Evelyn Onyeka (IMS ’22) |
Children at Joyful Haarlem Academy |
In Asaba, Nigeria, Evelyn Onyekonwu (IMS ’22), has been busy since completing the IMS distance learning course in scientific education. Her main project has been establishing a new school, Joyful Haarlem Academy, which now is underway with a beginning enrollment of children. Evelyn and the children enrolled in her school are shown above. Besides developing this school, Evelyn has also been busy conducting seminars in the use of the IMS “technology of scientific education“.
In Maya 2024, Evelyn conducted an online seminar for over 80 educators in Nigeria, presenting the basic use of scientific teaching with children. Her seminar, entitled “The Effects and Limitations of the School curriculum on the Child”, emphasized the distinctive differences between the old conventional way of teacher-directed curriculum, and Montessori’s “new education” of observing children in their free, self-directed activity. In this seminar, Evelyn was able to speak with conviction about her success in using the technology directly with children at her school.
In the article below, Evelyn shares her recent experience, which highlighted the practical value of this type of scientific teaching with children.
WHY LIMIT THE CHILD WITH CURRICULUM/SCHEME?
by Evelyn Onyeka (IMS ’22)
Using the Scientific Education Technology, specifically the protocol “basis of interest ” from the child, I discovered a child of 4 years old who went beyond the conventional traditional stipulated limit scheme for age 4 year old to be able to count, identify and write numerals 1 to 150 at the end of the session which is first, second and third term.
This child expressed her own inbuilt curriculum and went beyond the limit of the conventional scheme because she had no adult personality causing detrimental influence to her learning. She was therefore able to freely explore the subject matter because she had the enabling environment to learn without control or limitations to extend beyond the traditional conventional numeral scheme limit even in first term.
Children have their diverse learning abilities and concentration span, which the adult/caregivers should be conscious of knowing this fact.
If the child were to be in a learning environment where they follow the conventional way of learning, she would have been limited and deprived of more mathematical knowledge.
It all started when I did a sensorial lesson introduction to the child, based on the basis of interest she indicated by touching the material and saying to me with a smile, “I would like to learn with this material”. At that point, I observed the various techniques and protocol of the scientific education technology, so that I could logically lead her through the process of counting, identifying and writing her numerals.
Because the basis of interest is in the child, she advanced each day in the process of continuing, identifying and writing her numerals. She did this on her own, without much of my interference. Based on the way I lead her through the first sensorial lesson introduction of the material, she needed less of my attention. And from that day, she developed more interest and worked on her own. And, by the end of the term, she was able to count, identify and write 1-350.
Please note that this scenario could also be different if the child has a short concentration learning span or slow In learning. In essence, the child determines his/her curriculum/ scheme limit in a learning process.