Category: Activities

Bringing together all their ideas, children from Bramble Brae, Manor Park, Riverbank and Tullos share how they have investigated learning 

‘I talked about the learning characters. Ruby, who is resourceful is like me. I told the P6s that I love painting and drawing. I was nervous but it was nice to share.’ Victoria

‘The P7 class came into visit. I was presenting the learning characters. I told them I am like Ryan because I am good with relationships and solving problems. I liked sharing all the work we had been doing.’ Zoe

‘I thought it was fun and my mum said I did an amazing job.’ Katie

School should be a joyful place. Children in Aberdeen have told Children’s Parliament that being complimented helps them learn as it makes them feel good about themselves. Praise poems are a way of recognising children’s talents, positive attributes and the learning treasures they already possess.

‘I liked the poem being read out about me as it described me like the beach and summer, which I love. I felt confident about myself and could tell people how I feel. I face-timed by family in Poland, using Google translator to share the poem with them. I also told my mum, dad and sister about it.’ Julia

‘The poem is about me. I find it inspiring. It feels great to have it read out because someone was writing about me, for me. I’m like a Bloodfang-sabretooth tiger. I roar.’ Tyler

‘My friend came up with the ideas for my poem and I loved it as it was so positive. It described me as funny and that I am good at making people laugh.’ Jamie

To learn more about children’s views on their school experience read our School should be a Joyful Place (2017) report here

During this learning investigation children have been finding out what helps everyone do their best at school. This task emphasises the importance of environment and also relationships in creating confident learners. 

‘We have been learning about different kinds of people when they learn. We were saying what people need to be healthy, happy and safe’ Katie.

‘In our healthy, happy and safe school friends would be the most important thing because without them you wouldn’t want to learn as school would be boring, like a prison. We want to change our school so there are no arguments or bullying. People would all want to play with one another. We would also have way more P.E. – including climbing and Parkour. It is fun but also healthy’. Sara, Barty and Kaitlyn

The treasure chest is full of ideas about how children learn. The treasures are written on individual scrolls and put in a treasure box. Every child is given a treasure map and they have to plot the learning treasures depending on how much they are like them as a learner. 

“I watch and learn is most like me as a learner. I do this when my friends do good stuff like dance and sing. I can learn, practice and then I can do it” said Maria.

“What is not like me as a learner is that I can manage distractions. I do my work but then someone makes a face and I laugh. This causes me to shake and I mess up my work. I could manage distractions better if I was allowed to move tables and work on my own. Then I wouldn’t have people talking to me” said Daniel.

‘I always plan my lego before I make anything, I have lots of techniques. I want to get better at managing distractions because I can talk a lot.’ Dean

‘I noticed in Iron Man how they changed his suit between Iron Man 1 and 2. I don’t give up. I had to do 40 sit ups and 40 squats and 40 push ups and I didn’t give up.’ Jada

‘I use my imagination for the game Roblox to design new outfits. If someone shows me how to tie my shoe laces then I can do it too. I watch and learn.’ Nicole

‘We made a class learnometer to help us learn in class.’

Some of the things children at Riverbank find helpful are: our friends, quiet time, reading, meditation and being able to practice. As a class we prefer it to be quiet so we can concentrate.

While here are some of the ideas that Tullos pupils came up with for what helps them to learn: Doing art, making stuff, our teacher or family helping us, reading our own book, maths games, learning on the laptop, a quiet and calm classroom, being listened to, having friends, being happy, playing outside and getting enough sleep.’

Riverbank children also thought about what makes it difficult for us to learn and the number one thing was noise. We found that talking and people being silly distracted us and made it harder to work.

At Tullos, these things got in the way for children: getting interrupted by noise and chatting, our feelings being hurt, PSAs getting angry, teachers shouting, forgetting to bring homework in, family being sick or passing away and being off school because we’re ill.’

Children have a right to an education, and to an education that meets their needs and helps them fulfil their potential. Adults are responsible for making this happen.

‘We are investigating what it is to be a learner with Children’s Parliament. We have made a learnometer – it shows what helps us learn and what can distract us or stop us from learning’

‘Here are some of our ideas that our class came up with for what helps us to learn: Doing art, making stuff, our teacher or family helping us, reading our own book, maths games, learning on the laptop, a quiet and calm classroom, being listened to, having friends, being happy, playing outside and getting enough sleep.’

‘Going on trips with my teacher helps me learn about more things! I’d like to go to Transition Extreme to do rock climbing. I’ve never done it before but I think I could try’ Axel.

