Gardening boosts reading and numeric skills in kids

LONDON - Gardening may enhance children’s reading, writing and numeric skills, a study said.

Children should be encouraged to practice gardening to help their literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills.

The research was carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research.

Researchers surveyed 1,300 teachers and studied 10 schools to examine the impact of gardening on school kids.

Teachers who encouraged children to practise gardening as part of their education said they displayed more independence and were better at solving problems.

Working in school gardens also had an impact on other subjects, including literacy and numeracy, the study claimed.

“Fundamental to the success of school gardens in stimulating a love of learning was their ability to translate sometimes dry academic subjects into practical, real world experiences,” the Telegraph quoted the report commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society as saying.

“Children were encouraged to get their hands dirty - in every sense. Teachers involved in the research said the result was a more active, inquisitive approach to learning,” according to the report.

“The changeable nature of gardening projects - where anything from the weather to plant disease can affect the outcome - forced children to become more flexible and better able to think on their feet and solve problems,” the report added.

“As the new coalition Government considers a new approach to the primary curriculum, we hope they acknowledge the striking conclusions of our research and that gardens enable a creative, flexible approach to teaching that has significant benefits,” Director of science and learning at the RHS, Dr Simon Thornton Wood said.

“Schools which integrate gardens into the curriculum are developing children who are much more responsive to the challenges of adult life,” he added. (ANI)