Forest School - A school without ceiling and walls

Background

This idea was started by Ella Flatau in Denmark in 1950 where a daily hike in the woods and climbing the mountain were part of the curriculum. Nowadays, this approach has growing in popularity not only in Scandinavian countries but also in United Kingdom and many parts of the world in different setting that reflects the children learning needs.

In forest school, the children either go to the wood (park/garden/beach and other nature setting) daily or on a regular basis to observe changes of the environment. The changes can be man/animal made (tracks, chewed fruits or seeds, nest etc) or seasonal (colours of leaves, temperature etc). The children will perform investigation and research on the topic of the hands-on learning experiences and constructing their understanding and knowledge of the experiences. 

Playing sands at the beach

A walk in the wood with Forest Guide

My outdoor learning story

Wandering wild and experience the wonder of nature formed a major part of my childhood memory. Maybe because of this reason, I prefer the Forest School Approach above others  (Waldorf, Montessori and Reggio Emilia).

Playmates 1980's

Unfortunately, I do not have a single photo of us playing. When I was little, me and my cousins used to roam freely in the bushes near my Ah Gong (paternal-grandfather) and Ah Po (paternal-grandmother)'s house. The adults are too busy with house chores while we children created our play land in the bushes. We climbed the guava tree and enjoyed the fruits while sitting on the branches; we trapped the spiders in the matches box for fighting game; we plucked wild flowers and leaves for our little kitchen; we used the stems of the casava plant to make jewelleries... the list goes on. 

My Ah Ma (my maternal-grandmother) lived in "forest". My siblings were grown up winding through the trees and playing in the woods for prolonged periods. As such, we appreciate the natural beauty of the environment and strongly believe outdoor learning is a real-life first hand experience that is essential in every childhood.

This view was taken in 2016 in front of my Ah Ma's house

7 Pedagogical Principles of Forest School

i) each child is unique and competent 

    - Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Theory

ii)  promote holistic development 

      - physical, social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, creative

iii) children are active and interactive learners  

      - changing, adjusting, rearranging their understanding

iv) children need real-life first hand experiences 

      - through sensory development

v) child-led, adult supported approach 

    - fun and unhurried learner-centered process

    - to create a community for being, developmental and learning

vi) children need time to experiment and develop independent thinking 

      - long term/regular visit to the nature (forest, beach, park etc) 

      - open ended play time

      - repeat the cycle of planning-observation-adaptation-review: create own idea

vii) learning comes from social interactions

       - discover the joy of fellowship

       - establish a culture and social world with peers

Barriers of Outdoor Learning for 21st Century children

Time spent outside is at a premium due to the following factors: 

i) parental fear - diseases, hygiene, safety, strangers, crime

Source: parenting-basics.blogspot.com

ii) reduction of play time in school - packed curriculum, devoted to indoor activities

iii) limited accessibility to natural outdoor spaces - children alienation from nature

iv) natural or man made phenomena - severe weather; polluted environment

21st Century Children (OECD)

Children have better health care, better public safety and better support for their physical and mental well being due to: 

i)   parents playing an active role in their education

ii)  safer environment

iii) parents stay in constant touch with children

Children have potential physical, social and psychological challenges due to: 

i)  higher level of stress (push to do more)

ii) obesity problem

iii)new risk using technology (cyber bully)

Is Forest School approach useful for children in 21st Century?

21st century children are easily obsessed to the technology and end up sitting in the same spot for hours. Unlike traditional school who required a child to sit in the redefined classroom or chair for the entire learning process, Forest school sent children out to play in the mud, climbing trees and doing all sorts of activities which made them feel free and happy. The forest children are energetic and active. As such, obesity is unlikely to happen to them. Moreover, the happiness in learning remain in them and this positive feeling help children dealing with emotional problem caused by own distressed mood. 

These real-life first hand activities the children did in outdoor learning refine their gross and fine motor skills as well as other sensory development. Further, listening to the animal and movement sounds in the forest increase their concentration and made the children more observant.  Focus and observant are two very important attitude to be able to perform well in school and work. 

Besides, children deal with their own feeling everyday in the wood. They may fear of dark, small creatures, fires or height but all these fear will eventually disappeared because of regular visits to the nature and repetition (practise) done on the activities with similar nature. Children may feel sad when they discover a dead or injured creature but when they understand that is the nature of life, the will be more grateful to the living things around them. Children experienced the changed of negative feeling and fluctuation of mood. This kind of exposures will strengthen their ability to deal with stress later in life. 

On top of that, children are viewed as unique and competent in Forest School. Adults believe in their ability to do certain tasks (climbing a tree, setting up fire etc) and acknowledged that every child is different. By understanding their own potential and limitation, they can develop emotional intelligence and plan for future. 

In addition, under child-led and adult support practice, children were trained to think independently and and at the same time has the opportunity to take supported risk. They are authorized to choose, initiate and drive their own learning process. This approach  activate their own desire to learn and trained the children to make justifiable decision based on the risk-benefit factor surrounding them. In the fast changing global economy, making quick and sound decision is very important. Further, there is no more spoon feed education in future. Information sharing become so convenience with access to internet. Thus, it is very important to be able to learn in an active and interactive way to remain competent in the emergent society. 

Last but not least, environmental issues will deteriorate in future. Connections with the nature since young has build up a relationship between children and the nature. Thus, it is least likely for this future generation to compromise nature issues for development. They will certainly taking seriously the ecological impact to ensure sustainable site management of the surroundings before development took place. 

All the above has fostered a resilience, confidence, independent and creative learners and this is the Holistic Development promoted by Forest School Approach. So relevant, isn't it?

My connection with nature - Pulau Jerejak