‘When I’m angry I play with my dog and it calms me down then I can work.’ Jada

‘Here are some of our ideas for what gets in the way of us learning: Getting interrupted by noise and chatting, our feelings being hurt, PSAs getting angry, teachers shouting, forgetting to bring homework in, family being sick or passing away and being off school because we’re ill.’

‘When I’m tried, I can’t think or concentrate and it makes me not able to to do my work. This is because I sometimes can’t sleep and so watch Youtube on my iPad until late. Going out and playing until 6pm every evening would help me sleep as it would tire me out’ Amy-Leigh.

‘If someone has a phone then we want to check our social media. Getting notifications on my phone distracts me.’ Emily and Emma

“All the children in our class can keep the learnometer on their desks. When they are feeling down and don’t have faith in themselves, they can show the teacher what is getting in the way of learning by pointing the arrow at it” Katie.

To help children think about themselves as learners they have been introduced to some learning characters who have different learning characteristics: resilient, reflective, resourceful and relationships. 

‘Everyone has their own way of learning. We have looked at four different ways to learn and tried to pick the one most like us.’

‘I ask a lot of questions so I’m like Ruby who is resourceful. I ask questions mainly when our class sits on the carpet. I ask about the job we have to do’ said  Youcef.

‘In maths I like to be challenged, so I have chosen Robert as he is resilient. If I’m really stuck I’ll ask questions to the teacher, like Ruby’ said Nadia.

‘I’m like Rebecca who is reflective. When I’m drawing I can just rub it out and do it again.’ Majka K

‘When I wanted to learn how make green my dad told me to google it. This is like Ruby who is resourceful.’ Charley

‘I am like Ryan. He is good at sharing and good at helping.’ Nathan

‘I love challenges. My mums challenge to me was to get three greens (on my chart) and I did it and I’m off the chart! This makes me like Robert who is resilient.’ Brandon

Children need learning to be fun and have important people around them to help them be good learners. 

”Learning is a basic human right. We explored how we learn and who helps us learn by creating learner ID badges.’

‘The people who are important to me in my life are my mum, dad, four sisters and my granny and grandad. When I am sick they look after me and they teach me how to swim.’ Maria D

‘The things I have learned in my life are how to talk, play, tie my shoelaces and make friends.’ Ellie

‘The things I like to do include jumping, parkour and having Golden Time. I would like to work at my dad’s work when I grow up and learn what he does.’ Jayden

‘I like to game, floss and play the PS4.’ Things I like to do are dancing, swimming and playing the cornet.’ Jegors and Sophie

‘I would like to learn how to be a teacher, have a baby and how to be on Youtube.’ Maria B

‘I would like to learn more words and sounds, like ow, ai, ou and oa because they sound great. Room 12 could teach me and then I would know so much more!’ Karolis

‘My mum is important to me because she keeps the house clean and me clean. She gives me everything.’ Azizur

‘I like playing with lego because you can build whatever you want. I’ve made so many cars.’ Viesturs

‘I want to learn how to be a fighter, to not be scared of a lot of things and to be a doctor.’ Max

‘I have learned how to do timetables. I can do up to 7 and 9, 10 and 11. 9 is easy because I have learned about the number pattern.’ Yasin

‘I would like to learn how to ride a bike, how to climb a tree, become a teacher, to be a mum, learn how to go on a plane, become a famous youtuber and dye my hair blue!’ Jorja

Every human being is important and special. We call this human dignity.

‘Human dignity is a feeling, being a proper human. No one can take your human dignity away. They shouldn’t be able to say you are different, ugly or mean.’ Aimee-Leigh

‘Losing your family takes away your human dignity.  Being left behind would be really upsetting.’ Tecee

‘To have food, to have a lovely and caring family, a nice and clean house and surprises gives you human dignity. If you don’t have these things people make fun of you.’ Amy-Leigh

To us, human dignity means:

‘You have the right to do stuff, you feel special and nobody can hit you.’ Nathan, Alexis and Charley

Children have rights throughout their life. The life cycle of a child activity asks children to think about what they need to be healthy, happy and safe at different stages from pre-birth to 12 years old. 

‘I thought about the 12 year old child. It is important for him to get a good education, which is probably important for every stage of your life. Education is important so that the 12 year old can be serious about his future.’ Christopher

‘The 8 year old needs lots of sleep as it is exercise and gives them energy. She needs to be loved because if you never have love you’d feel lonely and you wouldn’t have any family or friends.’ Aimee-Leigh