There are many benefits for involving young tamariki in gardening. It fosters connections to nature and teaches them where their food comes from, through growing and eating it seasonally. Gardening supports social and emotional well-being, helps in caring for the environment, and teaches the core concepts of science, maths, language, and literacy. When we read Te Whāriki though a gardening lens, we find links to it everywhere. For example, “taking part in caring for this place…recognising and appreciating their own ability to learn…understanding oral language and using it for a range of purposes…making sense of their worlds by generating and refining working theories” (Ministry of Education, 2017, pp.24-25). There is more to gardening that just putting a plant in the ground and watering it in the hope that it will grow. A garden needs care and attention, just like every other living being. There is a whole world of learning that happens for tamariki when we engage them in regular gardening. Importantly, gardening helps tamariki make connections to the natural world and where their food comes from. They learn that vegetables grow in the garden, not just appear at the supermarket, and they are more likely to eat them if they have grown them. When tamariki are involved in the whole By Anita Croft Gardening what happens when it becomes part of our everyday curriculum? process of gardening, they learn how to care for Papatūānuku. Gardening involves tamariki in sustainability practices as they learn about the decomposition of food and garden waste that is returned to the soil in the form of compost or worm castings and fertiliser. They learn that soil is the most important thing in growing a healthy garden. Without healthy soil the garden will not flourish, and plants will struggle to grow. While the obvious objective of gardening with tamariki is to teach them how to grow their own food, there is evidence that engaging tamariki in regular and on-going gardening practices provides a range of benefits across multiple domains of learning and development. Research has shown that the key to a successful gardening programme in an early childhood setting is authentic participation by the tamariki (Murakami, Su-Russell, &Manfra, 2018). Involving tamariki in the entire process of gardening on a regular basis fosters genuine interest and involvement. This includes planning what to grow, preparing the garden, using gardening tools correctly, sowing and planting, weeding, watering, fertilising, making compost, and raising a worm farm. When genuine interest and involvement occurs, the learning goes beyond planting a seed and hoping it will grow. There is science behind how to get that seed to germinate and grow. Below are some experiments you can try to support tamariki to build this scientific knowledge and develop their working theories: Sow seeds in containers that get water, warmth and light (the optimum conditions). Sow seeds in containers that get warmth and light but no water. Sow seeds in containers that get water but no light or warmth. To see the germination process in action, place bean seeds in a zip lock bag with a damp paper towel and stick it to a window. Watch the seed break open, the roots grow down, and the shoots grow up. What happens? Do the seeds germinate? Sow enough seeds in the optimum conditions, so you can repeat the experiments with the seedlings that have grown – what happens now? Move beyond science and include maths to extend their working theories: Explore the different shapes of seeds. Which look the same and which look different? Count the days to see how long it takes for the different types of seeds to germinate. Count the days until we can plant the seedling. March 2023 { 32 }
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=