Every parent desires their children to have a bright and prosperous future. However, preparing your child for a successful future requires more than just good grades. It involves life skills. At Kids on the Yard, we use the whole-child learning approach to equip students with skills to tackle life’s demands and long-term success. Addressing 21st-century learners is several layers deep to prepare students for higher education and citizenship effectively. Our teaching strategy is about providing holistic education to your child, where we look beyond the classroom to focus on the individual needs of every child. Here are more insights about the Whole Child approach:
What is the Whole-child Approach?
The “Whole child” approach is a learning method that focuses on the bigger picture of a child. The approach supports and nurtures all your child’s learning and development areas. It also improves cognitive and social-emotional skills, literacy, science, and math learning, making it a powerful strategy for preschool children as they prepare to transit to kindergarten. The Whole-child approach improves your child’s learning and thinking abilities by being responsive to their understanding, abilities, and interests. The approach allows children also to enhance their eagerness and natural curiosity, hence discovering and learning more.
How Schools Support and Implement the “Whole- Child” Approach
- Having an Assessment that is not Academic based:
A school that supports the Whole-Child approach understands that students’ achievements go beyond their grades. They track students’ performance through other ways to offer them all-rounded success and growth. Whole child assessment includes in-lessons and extracurricular activities assessment. Assessments under this learning approach should integrate multiple learning methods where students will show an understanding of course materials and other aspects of life.
- By Creating a Safe Community
A school that supports the whole child approach ensures that students learn and understand the need to live in cohesion. Policies reflect that understanding and provide students understanding of acceptable behavior, boundaries, and outcomes when these philosophies are exercised in school life. The school leaders create policies that assure children of their safety, and the staff members build supportive relationships that improve learning and encourage resolution.
- By having a Well-rounded Curriculum
A well-rounded curriculum is essential in the whole-child learning approach since it provides time for diverse subjects. Pupils under whole child support develop their interests and challenge their perspectives. Such students are exposed to different topics and participate in many new activities. Besides spending enough time learning various subjects in class, pupils also get to learn and dedicate enough time to extra-curricular activities, e.g., Learning a new life skill or participating in a sport and activities to practice understanding. Other activities within a well-rounded curriculum may include debates, projects, wellness activities, hearing from other staff besides their educators, and making educational visits.
- By Accommodating Creativity in the Classroom
Every aspect of life in school should make students feel supported and safe, including the application of differentiation tactics where every child is allowed to learn at their own pace and naturally go through the curriculum. Under the whole child approach, teachers act as guides, ask questions, and encourage excellence in class and outside through independent learning instead of reciting learning materials.
- By Promoting Independence
In all learning stages, children require the freedom to make their own choices and decisions and learn from their mistakes. Older children may gain the freedom to manage their learning schedules through student apps, among other platforms. The whole child approach allows children to choose their learning theme, especially on topics that interest them. The whole-child approach also helps your child develop a sense of independence and encourages self-accountability, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Not only does the approach promote independence, but it also builds responsibility. Significantly, it facilitates compassion and self-awareness, qualities that a child can take to adulthood.
TAKE AWAY:
Schools support the whole child approach by promoting creativity, independence, and a well-rounded curriculum. They also ensure that children dwell in a safe environment and are assessed academically and in other life activities. Learning through this approach goes beyond classroom boundaries. Students can also customize their curriculum and schilling schedule to fit their interests and hobbies. Indeed, Whole approach learning is essential to your child for it helps them excel academically and in other areas of their lives that may include language, drama, sports, social debates, and arts.
Contact us for more information about the Whole Child learning approach.
