Students do not learn much by just sitting behind a desk listening to their teacher, memorising information and reproducing it. Children must be engaged in what they are learning by talking about it in the classroom, writing about what they have learnt and may be able to relate it to their past experience or apply it to the daily lives. It is important that children take what they have learnt in the classroom along with them in their day to day living. This chapter will outline the importance of the child being active in their educational setting to develop the child holistically in primary schools. Many theorists such as Maria Montessori and Vygotsky’s state that they child should be active learners and be at the center of their learning from an early age. This suggest the child …show more content…
There will be an insight into the national curriculum and also international curriculums that demonstrate an approach that is child centered and engages the child to be the center of their …show more content…
Early learning curricula are often described as taking a holistic approach, which means that children can learn in a variety of areas of development at the same time (Taylor, 2012). The Te Whãriki curriculum in New Zealand is a prime example of developing many different developmental areas at the one time. The title of the curriculum, Te Whãriki, is a metaphor. The early childhood curriculum is envisaged as a Whãriki, a woven mat ‘for all to stand on’ (Starting strong, 2004). This shows how areas such as families and community, holistic development, empowerment and relationships run through a curriculum and can all be addressed at the one time for the child through different activities the child may be involved