It's an Honor to welcome Steven Rudolph. Director, Jiva Education, as Sr. Editor of Primary Plus. Originally from the United States, he has been living in India since 1994. Steve understands the challenges of learning faced by students, parents and teachers.

He is a unique type of teacher, who knows how to make learning fun and friendly. He sings about Science, Jokes with geography and even Acts out arithmetic.

Says Steve, “Many people-especially children feel that learning is a burden. They need to discover that happens only in schools. The whole world is a classroom to be explored; it's a Masti Ki Pathsala!”

In edition to being an educator, he is also a talented musician, poet, entertainer, actor and cook. He's an example of someone who uses Multiple Intelligences!

A: Hi Tarun, In this modern age, our lives have become fast, and hence the problem of "fast food". Children usually eat junk food because they get hungry between meals. Try packing natural snacks for him like nuts cut or dried fruit that he can carry in his bag or pockets. Encourage him to eat more fresh fruits, as they have natural sugars and will give him instant energy and will curb his appetite. You should not prohibit him from eating things like chips, chocolates, etc. But do have a talk with him and see if you can agree on a limit of those types of snacks (e.g., only three packet of chips per week).

A: Dear Vandana, It is important that you help your son learn to manage his emotions. The first thing is to talk to him about what makes him angry. Help him identify the causes of his anger. The next thing is that when you see him starting to get angry about something, tell him to express how he feels at that time. "How do you feel right now? Why do you feel that way?" Then ask him "How can we solve this problem without hitting?" By doing this frequently, you will teach him to identify his emotions and emotional triggers, to warn others in advance of his approaching anger, and to identify solutions to the problems before they escalate into an emotional, violent outburst.

A: Dear Pooja, Here are a few things you can do to help increase your son's concentration. Teach him the "Just Five More" technique. When he's doing his homework or reading a book and he wants to give up because he's tired, tell him "Just read five more pages," or "Just do five more problems." Great athletes use this technique to push themselves past their limits. Another thing you can do is to talk with your son, and have him identify the things distract him (e.g., hunger, tiredness, noises, etc.). When he can identify them, he can more easily block them when it is time for him to concentrate.

A: Dear Sangita, Here is one thing your daughter can try: quick revision. Many students study something once, but then don't revisit that information for days or longer. Ensure that your daughter revises what she learned within 24 hours. Also have her revise more frequently for short amounts of time, e.g., in the morning after waking up, anytime during the day, and in the evening just before going to bed. Give this a try, and you will surely see results.

Q: Dear Steve, My daughter is in Class V. Sometimes she gets overwhelmed due to having to learn much information. What can I do to help her?

A: Hi Kanchan, Interestingly, the brain can hold an incredible amount of information-more than one billion pages worth of data! The question is how to get that information in. One technique you can use is "concept-mapping". When your daughter learns new information, instead of her just rewriting the notes, have her draw the information in a graphical way. She can use text, circles, squares, lines, and pictures to show how concepts are related. Seeing things visually brings in another part of the brain, which greatly supports the memorisation process.