Inclusion in Play Schools: How SPROUT Supports Different Learning Needs

In simple words, inclusion in play schools refers to an environment where every child feels loved, understood, and valued, without exception. However, though inclusion has been internationally recognised as a fundamental human right, many play schools in the country and across the globe lack inclusive setups to accommodate children with varied learning needs. In such a scenario, the significance of a preschool curriculum, such as Bachpan Play School’s SPROUT, grows manifold.

The Importance of Inclusion in Play Schools

Inclusive settings play a crucial role in the holistic growth and well-being of children. Inclusive learning environments not only enable them to form friendships with their peers but also cultivate higher levels of positive self-perception and self-confidence, which are important for the emotional wellness of students. When a child feels accepted and understood by not only educators but also peers, it paves the way for better performance in all growth areas, including academics.

At the same time, the role of inclusion in fostering physical access to learning spaces and in making learning materials accessible cannot be sidelined. Accessibility (the structural side) and inclusion (the social side) are two sides of the same coin, and both are vital in supporting the different learning needs of students.

Inclusion Through Learning Styles

As studies show, there are mainly four kinds of learning styles. While some children learn through seeing (visual), some learn through hearing (auditory), some learn through touch (tactile), some learn through doing and moving (kinaesthetic), and the list goes on.

To be more precise, visual learners tend to benefit from picture books, flashcards, concept cards, and colour-coded materials in the teaching-learning process; auditory learners tend to benefit from rhymes, songs, audio recordings, storytelling, and discussions; tactile learners tend to benefit from craft projects, clay, fabric, sensory bins, and sandpaper letters; and kinaesthetic learners tend to benefit from physical activities such as role-playing and field trips.

All this is an important aspect of inclusion in play schools, necessitating the need to align with learning styles through the play school curriculum.

Inclusion Through Multiple Intelligences

A key part of any high-quality preschool curriculum and early childhood education is inclusion through multiple intelligences. While children have skills in some areas, patience and perseverance can help them develop skills in other areas, given that the learning environment is stimulating and inclusive enough. Inclusion in play schools thus hinges on shifting the traditional focus upon linguistic-verbal and logical-mathematical abilities of students to focusing on a broader range of abilities, such as interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence, and visual-spatial intelligence.

Inclusion in play schools through multiple intelligences helps ensure that children not only develop their strengths in areas where they are naturally talented but they also feel motivated and valued enough to excel in areas where they may not be naturally talented. The preschool curriculum has a major part to play in this regard.

How SPROUT Supports Different Learning Needs

The significance of a well-researched play school curriculum is immense when it comes to accommodating the learning styles and needs of students. Also, SPROUT focuses on the continuous training and professional development of teachers to support different learning needs. It also leverages top-notch tech-learning tools such as Speaking Books and Speaking Pens, Smart Classes, and Robotics to stimulate young minds. Moreover, SPROUT ensures parental involvement through DIY activities, which connect classroom learning with home learning.

Towards an Inclusive Future

Play schools, with their carefully designed curricula, play a crucial role in shaping the foundational growth of a nation’s younger generations, making inclusivity within these early learning spaces a vital priority. Though there is much work ahead in this direction, transformative steps have been taken in recent years towards creating an inclusive present and future, one of which is Bachpan’s SPROUT Curriculum, notably.

(This article is authored by Ajay Gupta, Founder & CEO, Bachpan Play School)