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Avon Children's Center 152 Highland Street Avon, MA 02322 508 580 2572 |
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by Jacqueline Clemens Young Children magazine, 1996 An old oriental proverb holds much meaning for those of us who work with young children. "Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand." The way we go about helping children learn has a great impact on how quickly they learn, the retention of what they learn, and the memories they associate with their experience. Gardening with children at school or at home can have lifelong impact. Involving children in the process of planning the garden, selecting the seeds, planting and tending the garden and harvesting the crop helps them see the natural process of growing things. Not only can children experience the excitement and sense of wonder of seeing plants sprout and bloom, and the fascination of watching the insects that visit the garden, but they also enjoy eating the fruits of their work. Children develop skills in using tools and knowledge in growing their own food and flowers, and they learn how to work cooperatively with each other. They are introduced to a field of knowledge that can |
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lead to a lifelong career or hobby. Gardening offers an easy way to approach teaching many science skills and has practical applications for math, which can be adapted for children of different ages. Children can predict what will happen, experiment to see if their hypothesis is true, keep a log of their gardening, and draw conclusions about what they find. They can observe patterns, cycles and changes that occur. They see for themselves how plants, insects and birds interact with the environment and with each other. When the plants wilt, they can observe the effects of drought. As they see the garden providing food for themselves and other crea |
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tures, children begin to learn about the uniqueness of the earth as a life supporting planet. They see how living plants and organisms interact with non-living substances, such as soil and water. Children also gain insight into how we humans use science and technology in our lives. Talk with children about what happens in the garden. Intentional learning takes place when you point out things such as a tiny pea pod forming at the end of a dying flower. Stimulate your child's thinking by asking questions about what they observe. If they have questions for which you do not have an answer, model for them how to find information in books and |
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Special points of interest:
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Inside this issue: |
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Gardening With Children |
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July 2008 |
