Wednesday 18 February 2009

Learning Outdoors

Learning Outdoors: come rain or shine, sleet or snow children between the age of 5 and 6 at a school in Norway spend all day learning outside. Can you imagine dinner nannies in the UK agreeing with that?!

The Headteacher of Torvmyrane School in Florø, Øivin Monsen explains why they do this: "The children have the use of a "grindhus" (traditional west coast hut) to leave their coats and packed lunches but otherwise they learn outdoors. The most obvious gain is in motor skills but they also know their letters and numbers and do philosophy for children regularly. They learn a lot about trees, insects, water, fish, birds, animals; they use knives, saws, hammers etc… " Every 5-year old is outside. And they insist that they no longer go to kindergarten. They are outdoor kids, and that is something completely different. After several years we have registered only positive feedback, e.g. that the children have much more to tell when they come home." JN

No comments:

Post a Comment