Our Vision
GiGi – Guide and Grow – Learning Hub is an aspirational, learner-focused and inclusive learning space, emphasizing each individual’s potential and lifelong success focusing on what learners can become and achieve through ‘Learner-Led Learning’.
How Learner-Led Learning (LLL) at GiGi Works:
Focus on learners’ interests:
Facilitators observe learners’ fascinations and current interests to create meaningful learning experiences that spark deeper exploration and engagement.
Facilitated Environment:
Instead of rigid pre-set plans or set curriculum, facilitators create an environment with accessible materials and resources, allowing learners the freedom to explore and experiment.
Educator as Guide:
Educators support and guide the learners, asking questions, offering new materials, and setting appropriate boundaries to ensure physical, emotional, and cognitive safety.
Emphasis on Play:
Play-based activities, such as art, role-playing, and construction, are central to learner-led learning, enabling children to learn through discovery and their own creativity.
Benefits of Learner-Led Learning
Increased Engagement and Creativity:
Learners are more motivated to learn when they are pursuing their own interests, leading to greater engagement and a flourishing of creativity.
Development of Independence and Confidence:
By making their own choices, learners learn to take ownership of their learning, fostering confidence and autonomy.
Stronger Social-Emotional Skills:
Learner-led learning encourages learners to collaborate and communicate effectively as they pursue their goals together.
Enhanced Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving:
Learners are empowered to tackle challenges and make decisions independently, which develops their critical thinking skills.
Suitable for Diverse Learners:
This flexible approach can be beneficial for learners with learning and/ or behavioural challenges, allowing them to learn at their own pace
Have you ever been amazed by the random facts that your children remember, or been surprised by how quickly they can forget something you’ve discussed with them? It’s a fact that we're more likely to remember something we’re interested in, than something that doesn’t capture our attention. This is at the heart of learner-led learning.
It’s the belief that if a learner chooses the topic, skill or area of study, then they will naturally absorb the information more easily. They are also far more likely to develop their understanding at a deeper level, by engaging with the content more regularly and by supplementing what they already know with research and exploration.
The retention of facts is not the only benefit. Learner-led learning encourages learners to think critically and is beneficial to their communication skills. Young learners are far more likely to chatter about a topic that interests them. They will ask questions and naturally expand their vocabulary when learning about their favourite things. Older learners will learn new terms and be inspired to read more challenging material.
Learner-led learners also become adaptable. When following interests that are less mainstream, they will learn to source their information from a wider pool, looking beyond the usual textbooks and worksheets to find what they need.
By following their natural curiosity, they will become lifelong learners, seeing self-improvement as an on-going part of their lives. When a learner is interested in something, they find it easier to learn and sharing what they've learnt with others raises their self-esteem and confidence. If a learner enjoys learning about something, they are more likely to be successful at it. If a learner is successful, then it raises their confidence levels, and a confident learner is ready to take on any new challenges. They will have a positive attitude towards their abilities that will stand them in good stead when they approach harder topics in years to come.
It’s worth noting that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. At GiGi we continuously vary styles of learning to create our own unique mix always putting the learner’s needs first. For example, we could follow a structured approach in some areas, but follow a learner-led one in others. There are many different options.
Learner-Led Learning is an educational approach where a learner's natural curiosity and interests drive the learning process, rather than a rigid adult-imposed curriculum. Adults act as facilitators, providing resources and support as children explore their chosen topics, fostering independence, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning.