The Importance Of Holistic Education For Students
When you think of the word “education”, a few images probably come to mind — classrooms, textbooks, maybe even a blackboard, though that’s pretty old-school (literally!). This is the typical vision of education in today’s society — the formal kind of lessons many of us undertook in school. However, holistic education takes a different approach. So what is holistic education? And what does a holistic learning environment look like?
What Is The Holistic Approach To Learning And Development?
According to Education Corner, holistic education is “rooted in experiential learning and centers education on the relationships that people create with each other”. Rather than seeing education as theoretical learning, holistic education incorporates overall development, including building the soft skills that enable us to thrive in the world outside of the classroom. These skills are often necessary when it comes to daily life and are a vital part of your child’s development. Examples of holistic teaching may include behavioral training, such as teaching children how to express their emotions in a healthy way.
Why Is Holistic Education Important?
The characteristics of holistic learning make it incredibly important for your child’s development. As holistic education is based on learning through experience as well as from books, a holistic learning environment essentially highlights the importance of relationships — those that people have with each other as well as with their environment. There are several benefits associated with this, such as higher levels of emotional maturity and increased cognitive abilities. Some people even consider holistically educated students to be higher performers academically.
So, what is an example of holistic learning? We’ll answer this question and several more below as we explore the importance of holistic education for students. Read on for some interesting insights into holistic education, and why it’s an excellent option for many children.
Holistic Education Is Less Rigid Than Traditional Education Methods
Holistic education takes a more flexible approach to learning — rather than focusing on exam grades and test scores, it adopts an all-encompassing approach to development that appreciates individuality. Children are encouraged to play, explore, and learn in a way that suits them and allows them to become functional members of society.
Often, traditional education neglects the individual skills of children, favoring a universally applicable approach to education. However, holistic education forms close bonds between teachers and their students and allows teachers to recognize and encourage their students’ own strengths and desires.
Holistic Education Focuses on Both Mental and Physical Development
Unlike traditional education systems, a holistic learning environment will emphasize the importance of emotional, mental, and physical development, without prioritizing any single one of these elements. As a result, students are encouraged to grow in multiple ways, and physical education is viewed as an essential part of a child’s education. Students learn how to keep their physical bodies fit and healthy, and view this as an integral part of overall health.
This approach can be incredibly valuable to children who learn by doing, as hands-on activities promote a deeper sense of connection between the mind and the body. Thus, learning is not seen as something that occurs only internally by reading from textbooks, but something that incorporates the physical body as well.
Holistic Education Encourages Self-Guided Learning
One of the most important characteristics of holistic learning is that it’s ultimately child-led, in that it encourages students to develop their own opinion through freedom of thought and expression. Rather than accepting the world in black and white, holistic education can help students to unlock all the gray areas that exist.
Creativity and self-exploration are central to holistic education. Therefore, children educated in this manner — unlike those who are taught solely through rote learning — are likely to have well-developed critical thinking skills that will last throughout their lives.
Holistic Education Reduces Academic Pressure
Some children who are less academically inclined may find the traditional school system doesn’t align with their natural strengths. As a result, many students feel intense pressure to do well in exams and tests, and may base their entire sense of achievement on a number on a piece of paper.
Holistic education allows students to work on the things that they are good at while acknowledging the importance of theoretical and practical teachings, too. If your child is prone to anxiety — especially if it’s brought on by their performance in school — holistic education can help reduce this by offering an alternative way to measure success, which values more than just grades.
Holistic Education Allows For Emotional Growth
Imagine if every adult had learned how to express their emotions in a healthy way in school! The world would probably be a much better place if everyone could communicate their feelings well. Holistic education promotes emotional development and encourages students to share their mental state with their teacher and peers. This process teaches vital communication skills and forms the basis for strong relationships later in life.
In addition, as students are not based in a classroom for their entire school week, a more informal and closer connection is formed with their teacher as well as with the outdoor environment. Thus, school itself becomes more incorporated into the external world — allowing students to apply the valuable lessons they learn in school to a broader context than simply the classroom.
As you can probably see, holistic education is important in many ways. Students are encouraged to develop in multiple ways and to become well-rounded individuals who serve society well. Holistic education can also pave the way for reducing inequalities, as it does not prioritize one type of strength or talent over another.
