The Importance of Intergenerational Learning
How Intergenerational Learning Promotes Lifelong Learning
It’s no secret that early educators love encouraging intergenerational learning as much as they can – and it’s not just because it’s a trendy buzzword, it’s thanks to its ability to encourage lifelong learning.
At Young Academics, we know how important intergenerational learning is for your children, and we’re here to share some of the intergenerational learning activities that can encourage positive growth and encourage lifelong learning – no matter someone’s age!
So, what is intergenerational learning?
Intergenerational learning is essentially exactly what it sounds like! It’s the process of different generations learning together in a mutually beneficial way. This can be children and young adults all the way up to children and elderly people.
Intergenerational learning promotes a positive relationship between children and their older counterparts. As a result of forging friendships and intergenerational relationships with older individuals, children can experience increased self-esteem, confidence and are more likely to take risks when it comes to their learning. Children also may see improvements in their literacy and language skills when they partake in intergenerational relationships thanks to intergenerational learning.
How can you encourage intergenerational learning with your child?
If you’re looking for ways to encourage intergenerational learning in your child, there are a few different strategies you should consider. You want to aim to choose open-ended activities that focus on process rather than outcome. It’s beneficial to choose activities where the children and adults can chat as they play, helping them find things in common despite their age difference.
Types of activities to encourage intergenerational learning:
At Young Academics, these are a few different activities that we think will get the ball rolling on your child’s journey into intergenerational learning.
Storytelling:
It’s no secret that storytelling is crucial for the development of young minds, but it’s mutually beneficial for older people as well as children! In fact, most people (children included) naturally engage in storytelling when meeting someone for the first time! Adults reading books to children is a perfect place to start in the intergenerational learning world. It helps to support children’s engagement and helps to encourage improved storytelling ability in children too!
Sensory Play:
Sensory activities are crucial for young and old, and sensory play is a perfect way to encourage intergenerational learning. Try activities that use a number of the five senses to encourage improved listening skills and active involvement from all participants in the activity. Sensory play is a great place to start if you’re stuck on how to implement intergenerational learning in a practical way.
Outdoor Activities:
We all know that playing outside and being in the great outdoors is incredibly beneficial no matter your age, but it also serves as a great way to encourage intergenerational learning practices. Physical exercise is vital for the health and wellbeing of your child, and the opportunity for imaginative play outdoors is perfect for children to engage in outdoor intergenerational learning!
Skill Sharing:
One of the best things young children can learn from older adults is skills! Not only does it encourage the adult to hone in on their skills and knowledge as they teach their skills to children, it also encourages children to learn skill sets that they may have not ever been exposed to until later in life. If you allow children to explore their skill sets with the adults, it may ignite a newfound sense of passion for learning in their older counterparts! Skill sharing is a crucial aspect of intergenerational learning.
Why choose Young Academics for early childhood education?
At Young Academics, we pride ourselves on always looking out for the best interests of your children! We love to encourage lifelong learning and our early childhood educators are committed to not only teaching your youngsters, but also learning from them too! At Young Academics we have implemented a range of activities throughout our curriculum to promote intergenerational learning – setting your child up for success and a life where they never stop learning!