The Whole-child Approach In Education

 

                                    The Whole-child Approach In Education

     The 21st-century challenges require a new education method to prepare children for academics, careers, and society. Research, practice, and common sense affirm that a whole-child approach to education will promote and equip students for today’s and tomorrow’s demands and opportunities by approaching students’ whole needs through students’ shared responsibility, families, schools, and communities.

The whole-child approach to teaching promotes and feeds all areas of children’s development and learning–from social-emotional and cognitive skills to literacy, math, and science understanding, and is a powerful approach as preschool children transition to kindergarten. It encourages children’s learning and thinking by being responsive to children’s perceptions, cares, and skills, empowering them to develop their natural inquisitiveness and enthusiasm to explore and learn, says Costanza (the Cheif academic officer Teaching strategy.

     When applying the whole-child-approach, social-emotional should be assessed. A complete picture of development and learning should include children’s language and literacy competence and math and science understanding, physical wellbeing, and social-emotional development. The early childhood years provide a rare opportunity to develop and shape children’s social–emotional abilities. Research shows that children’s social skills in kindergarten are early pointers of their adulthood success (Teaching Strategies,2019).

     It’s beneficial to concentrate on academic expectations in an early childhood classroom and articulate standards, knowledge, and math skills. Still, as educators of future citizens of the world, educators must also make sure that children’s social-emotional development synchronizes and thrives with academic excellence(Teaching Strategies,2019).

     The country of interest and under discussion is Finland. Finland has recently received international attention for its students’ high performance on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Finland is leading the way because of common-sense practices and a holistic teaching environment that strives for equity over excellence. American students steadily rank near the middle or bottom among developed nations in math and science. PISA routinely releases data that shows that Americans are seriously lagging in several educational performance assessments.

     The Finns know how to do education. They’re frequently recalled as the pinnacle of contemporary education, a shining example for us all to gaze upon in awe and a little envy. They understand the importance of play in the early years, eschewing literacy and numeracy until children are ready, incorporate outdoor learning into lessons and nurture children to put them and their mental health above the need to prove their abilities through tests (Wef, 2018).

     This education Mecca seems like an impossible feat that the rest of us can only dream of for our children. Some argue that this kind of education can only work in a place like Finland, with its small population and socialist policies. Great if you live in Finland, but impossible to achieve elsewhere thanks to rigid education systems and procedures that favor teaching to the test over children’s wellbeing.

     Preschoolers in Finland spend their days in the kindergarten playing and exploring. There are, of course, different play types such as digital play, active play, creative play, social play, and free play. While some of it is structured, for the most part, children are encouraged to play freely and independently with their peers. According to extensive studies, play and exploration are the most natural forms of acting and thinking characteristics. Therefore, with a predominantly play-based approach, Finnish kindergartens integrate different play types to optimize children’s learning experience. In other words, they have mastered the art of making learning fun! (sanders, 2018)

     Following a holistic approach, early education in Finland strives to develop children’s mental, physical, social, and emotional skills. This means little children are taught how to use their five senses to understand the world around them. Furthermore, they are guided on how to regulate the feelings.

It will be great to borrow a leaf from the Finnish education system where students and teachers are respected as individuals, and their unique personalities are celebrated and treasured. Children are not considered empty jars to be filled with knowledge or blobs of clay to be molded. Instead, they are treated as little sprouts and nurtured to grow in the direction they prefer. Furthermore, teachers are highly trusted and given the autonomy to decide the best way to teach their students. Finnish early education is a collaborative effort to help every child become the best versions of themselves within a safe, empowering, and fun learning environment (Wef,2018).

                                                                      References

Sanders, C. (2018, June 26). 7 Amazing Things To Know About Finnish Kindergartens. Fun Academy. 

        https://funacademy.fi/finnish-kindergartens/

Teaching Strategies, LLC. (2019, June 28). Whole Child. Teaching Strategies.

       https://teachingstrategies.com/wholechild/#:%7E:text=What%20is%20the%20whole%2Dchild,

       preschool%20children%20transition%20to%20kindergarten.

Ten reasons why Finland’s education system is the best in the world. (2018, September 10). World

      Economic Forum. 

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/10-reasons-why-finlands-education-system-is-the-best-in-the-

     world