THE PNEU SCHOOL
TEACHER'S HANDBOOK
FORMS 1 & 11
CONTENTS
The Parent as Teacher
The Importance of the Home
Child Development
Intelligence
Language
Personality
Praise and Blame
Play
Home Teaching
Classroom Organisation
Narration
Curriculum Subjects
Religious Knowledge
English
1. Reading 2. Writing 3. English Language
4. Creative Writing 5. Literature 6. Leisure Reading
Mathematics
History
Geography
Science
French
Art and Craft
Picture Study
Music
Physical Education
Assessment
The PNEU Library
1.
THE PARENT AS TEACHER
The Importance of the Home
Parents who assume responsibility for the education of their own children may be comforted to learn that teachers in Primary Schools today are convinced that children must continue to learn at school in the same way as they did at home during the early years: that is, through their own activities, with the guidance and help of an adult. Evidence agrees that the home, particularly in the early years of a child's life, has a far greater influence on his development than the school does. The most important advantage of a good home background is that it gives affection, sympathy and understanding, routine and consistency; the child feels secure and develops naturally through his various stages of mental and physical growth because his parents are aware of his widening interests and curiosity and are prepared to cater for them.
True learning comes about through Action and Experience.
A jingle helps us to realize this: -
"I have five senses you must reach
If I'm to learn and you to teach,
With tough, taste, smell and eyes so clear
Why must I learn all things by ear?"
It is necessary too, when thinking of education, to realize that it means the education of the whole child. Those who teach must be aware that they are endeavoring to help the young child to attain optimum development - emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically and that all these things are inter-dependent - a "seamless robe of learning".
All parents will have added to their intuitive knowledge of how to bring up a family be learning from their own experience, by observation of others, by reading books and articles and by taking advice. They will usually settle down to a pattern of behaviour as a family characteristic of their own generation.
Parents will be interested not only to watch and enjoy their child's development but wish to help him by physical care such as exercise, nutritious food, adequate sleep, sensible clothing and medical attention when necessary, by intellectual stimulation through speech, travel, books,
2.
pictures, television, religious observance and by emotional nourishment.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Much study of children's developmental stages has taken place and it is generally accepted that learning should be related to the stage reached by a child. A change from one well-developed stage occurs at about 4, another at 7 and again at 10 or 11. Thus, it is pointless to teach until a child can take in what is being taught, but a child will learn when a topic or relationship is within his grasp. This doctrine can be misinterpreted and made an excuse for not causing a child to make effort but in reality these two things are quite separate.
Another thing to bear in mind is that learning does not go on at a steady, regular rate but by what are called plateaux of learning. A child will apparently fail to make progress and then suddenly master a stage, ready to move on to the next.
INTELLIGENCE
The part which intelligence plays in learning has become a matter of controversy in recent years. It is established that by the age of four, we have already more than half our full potential intelligence and it remains valid that inborn intelligence or reasoning power is far greater than environmental influences, which however often determine what a person will make of his innate qualities. A teacher will of course find that the progress of a bright child is more rapid than that of other children. But this has nothing to do with ultimate achievement, success in life or with what sort of person we are.
LANGUAGE
One of the fundamental findings of recent years is the importance of language in a child's mental growth. It is accepted that children from homes where talk is encouraged from a child's earliest days, where parents converse with each other and with their family in complete sentences and use a wide vocabulary, have an enormous initial advantage over children from homes where monosyllables are the general
3.
rule and where reproof often takes the place of encouragement. The use of language not only assists intellectual growth but in the form of intonation leads a child to form attitudes based on its parents' manner.
PERSONALITY
All children have a unique combination of personality traits. Nowadays we are less dogmatic about correcting 'weaker' qualities since there is room for the gentle-natured child as well as for his more forceful brother or sister. Of course, these qualities are not constant and the teacher must take account of a child's good and bad moods and his 'on' and 'off' days.
PRAISE AND BLAME
The part which praise and blame play in teaching is vital. A child should always be complimented on achievement, if only of the simplest kind - "Good" should always be on a teacher's lips. But reprimand or correction should be applies obliquely and put in the form of encouragement, never harshly or sarcastically. To say it is essential to let a child learn for itself is not to condemn a teacher to a passive role. A teacher's skill lies in knowing how a child learns and in using that knowledge to help an individual to grow in wisdom and understanding.
