Learning Corners Get a Leg Up from GLXi
When the students start fidgeting at their desks, teacher Edgar Brenner Soliz takes it as his cue – it is time to switch things up.
Soliz knows that curious minds stay curious when they are engaged. And he has a ready solution in the corner of his classroom.
The students are usually excited for the break from routine. In groups, they wander over to the learning corner, which has a variety of books and other materials right at floor level where the students can easily view and reach them.
Some kids take a seat and start reading on their own. Others work on creating their own storyboards, or play with flash cards.
A library-style learning corner at EORM San Cristóbal El Bajo, Sacatepéquez
They are still learning but it doesn’t FEEL like learning. And that’s the beauty of the learning corner.
Learning corners have been a staple of the Guatemalan educational system for some time, but classrooms often lack the resources to properly stock these spaces.
GLXi teachers have told us they appreciate that our program gives them the tools and resources to make the learning corners fun and robust for their students.
Approximately 90% of our teachers use the learning corner strategy.
While the main theme is reading and writing, teachers can also adapt it to other subjects they teach, such as natural sciences, social studies, mathematics, and arts.
That flexibility is part of what makes the learning corner concept so appealing. These spaces can be used to work on any of the necessary themes that the teacher wants to highlight in their classroom. The learning corner can fit nicely within an existing lesson plan, and is easy to implement.
A learning corner designed to encourage student selections
“Our teachers are filled with great ideas for how to implement learning corners in their classrooms. The key is making sure they have the resources they need to put their plan into action,” said Jaime Vielman, GLXi’s executive director in Guatemala.
In our program, the learning corners are typically used once a day. That frequency of use means it is well worth investing in them as a learning tool.
Learning Corners in the classroom
Learning corners encourage collaboration and give children the opportunity to take the initiative in their own learning. The students can learn freely and creatively. With this, they find their own motivation and make choices about what they find interesting.
Something as seemingly simple as touching and handling a book on their own, versus having someone read to them, can empower a student and encourage the reading process in remarkable ways.
Soliz, a teacher at EORM San Cristóbal El Bajo, says the reading and writing learning corner in his classroom has been very beneficial for his students.
They feel that the material is at their level, and they enjoy having the opportunity to explore various books by physically touching them, he said.
He has also been able to include the students’ parents, allowing them to visit the learning corner and select GLXi books to read to their children.
Check out some of our photos of learning corners in GLXi’s participating classrooms!
