So asked Ash and Ayd when they found out that I was dragging bringing them to a free 3-hour I Am
Gifted!™  Introductory Workshop two weekends ago. Unsurprisingly, they would rather be watching television or reading comics in their free time on a weekend if they had their way.

If the title of the workshop sounds familiar, that is because the I Am Gifted!™ programme was created by Adam Khoo, who was inspired to share with students the winning attitudes and learning strategies he had used to transform himself from an underachieving teenager to among the top 1% of academic achievers in the National University of Singapore. Adam realized that being gifted was not just an inborn trait reserved for a privileged few. By studying the habits of ‘gifted students’, he discovered that every child had the potential to achieve extraordinary results with the right encouragement, stimulation and learning methods. And the programme reflects the belief that all children are born gifted in the areas of learning, self-expression, leadership, creativity and motivation.

Sounds pretty impressive but to be honest, I myself was a little hesitant at first. After all, personal development courses always sell on the basis of life-changing experiences and I am usually sceptical of such promises.

Well, there was only one way to find out. The great thing about the Introductory Workshop is it encourages parents to bring their kids along. Because ultimately, the kids themselves have to understand what the I Am Gifted! programme is all about, no? And since there are kids in the audience - who might have attention spans as short as a hobbit - you can be sure that the trainer has got to keep the workshop REALLY interesting.

The trainer started off the workshop by asking the kids present one question:

"What is ONE skill or technique that you want to learn in order to do better in school or at home right now?"

I loved how the workshop embraces the use of technology to fuel the audience's participation. For the question above, it was flashed on the projection screen and the kids were tasked to answer the question via a link on the smartphone. And when smartphones are involved, you can be darn sure that the participation rate among the kids will be exceptionally high!

The results were then collated and presented to us in real-time on the screen, which were then elaborated on by the trainer:

- The child does everything he or she could (listens attentively in class, attends tuition classes, does constant revision..) and yet still could not achieve desired results.

- The child has a fear of failure, especially in front of peers/teachers/family, and hence avoids even trying at the challenges when he or she has no confidence of success.

- The child is not motivated to attend school as he or she performs poorly.

- The child does not know how to communicate his or her challenges or stress to peers or family, feeling alone in the process and is not able to build meaningful relationships with family and friends.

- The child does not or does not know how to set goals to work towards, therefore losing focus and discipline easily.

Any of the above challenges sound familiar? Truth is, the challenges are very genuine. Not only for kids, but also for parents.

And that is where the I Am Gifted!™ programme comes in. To be held during the 2016 June School Holidays over a 5-day camp - 6 to 10 June 2016 for Juniors (9-12 years old) & 11 to 15 June 2016 for Seniors (13 years onwards) - the programme revolves around the holistic development of the child, preparing them to excel in a competitive and fast changing society. Because education is no longer just about having good grades but also preparing our kids to have the right mindsets and skills to face the challenges in life.

But if I had expected the Introductory Workshop to be a hard sell session for its holiday programme, I was proven wrong. Thanks to the trainer, Mr. Aman, the workshop turned out to be such great fun that all the kids (and adults too!) were left roaring with laughter and eager to learn more. Yes, eager to learn more - especially since Aman did not let us go home empty-handed. He shared with us how to REMEMBER and RETAIN MEMORY much more effectively so that the kids will be able to use it for their benefit when it comes to school work.

To prove that the method was not all hogwash, he bravely asked us to throw him 20 random words, memorized them in under 3 minutes and proceeded to recite them in order... and in reverse order too! Needless to say, the boys were left dumbfounded. And definitely very much excited to learn the method.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to reveal the method here because you will have to attend the FREE 3-hour workshop if you wish to learn it too! Suffice to say, the boys have been putting the method to good practice when it comes to their school work now.

And interestingly enough, they completely changed their tune when I asked them if they felt the 3-hour workshop was too boring for them. They unanimously gave it the thumbs up and I have to credit Aman for making the session such an engaging and lively one for the kiddos present. Looks like it was a Saturday afternoon well-spent.

If you wish to find out more about the I Am Gifted!™ programme during the June School Holidays OR just let your kids pick up one free learning hack on how to memorize stuff much more easily, there are another TWO 3-Hour I Am Gifted!™ Introductory Workshop 2016 happening this weekend:

Date: 16th April 2016, Saturday or 17th April 2016, Sunday
Venue: 51 Cuppage Road #06-16, Singapore 229469
Time: 3pm - 6pm
*If you can't make it for either date, do check back I Am Gifted!™ programme's website for weekly updates on future workshop dates.

Did I mention that the Introductory Workshop is FREE to attend???

Oh, and should you decide to sign up for the Holiday Programme after the workshop, you will be also entitled to a special price. Let's just say the discount is pretty substantial!

As an added bonus, exclusive for Cheekiemonkie readers, those who sign up for the June 2016 holiday programme will receive a FREE 'Nurturing the Winner & Genius in Your Child' book by Adam Khoo with Gary Lee (While stocks last!). In the book, parents will learn strategies in empowering their child to think responsibly and to build the motivation to succeed in school and in life. Apart from the super memory hack mentioned above, the I Am Gifted™ programme will teach your kids other effective study techniques and make learning fun and interesting for them. To unlock your child's full potential, sign up for the free workshop here: www.iamgifted.com.sg/introductory-workshop-registration-form/.

Seats are very limited, so hurry!!!
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