Visit a UK Primary school and there is a good chance that they are channelling the powers of Forest School. The benefits to learning, independence, pupil and teacher engagement and mental wellbeing are plentiful, as the growing body of research shows.
Jess Drake, speech and language therapist based in Hebden Bridge, UK, was curious enough about the Forest School movement to train to become a Forest School leader in 2009. She now uses this knowledge when carrying out speech and language therapy in Forest Schools. Here, she answers some of our questions:
Q: Why did you consider Forest School to be a good place for speech and language work?
A: The more I worked with children in the classroom, the more I wanted to take them outside. There are SO many merits and the ethos of Forest School connects with many of our interventions. It’s a natural space that allows for communication, for example:
Whilst being outdoors children are encouraged to engage with nature and connect with the natural world. This in turn sparks curiosity and leads onto natural and often imaginative play. Forest School advocates for children to be able to be able to follow their interests with adults following and joining in the play. By doing so, adults can extend on children’s play and use strategies such as commenting to develop language.
I once heard language described as being similar to “dark matter”, invisible but everywhere. Outdoor play in woodland settings provides a highly practical and experiential approach to learning new words; and vocabulary is indeed everywhere! Working with children in such an environment, combined with talking about what the word sounds like, and its meaning too, helps to boost vocabulary skills.
There are many imaginative opportunities to supporting storytelling skills whilst being outdoors. There is something about sitting around the fire, having a warm drink that makes for a natural place to tell stories. Children can use natural resources such as making log dogs, (mud/clay puppets or faces on trees or making characters from string, dressing them with leaves) and making stories about them. These characters can be based on familiar books or created from a child’s imagination.
There is a natural space to play ‘people’ games. With consent, children can play blindfold games such as leading each other on a nature walk and using their senses to explore the area. Children can also work together in familiar activities such as building dens, putting up a tarpaulin (to help protect them from inclement weather) and preparing food/cooking together.
A higher adult-to-child ratio and having access to skilled adults, facilitating children through child led activities/play are imperative to developing a child’s self-esteem and “try again” approach. This sense of achievement gives children the excitement of something to talk about. I recall a child, making a wooden spinner, rushing back into the classroom, eagerly wanting to talk about what they had created.
Q: How do you structure your sessions?
A: Forest School advocates that sessions should take place over the long term and follow a familiar routine. Working as an outdoor therapist, I try to follow this. I will always have targets in mind and will loosely plan sessions in advance, however, I am fully prepared to be flexible with these plans and let the child lead!
Q: So, do you support children who struggle to focus in large outdoor spaces?
A: There is something about being outdoors that has a positive impact on a child’s ability to engage. The following can help best support/prepare for sessions:
A high adult to child ratio is essential so there will be an adult available to help the child who is struggling
Having a loose structure, a familiar routine and sessions over time so the child knows what to expect
Giving the child space to develop and ensuring that activities are pitched at the right level with the right support
Getting to know the child in advance of sessions
Forest Schools offer a natural and dynamic setting that boosts communication through curiosity, imaginative play and collaboration. Its ethos aligns well with speech and language work, offering children an engaging space to develop communication skills while enjoying the many benefits of nature. So, pull your wellies on, wrap up warm and get your class outside to have a good old natter in nature.