Abstract Thinking: What It Is, Why It Matters and How to Develop It
Abstract thinking is the ability to reason about ideas that are not physically in front of you. Fairness, time, symbolism, cause, possibility: none of these can be picked up, and all of them have to be thought about. There is a moment, usually somewhere in late primary or early secondary, when a child stops asking […]
STEM vs STEAM: Which Approach Best Prepares Your Child for the Future?
Choosing between STEM vs STEAM can shape how your child thinks, creates, and solves problems in a rapidly changing world. Both approaches are widely discussed, yet their differences often feel unclear for families exploring the best fit. At The ABC International School (ABCIS), educators bring a balanced, global perspective to STEM vs STEAM, recognising that […]
9 Different Types of Intelligence and How Children Learn Differently
The nine types of intelligence are linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential. They come from Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, first published in 1983. Most parents still measure intelligence by exam results. That is one measure, and it is a narrow one. A child who struggles with written maths may […]
11 Types of Learning Spaces That Improve Student Engagement
Every international school in Ho Chi Minh City has a makerspace, a library, and a bright open atrium. Every prospectus photographs them. None of this tells you whether your child will learn there. The research is unusually clear on this point, and mildly awkward for schools. Classroom design accounts for around 16% of the variation […]
What Is Student Agency? Voice, Choice, and What It Looks Like in an Exam-Based School
Every parent wants a self-directed child. Rather fewer are comfortable with what that actually requires, which is letting the child decide things, and letting some of those decisions be wrong. Student agency is the name for this capacity. It is one of the most used terms in modern education and one of the least precisely […]
Wellbeing for Students: 4 Key Components & 6 Practical Strategies in Modern Education
Wellbeing for students refers to a child’s emotional, social, physical, and cognitive health within a school setting. It shapes how children learn, build relationships, and develop resilience. Schools that prioritise student wellbeing create environments where young people thrive academically and personally. Many parents assume good grades equal good wellbeing. That is not always true. The […]