There are many other aspects of teaching. With younger children, it is essential to grasp the significance of play.
PLAY
CONTENTS
The Importance of the Home
Parents who assume responsibility for the education of their own children may be comforted to learn that teachers in Primary Schools today are convinced that children must continue to learn at school in the same way as they did at home during the early years: that is, through their own activities, with the guidance and help of an adult. Evidence agrees that the home, particularly in the early years of a child's life, has a far greater influence on his development than the school does. The most important advantage of a good home background is that it gives affection, sympathy and understanding, routine and consistency; the child feels secure and develops naturally through his various stages of mental and physical growth because his parents are aware of his widening interests and curiosity and are prepared to cater for them.
True learning comes about through Action and Experience.
A jingle helps us to realize this: -
"I have five senses you must reach
If I'm to learn and you to teach,
With tough, taste, smell and eyes so clear
Why must I learn all things by ear?"
It is necessary too, when thinking of education, to realize that it means the education of the whole child. Those who teach must be aware that they are endeavoring to help the young child to attain optimum development - emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically and that all these things are inter-dependent - a "seamless robe of learning".
All parents will have added to their intuitive knowledge of how to bring up a family be learning from their own experience, by observation of others, by reading books and articles and by taking advice. They will usually settle down to a pattern of behaviour as a family characteristic of their own generation.
Parents will be interested not only to watch and enjoy their child's development but wish to help him by physical care such as exercise, nutritious food, adequate sleep, sensible clothing and medical attention when necessary, by intellectual stimulation through speech, travel, books,
2.
pictures, television, religious observance and by emotional nourishment.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Much study of children's developmental stages has taken place and it is generally accepted that learning should be related to the stage reached by a child. A change from one well-developed stage occurs at about 4, another at 7 and again at 10 or 11. Thus, it is pointless to teach until a child can take in what is being taught, but a child will learn when a topic or relationship is within his grasp. This doctrine can be misinterpreted and made an excuse for not causing a child to make effort but in reality these two things are quite separate.
Another thing to bear in mind is that learning does not go on at a steady, regular rate but by what are called plateaux of learning. A child will apparently fail to make progress and then suddenly master a stage, ready to move on to the next.
INTELLIGENCE
The part which intelligence plays in learning has become a matter of controversy in recent years. It is established that by the age of four, we have already more than half our full potential intelligence and it remains valid that inborn intelligence or reasoning power is far greater than environmental influences, which however often determine what a person will make of his innate qualities. A teacher will of course find that the progress of a bright child is more rapid than that of other children. But this has nothing to do with ultimate achievement, success in life or with what sort of person we are.
LANGUAGE
One of the fundamental findings of recent years is the importance of language in a child's mental growth. It is accepted that children from homes where talk is encouraged from a child's earliest days, where parents converse with each other and with their family in complete sentences and use a wide vocabulary, have an enormous initial advantage over children from homes where monosyllables are the general
3.
rule and where reproof often takes the place of encouragement. The use of language not only assists intellectual growth but in the form of intonation leads a child to form attitudes based on its parents' manner.
PERSONALITY
All children have a unique combination of personality traits. Nowadays we are less dogmatic about correcting 'weaker' qualities since there is room for the gentle-natured child as well as for his more forceful brother or sister. Of course, these qualities are not constant and the teacher must take account of a child's good and bad moods and his 'on' and 'off' days.
PRAISE AND BLAME
The part which praise and blame play in teaching is vital. A child should always be complimented on achievement, if only of the simplest kind - "Good" should always be on a teacher's lips. But reprimand or correction should be applies obliquely and put in the form of encouragement, never harshly or sarcastically. To say it is essential to let a child learn for itself is not to condemn a teacher to a passive role. A teacher's skill lies in knowing how a child learns and in using that knowledge to help an individual to grow in wisdom and understanding.
There are many other aspects of teaching. With younger children, it is essential to grasp the significance of play.
PLAY
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