I have watched this sight of children being escorted to the play school from the bus stop and being taken back to their pick up spot after the school hours. To watch children walking, holding their hands together, in an orderly fashion has set me thinking!
The care giver who helps in this process gently prompts them and keeps talking to them during this short walk. The children ask questions and she would answer. One question, I heard a child ask her was, ‘Why can’t I stay in the school’! The answer was, 'Nobody would be in the school to look after you in the evening, as I will go home to look after my daughter. An interesting dialogue!
The child enjoys the school and and at the mention of the home, the child was stilled. The child travelled back in his mind to think of the delights at home.
Is it not wonderful to have children who enjoy the school and home alike!
For this to happen, we require a welcoming, child-freindly and caring atmosphere at school. This indeed is not a common feature in many of our schools. The school is a frightening experience for many children. We need a new outlook to schooling- it is to be ‘schole’, which by meaning is a place of leisure! I wish we would shift our focus form teaching to making learning a pleasure!
We need to consider how we set up inclusive homes where children too have equal space, position, recognition and participation in the home. I asked a mother, what does her five year old daughter do when she returns from the school. After kissing her mother, she would have a bath, change her dress, eat her snacks and go to her toy shelf, till it is time for her to go out into the park to play with her friends. A easy and pleasant transition from school to home and home to school!
Any change in the learning methods for children needs to involve looking at the the school and home ambience alike! A happy child at home is usually happy at school; a happy child at school is usually happy at home. Life for a child, is a continuum and we are just different facilitators to offer that experience at home and school!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
The care giver who helps in this process gently prompts them and keeps talking to them during this short walk. The children ask questions and she would answer. One question, I heard a child ask her was, ‘Why can’t I stay in the school’! The answer was, 'Nobody would be in the school to look after you in the evening, as I will go home to look after my daughter. An interesting dialogue!
The child enjoys the school and and at the mention of the home, the child was stilled. The child travelled back in his mind to think of the delights at home.
Is it not wonderful to have children who enjoy the school and home alike!
For this to happen, we require a welcoming, child-freindly and caring atmosphere at school. This indeed is not a common feature in many of our schools. The school is a frightening experience for many children. We need a new outlook to schooling- it is to be ‘schole’, which by meaning is a place of leisure! I wish we would shift our focus form teaching to making learning a pleasure!
We need to consider how we set up inclusive homes where children too have equal space, position, recognition and participation in the home. I asked a mother, what does her five year old daughter do when she returns from the school. After kissing her mother, she would have a bath, change her dress, eat her snacks and go to her toy shelf, till it is time for her to go out into the park to play with her friends. A easy and pleasant transition from school to home and home to school!
Any change in the learning methods for children needs to involve looking at the the school and home ambience alike! A happy child at home is usually happy at school; a happy child at school is usually happy at home. Life for a child, is a continuum and we are just different facilitators to offer that experience at home and school!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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