The Argument for Hands-on Learning Experiences in Elementary School

Subjects usually taught in high school and college are now being introduced to elementary school children in a language they can understand, thanks to the latest inclusion of hands-on learning experiences. Which schools are adopting it, and how can parents help their children learn from the new hands-on methods?

Most of the instruction our children are getting in nursery school, kindergarten and the lower grades is based on the assumption that they cannot do any real thinking until they are eight, nine or 10 years old.

But in many classrooms throughout the country, youngsters from 3 to 6 years of age are proving that this assumption is wrong. They are learning physics in preschool and using slide rulers to plot equations in the third grade. They are being introduced to science, mathematics and social studies in ways that, until recently, were reserved for high school and college students.

Astonishingly, these are not specially selected children with high I.Q.'s, but average children in average classrooms. Their numbers are small in proportion to the total school population, but the only thing that makes them different from the other students - aside from the rapidity with which they are learning - is the new way in which they are being taught. This system is assumes that any subject can be taught in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development, provided that hands-on learning experiences are used as a teaching medium.

This is a conviction shared by many scientists, university professors and scholars who have been increasingly concerned with the problems of American education. Their conviction, based on what many psychologists believe is an overlooked capacity on the part of young children to learn, is admittedly revolutionary. Yet more and more schools are reshaping their curriculums to the hands-on learning methods it proposes.

University mathematicians and scientists, working with a few interested public and private schools, were the first to develop teaching programs making use of the new hands-on learning philosophy. Later, scores of university-based projects were launched to improve the teaching of English, foreign language and social studies. Both federal and private foundation funds are financing many of these university projects, and the US Office of Education has begun curriculum reform studies of its own.

The new approach to learning is particularly welcome to many school administrators and teachers right now because of a disturbing fact acknowledged by educators across the country: the average freshman is arriving at college today unprepared by the lower schools to deal with rapidly expanding fields of knowledge. By using the new hands-on learning methods, there is hope that this gap can be closed. Rather than simply "getting by" in their classes, students actually retain knowledge even years after instruction has ended.

How are children caught by the new methods? How can fundamental knowledge be tailored to the interests and capacities of "any child at any stage of development" without distortion? Any parent who has tried to give honest and intelligent answers to a child's questions about everyday life will understand what university specialists face when they tackle the job of rebuilding school curriculums.

Naturally, it is hopeless to expect a child to start at the beginning of a subject and push through to the end without accumulating a wide range of facts. I myself have noticed a major change in my children, as they come home and tell me facts and figures that I never knew existed. "Mom, do you know how fast a hummingbird's wings can beat? Do you know what kind of creatures live at the very bottom of the sea? Do you know why babies hiccup?" I have grown accustomed to these impromptu trivia quizzes during our trips from school. The kids gain a sense of pride when they discover that they know something that mom does not. When I question them about how they know what they know, in most cases they will tell me about some sort of hands-on learning activity, such as making salt water in the classroom, observing the wind displacement of a feather, and so forth.

For the most part, the new approach to hands-on learning involves introduction to many different subjects. Lessons are written based on the child's age rather than on the subject matter itself. In essence, it is the same principle behind explaining the law to someone in layman's terms. Imagine trying to defend yourself in court over a major issue if you did not understand your rights or the legal process. You could not do anything to help yourself, right? Then again, if a lawyer or someone who is knowledgeable in law took the time to explain these things to you, you could do very well defending yourself or presenting a good case.

The same is true when it comes to the new hands-on approach to learning. Teachers today are no longer bound by the basic subjects of reading, writing, socialization, basic math, and music. Today, children as young as three years old are being introduced to real science lessons, exploration of culturally and geographically different locations and societies, hands-on mathematics, and even foreign language.

In the area where I live, there is a large percentage of Cherokee people. My children were fortunate enough to receive instruction in Cherokee language, culture, crafts, and the "old ways" by one of the most noteworthy and respected members of our tribe in this area, Mr. Hastings Shade. And while Mr. Shade is no longer with us, he was a major advocate for hands-on learning experiences. In most, if not all, of his lessons he would tell the children about some aspect of Cherokee language or culture, then show them, then allow them to explore the subject themselves. Regular walks into the woods to see native, edible plants was a welcome treat for children of all ages. And, thanks to these hands-on learning experiences, my kids can still identify these plants today.

Other subjects benefit from hands-on learning experiences as well. My daughter, while in kindergarten, was taught about how plants grow and then grew her own plant that she later brought home. Yesterday she explained to me why I should water my plants more often, lecturing me on how plants grow, take in water, and utilize nutrients. My son was exposed to music theory through hands-on learning activities in first grade, and as a result his love for music has continued to grow ever since. Both children have been given Spanish lessons periodically throughout their entire educations. Both of them can recognize and speak words that I cannot. They have a wide knowledge base thanks to these new hands-on teaching methods, as if they are walking encyclopedias. Certainly these lessons would never have been available if the school were bound by the old rules and the old ways of teaching.

Sources:

The experiences of my children while engaging in hands-on learning experiences
Personal knowledge and experiences with Mr. Hastings Shade, a cherished Cherokee craftsman

Other sources:

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-2.htm
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr27/1/fr270114.htm
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2009/01/engaging_students_in_stem.html
http://www.greenteacher.com/middlebookintro.html