Child's Learning Process

LEARNING PROCESS

by Dr. Ajit Sabnis

            Human brain is the result of millions of years of evolution and at present man is a mental being. What does this mean? Without getting into the metaphysical aspects, let us say, as a species, his (He and She) inquisitiveness can be satiated by logic and reason. He is by no means the perfect being in the evolutionary process. Brain is a physical organ that is being used as an instrument for the learning process.

What Then Is Learning? 

            The process of internalizing information so as to be able to apply to real-life problem-solving situations and come to more creative and fulfilling ways of living and responding to life-conditions and situations.

                                           Learning is a Physical Experience!

A dry and entirely academic learning experience never satisfies the child. For a child, learning is as much physical as it is emotional. In fact, a child is first and foremost a physical being. Then as it grows, its emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual faculties get expressed. To learn, the child must get involved emotionally.

·                                    Learning is an Emotional Experience!

Learning involves the emotions. The traditional teacher too often misses this vital aspect of the educational process. The truly effective teacher is the one who understands the emotional nature of the learner and is capable of evoking it in the process of learning.

      Learning is an Integrative Process!

A physical, emotional and intellectual participation in learning is only the initial process of learning: for an entirely effective learning to happen, it is essential that the learner experiences an integration of his-her physical, emotional and intellectual learning.

         Learning is an Intellectual Experience!

It is only after the child has been engaged physically and emotionally in his-her learning process, that s-he comes to the intellectual level of learning. In other words, a real intellectual learning is possible only when the learner has begun to participate physically and emotionally in the learning process.

Learning, by its very nature, cannot be fragmentary - the whole being of the learner needs to be involved in learning.

 True learning is learning that is assimilated and internalized. Such a thing is necessarily integrative because only an experience that has been lived as much in the body as in the emotions and in the intellect is deeply assimilated and internalized.

·        Learning is Experiential, Not Theoretical!

Theoretical learning can only be temporary and superficial. Good Perhaps for examination but not good enough for real life. Learning which can be assimilated and used in real life is essentially learning that is experiential - i.e. learning based on, validated by experience.

What do we do?

·        Teach subject for a longer period and allow assimilation time.

·        Club core subject teaching with art and craft. For example, teach maths using craft.

·        Try having creative class after each core subject.

·        Allow children to make their own notes and discuss.

·        Introduce deep breathing, chanting of AUM, Simple exercises, Dreaming, Imagination, concentration etc.

Have a great and thoughtful Weekend !