Preparing the Path…

Preparing the Path…

In my yard I have a pathway that wanders through the garden, in that garden is a pond that hosts many forms of water life, fish, bugs, larva and so forth. The pond is also a watering hole for the birds and local urban creatures such as cats, dogs, squirrels, skunks, raccoons and birds too. Surrounding the pond are trees, flowers, blueberry bushes and raspberry canes. It never occurred to me in preparing such a wonderful pathway this would become a focal point of children’s learning.

Etched in a tile that is cemented firmly into the pathway is a quote, a reminder that we must consider the environment children experience everyday on their pathway to learning. “Prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child”. It is my belief that supporting children in their learning environment is optimal for each child’s learning. There will be a time for traditional learning (schooling) as we understand it, but not too soon.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) wrote “Childhood has its own way of seeing, thinking, and feeling, and nothing is more foolish than to try and substitute ours for theirs”. “Rousseau minimizes the importance of book-learning, (our learning) and recommends that a child's emotions should be educated before his reason.” By way of this statement, I am certain Rousseau considered book learning” a little too conventional, directive if you will and even perhaps hurrying the child to grow up to become a working part of society, lessening the importance of early years learning.

Bev Bos, see’s children’s learning as a “whisper in time, a brief moment, in which they can enjoy the richness of a childhood space.” Children move through stages of learning at a rapid pace, building their knowledge through personal experiences, therefore, it is important that attention is given to all aspects of the child’s needs to support an optimal learning experience.

In part, preparing the path in my yard was my way of creating an experience for learning, an environment that created an essence of wonderment, a place to sit, watch fish and bugs go about their daily tasks, a place to watch the birds drink from the fountain that circulates the water in the pond, informal learning if you will, but critical in their development. In creating this environment I am not sure I expected the wealth of learning and opportunities for children when my urban friends took up residence. It is my hope that children that have experienced this pathway have become a little more understanding of the complex world we live in.

Samuel Johnson once said "Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance”, this leads me to consider the path that we prepare for our children and their learning experiences.