller than the average hand - a cellphone - we pull it out and ask Google to explain any topic, which it does quickly and correctly.

More & more students choose to learn at home, rather than drag themselves the extra distance, spending more time commuting to school - an institution they feel wrestles all control from them.

Most web-based learning tools fall into one of three categories:

1. Internet classrooms.

2. Applications.

3. Assistive technology.

Do keep in mind just a few years ago, the consensus on home-schooling was that it’s an ineffective, fringe way of life for the poor and ashamed.

As compared to modern thinking we have today, home-schooled children were thought to be taboo.

Parents in the past were often left to fend for themselves when it came to purchasing educational material for their children.

We have come a long way since then with technology playing a big role in opening up homeschooling to the public.

Click the links below for more online learning resources geared towards eighth graders. https://online-soroban.com/

 

1-2.Free Online Abacus Learning Classes for 8th Grade

The abacus is a clever contraption invented by Charles Babbage and – as a testament to his ingenuity - it was used the world over to turn on the mental abilities of young brains.

Before named the abacus it was known as the calculating tool.

Marketed to make calculations faster and less mentally stressful.

The students would not need to memorize numbers when doing the calculations but get to see the number on the abacus itself.

Truly ahead of its time, the Abacus was designed in such a way that tricks the brain into visualizing the abacus when doing calculations.

Scientists learned that this would automatically activate the right hemisphere of our brain.

This happens especially so when we run our fingers over the beads and count out loud when solving mathematical problems.

Interested in teaching your child the abacus?

You will be happy to know it is free on multiple websites.

Online Soroban gives you instant access to abacus content for beginners which will help your child not only learn the concept but practice as well.

Learn and discover the basics of the Abacus by providing an interactive and fun game to play with incremental levels.

Not forgetting a class trial to complete your self-learning and interactive abacus journey.

We suggest you read through the content first so as to get a rough grasp on it so as to avoid embarrassing yourself before your child who is well on their way to becoming a maths genius by now.

 

1-3. Benefits of Abacus and Mental Calculation Using Free Online Learning Tools for 8th Grade

The benefits of the abacus are multiple and have been documented for hundreds of years ago before the first man had ever dreamed up computers or electricity for that matter.

Children get the most out of learning the Abacus since it builds their confidence in math, avoiding the anxiety that plagues many into falsely assuming that maths is hard and only for “geniuses”.

The abacus helps to sharpen the memory and increases the ability to perform mental calculations.

Learning the abacus helps to stimulate the minds of students whose brains are still growing.

Learning the abacus has been shown to develop speed, calculation, accuracy, creativity, self-reliance, and even visualization skills.

It also improves mental capacity.

This might come in handy when your calculator battery runs out – allowing you to solve mathematical problems that require an urgent answer e.g as a pilot.

These benefits can also result in having an excellent photographic memory, as well as concentration in students.

Use of the abacus stimulates the whole brain; making your child better and faster in everything they do.

 

Overall  
Luckily, there are many great and wallet-friendly education courses for kids available offered by well known accredited institutions and long-run and beloved learning companies such as Online Soroban, Khan Academy, Scholastic, Epic, Fun Brain, National Geographic Kids, and PBS.

Some offer a full curriculum, and others provide interactive games, activities, and educational entertainment.

However, all are useful for helping kids of all ages engage in web-based learning.

Depending on the content offered, the internet learning classes can also help kids stay active, and play during this national lockdown - a time when movement and learning are so very necessary.
 

 

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