Hands-on Learning
What is actually happening when children learn? The rapidly growing field of brain research is uncovering all kinds of insights by observing how our brain is activate during different activities.
The Washington New Church School promotes hands-on learning in all subjects and all grades because it has proven to be the best way children learn.
The concept of hands-on learning is not at all new. Philosophers and educators as early as the late 1700’s promoted “object learning” realizing that it was better for students to learn from concrete experience – especially those in nature – rather than by drill and rote memorization.
WNCS has always used hands-on techniques but has expanded recently in the use of our large outdoor spaces. The school has access to many acres of woodland and wetlands as well as miles of nature trails.
WNCS also has a relationship with “Forested, LLC” an educational garden that leases land from our church right in our back yard. This allows our students a chance to experience nature and learn from a local agronomist.
Hands-on Learning in ALL subjects:
Social Studies is a great place to introduce students into other eras, and cultures. Like our “Colonial Fair” where students learn about colonial occupations – research and present what they learn using real tools, types of clothing worn by the colonists and preparing the kinds of food eaten by them.
In Science There can be so many ideas and concepts that can only be grasped with experiments and manipulatives… like building a lunar lander out of toothpicks & marshmallows.
Math concepts are more quickly learned using physical objects to count and measure.
Acting, role playing, cooking and art all transform Language Art classes as well as many other subjects. Children remember what they do.
“What we learn to do, we learn by doing.” ~Aristotle ~