Our Programme

What we try to give the pupils at the Learning Centre is essentially a Formation Programme on ‘How to Learn.’

We want the pupils:

a. To understand that learning is not something that is given to them by somebody, but that it is something they choose to nurture and cultivate by themselves:
Using their thinking power,
handling their feelings and
using their own willpower when necessary
b. To take responsibility for their learning during the time they spend at the  Centre:
Clarify objectives
Strategize
Evaluate what they have done
c. To apply their learning process to their school work and their homework
d. To develop self-confidence and self-love in whatever they do, and to do it as well as they can
e. To take responsibility for all the choices they make (actions and consequences), especially their choice to be happy

Thus, through this system of self-learning, we hope to help the pupil take responsibility for himself, his learning and in a more general sense, his growth as a wholesome person.
This system of self-learning consists of a programme that emphasises five important ways of learning:

1. Developing basic language/learning skills

Table 1: Thinking-Talking

a. Talking about pictures of objects, faces, animals that are familiar
b. Asking questions and answering questions about various stimulus materials
c. Talking/thinking about composite pictures
d. Talking about various intelligence tests/puzzles
e. Carry on conversation about more difficult topics

Table 2: Reading-Listening

From ‘listening attentively’ to graded taped materials while following the accompanying text;

To ‘listening attentively ‘in order to understand and learn various language material

Table 3: Reading-Remembering, Listening-Remembering

Concentration Exercises
Exercises in ‘getting the essentials’
Exercises on ‘writing out what they remember’
Mind-mapping
Making summaries of what they have listened to in table 2

Table4: Reading-Writing-Spelling

Series of ‘frame’ exercises whereby students read, write and check spelling of specific words

Table 5: Reading-Understanding

a. Exercise for recognition of letters, and regular repetition of whole words (Doman)
b. Listen to and repeat whole words and phrases
c. Move into suku-kata work and simple reading using basic suku-kata
d. Watch pronunciation, smoothness, intonation
e. Reading for information through questions
f. Reading stories for understanding, with questions

Table 6: Writing-Expressing

a. Writing out letters and words
b. Writing words and phrases, writing out their experiences in ‘diary’ form
c. Various specific writing skills
d. Further skills and practice

Table 7: Understanding and Explaining

a. Understanding words, looking for meanings and making sentences with the words
b. Understanding instructions and words/phrases/sentences
c. Practice of Comprehension skills; simple to more difficult

Table 8: Counting and Calculating

a. introductory directed activities (with tutor)
b. Doing maths and talking about what they have done
c. Preparatory exercises: Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Problem-Solving
d. Actual teaching, if necessary; or group work
e. Basic drills in maths
f. Doing exercises in maths

Table 9: Drawing-Expressing

Personalised programmes based on what they have decided to do or group lessons on specific topics; or project work (to be completed over a period of time)

Table 10: Drawing-Observing-Recording

a. Making simple things from assorted materials and speaking about it at the conversation table
b. Reading instructions carefully and looking for answers through simple experiments and writing down the answers
c. Doing experiments to observe and record and ask questions at Conversation table
d. Self-done experiments, observation, and recording of conclusions
Table 11: Self-analysis and self-assessment

With tutor, help the pupil review his goal, strategy and results so far and help him to make changes if necessary.

2.2. Playing Educational Games

a. Alone – in pairs – with ‘volunteer’ – in groups
b. Scope for: choice of game, settling conflict, social interaction, creativity, or even making up one’s own game.

3.3. Learning to co-operate in Group Activity
Emphasis on interpersonal relationships, group problem-solving, sharing of information, leadership training, carrying out projects of their own choice, team-building.

4.4. Learning to use the Computer

a. Use the computer as a Learning tool
b. Develop creative writing/graphics
c. Store, reproduce and print their ‘own learning’
d. Interact with computer for exploratory activity
e. Useful as a pre-vocational activity

5.5. Learning through the use of Mass Media

a. Watching programmes attentively
b. Make summaries (as a group) of what they have learnt
c. Make group evaluation, criticism of the programme

Suggested Guidelines

1. The learning Centre is especially for deprived/neglected students who have general/specific learning difficulties connected with:

 language difficulties, lack of study-habits, inability to learn on their own, have specific problems in a particular subject, inability to follow class-teaching or have dropping out of school.

2. Each student is given a personalizeised programme (content, strategy, time-line) which is worked out/developed with the student himself/herself.

3. Students who are very weak (regular red marks/unable to do homework on their own) will be asked for a start to do all the Tables in Section 12 and play Educational Games regularly.

4. Students capable of study reasonably well on their own could do Computer Learning; group Work and T.V./Video (two hours a week for each section).

5. The present times for the learning Centre are:

  Morning:  9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
    (Break 10:00 – 10:15 a.m.)
    10:15 – 11:15 a.m.
  Afternoon: 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
    (Break 4:00 – 4:15 p.m.)
    4:15 – 5:15 p.m.

6. A file shall be kept for each student and the student’s exercise books kept at the Learning Centre itself.

7. Each applicant to the Centre shall be interviewed (with parents/guardians) prior to being registered as a student. Such registration will normally be made after a month of assessment work.

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