What is Discovery Time?
This exciting, activity-based programme provides a vehicle for teachers and
students to explore curriculum learning and key competency development, in
a fun, challenging, student-directed, authentic context.
Why do Discovery Time?
The philosophy behind discovery time is educating the whole child – catering
for the social, emotional and physical as well as the cognitive development of
the student. Research shows that the best way to do this is to ensure that
children are given opportunities to engaged in:
Play based, student directed learning
The importance of play cannot be underestimated. It is what happens when
children are self-directing and actively involved in their learning. Being
actively involved leads to more powerful understanding and ownership of new
knowledge.
Discovery Time is student directed. They make their own choices about what
they will do and how they will go about it. The teachers may set the scene but
the students decide what will happen next. When you allow children to direct
their own learning, be actively involved and playful then creativity, innovation
and problem solving occur naturally.
Teacher Involvement
This is the glue that holds all the other elements together. It is the
careful adult observations, the conversations they have, the qualities they
value and encourage, and the questions they ask that lead to a successful
Discovery Time session.