Learning by Doing

This blog shows how learning can be fun. One need not enforce strict rules for learning because, as the experience of these children clearly shows, enjoyable and practical lessons provide a strong support for understanding the subject matter beyond what is in the textbook. Engagement with the world around them also brings a deeper level of understanding and capability which provides the children with an enhanced experience of life.

Learning new content and concepts is usually a joyful and memorable experience for the students at Isha Vidhya. They learn through fun activities which reinforce the lesson content with ease. Such activities begin in kindergarten and continue into the higher classes too.

Let’s discover how these activities in Math, Science, English and other subjects help our students learn effortlessly.

Drawing to Learn Words

During their English period, Class 1 students of Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri added national symbol words like “flag”, “peacock”, “lotus”, and “mango” to their vocabulary by drawing them instead of merely learning from an illustrated chart. Their teacher took them outdoors and called out a word, which they keenly drew on the ground.

Adding to Learn Multiplication

A basic math concept was made simple for Class 3 students of Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri. They learned multiplication the easy way through repeated addition by using number and symbol flashcards, leaves, and stones. While the flashcards conveyed the problem, the stones and leaves were placed alongside the numbers for counting. The activity helped them concentrate and think their way through simple multiplication problems.

Reversible and Irreversible Change

The science teacher of Isha Vidhya Villupuram used a simple yet exciting activity to teach her Class 6 students the concepts of reversible and irreversible changes. They first made paper boats and then unfolded them to learn about reversible change.

Then, they blew air into a balloon, burst it, and learned about irreversible reactions.

Learning by Playing Dumb Charades

The English teacher of Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri devised a game to teach her Class 3 students new command words like push, pull, scratch, etc. She whispered the new word to a student in one team who then acted out the word for students in the other team to guess rightly and gain a point. The students participated eagerly, used their wit to get their gestures and the words right, and thus learned the new words playfully.

Making Soap

In the ‘Discovering Chemistry in Everyday Life’ activity, Class 6 students of Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri learned to make soap in their science class. With instructions from their teacher, the students measured and mixed the ingredients to make soap that formed into cakes once the mixture dried. Thus, they learned – practically – what makes soap and how chemistry is omnipresent in everyday life.

Air Fuels a Flame

The Class 3 science teacher at Isha Vidhya Erode explained the role of air in fuelling a fire by making her students participate in a simple activity. They lit a candle and then placed a glass jar over it, whereby the flame soon extinguished. They learned that air is a vital component for keeping a flame burning and is also an essential part of our lives.