Science and the Sugavaasi.
Back then, we used to have an exercise book solely dedicated to writing down our spelling words at least ten times feverishly, ensuring that we regain at least some memory of our spelling list before we sit through our spelling tests in our sweltering classrooms. However, as educators and parents of present, we are acutely aware of our children’s progression through time and how our approaches to language have changed.
It’s widely known that at ThinkTamil Academy, we believe in a holistic and well-rounded approach towards ingraining the love of Tamil through tales and aiming to provide the exact comfort that English encompasses. Forget exercise books and strenuous writing ph - we totally vouch for the fun in classrooms that invokes the constant thirst for Tamil. Apart from language and literacy techniques, we were also faced with the challenge of STEM learning (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) ; can we do it in Tamil ? The answer is yes.
Last month, we decided to something completely out of the ordinary - a science workshop conducted in Tamil that covers the basic systems of our body. During this workshop, we focused on the digestive, skeletal and circulatory systems and presented it through group work, stories and science experiments - IN TAMIL.
“Pre-schools now have come a long way from just learning basic English and Mathematics, towards a more in-depth learning that we only used to cover during upper primary. Having successfully tackled planning Charlotte’s Web workshop, I had a lot of other questions while devising this workshop - would they understand ? How do I press Tamil into science and body systems without deviating from my motto of fun learning ? As much as the children enjoyed, it was a whole learning process for me as well.” says Kirthiga Ravindaran, Senior Content Developer of ThinkTamil Academy.
It was a rather fun process to educate young minds about how our bodies obtain energy from food, how do we breathe and why does our body have bones. It’s primary science but another task altogether to learn in it Tamil - keeping ThinkTamil’s vision and mission in mind.
“I felt that science was never holistically included in a Tamil classroom - science embodies a lot of vocabulary that is actually possible to relate and understand it in Tamil as well. My children were also part of ThinkTamil’s science workshop last December and as a parent, it amazes me how much of scientific concepts my children absorbed through the workshop, in Tamil. It’s definitely intrigued me so much to know that there is a possibility of science through the medium of Tamil - and yes, ThinkTamil has proven that.” adds Yogeswari Preshant, Founder and Director of ThinkTamil Academy.
Science, like language and Math, is an inevitable part of our lives. Starting young is encouraged, but starting right is fundamental.
With that being said, we at the Academy embrace a new year as another year for more exciting classroom experiences that we are working on. It’s the year 2020, and impossible is hardly a word right now ; let us know what should we bring in to our classrooms !