Gardening 'makes children happy and teaches new skills' Taking
part in gardening can make a child feel happy and boost their
development, research suggests. The study of 1,300 teachers and
10 schools was commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society
(RHS). It found children in schools that encouraged gardening
became more resilient, confident and lived healthier lives. The
RHS says school gardening should be used as a key teaching tool,
rather than as an extra-curricular activity. Researchers at the
National Foundation for Educational Research carried out the
study and found teachers who used gardening as part of learning
said it helped improve children's readiness to learn. They also
said it encouraged pupils to become more active in solving
problems, as well as boosting literacy and numeracy skills. The
report said: "Fundamental to the success of school gardens in
stimulating a love of learning was their ability to translate
sometimes dry academic subjects into practical, real world
experiences. End Quote