Friday, April 24, 2015

Tips For Teaching Gardening To Special Needs Children

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By Alta Alexander


Researchers have fronted gardening as an effective tool for teaching vital skills to children with special needs. It helps them to develop independence, boost their self esteem as well as develop better social skills. It is a better way of strengthening their mental ability as well as supporting physical development. Teaching gardening to special needs children in San Francisco, CA is a natural way of enhancing their development and general performance.

Preparation is crucial in getting the desired results from any endeavor. Researchers insist that the person responsible must find a perfect balance between different activities to achieve good results. There should be a range of activities with both long and short term results. This means a combination of weeding and planting. This balance is important in instilling the sense of achievement instantly and over time.

The activities should be planned before entering into the garden. Considering their learning ability, it is advisable to begin by demonstrating. Model behaviors are easier to copy. Constantly remind the children about the work at hand and what it is supposed to achieve. Throughout the session, you are required to reinforce the procedure by more demonstrations.

Children learn easily through a repetitive routine. Identify this routine and find a comfortable way to do it. This will help them in becoming more confident and believing that it is easy and doable. This is the motivation they require to continue engaging in the activity at hand.

Gardening should be made a routine and enjoyable to capture the imagination of the children. Making it fun ensures that they look forward to it. This desire to engage in the routine is a motivation for the children to keep working. Provide drinks and snacks for the kids to replenish their energy and to motivate their psych to keep working.

The tools used should be appropriate for the task and friendly for use by children. This is not only for safety purposes but to make the exercise comfortable and enjoyable. Small hand tools, improvised old spoons and plastic tool sets are idea for such activities. Ensure that the children can easily handle the tools and fulfill their mandate.

Gardening is not a fun activity by all means. It therefore must be accomplished in the right way. The right seed numbers must be put in each hole. Larger seeds are appropriate for the small hands. Even distribution is also important in ensuring that the work is done right. Small seeds may be mixed with soil or sand to ease even distribution.

The project should allow children to decide what to grow as much as possible. It is easily done by providing them with options based on what is most appropriate. This enables them to own the project from the beginning. Plants that grow quickly motivate their activities and are therefore recommended.

Think of how the kids will maneuver through the rows. The path size and surfacing should be considered. Their safety is paramount when planning for any activity. These children should always be protected from elements such as the sun and rain. Emergency response measures should be in place including the availability of adequate personnel. A well planned and executed project will produce excellent results.




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