5 Benefits of Hands-On Learning for Children

There are many benefits of hands-on learning for children of all ages, and they essentially absorb information better.

Here are some of the best reasons for getting out of the classroom.

Kids Engage More with Core Subjects

Kids develop their skills much better when they are having fun doing it. For instance, standing at a chalkboard and showing kids how to form letters is tedious. And even flashcards become boring. However, you can engage their fun side by giving children materials they can use to make letters. These include sand for writing in, mouldable putty or cream for tracing out letters. Additionally, getting outside the classroom is a huge advantage. Geography field trips can bring the subject to life when the children are immersed in what you are trying to teach, for example.

Retain Information from Experience

Standard teaching methods are excellent these days. However, there’s only so much children can do from reading books. They need to be involved in certain things to experience and understand them. For example, kids learn better when being shown something and then experiencing it themselves. Showing a child how to brush their teeth is a perfect example. You can tell them how, but they won’t really understand it until you give them a toothbrush and demonstrate. Children will learn more effectively from experience rather than being told.

The Benefits of Hands-On Learning Includes Brain Engagement

It’s a common misconception that we only use 20% of our brain. We use all areas of the brain. However, we often don’t use multiple areas at the same time. But in children, the brain is far more active as they develop and learn, especially in the early years. There are 2 sides to the brain, each responsible for certain things. But a standard explanation is the left deals with logic and the right deals with creativity. Both are required for learning essential skills like talking, listening and motor skills. So hands-on learning helps support this development early on.

Helping Build Motor Skills

You don’t recall learning how to do it, but you learned to use your fingers when you were a child. Things like ripping paper, sticking stuff with glue and picking up things you need are done using your fine motor skills. Hands-on skills are probably the single-most essential learning method for developing these skills. Further, they will aid kids in holding a pen to write and then do independent tasks like tying their shoelaces. These are skills that children need to be shown early on for the best chances of learning and retaining them for use as they grow older.

Experience Through the Senses

We have five senses. But at any one time, we only actively engage a couple. Sight and hearing are the two we rely on the most. But children should also be shown how to use the other three. Touch, smelling and tasting are just as important for children to understand. Water play is excellent for touch sense. While tasting will help kids learn how to describe things. All these help with experience recall. However, smell is one of the most effective ways to form memory. A memory can instantly be recalled in a microsecond with a familiar associated odour. 

Summary

There are many benefits of hands-on learning in young children. These include engaging more with subjects, using more of the brain, and helping recall experiences with the five senses.