Children are
learning in every waking moment. Learning
is a natural activity for children, not something separated out from play
or from life and called “learning.” Because
children are quite open to the world, they approach it inquisitively. They
carefully observe and want to know all about what they are seeing.
By the time
a child comes to kindergarten around the age of 4, he or she has naturally
learned many complex tasks, for example, his native language. Becoming conversant
in a language by the age of 4 is not a small achievement. On into their adult
lives, they go on learning many new things—the challenge is: how to create a
learning environment that supports
the natural tendency to learn, not suppresses it.
If we’re all
inherently natural learners, why should we have to force-feed learning? Why
create classrooms where learning seems a chore? Why not create an environment
that supports and encourages and gives scope for natural learning?
There are
various means we can use to create a learning environment that supports a
child’s natural tendency to learn:
·
We
can train teachers to be supportive facilitators and guides who follow the
interests of children, listen to their thoughts and feelings, and expand their
interests into a wider context in the area in which a child wants to learn.
This is how a child gets empowered to make the most of the learning
environment.
· We can create situations and
opportunities for this, empowering children to take leadership in their own
learning. Interest is key; by giving scope for the children’s own interests, the learning
environment can seem attractive and come alive. For example, a group of
sixth-grade boys will be more enthusiastic about mathematics if they’re
comparing individual career sports scores.
· We can provide the right resources
for this. A resource-rich environment that allows a child easy access and full
ownership can help stimulate his natural tendency to learn. A library of media
resources with a simple user index, natural resources from the physical
environment, visitors who share life stories and skills, field trips that offer
an integrated learning experience, a well-stocked library of books that can be taken
home—all these can support the ongoing impetus to learn.
If the
child’s tendency to be a natural learner, to absorb knowledge from experiences
through their own interests, is supported, encouraged, and facilitated, the
natural outcome will be an adult who is a lifelong learner.
We can do
this. We can create a learning environment that helps kids go about doing what
they do best—finding out how things work, picking up new skills, figuring out
how things connect up, and learning new ways of doing things.
