By DAYO ADESULU
Several studies carried out by educational experts, and of recent, by Sir Ken Robinson have revealed that children are born with a lot of creativity and ability to engage in divergent thinking. This innate ability consistently deteriorates as children get older and get more years of traditional education which indoctrinates them with the sense that there is only one right answer to a question and that answer is the one provided by the teacher.

Research consistently shows that by the time children begin their traditional education, most of their critical years of brain development are already over, and also that traditional education stifles creativity and divergent thinking in children.

Due to this alarming discovery, FasTracKids International, U.S.A. has invented, designed and developed a unique teaching methodology that emphasizes on how a revolutionary concept in early childhood educational enrichment encourages creativity and brain development of 6 months to eight-year olds, teaching them to acquire, apply and transfer knowledge.

Speaking during a media parley with journalists in Lagos, Dr Charles Mekwunye, Chairman, Rich Rewards Fastrackids Limited, the sole master franchisee of Fastrackids in Nigeria, stated that Fastrackids is an information technology- (lT) based multisensory learning system that makes children learn faster, adding: “In the traditional way of learning, children use just two of their senses (hearing and seeing) but in Fastrackids methodology, children learn using all of their senses.

“In this method, children are allowed to think and ask questions by themselves,” he said. They are taught that the answer to a question is not as important as the process of arriving at the answer.

Explaining the steps that could be taken to help a child from six months old learn, apply and transfer acquired knowledge, the expert said that a child can communicate very well with the mother even if he cannot talk, noting, “the first eight years of a child is the most creative years of his life. He said that children are born with a lot of creativity which diminishes as they grow if not harnessed.”

He urged teachers and parents to challenge the child at their early age to analyse and evaluate information given to her, stressing that the need for parents and school owners to buy into the FasTracKids curriculum which develops speaking, communication skills and promotes leadership and personality development, cannot be overemphasized.

According to the chairman, “the FasTracKids curriculum enriches education in the following ways: complements traditional children education, develops creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking and confidence.

It stands as innovative educational experience that gives children enhanced opportunities in learning and in life. Moreover, it makes them learn using all of their senses instead of just the two (hearing and seeing) used in traditional education.

Explaining the difference between Montessori approach and FasTracKids, he restated that FastracKids’ approach has combined many early learning approaches via use of technology to create the best environment possible for young children.

His words: “We agree with the Montessori approach that children should be in charge of their own learning. Instructors follow the learning journey of the student instead of dictating what the student should learn. Our belief is similar to the Montessori approach that the classroom is centered around the child, not centered around the adult in the classroom.

How we differ from the Montessori approach is that we believe collaboration, communication and socialisation are very important elements for young children. Children work in teams and collaborate on experiments, problem-solving puzzles and dramatizations; this differs from Montessori independent and individual approach.