A child asks his mother, 'how do you bake a cake?'
His mother replies, 'Son, first you have to learn about the ingredients for a cake, its history, origins and variations. Then we shall discover heat, fire and the oven. Do you know how a cake first comes about, how it differs across countries? Then let's finally talk about how to bake a cake. You shall listen to me, see me do it but you shall not touch it.'
Can you imagine if the mother answers a child's question this way? Do you think the child can keep up his curiosity in how to bake a cake?
If your guess is as good as mine (no), then let's consider why we are doing the same to our children in education?
Thankfully, somewhere in the world, Finland to be specific, is paving the way to teach their children differently since Aug 2016.
Finland has adopted a collaborative way to teach their children with a concept called, 'Phenomenal-based Learning'. Instead of learning math, science as separate ingredients, Finland gets students cooking while learning about their ingredients. Figuratively speaking, of course.
Task-centric learning, enquiry-style learning, or integrated learning as we call it at Trinity Kids, is a progressive and intuitive way of learning for our children. Students learn holistically and use real-world skills at the same time.
I don't know when this will be a replacement for traditional subjects. But these topic-based learning is an excellent way for our child (not necessarily the same year group) to choose a topic of their interest and pick subjects relating to it.
Fancy learning about climate change? Let's find out about it now, and select a few math and science sub-courses relating to it.
Phenomenal-based learning keeps our child motivated with a goal in mind. Definitely a phenomenal way to prep our child with the right skills and knowledge in life.
That's why we call it our Prepschool and why we are rolling out a language immersive, phenomenal-based learning session each day.
Let's not subject our child to studying so she can 'get there'.
Let her enjoy the journey and let her lead us 'there'.
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