2.2- Assignment (Unit 3): Outline the concept of holistic development

When lesson planning for forest school we use a holistic approach. We do this to help and encourage the holistic development of anyone taking part in our sessions. 

When looking at holistic development we concentrate on the acronym SPICES. 

S - Social -Allowing the ability to identify, negotiate and collaborate on communal experiences with others.  This is important as social skills are crucial for building any type of relationship, working in teams and participating in community life.  These skills can help individuals to effectively engage with others, understand different perspectives, and contribute to group activities. 

P - Physical - How we are able to use our senses and body to navigate and interact with the world.  This is important as physical development includes not only motor skills and fitness, but also sensory awareness and bodily health. A strong physical foundation enables individuals to actively participate in daily activities and maintain overall well-being. 

I - Intellectual - The capacity to reason, clarify, question, analyse, recall, understand and solve problems. These are all things we need in our life, intellectual development fosters critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving abilities. It allows the learners to engage with more complex ideas, make decisions and can take those skills with them throughout life. 

C - Communication - How we develop and exchange ideas and notions with others through verbal and non-verbal cues. Having effective communication is a key skill and essential for expressing ideas, sharing knowledge and building relationships.  It involves not only spoken and written language but also body language, tone and listening skills, all important to be able to understand and also show.

E - Emotional - The ability to recognise and influence our own emotional state and that of others. Emotion is a very difficult thing for most children and even some adults to understand, by being able to involve this within our everyday practice with the children will allow them emotional development to manage their emotions, develop empathy and build resilience. It plays a key role in forming healthy relationships and maintaining a good mental health. 

S - Spiritual - Our sense of identity and our sense of purpose. Spiritual development involves exploring personal values, beliefs and sense of meaning in life. It contributes to a learner's inner peace, moral integrity and overall sense of purpose and direction. 

In conclusion, by basing our sessions on the SPICES framework, this will allow us to continually ensure individuals are growing in all areas necessary for a balanced, fulfilling life. By addressing social, physical, intellectual, communication, emotional and spiritual development, this model supports the nurturing of well-rounded individuals who are capable of thriving in various aspects of life. 

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When we do any form of lesson, whether that be in a classroom or outdoors, we are always looking at the 5 R’s in childhood education. Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Resourcefulness and Reflection.  These 5 attributes can influence a person's life in such positivity that we as educators need to prioritise these to help the learner grow. Within our forest school sessions, we are able to fulfil all these listed. 

Respect - Teaching children to respect their surroundings and the environment, other children's creativity and choices, also respecting their own choices, understanding that it’s okay to get things wrong, that’s how we learn and develop. 

Responsibility - We are responsible for looking after the environment and helping others within our sessions. 

Resilience - When things don’t work the first time, it is how we then adapt that idea and grow, showing resilience that we keep going. 

Resourcefulness - Being outdoors is all about being resourceful, using the items around us to create something or help the flora or fauna.

Reflection - At the end of each session we reflect on what we have done during that session, what we have created or discovered, and look at each individual child and ask them, what have they done with this session.  Some children would have been able to create a den, others would have discovered some insects, different but equally satisfying and good for their self-esteem, the feeling of accomplishment. 

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Why is self esteem so important?

Self esteem is an individual's overall sense of self worth or personal value. It is the perception we have of ourselves, how we are able to judge our own abilities and the level to which we feel confident, capable and deserving of happiness. 

Self esteem is highly important for multiple reasons. High self esteem can create positive mental health outcomes, such as lower rates of depression and anxiety.  It can contribute to a sense of well-being and life satisfaction.  It can help foster positive relationships, as individuals with high self esteem are more likely to communicate effectively, set health boundaries and show empathy.   Self -esteem can also motivate individuals to pursue their goals and persist in the face of challenges. It can fuel ambition and perseverance. 

People with high self esteem can have positive but realistic views of themselves, however, people with low self esteem may feel unworthy, incompetent or inadequate, this could show as self-doubt, fear of failure and a negative self image. 

Low self esteem can lead to issues such as social withdrawal, dependence on others for validation and a lack of motivation to pursue goals and lack of belief. 

How does Forest School help develop self esteem?

Forest school sessions are designed to promote holistic development and impact self-esteem.  Forest school can help develop self esteem in many ways. It can place a strong emphasis on child-led learning, where the children have the freedom to choose activities and explore their interests. The freedom of choice can foster a sense of control and responsibility which can contribute to higher self-esteem. By being able to make their own choices and using their initiative to solve problems can develop confidence in their own decision making which can reinforce their sense of competence and self worth. 

Forest school is able to provide opportunities to learn and master new skills, such as building shelters, identifying insects and plants or using tools. As the children achieve these individual tasks they build confidence in themselves and start to challenge themself and overcome obstacles, this will be building confidence and self-worth. 

As Forest school leaders, we are to encourage the children and provide positive reinforcement and encouragement, celebrating small achievements and personal progress.  Positive feedback helps children feel valued and appreciated, enhancing self esteem.

Building strong relationships with the children can also help them build relationships with the other children and yourself in the sessions, creating bonds and friendships, a more positive self-image and self assurance.

Allowing the children to engage with the natural world helps children develop a sense of belonging, also being in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, which are often linked to self-esteem. The calming effects on the natural environment help children feel relaxed and secure, which can create a more positive self-image. 

Unfortunately, due to the modern world and social media, children as young as 8 have already been negatively influenced by looking at themselves and possibly comparing themselves to unrealistically, and often fake, peers. Some children will measure themselves against something that most likely isn’t real, and therefore achievable, therefore their self worth and self image will decline as they see that there is a big gap between what they are now, and what they have been influenced to be like and made to believe what they should be like. 

By creating these safe, natural and child led experiences, we are able to change the children's views on what is real and what attributes you may need to create a well-balanced and happy life. They are able to learn primary human values within a relaxed learning environment and are given the opportunity to have experiential learning, build relationships and explore their creativity. 

The holistic development is being able to look at the child as an individual and recognising the different attributes they have and what we are able to enhance and build upon. We aim to gain confidence, resilience and new ideas. 

As mentioned in my previous blogs, forest school is long term, and although we cannot do forest school throughout our whole life, by implementing holistic development from a young age, this will help the development organically grow throughout the years and help them not just through school, but their adult life. 

Erik Erikson, an american child psychoanalysis, known for the psychosocial development of humans, came up with the psychosocial development, as shown below. 

Each stage has essential holistic learning requirements to support a child through the different stages of development. By focusing holistically we can provide the opportunities and experiences for rounded thinkers and adaptable children who are flexible, sociable, emotionally well as they grow up. 

In conclusion.

All children are different, we learn differently and teaching should be more about social skills and concentrating on the emotional wellbeing of our learners rather than statistics and test scores. By allowing these children some freedom and giving them the choice for activities and allowing them to be creative, it opens up their minds and lets them work on challenges that will help them with future experiences and build self worth and assurance.