- Joined
- Jul 17, 2017
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Swords And Stationery is a knight in shining armour to the the rescue of children and youths profiled with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) aka 'special needs' - these span an umbrella of conditions including dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Founded by Shaun Low, an Economics graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS) as well as a certified educational therapist, he has been helping young folks sort things out since 2013.
Swords And Stationery offers a program(s) structured to elicit efficient learning outcomes as far as the acquisition of the English language and its derivative subjects are concerned. It seeks to achieve this by means of an unconventional mix of games alongside highly personal, interactive experiences, hence its slogan "Playing One's Way To Academic Success".
Suffice to say, the rather noble endeavors of this education vendor piqued our interest, and we therefore reached out to Shaun for a one to one interview, which he graciously agreed to. Provided below is a full reproduction of our conversation.
QN: Hi Shaun, a big thank you for chatting with us. Out of curiosity, why the name Swords And Stationery? Might you also happen to sell various stationery at your premises?
ANS: The name "Swords & Stationery" was inspired by the literary genre "Sword & Sorcery" (sometimes called "Sword & Sandals"). It's one of my favourite fiction genres, and was what got me into reading voraciously post-secondary school. If you've heard of Conan (the barbarian) or Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser -- that's the genre they're in. This same genre also birthed a lot of great works in fiction, including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and A Song of Ice and Fire, and games like Wizardry and Dungeons & Dragons.
Starting a programme called "Swords & Stationery" was therefore my way of paying homage to this genre. At the same time, it was also meant to be symbolic, with "Swords" representing the fun aspect of the programme, and "Stationery" representing its learning aspect.
QN: Were there a specific set of circumstances that spurred you on to envision the creation of Swords And Stationery ? Any significant logistical or financial challenges encountered along the way? In hindsight what would you have done differently?
ANS: I first conceptualised this programme while in my previous company (the Dyslexia Association of Singapore), working with dyslexic children and youths. A lot of them were weak and unmotivated writers; I, on the other hand, loved reading and writing, and I wanted to inculcate this passion in the younger generation.
While at the DAS, I had learned a lot about teaching methodologies and best practices, but one important element remained elusive -- how could one make the learning process fun? There were some ideas being used commonly, like Word Splashes, but they wouldn't fly with the older kids (and I did teach a lot of them). I wanted a better alternative.
I wanted to use actual games, and have lessons integrated into them.
This process, also known as gamification, was what led me to the initial conceptualisation of the S&S programme.
Regarding financial and logistical challenges when first starting up the S&S learning centre, there were a few, but none too major. Counting every cent was a must; I couldn't afford to splurge on luxurious furnishings. Thankfully, I had a friend who was able to help me with renovations on the cheap. I was also lucky, in that I had found a few great people to work with (shout-out to my associates at Trinity Consultancy & Practice and The Gifted Lab, and my buddies at Singapore Open Gaming and Have Dice Will Travel).
Looking back, it's hard to say if I would have done anything differently. I like to think that I've been making the best decisions, going forward. There were times when it would seem like I had made a really bad business decision, but I have learned to draw strength and knowledge from these experiences, and just keep moving. And as a businessperson, that's what's important.
QN: How has public reception been towards Swords And Stationery since it hit the ground running?
ANS: Reception has been great. At times, it's a hard sell to convince parents that the game-based learning approach works, but the proof is in the pudding when the kids improve academically and cognitively 2-3 months into the programme. In fact, most of my existing students' parents have been nothing short of supportive, and I'm very grateful for that.
The general public (particularly fellow gamers and educators) has been very encouraging as well. I have been doing all sorts of marketing here and there. Sometimes it's related to S&S's pedagogy, sometimes it's more gaming-related. Regardless, whenever I get a cheer from someone on Twitter, Facebook or Discord, it just makes my week and keeps me going.
More at http://www.domainofexperts.com/2018/03/appreciating-magic-of-special-needs.html#
Swords And Stationery offers a program(s) structured to elicit efficient learning outcomes as far as the acquisition of the English language and its derivative subjects are concerned. It seeks to achieve this by means of an unconventional mix of games alongside highly personal, interactive experiences, hence its slogan "Playing One's Way To Academic Success".
Suffice to say, the rather noble endeavors of this education vendor piqued our interest, and we therefore reached out to Shaun for a one to one interview, which he graciously agreed to. Provided below is a full reproduction of our conversation.
QN: Hi Shaun, a big thank you for chatting with us. Out of curiosity, why the name Swords And Stationery? Might you also happen to sell various stationery at your premises?
ANS: The name "Swords & Stationery" was inspired by the literary genre "Sword & Sorcery" (sometimes called "Sword & Sandals"). It's one of my favourite fiction genres, and was what got me into reading voraciously post-secondary school. If you've heard of Conan (the barbarian) or Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser -- that's the genre they're in. This same genre also birthed a lot of great works in fiction, including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and A Song of Ice and Fire, and games like Wizardry and Dungeons & Dragons.
Starting a programme called "Swords & Stationery" was therefore my way of paying homage to this genre. At the same time, it was also meant to be symbolic, with "Swords" representing the fun aspect of the programme, and "Stationery" representing its learning aspect.
QN: Were there a specific set of circumstances that spurred you on to envision the creation of Swords And Stationery ? Any significant logistical or financial challenges encountered along the way? In hindsight what would you have done differently?
ANS: I first conceptualised this programme while in my previous company (the Dyslexia Association of Singapore), working with dyslexic children and youths. A lot of them were weak and unmotivated writers; I, on the other hand, loved reading and writing, and I wanted to inculcate this passion in the younger generation.
While at the DAS, I had learned a lot about teaching methodologies and best practices, but one important element remained elusive -- how could one make the learning process fun? There were some ideas being used commonly, like Word Splashes, but they wouldn't fly with the older kids (and I did teach a lot of them). I wanted a better alternative.
I wanted to use actual games, and have lessons integrated into them.
This process, also known as gamification, was what led me to the initial conceptualisation of the S&S programme.
Regarding financial and logistical challenges when first starting up the S&S learning centre, there were a few, but none too major. Counting every cent was a must; I couldn't afford to splurge on luxurious furnishings. Thankfully, I had a friend who was able to help me with renovations on the cheap. I was also lucky, in that I had found a few great people to work with (shout-out to my associates at Trinity Consultancy & Practice and The Gifted Lab, and my buddies at Singapore Open Gaming and Have Dice Will Travel).
Looking back, it's hard to say if I would have done anything differently. I like to think that I've been making the best decisions, going forward. There were times when it would seem like I had made a really bad business decision, but I have learned to draw strength and knowledge from these experiences, and just keep moving. And as a businessperson, that's what's important.
QN: How has public reception been towards Swords And Stationery since it hit the ground running?
ANS: Reception has been great. At times, it's a hard sell to convince parents that the game-based learning approach works, but the proof is in the pudding when the kids improve academically and cognitively 2-3 months into the programme. In fact, most of my existing students' parents have been nothing short of supportive, and I'm very grateful for that.
The general public (particularly fellow gamers and educators) has been very encouraging as well. I have been doing all sorts of marketing here and there. Sometimes it's related to S&S's pedagogy, sometimes it's more gaming-related. Regardless, whenever I get a cheer from someone on Twitter, Facebook or Discord, it just makes my week and keeps me going.
More at http://www.domainofexperts.com/2018/03/appreciating-magic-of-special-needs.html#
