What is hands-on education?
Amanda Spielman, former head of Ofsted, recently emphasised the decline of practical tasks such as food preparation, clothes mending and animal care in education. She advocates for reform, suggesting that these activities can instil a sense of achievement in children in an increasingly automated world.
Hands-on learning, also known as experiential learning, immerses students in practical experiences that not only enhance their motor skills but also their ability to engage with and learn about the subject matter. This approach supports the way in which the brain learns through active rather than passive engagement, enabling children to have the kind of sensory-motor experiences that are an essential tenet of solid learning.
Furthermore, hands-on learning offers the opportunity to explore and solve problems, conduct experiments and collaborate with others on projects. Such experiences are greatly reduced when children only listen to the words of the teacher. Hands-on learning opportunities incorporating the kind of practical activities listed by Amanda Spielman are a key and successful part of the Montessori approach to education because they support the way in which children learn.
Brain development in the early years