Consejería de Economía y Hacienda
INSTITUTO DE LA VIVIENDA DE MADRID (IVIMA)
16The UN General Assembly adopted these rights on 20 November 1989 and since then most countries in the world have ratified them.
For details on other rights, see www.unicef.org/crc. Also see Information Sheet No. 1: Children’s Rights and AIDS in this toolkit.
Teaching life skills works best when learning is participatory and child-centered. This approach enables children to first learn and practice new skills in a training environment, and then learn how to transfer these new skills to their lives outside the training sessions. Life skills are about “doing” and developing positive behaviors. Implementers therefore need to understand:
• What participation means;
• Ways to enhance children’s participation; • Active learning approaches that can be used
with children; and
• Qualities needed by facilitators to be effective.
This section also discusses when to start a peer education program, and how young people can be trained and supported.
UNDERSTANDING PARTICIPATION
Participation means inclusiveness and involvement in decision-making, implementation and
evaluation. When children participate, we ensure programs are implemented by them and not
for them.
True participation is a process that develops over time. It needs constant review and adaptation to changing needs. Participation can be expressed in different ways, some of which are superficial, while others indicate a deeper involvement by the children. Examples of tokenism and decoration are
many: children are invited to light the lamp during a workshop, carry placards in a rally; nominated to serve on an adult committee; told to memorize lines and perform a role play written by their facilitator, or asked to read a speech written by their teacher. When there is a higher level of participation, children will plan their own
workshops, make posters to create awareness, have clear roles and responsibilities on adult
committees, discuss and write the role play in a group and voice their opinions in different forums. Since the International Year of the Child in 1977, there has been considerable international debate about children’s rights. One of the basic principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child promotes the “Right to Participate.”16 At the same
time, the convention recognized the inherent difficulties in implementing these rights. Difficulties may occur because in promoting the right of the child to participate, we may inadvertently place the child at risk. Programs that promote children’s participation may in reality be exploiting or acting in ways that do not truly serve their best interests. All organizations that work with children need to review their work to ensure that children are able to exercise their right to participation in a meaningful way.
Efforts must be made to ensure that the children understand the purpose and implication of their participation. Children’s rights to confidentiality and non-discrimination should not be
17Roger Hart’s Ladder of Participation was introduced in 1992 and has been widely used by UNICEF and other organizations
working with children.
HOW DO YOU ENHANCE PARTICIPATION?
Good participation leads to empowerment of children. It is a good idea for organizations to assess the nature of children’s participation in their programs. A useful tool to assess the level of participation is Roger Hart’s Ladder of
Participation.17 In the Ladder, the first three steps
are actually examples of non-participation. The higher levels on the ladder indicate increasing empowerment and partnerships, greater ownership and sustainability. The ladder is not progressive in nature. Thus, it is not necessary that each level may progress to the next. The tool must be used to identify the current level of participation in an organization, program or activity.
The illustration and table that follows describe the different levels of Participation
3. Decoration 2. Tokenism 1. Manipulation NON-PARTICIPATION LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION
8. Child-initiated, shared decision with adults 7. Child-initiated and directed
6. Adult-initiated, shared decisions with children 5. Consulted and informed
4. Assigned but informed
37 • LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA
Because a Life Skills Education Program demands a commitment towards the participation of children, it is recommended that the organization review:
• Their stand on level of participation • Which level does it need to go to?
• What capacities need to be developed to increase participation, and who needs them? and
• How will the program ensure the safety and well being of the children?
It is a well-accepted fact that behavior change is possible and effective only if people affected by the change feel that they are meaningfully involved in the process.
Level Description Explanation
One Manipulation Children are not consulted and do as they are told. This is based on the belief that adults alone know what is best for the program. Two Decoration Children have a “decorative” function. They are invited, are physically
present, but do not participate or contribute.
Three Tokenism Very common. Projects are designed so that children have a voice but in reality they cannot say what they want or do not know how to say it. If they do express an opinion, it is discarded.
Four Assigned but Adults prepare the plan and inform the children. Children willingly informed participate, but the benefit is short-lived.
Five Consulted and Adults plan or decide, but children are consulted and feedback from informed them is taken seriously.
Six Adult initiated, Adults plan or decide but involve children in planning, implementation shared decisions and evaluation. Decisions are made jointly.
with children
Seven Child initiated This is the first step on the road to ownership and sustainability. The and directed idea or plan originates from the children. The children also
implement. Such examples are difficult to find.
Eight Child initiated, Children feel that to involve adults in their project does not mean that shared decisions they will be controlled by them. Needs trust.
result in programs for children rather than by children. They fail to empower children, and participation of children generally ends up as decorative or tokenism.
