Interactive Methods of the Group
by Badi Cristina and Beraru Georgeta

The interactive methods of the group have important impact on the way of thinking and acting of children. Their application is made as a game with rules. Presented in this way, the methods convince the children to participate to the activity, for an active learning and cooperation and determine them to collaborate inside the group. The teachers should know how to use these interactive group-work methods taking into consideration the different personalities of the children. Each child needs a special gesture, questions, advice, motivation and attitude depending on the situation.

The following tips should be followed each time the educators apply team-work plays:
- The period of time for the activity has to be mentioned to the children.
- The steps and rules of the activity should be presented gradually. - The activity has to be connected to the reality.
- The activity has to offer to the children the possibility of feed-back, of correcting themselves.

I will present a method I use in the activity “The cube method” that is developing observation skills. I make a cube with six faces colored differently. Each face corresponds to a special activity which the child/group has to do: (1) Description; (2) Comparison; (3) Association; (4) Analyzing; (5) Application; (6) Explaining.

For example I applied this method to the activity named “The Migratory Birds”:
(1) To DESCRIBE: some images of migratory birds were presented to the children, who had to recognize them, to name and enumerate the elements of their body.
(2) To COMPARE: the general image (big – little); the environment, their conditions of life.
(3) To ASSOCIATE: the birds live in a family as we do. They raise, take care and feed their babies and learn them fly.
(4) To ANALYSE: the environmental elements important for birds¢ living: food and heat.
(5) To APPLY: the children finish the image drawing the environmental elements.
(6) To GIVE REASONS: why should we protect the birds.

The game and the learning provide the child with opportunities to combine the information he/she has, to build the reality with his/her own images. Listening stories and fairy tales, the child recognizes the main aspects of the environment. Playing with the pencil on the paper, he/she gets unusual lines and figures. Putting the cubes together the little human creates little natural buildings.
In conclusion, the activities I make guide to creation. The using of the cube method gives real possibilities of presenting graphically the theme of the activity. Using this method we develop the intuitive imagination of the children. Forming the cube I guided the children to make the effort of looking for the real solutions to the problems I put: Where do the birds live? What do they eat? How do they prepare for the winter? etc.

For more information on the educational method proposed herewith please contact Ms Ady Bady at ady_badi@yahoo.com.