Episode 4 – Daniel and Trudi spend a ‘whittle’ bit of time exploring the reasons why a simple potato peeler is such a common tool at every Educated by Nature program. Whittling and tool use is a key part of many Educated by Nature programs. In Sensory Integration and the Child, A. Jean Ayres, PhD, says, “Integration of vestibular and proprioceptive inputs gives the child control over his eye movements. Without the guidance of these sensations, it is difficult for the child to focus on an object or follow it as it moves. Later on it may be difficult to move the eyes along a line of print. Reading may be so exhausting that it simply isn’t worth the effort.” Just another reason why whittling is such a crucial element to all of our programs…!?
This episode of Campfire Conversations is now available in podcast form! Listen here, or wherever you stream your podcasts.