The Six Step Approach to Active Learning and Life Skills19
The Six Step Approach to Active Learning has been piloted and implemented by the Child-to-Child Trust in London, in many contexts and in many countries for over 25 years. Unlike conventional child centered methodologies, its six-step practical approach provides concrete directions to
facilitators to encourage the participation of young people. The methodology is deceptively simple. It requires the facilitators to take a backseat and be less directive, which is often very difficult for adults. It requires a change in attitude towards young people and a belief that they are capable and responsible.
The six steps must be followed in a sequential manner in order to lead to children’s increased participation. By following the process, facilitators can answer the ever-present question of how to get children to actively participate in a project
or program.
Step One: Understanding the Problem
Children choose a problem that they see as both important and doable. (See Understanding Needs of
Children in Planning section, page 16.) One tool
that can be used with children is the 3 P Matrix (see page 42-43). The matrix helps children realistically prioritize their problems. During this step, the
From experience
At FHI’s Life Skills Training of Trainers workshops, Life Skills Coordinators plot children’s programs on the ladder of
participation. Each one then explains why they think their program is at that level. Invariably, most coordinators initially plot at levels five and above on the ladder, and only during discussion and feedback from the group realize that they are actually at much lower levels, sometimes even at level two and three. One of the participants remarked, “We know the Ladder of Participation in theory, but in practice it is quite different. We have learned that for children to participate we have to first learn how to facilitate and it is very difficult to do so! We like to tell children what to do.”
18Please see References for Child-to-Child Publications
19Also see Section One, Facilitator’s Guide How a Participatory Approach Helps Life Skill Learning: Lessons from Child-to-Child
Programs, pg. 33.
APPROACHES TO ACTIVE LEARNING18
A commitment to participation does not
automatically translate into practice. It requires an understanding of how to help children participate.
Facilitation and Participation
Facilitation and participation are like two sides of the same coin. If adults are less directive and more facilitative, young people will be more participative. Better participation brings better learning and ownership.
Facilitators working with young people often do not know how to promote children’s participation in programs. Many child centered approaches
39 • LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA
facilitator may need to take a pro-active role by providing children with information and helping them understand the problem they have chosen to work on. Active methods of learning may be used by the facilitator, such as stories, role plays, posters and focus group discussions.
Step Two: Finding Out More
At this stage, the children gather more information about the problem. In Step One, they began to have a clearer understanding about the problem. Now, they are ready to proceed to defining an actual, true to life situation. “Finding Out” activities include simple surveys and interviews, visits and observations. Children are involved in designing these tools and discussing where they should go to collect the information.
Step Three: Discuss Results and Plan Action
After the children collect more information, they discuss the results at the training or learning center. The facilitator helps collate the data through simple
tabulations and then helps the children organize the data for further discussion. The children look at various activity options and may decide, for example, (with the support of the facilitator) to make a poster, plan a street play, or write a song, drama or story.
Step Four: Take Action
The children share the activity with their families and communities though by, for example, talking to peers about HIV or having an exhibition or talk for a panel of stakeholders.
Step Five: Evaluate
With a facilitator, the children discuss what worked and what did not work and explore explanations for their conclusions.
Step Six: Doing it Better
The children discuss what they should do next time and how to do the activities better from the lessons they have learned.
The Child-to-Child approach can be linked to life skills:
Step Description Life Skills
One Understand the problem Critical thinking, decision making, communication, problem solving
Two Find out more Communication, critical thinking, empathy
Three Discuss findings and plan action Communication, decision making, creative thinking Four Take action Communication, interpersonal relationships,
problem solving Five Evaluate Critical thinking
Learning/Training Place Living Place
STEP ONE: Recognize and understand the problem
STEP THREE: Discuss and plan
STEP FIVE: Evaluate
Linking Learning with Life
The Six Steps zigzag from the learning place to real life situations, providing feedback and
strengthening new behavior at every step. The Life Skills Education Toolkit includes Linking Learning to Life activities in all of its modules.
STEP TWO: Find out more
STEP FOUR: Take action
STEP SIX: Do it better
LINKING LEARNING TO LIFE
Linking Learning to Life is a central concept of the Child-to-Child methodology. Children can learn in any “learning” place, such as a children’s forum, non-formal center, shelter, drop-in center, and classroom or under a tree! Wherever they learn, the Child-to-Child (C to C) approach ensures that learning is always taken out of the
learning place to real life situations where children can try out what they have learned. Since
developing new behaviors or skills is never easy, the C to C approach provides many
opportunities for children to practice new skills and learn from them. As a result, children and communities are able to work in partnership to promote safe behavior that can contribute to the well being of everyone who touches their lives.
41 • LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA
ACTIVE METHODS OF LEARNING
An active approach to learning requires active methods. These methods must be ones that children enjoy that help them learn more effectively. Active learning methods are used widely
throughout the Life Skills Education Toolkit.
