The Biology of Natural learning
from November- 2008 to April 2009
At Children Here And Now
Assagao, Goa.
A case study in the World of LANGUAGE
Age 8-12 years 2/3 (Boys) so far! Sessions: 9.30 – 1p.m(Monday and Fri)
Location: Anjuna (Hill/Home) Environment: Natural World/Family Home
Topic/Concept/Subject: Communications and Media Method: Sensory Learning of language.
Breaking, swimming, moving away from the sheltered protection of the last 7 years,(Conception to Family Nurturance) children are now, literally dancing and embracing their way into the OUTSIDE – WORLD/ENVIRONMENT. From 8-12 years)
Gone are the days of point and Seek, its now Reach Out and Do! Children can, at this stage SPEAK AND EXPRESS themselves. Their “I”/I AM WHO AM I? is taking fight. They are more than curious and ready to reach for the skies and worms under the earth! They flaunt and show Off, tumble and persistently explore their growing skills and aptitude for results. For a response from this outside world.
What they say, Act. Write, Draw, Recite Sing. How they Re-Act with ease or Trouble, with interest or fear, with joy or Indifference or Aggression…. Opens them up into the WHOLE WEB WORLD OF COMMUNICATION
Compared to Animals(other than living things), we as children and human beings, use 15-30% of our sense of Smell and Taste. We restrict and limit its use for survival. Our instinct for danger, threat, fights or flee, comfort and pleasure, is driven by our senses of smell and taste.
We can therefore “smell” good food and get hunger pangs , because juices reach our mouth, from the stomach muscles- which get exited enough to produce an enzyme! Or we can simply scream, cry, and hide from danger.
Till 7 years, children (like our animal cousins) use their senses of smell and taste to seek food, nourishment, security and sleep, and safe growth. From 8th upwards(till 12) these 2 senses get taken over by their senses of vision(eyes)/sound(ears) and touch (hands/Body/Movement) to EXPLORE and EXPERIENCE their outside world, outside environment.
The journey from the womb – home – planet – world – social/cultural/political/environment is developing and taking off from this age. Language, words and sounds scripts and focused vision, hands and heads and creating shaping to EXPRESS OURSELVES.
Language is nothing but SOUNDS.
Different Tones and Rhythms as learnt from chants, prayers world music singing songs, recitation – rhymes, story reading – telling cartoon sounds and phonics.
Through music and story CDs and Audio- visuals, this world of sound and language is introduced (Primary English but Hindi/Germanic- French/DutchoSpanish, have been tasted and sung to!
For Example : Children start the session with Om chanting then sing Bhajan chants (with or without instruments)and end with saying their own made up spontaneous prayers for the day. Each one says one in any language.
Singing along with CD’S reading Aloud with Audio tapes, Pointing and reading from books discovering speech rhythm tone expressions
Retelling stories/ relating – describing experiences explain maps, illustrations, diagrams/expressing emotions.
Through the frame- work of the phonics – system we explore diction, punctuation, rhymes – meter, and clarity of sounds spoken/expressed.
Language: is also more than sounds – put together in a pre designed order language is how we order or make sense of our outside world It is our vision our sense of sight, through our eyes, that tells us about the world. More than 80% of our information/knowledge comes from vision what we see we believe and vision is 50% of mental choice
We play around and train our sense of vision through binoculars/ spy glasses/telescope camera/kaleidoscopes magnifying glasses reading identification and observation.
(Identification of words, places trees flowers leaves shapes sizes etc and observations)
Sound and vision are combined in the session through exploratory identification both outdoors and on a work table. We use sound and vision to build and develop everyday ad fantasy concepts or ideas about the world around and within this conceptual development or concept building – capacity, makes speech, a form of communication!
We have something to express, to say – the sounds we make, the words we use, to describe what we see what we feel or hear, is communicating – an EXPERIENCE
For example: Every alternate session (or at least 4 sessions in the month ( We climb down 310 up , a fairly steep hill, Anjuna hill, which opens up into an altar-cum- sky clad amphi theatre! Perched under the wild cashew, mango, swinging langurs, dragon flies and twitters of birds, we overlook Chapora fort and dock on the west, St. Michael church north east bounded by lush green foliage to the south. Using balloons/cameras/magnifying glasses/light catchers/eyes and vision- we have drawn maps, played ‘I spy’ identified species, counted and subtracted steps, learnt about chimps – langurs and orangutans and made natural colors from the leaves/flowers/altar ash/clay around …. Learning about Distance – Directions- shapes/forms – nature.
Which leaves our hands/body and capacity for movement, to express and communicate. While there are many areas here from physical theatre to crafts, dance and drama, we have explored so far – two areas here: YOGA and HANDSKILLS(ie: writing/sketching /colouring)
Yoga – children’s yoga with visual cards are randomly chosen from the world of nature(Birds/Animals/objects/natural features) They identify and do a selection of 6-12 “postures – every session. Practicing, holding on and experimenting with breath, chanting (A/U/M) and ease/discomfort of performance. Sessions (20 mins – ½ hr) end with deep relaxation.
Of course the sprint climb scramble up the hill, and race down Anjuna hill steps, is full physical theater, at its natural best! We have had a few sessions, in the garden around home, touching and smelling the 40 different species of herbs/fruit vegetable/medicinal/ornamental/wild species in them. The garden has been the laboratory to discover Nouns and Adjectives species and colors, shapes and smells/tastes/uses.
