Education and holistic development of children cannot be considered complete without a wholesome approach. Ideally, apart from imbibing the textbook lessons, there are several other aspects that must be incorporated within the process of learning to make it infallible. Group discussion is surely one such way to keep the cognitive development of the young minds on track.
Group discussion refers to a process where a group of people sits together to discuss a given topic. Contrary to the concept of debating, group discussions are friendlier in approach. In group discussions, no further deviation is made into the group formed. The group discusses a topic in a friendly manner and arrives at a conclusion derived upon considering all the points discussed therein.
When it comes to children, not many know the immense benefits that group discussions can endow young minds with. Here are some of the skills that can be sharpened if children regularly participate in group discussions.
Communication Skills
Group discussion has a way to contribute to the overall development of communication skills. When children get involved in a conversation with others in a GD session, they have to structure sentences on their own to convey their thoughts appropriately. This requires a strong command over the language. Therefore, through regular GD sessions, children gradually become experts with using and applying language impeccably that ultimately contribute to their overall communication development.
Critical Thinking
When interacting with the other members of a group during a group discussion, having some analytical and critical thought is necessary to contradict the points coined by others as and when required. Analyzing a concept in a short time requires an agile mind and the power to think logically. Therefore, regular group discussions help the children become critical thinkers, which again is a vital skill to possess.
Widened Horizons of Knowledge
In GD sessions, several students express their individual views and opinions on a particular subject or topic. This is surely enriching for every student taking part in the discussion. It enables the children to receive ideas and knowledge that were not familiar to them. Through discussion, new horizons of knowledge and ideas open and the scope of thinking expand for young minds. Participating in group discussions, thus help kids to gain a wider perspective of the topic involved.
Interactive Abilities
A healthy conversation is the one which allows everyone to place their thoughts equally. Dominance over others or being silent for most of the time are both regarded as detrimental to the health of a discussion. As far as the GD sessions are concerned, one learns the perfect timing for placing the views and opinions and also the time when one should remain attentive to what others say. GD sessions help to equip children with the skills of anticipating the right times to speak up and stay calm. This, in turn, helps them master the skills of carrying out perfect conversations.
Decision-Making Capacity
GD sessions generally require the participants to contribute their views and opinions depending on the flow of the discussion. One cannot come prepared with speech or an idea to deliver the same over a GD table. The ideas, opinions, and speeches should be placed based on the words conveyed by others during the discussion. Therefore, participants are required to make decisions on the spot to either support or contradict the opinions of others. It helps the participants to grow more confident and capable of making on-spot decisions logically.
We, at the K.R. Mangalam World School, believe in progressive learning and holistic development of children, and hence focus on various dimensions of learning as a part of our pedagogy. We organize various activities like clubs, interactive classes, seminars, excursions, etc. to widen the learning horizons of our pupils. At KRMS, our teachers also encourage and conduct group discussions in classrooms to keep the learning methods interesting and to help the children participate in the process wholeheartedly. The exceptional success rates of our students can be attributed to this unique approach of learning that the institution fosters.