‘What is this?’ The children were asked to show them a picture of a book.

In unison, they replied, “Miss! Mother, and Baby,”

The teacher then inquired further, “And what are the mother and child doing? She asked.

The children were unable to guess the answer.

The teacher then explained, “In this story, the mother is going to fetch water with a water pot.

This passage is an extract from a book being showcased in the learning corner at a Dalit Utthan Basic School, Jaimini Municipality, Baglung. In recent times, learning corners have served as a space during leisure periods and help students recharge and refocus, potentially improving their overall attention and productivity.

With the support of SIKAI Project, a learning corner has been established in 60 schools providing children with a space for both study and play. The learning corners are equipped with hands-on activities, materials, and resources enabling children to improve their learning outcomes. The schools are provided with a wide genre of books, book racks, carpets, tables, chairs, and play materials. These educational materials have become useful resources for implementing a child-friendly teaching method that emphasizes hands-on learning and observation within the school. The learning corners are further enhanced by the implementation of visual aids (pictures), materials and interactive practices to capture the attention of children and actively engage them in the learning process.

The teachers at school believe that children cannot learn spontaneously through a pedagogy that is imposed on them. If there is a learning environment that incorporates audio-visual materials, they can grasp information even more quickly and retain it for a longer time. Putali Thapa, Shree Janata Secondary School in Jaimini Municipality has experience in effectively facilitating children’s successful learning in the learning corner. Thapa who participated in a pedagogy related training organized by the SIKAI project, now realizes the importance of practical teaching methodology and makes her best effort to adopt it. She now regularly allocates time for her students to best utilize the materials of the learning corner. She encourages them to read books of their interest and engage in playful learning activities. Thapa noted, “Through play- based learning, I have realized that children become more enthusiastic, curious, and diligent.”