The Benefits Of Field TripsWhat do you remember from school? Chances are, a group project, a special speaker, or a field trip helped you decide. Every student comes to the classroom with a different world experience. We know that students who have been exposed to many different things do better in school. In order to be successful readers, students need to relate what they read to what they've experienced. To think broadly students need to have a variety of experiences. As teachers, we know that field trips are important, but why specifically? There are a number of significant benefits. As teachers, a field trip is one of the best tools that we can use to provide every student with real-world experiences. Whether that's a trip to the local grocery store, waterfront park, a library, a museum, a theater, each experience that a student participates in contributes to their understanding of the world. They begin to see that what they learn within the walls of the classroom can help them solve the problems they see in the world around them. Field trips and hands on learning make concepts more memorable. Just think back to what you learned in school, the field trips you took, and what you learned on them are still some of the clearest concepts. By seeing real-life application of the lessons that they are learning in school, children might be more likely to understand and appreciate the importance and relevance of what they are learning. Students are exposed to new experiences that hopefully broaden their horizons. Educational trips encourage the development of social, personal and study skills. It has been observed that students appear to come out of their shell on field trips, becoming creative and displaying leadership qualities. At WCS field trips are an important part of the curriculum and I am sure your child will agree that it is something that they wouldn’t want to part with. Mrs. J. Hickey