Every meeting with the kinder pupils is like an exploration and invention of humanity. Discoveries of their personalities served as an instrument to gain such rapport. Exploration took place whenever a teacher plays with. Invention happens every time they acquire such knowledge as well as values modified at the four corners called classroom. Mystified is most of the time sinking in the head especially when the class is under my supervision. Excitements also arouse whenever they start talking to me as one of their friends as my discoveries begin.
Play, play, and play are what most of the time and the majority of them desire much. It is undeniable that children at early ages learn best through play and imitation but it seems that the curriculum makes it all different and impossible. Most of their learning activities are confined to the four sides of a class and equipped with numerous papers and pen works. Individual differences interfere much with every learning activity but little by little, the teacher exerts efforts to properly address it.
“Cloth me with knowledge” is what most of them speak in their minds. The learning activities somehow support and foster the development of each individual. It’s time to examine why some teacher seems to be producing intellectual giants who are emotional infants. We had this stereotype that at an early age, children must learn and master the basic concepts. For how many years, preschool classrooms are set up like an elementary classroom where learning is most of the time lock up in the four sides of a classroom and relies heavily on paper and pencil examination as an evaluation of progress. Where in one way or another, the curriculum dictates what and how learning should be. It focuses greatly on cognitive and motor development, less on the social phase and a bit of the emotional progress of a child.
Happiness and a healthy mood go hand in hand. A happy childhood is an essential factor in healthy growth. Education should generate happiness and a healthy mood for the growing child. It is easier to motivate them to do tasks when they are in good mood. Teachers can easily catch and maintain their attention whenever they are having fun with the differentiated strategies. Senses are the gateways of knowledge. For effective learning, adequate sensory experiences should be provided to the child. Although direct experiences cannot be provided all the time because it is expensive and sometimes impossible, teachers are trying their best to prepare and deliver hands-on and minds-on activities. Improvisation is the solution to resolve the scarcity of appropriate materials for the activity.
The early years of children’s lives are the most critical when it comes to their development. They are growing and learning at a phenomenal rate. It is important to have a child in an environment that is consistent and secure. Children need to be able to form secure attachments not only with their parents but also their teachers/caregivers. Simply being in a loving and nurturing environment forms these types of attachments.
By: Mary Myra M. Tacazon | Teacher I | Kalalake Elementary School
