What is Holistic Learning?

Holistic learning is an approach that nurtures the development of the whole child.  It views each student as a unique individual with specific needs and talents, ensuring that learning experiences are meaningful and enjoyable. By focusing on the person as an individual, holistic learning encourages students to explore their interests, express themselves creatively, and engage deeply with their learning. Children feel comfortable and empowered to explore and take ownership of their learning.

Holistic Learning in Mathematics Education

Holistic learning offers a comprehensive approach to learning that supports a child’s overall development. Here’s how it benefits students in mathematics:

  1. Personal Growth: This approach helps children gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths, weaknesses, and interests, allowing them to gain an understanding of how they might tackle mathematical problem-solving in a way that works for them.
  2. Critical Thinking: By encouraging students to consider different perspectives, holistic learning fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills, essential for navigating complex problems in mathematics – useful for those tricky end-of-paper challenging exam questions. Essentially – what do we do when we don’t know what to do?
  3. Emotional Intelligence: Holistic education helps children identify and understand some of their emotions, hence sessions may also include simple stress-management techniques around exam time.

Core Components of Holistic Education in Mathematics

Holistic education focuses on the whole child and may incorporates three core components:

  1. Individualised Instruction: Tailoring learning activities to meet each child’s unique needs ensures they remain engaged and motivated.
  2. Experiential Learning: Hands-on activities like geogebra simulations make learning more dynamic and relevant, helping students connect with the material on a deeper level.
  3. Social-Emotional Awareness: Promoting self-awareness within learning, and problem-solving skills, is key to helping students reach a better understanding of how to approach any problems in mathematics that they might consider to be tricky – and how to maintain calm when faced with challenging exam questions.