An approach that clicks

YOU AND I are familiar with science exhibitions in schools. Here is a school in Kottivakkam, Headstart School, (run by Vidyothsahi Educational and Charitable Trust) which has less than 100 children studying in Pre-KG to standard III, hosting an English language exhibition in its premises recently. Last year, the school principal Mrs. Sudha Mahesh, who runs the school along with her husband, had put up a Math exhibition. Ms. Mahesh was recently made the secretary of the Indian Association of Pre- school Education (IAPE).

Keeping in mind the fact that English is not a phonetic language, Sudha has attempted a combination of structured and phonetic learning styles, while making use of the child's inherent desire to learn. This helps the children to understand, think and reason in English. The Maheshs firmly believe that all the children have the ability and attitude. "The teacher helps habituate this into a learning process", they say.

The language development format used here is listening - speaking - reading - writing. Only after mastering the first three stages is the child asked to take on writing in Headstart. Story, puppet, flash card, crayons, flannel board, song and reading card are all used freely. The array of games and puzzles the children lose themselves in while learning is incredible. Sliding, rhyming card game, jigsaw puzzle, spot the odd sound game, matching, colouring games are some of them. Vowels and consonants, plurals, diphthongs and diagraphs, homonyms and antonyms, prepositions and story writing have been made interesting in innovative ways.

All the work by the children on display was done in classroom. In fact, it forms their regular curriculum. According to Mahesh, the benefits of an exhibition of this nature are manifold. It helps children go through the work done and use it as a refresher. When they see, hear and do, the learning process is complete. These enhance the creativity in children and enlarge their vision.

The activities are so integrated that the children get to understand a single concept from different perspectives. They are age-appropriate and even the play activities supplement their efforts at the learning process. Sudha Mahesh feels that because the children enjoy what they do, they remember what they learn. As for the teacher, it provides a variety, removing the monotony and the hardship of teaching by rote.

For more details, contact Ph: 4413506, email: hedstart@md3.vsnl.net.in

SELINE AUGUSTINE

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