Active Learning and Little Rooms

On this page are links to information on a program called "Active Learning" as well as some explanations of some of the materials the children use. I am not promoting this program in any way, simply providing information you may find helpful. Many of the children use some of the equipment mentioned in this program such as "Little Rooms".

What is Active Learning?
http://www.lilliworks.com/new_page_1.htm

10 Basic Principals of Active Learning:
http://www.lilliworks.com/newsletter_aug'01.htm

“Active Learning” (Little Rooms)
 (please note, I was unable to find the links for the following information but thought it was too good to take out.)

The Little Room™ is put together to give blind and or multiply challenged individuals the ability to explore their surroundings within their reach. Early spatial relations is a component of achieving object concept and object permanence as well as the relationship between themselves and the objects and events in their surroundings. The Little Room™ provides this environment for the individual.

Resonance Boards: The sounds that the individuals make while on the Resonance Board will be transmitted through the fibers of the wood and the results of the initial sounds will be felt on the other parts of the body. The sounds will get a prolonged and reinforced effect, which is important to the person's motivation for increased activity.

The weight of the person will result in a little bending of the board downwards which will make objects on the board tend to roll or slide back to the body. This results in a prolonged reaction to the individuals activities.

The person using the Resonance Board will get an opportunity to develop an understanding of space by learning a little about the limited "room" which the board represents. The individual will start moving about on the board which will constitute a good basis for the motivation to use space outside of the Resonance Board and by means of this may start moving from one place to another.

When using the Resonance Board for the first time, the adult should sit down on the board with the challenged individual on their lap. Make contact, make small sounds on the board to inform the person. Gradually make stronger sounds and eventually move the individual down on to the board. When you feel the individual is secure you may start putting objects under his/her hands, feet and head. By observing reactions you will decide when the person is able to lie on the board and for how long. It is recommended that a Resonance Board be used under all Little Rooms™.

A home made version of the “Little Room”
The concept can be done easily at home just with a box. Our teacher was going to just go and see if she could get a big freezer or fridge box from a local store and cut out a few holes for ventilation and just put things in it. You can do anything - have things hanging down from the top,
have panels on both sides with material that you could Velcro things onto-you can use anything at all that your imagination lets you. Lili Nielson was the one who came up with the concept - it is Active Learning and really is just about giving the child things and then letting them explore with their whole body - including their mouth, toes etc. We have a resonance board also that is for Noah to lay on and we put things all around him like heaps of balls, Christmas beads, rattles etc and when he moves and knocks things it is really loud and you should see his eyes. He is covered in the things. At the moment he is okay in it, but after a while he starts to get a bit stressed, which is when we know he has had enough. Lisa, mom to Noah age 20 months, Tasmania