Thursday, 23 April 2015

Tips On Teaching Gardening To Special Needs Children Effectively

By Alta Alexander


Gardening has been touted as a revolutionary teaching method for institutions handling children with special needs. Experts affirm that teaching gardening to special needs children in San Francisco, CA will help them develop social skills, independence and better self esteem. It has proven a natural and effective way of enhancing physical and mental strength which is vital for their development.

The secret to achieving good results is to prepare well. According to specialist researchers, the time allocated for garden activities should be evenly distributed. Finding a balance between activities that produce long term and short term results is recommended. An example is where you combine weeding with planting. The morale of these children is boosted by the small achievement and sustained by the long term results.

Planning involves having an idea of all the activities that will take place over the time allocated. Consider how easily and fast each child learns and works. To kick-start the activities, demonstrate the routine instead of narrating. They use their observation skills to follow your example. The children should be reminded of the work at hand to ensure that they maintain focus. Constantly reinforce your expectation by demonstrating.

A repetitive routine is easier for children to learn and copy. Identify a comfortable and easy way of teaching the routine. It gives them the confidence that they can do whatever you want of them. With this motivation, they can complete the work easily and with least supervision.

The frequency of gardening plays a crucial role in creating a routine. As much as possible, make it fun so that the children can desire to return. It should remain as frequent as possible and take a reasonable length of time. Ensure that there is motivation to remain in the garden. Food items like drinks and snacks should be made available at all times.

Children require specialized and appropriate tools to complete their tasks. Children friendly tools for the garden are both enjoyable and comfortable to use. They should be ideal for small hands. Improvisation of old spoons and the use of plastic tool sets are possibilities. The tools should be easy and safe to handle and use for any child in the team.

Since the exercise is not only for fun, find a way of ensuring that things are done right. This means that the right number of seeds will be put into each hole. The size of the seeds should match with that of their hands. They should evenly distribute them around the garden. You may consider mixing the seeds with sand or loose soil if they are small. It is easier to achieve the right number for even distribution.

As much as possible let the kids decide what to plant. Provide options since you understand what fits the area. This exercise helps them to own the project from the early stages. The plants should grow quickly for motivation purposes.

Consider how the children will move along the patch. The terrain and surfacing should be favorable to their conditions. All planning activities must take into account the safety of each child. Take measures to protect them from damaging elements like the rain and hot sun. Have emergency rescue plans in place at all times. Proper planning will deliver excellent results.




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