Guest post: The Importance Of Retelling History To Children

‘A nation that forgets its past has no future’ – Winston Churchill.

Understanding a nation’s past – no matter how uncomfortable some aspects of that past may be – is crucial for our future.

History helps us to have an identity and helps us put the world into a more meaningful context.  It helps us understand change and helps foster empathy as we learn how events in history affected people in different ways. 

And it’s never too early to start learning about the past.

Teaching history to youngsters not only gives them perspective but it also invites and provokes discussion and exploration about a whole lot of topics.  Telling stories of the past presents many different opportunities to awaken a child’s innate curiosity about the world and fuel their desire to imagine, discover, enquire and explore.

Take Anzac Day for example. 

This national day of remembrance on the 25^th of April marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand armed forces during WWI – the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces on Turkey’s Gallipoli peninsula in 1915.  It is one of the country’s most important national commemorative occasions offering opportunities to reflect on the sacrifice made by so many who lost their lives in the defence of freedom and honouring those who survived. 

Anzac Day is a powerful opportunity for children to learn the variety of different stories about Anzacs and ancestors and how everyone’s contributions shaped Australia.   But teaching a child about Anzac Day isn’t about giving them information about dates and historical events.  History has a bad rap for being a boring subject mainly because of the reliance on the facts without the filling. 

And that’s where a skilled educator comes in. They bring history to life. They make it real and relevant and tell the stories in ways that encourage learning, discovery and critical thinking.  You’ll probably find that a child whose interest in history has been piqued by an accomplished teacher will want to learn more about their own family’s past and what life was like for a parent or grandparent in ‘the olden days’.  Retelling history – even retelling our own personal experiences – preserves the stories for future generations and keeps the past alive.

Retelling history to children can also help them understand change and consequences.  They learn that a small event can trigger a series of much bigger changes and, as in their own lives, these events or decisions have an impact on the way the world turns out.    With Anzac Day around the corner, it’s a great opportunity to discuss the history behind the commemoration to help children understand consequences and values such as respect, tolerance and peace.

These values are intrinsic at the Nido collection of early learning centres in Perth and around Australia where Anzac Day is just one of many sources of inspiration for young children and educators to co-learn about the past, the present and the future. 

Nido Early Schools are inspired by the globally acclaimed Reggio Emilia educational philosophy which has been adapted to suit the Australian lifestyle – and they have established themselves as the benchmark for excellence in early education across the country.  To find out more about how their industry-best carers and degree-qualified educators cultivate young minds and instil a lifelong love of learning, please visit www.nidoearlyschool.com.au or pop into a Nido Early School near you.