#2 UnLearning LANGUAGE

Language is something we feel that it starts with ABC But, in reality, it starts from day one or maybe before It starts with LISTENING In fact, it happens when as a  part of life, fully experiencing it, TALKING and LISTENING - Home and Classrooms full of CHATTER (some call them as noisy classrooms) - kids FREELY talking, interacting with each other -" I did this, I saw this, this looks like this, My tiffin box is like a rectangle box, My sandwich is soft and so. Talk about the dress, read each other t-shirt, what happened last night, what they like and do not like and so on ... A LARGE amount of LISTENING and TALKING between children hence becomes a major source of language development (and also thinking development). This is how your child learned to speak the mother tongue, so this is the most natural method of learning. A lot of elaborative, descriptive, and thought rich talking and listening is also the core of whole development as per the Vygotskian principles. READING - A child read because the environment offers innumerable exposure to reading. A child "sees" and reads a whole lot of books, notes by the facilitator, labels in the classroom, codes and notices, signage, pickup card, what's on another child's t-shirt, and so on. This seeing is making the child form an image of letters, words, the flow of words (left to right), sentences, and so on. These exposures form the fundamental step towards reading. What the child reads he/she may not be able to communicate to you - NOW - but he/she is in the process of FORMING images of the written language. WRITING - When the child is using Mehandi cone, or combining two strips and making a form or scribbling on the slate or crayon on paper - I am replicating not just images of objects but also symbols of letters. (curves and lines), When the child is making forms in the sand, playing with a paintbrush, singing rhymes with actions, making various formation with blocks, etc - he/she is learning to recreate. These combinations of curves and lines form the first step towards forming letters. Soon they start relating what they have formed to the letters they have seen. Soon they start replicating these on slate / by body actions, in the sand area, and yes on paper. When children have this rich experience of LANGUAGE around them - they're ready to EXPLORE language. No wonder many of the kids PICK up skills required for that level within no time - while they have no direct exposure to writing the conventional way.  Fortunately, we can't compartmentalize learning to school or learning to reading and writing. Learning happens everywhere: at home, in the garden, at a restaurant, or a party! In fact, the best learning happens when its part of my life, when I am fully experiencing it, when I have a reason and meaning behind it, when I approach it with a purpose of my own when it is contextual - part of real life.  Many children detest writing. During the first few years of a child's life listening and talking is the basic form of communication, while the child sees reading equally important to survive - from signboards to food packets to stories for entertainment. But the child is introduced to writing through writing ABC - which has no connection with a child's life. Aarohi - An Open Learning Community Education at Aarohi is an endeavor to Understand oneself and develop strengths, skills, and talents that one needs and wants Enjoy exploring this wonderful world and connect with it in a meaningful way Create your own journey, live your own dreams and add value to self every day. More about Aarohi: https://aarohilife.org: About Aarohi a Video - https://youtu.be/QF6xlICnjJ4 Email - [email protected] or FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/aarohilife    or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarohi_life_education/