HANDSKILLS have been guided through “Table-Work, largely. This includes the use of workbooks, puzzles, dictionaries, encyclopedias, cards, picture books, phonic – practice, math’s, word- building searching, story writing, drawing and illustrating. We have created cards/files/books/maps/timelines/cartoon and stories. We have illustrated stories. We have used pencils/pens/crayons/felts/paints/natural dyes/clay forms/paper cut outs to express an idea. At least 40=45% of the session is focused on this form of communicating. We have had two sessions on the computer learning to “write” on it. Much more can unfold!
Through this language tools of sound/vision/touch we have entered into the areas/subjects of history, Geography, Maths and natural world. We are starting to build on a foundation of basic concepts ideas in the following way:
History: Starting with first birthday to our grandparents schooling, we have got into the idea of His(Her) STORY! OR THE Past. The Ancient History of the world is our basic theme, and we have moved through stone age(old-new), Civilization and Jericho, and landed at Egypt. We have touched on the world of Hanuman and king Arthur, spears and computers.
Geography: Using our cultural diversity as a starting point, and Goa as a melting point we have traced Goa from Anjuna Hill to Rishikesh and Nepal, to Europe and the rest of the world. We have looked at Maps/Atlases/Puzzles to find out about capitals, languages, mountains and rivers. India, with ( Goa included) and is the area of study for a the next couple of sessions.
Maths: Numbers, counting, adding, subtracting ease with 2 digits (3 and 4 digit numbers for the older along with multiplication measurement (ruler measuring tape and use of compass set square have been introduced.
Natural World: Species Identification (Plants) + Habitat/Environment destruction or loss
Monkeys and wildlife Dictionary encyclopedia habitat
Seasons and celebrating natural cycles: x mas, holi ,morning ritual
Myself: connecting with Hygiene/sense of self/behavior Attitude family tree relationships.
A typical session
a. At home
Ritual of lighting incense./candle followed by holding hands, chanting om, prayer, singing, yoga – 20-1/2 hr songs from Karadi rhymes) singing reciting reading memorizing recognizing tune finding unknown words using instruments to sing – dance move beat along Identifying concepts trough songs from colour/seasons/culture places through questions practicing poetry illustrating any one song in between phonics/grammar workbook word puzzles are used.
There is normally a 20-30 min break depending and energy and motivation.
b. Outside Kill – Trek from home (identifying counting transport/moving creatures wild plants to kill (7 mins walk) climb uphill(310 steps, stopping at each cross (story of Jesus – to explore everything from good/evil/sacrifice/ born again, to peacocks, langurs, flowers or a passing snake On top – ritual to altar – prayers songs . Focus on any one them(eg: with the spotting of the langurs came the entry into the world of monkeys, our ancestors the stone age and their habitat, food and communication with Holi came collecting colours from nature and discussing celebrations- rituals festivals and card making with the binoculars came geography distance maps and places……. And so on….
There is so much more available to us and we have just begun tasting our possibilities!
The biggest lesson has been the ease and comfort of communication and interaction between the children they have gravitated towards helping, prodding, supporting, testing, teasing each other- in thier own”specialized” areas of skill and aptitude. Reading and computer skills flexibility and strength sketching and counting memory and spelling have freely been exchanged between them leaping out of their own contexts of interests an motivation.
In this all the tools(Books/Workbooks/ Enclopedias Dictionaries /Audio’ Binocs/computer etc) have been accessible to them at all times.
The idea of “free- play” has largely been let loose in the thinking mental emotional realms our sessions are structured in the sense that I am mostly in an around them there is a general plan for the session but depending on motivation and energy I follow the flow.
In the 20 odd sessions that we have had, so far 2-3 have swung off- couse Free play with ideas imagination, fantasy, concepts words and language, free play in communicating with each of us, democratically and respectfully is our growing skill. There is no natural liking for writing bur there is more than a natural willingness to know and explore more about History/Geography/mythology, maths and the natural world
The writing therefore is in the form of expressing first and then communicating – through both spoken written and illustrated word. Every session then is a little bit of practice – Regularity + discipline)thrown in. More than anything else it is their commitment to Learning itself that is growing.
Can we CONTINUR /PROGRESS WITHING THIS FORMAT?
Yes for sure maybe another “communicator” or language “lover” to bring in Science, Geometry, Drama or computer skills could do with some Mathematically minded guides too. Would love to bring in more Crafts and Poetry food Health and world Mythology into it but the start has been fun. It has been a learning curve for me too, learning to trust my inner sense of only doing/putting out what I enjoy most! The learning then naturally unfolds I am more than open to keeping these 2 sessions per week with 2-4 kids (Our trial with 3 was too short, erratic and temperamentally opposite!) But I have a better sense of our strengths, interest, natural inclination and weakness. More than anything else I am ready to commit my energy, time and space towards this growth cycle.
Look forward to picking up in October 2009!
Navina Venkat 0- Sondergaard
Tel:09370603060
Any Comments/Suggestions on this are welcome!
Also you can pass it to other parents of 8-12 yrs olds, for future possibilities.
May the spirit of Natural Learning Flourish /Om
References for more on Biology of learning, look at JBNNAN/ Joseph Chilton Pearce:
Magical child/magical child matures/Biology of Transcender
No comments:
Post a Comment