Learning environments

Do you ever feel that as adults we can become blinkered sometimes? 

We are weighted down with responsibilities. 

Some of us are trapped in the past. 

Some of us are too focused on the future. 

The present day can be at times merely dismissed as hours we are counting down to reach tomorrow. 

I feel in the hustle and bustle we can forget to be in the moment, we don't tend to allow ourselves the gift of boredom, of silence, of focusing on ourselves, or learning from our environment. 

Children are naturals at living in the present moment, and at exploring and learning from their surroundings. They lose this gift somewhere along the way. 

We have set our house up to be a learning environment, to stimulate the children's imagination, natural curiosity and to take advantage of their ability to absorb knowledge like a sponge. 

I love seeing this in action. 

We have half of the living room set up for the purpose of developing creativity and imagination, with a book nook, a dolls house and play kitchen. 

Surrounding this is their artwork on the wall, to serve as a reminder of their achievements and talents. Above this are educational posters. The layout is layered if you will, of different levels of learning and it's interesting to see how the children tune into it. 

How many of us adults buy artwork or posters, note boards or inspirational word plaques and never really study them? They become part of the wall, we may not have the time to reflect on them. 

When it comes to children their eyes gravitate towards change, so changing up their environment frequently can help to keep their eyes forever searching for the new. 

Alexander came to me yesterday, his little chest puffed up with pride, to inform me where his stomach, lungs and heart are situated in his body. I haven't taught him this yet, and the girls learnt the basics last year.

He was chatting to me about tubes taking food to the stomach as he's pulling me up the stairs to the living room. I'm there thinking he's referring back to his external stomach tube. 

All became clear when we arrive to our poster on organs. He read it to me and pointed the organs out on him and was asking me to explain what the bladder does and the liver etc. 

He has been studying the poster whilst he's been playing at role play. I've not noticed him sit and stare at it, he's obviously just glanced at it every now again whilst he's been outwardly busy saving the world. It also shows he can read silently in his head now. 

I think he'll be joining in with the girls when we study the human body in further detail this coming school year.

As much as children need to learn from us, we too must learn from them, and remember to look backwards, not to troubled memories, but to our inner child to find that curiosity and zeal for growing mentally which has become perhaps muted by life events. 


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