Reading out the textbook lessons, explaining them, and making the kids understand every aspect of the topic taught has been the standard form of teaching for quite a long time now. However, in the modern world of education, this process alone cannot be considered a sustainable approach. Be it within the classroom or at home, involving and engaging children in group discussions and interactive sessions is considered to be crucial in the current times and is indeed necessary for keeping the academic as well as intellectual development of kids on track.
By group discussions, we simply mean an arrangement where multiple kids can involve in sharing their ideas and knowledge. This not only helps to enhance their learning and interactive abilities but also aids in developing in them strong conversation and language skills. As such, when we engage kids in group discussions, we provide them the opportunity to talk, interact, and gain from the knowledge and abilities of other children.
All in all, the plus points of encouraging children to participate in group discussions are many. So, on that note, we, at K.R. Mangalam Global School, one of the Best IB Schools in Delhi, have brought forth for you today some of the key benefits we believe kids get to experience when they actively engage in group discussion sessions with others.
- Improves communication skills and vocabulary
Since group discussions require every child involved to speak their mind and share their thoughts, the development and improvement of communication skills and vocabulary emerge as natural outputs. Likewise, when kids participate in regular group discussion sessions, they get to expand their vocab and learn a lot of new words without actually needing to be taught. They easily get a grip of new words and phrases and also learn to structure their thoughts (while speaking) in the correct manner. Even those kids who do not have strong command over a particular language tend to self-improve their skills as they advance with such sessions.
- Boosts their interest and engagement in the study sessions
One of the biggest challenges in teaching kids is that they have a very small attention span, which ends up taking their interest away within a couple of minutes. However, when the kids are given a curious topic for group discussion, it can actually arouse their interest, keep them focused for a longer time, and engage more in the real-time vibe of the classroom.
- Aids the kids in growing into critical thinkers
Unlike teaching or leading a conversation, group discussions let each member put up their thoughts and bring their respective ideas to the table. Even the introvert or shy kids who typically refrain from speaking amongst the crowd, group discussion encourages them to voice their perspective about a particular topic. This makes the kids to think more critically as well as creatively, which comes wonderfully to their aid as they grow up.
- Works as a platform to draw equal participation from each child
Yes, we know the modern framework of education recommends having a low student-teacher ratio in classrooms. And the prime purpose for that is to raise the level of student-teacher interaction in the class. But having said that, we cannot ignore the fact that in each class, be it pre-nursery or 12th, there are a few students who are extreme extroverts while there are some who prefer to sit back quietly and listen. Now, the latter group of kids could comprise of children who are shy, underconfident, introvert, or verbally weak, and it is these kids who tend to get overshadowed during a regular class.
However, when the learning scenario is turned into a group discussion, where each child is required to contribute their perspective, it helps each kid to come out of his/her shall and be an active participant in the discussion. We understand that initially, their thoughts might not be the most relatable, but by uplifting their participation, more positive changes can be seen.
Summary
At K.R. Mangalam Global School, ranked among the best IB schools in Delhi, we firmly believe in the power of interactive learning, and have seen that when children are actively engaged in discussions in class and at home, it helps them to naturally learn a lot more than they can do through merely the books. This is why at KRM Global, we keep creating opportunities for our pupils to participate in group discussions, and this thereby provides them with the necessary encouragement to think, build, improve, and polish themselves.
