Bright Minds
Teaching and nurturing in the early childhood years go beyond books and involve relationships between educators, family and the environment. Neeltje Sutandjati writes
nowing letters and numbers is important, but nurturing children to be people-smart and to have good social and emotional skills prepares them for long-term success. At ISMILE—AN international school of multiple intelligences learning and enrichment for children between infancy to kindergarten—the curriculum encourages children to work in a team, to solve problems, to create new ideas, promotes the self-esteem and confidence of children.
The students recently applied these lessons in a business model presented to Bank Danamon, which included maths and literacy in calculating, science and technology in packaging, arts in designing, business in marketing, and much more. The Rp 50m gathered over 12 months were donated to Pansophia Nusantara—a non-profit organisation that builds both schools and learning centres in impoverished areas to help improve the student and parents’ life quality. ISMILE and Pansophia strive to bring up children with good character through quality education regardless the circumstance.
According to Dr Jack Shonkoff, a Harvard University pediatrician, brains are built and not born—it is one of the few organs in our body that is not fully developed at birth. Play-based learning and rich social interactions in early childhood years develops the wiring and connections. The relationships, environments and experiences a child is exposed to could set the stage for his or her development in the long run.
Children are natural explorers and developers for which educators should honour by intentionally designing the environment and making it the child’s third teacher. The environment should provide provocations or invitations to engage and allow them to acquire independent skills and understand the world around; adults facilitate by asking openended questions.
Instilling good values in a child starts from adults as positive role models. Second, look out for teachable moments to teach those values. Get down to their level and never tire in imparting positive characters because one’s attitude determines one’s altitude.
Be mindful as educators, parents and caregivers not to extinguish children’s joy of learning. Help them develop the heart-mind skills to unleash the possibilities within by giving an unshakeable foundation for future successes: knowledge, good socio-emotional skills and positive character values.
Let children be children and be respectful of their space and time to explore and discover with no pressure, judgment and chaos. Nurture learning environments with positive, stable and affirmative relationships in safe and secure home and school. Recognise a child’s unique multiple intelligences, preferred learning styles and interests to unlock his or her potential.