The KiiT International School here conducted a workshop on “Best Curricular Practices in Early learning Years” for teachers from all over the city on Saturday. Eminent pre-primary learning expert Nidhi Dhawan, Director, Happy Hours School, and Dr Pratap Rath, Professor of Psychology and child rights activist, addressed the workshop.
Dhawan stressed the importance of involving and addressing the natural curiosity of the child in a graded, structured but innovative manner with varied approaches to learning without stereotyping and rote memorisation. The emphasis should be in tapping the child’s curiosity and imagination to lead to the ultimate goal of making learning a joyful process of discovery and exploration, she said.
She highlighted the possibilities of innovation through crosswords, riddles, illustrations, etc., showcasing some of the worksheets done by children from her school. Dr Rath conducted a session on right to life with dignity where he emphasised on the need for educators to realise their own individuality, uniqueness and self-esteem in order to be able to mould children as unique individuals. He also demonstrated innovative ways of teaching Math and making complex calculations simple for children.
School chairperson Dr Monalisa Bal highlighted the need for a stress-free, happy and safe environment for early learners by making use of technology, innovation and creativity to spark off the latent capabilities in them. School Faculty, Department of Psychology Rajalaxmi Panda conducted some games to energise the teachers and reinforce the views of the educators. The feedback from each and every participant was overwhelmingly encouraging.