1. Discussions
Discussions help develop critical thinking, communication and listening skills. They require no materials and can be conducted with small or large groups. The topic for discussion should generate debate with questions about “why” and “how.” Discussions can be generated by asking questions, by narrating an incident or a story or by looking at a picture.
Some Tips: A group size of five to seven is
recommended with children; facilitators can start the discussion by sharing a personal story; kick start the discussion by showing a picture and saying, “pretend you are this person” or “how would you feel” or “why are they doing this in the picture” or other similar statements.
2. Stories
Stories develop communication and listening skills, are loved by children and are a very versatile tool. Stories can be told or read, and children can create their own story as well. By stopping the story at critical points, children can help develop the story line and provide excellent opportunities for discussion and learning. Do not forget to dramatize: If you enjoy telling the story, so will the children. Remember to process the story so that the children can reflect on what they have heard and learned and relate it to their own lives.
Some tips: Use simple local language, vary the
voice, be interactive and allow the children to give names to characters. If children cannot easily develop the story when you pause, you could give three alternatives and ask the group to choose one. When the story is over, look at it again and ask at what point, if a different choice was made, would the ending have been totally different. Discuss whether something similar has happened to you or your friend.
3. Pictures and Blackboard
Pictures can be used to generate discussion or explanation. Children can draw pictures. Blackboards can be used creatively to list, write questions and draw pictures.
Some Tips: Encourage the children to “get” into
the picture; ask them what is happening in the picture; use advertisements and encourage children to look at them critically.
4. Demonstrations
Demonstrations help develop practical skills and logical thinking. An idea is easier to understand when you are able to demonstrate or show an action, such as by using visuals or local materials for survey results.
5. Visits and Visitors
Children learn skills of observation, critical thinking and communication. Visits and meetings with visitors provide ample opportunities to learn from “real” people and from existing and available resources. It is important to plan. Choose the places to visit depending on the objectives. Prepare the children, the visitors and the invitees before the visit to get maximum learning out of this activity.
6. Drama, Mime, Puppets and Role-Play The use of creative media develops many skills, including empathy and communication, self- confidence, critical thinking and problem solving. In role play and drama, it is important that the children develop their own script and do not speak “ready made” lines prepared by adults. The purpose of this creative media is to allow the children to express their viewpoint in their own words. It is important to process the activity and encourage the children to express what they feel after the activity is completed. Mime is when children express themselves without speaking; non-verbal behavior sometimes is more expressive than words. Puppets are useful especially when sensitive issues are to be discussed. This approach helps children distance themselves from their problems and, at the same time, provides a safe way of expressing problems by “transferring” the concerns to a non-threatening object like a puppet. However, one of the best reasons for using puppets is that the children love them and enjoy playing with them!
Some Tips: Help the children “get into” the
character by giving a background sketch of the character, such as who they are, what their lives are like, etc. Give them a prop such as clothes or objects to help the children identify with the character. Make sure that the drama, role play or puppet show is not too long; a short presentation has more impact and is more manageable for children. Do not forget to process the activity by asking what they were feeling and why when they were acting.
7. Songs and Poems
It is easy to remember health related messages if they are in the form of a song. Poems need not
have a special rhythm and are excellent ways for children to express themselves.
Some Tips: Make sure the message is right!
8. Games Adapted for Learning: Both Indoor and Outdoor
Board games, word games and outdoor games help in learning and reinforcing knowledge. There are many traditional games that can be adapted for learning about health.
9. Question Box
Children can anonymously place questions in the box. The box can be opened periodically and questions answered by the facilitator. The facilitator must be careful to answer without passing judgment.
Experience from the field
Some issues from the Question Box from YWCA, Delhi from adolescent slum girls:
• Boys are looking at us and whistling; • My sister’s husband troubles me; • When we walk (in the community),
boys call us and speak vulgar words; • Why do girls and boys touch? • Why does one person lie on top of
another; is it “dirty?” and • My teacher hits me and says bad
words; I do not like it.
10. P Matrix Ranking: Problems, Plans, Priorities A useful tool used in many Child-to-Child projects is a ranking instrument for problems, plans and priorities called P Matrix Ranking.
43 • LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA
The children work in groups of 5-10 to identify the main problems affecting the children in their community. If the problem area is HIV, the facilitator will assist them in identifying problems linked to HIV. If the problem relates to alcohol abuse or gender violence, the problems will then relate to that broad area. Children list the problems, and then score them on a point system where 5 is the highest and 1 is the lowest. The children score on 1) how serious the problem is, 2) how common it is and 3) what
children can do to solve the problem. When children give a score for “what children can do to solve the problem,” they must give examples. By giving examples, the involvement and
participation of children is firmly established in the implementation of the program. The points