Klip
Mindfulness and starting school
In the transition from kindergarten to school, major changes happen. In school, children must learn to pay attention in a different way than they are used to and at longer periods of time.
The ability to calm down, pay attention and concentrate in an environment with many external stimuli does not necessarily come by itself. The pedagogical approach plays an important role. Exercises in mindfulness and being present is one way to teach children to pay attention and get better at concentrating on and solving tasks.
When children learn to get in touch with their thoughts, feelings, senses and actions, it affects both their wellbeing and learning.
This film made by Persona Film and Danish Centre for Mindfulness is recorded in a kindergarten class in Berkeley, USA, where teacher Renee Harris has integrated mindfulness in her class. We follow the children when they listen, eat, and move around with full attention. Leading brain researcher Richard Davidson explains how happiness and wellbeing is an ability that can be trained. It's good to start early in life, preventing problems for example in puberty.
In the movie, Megan Cowan, Director of Mindful Schools in California, talks about how mindfulness is conveyed to children. In her opinion, it is crucial that adults have experience "tuning" in to the present moment, when we ask children to do the same.