Lasswade pupils beat out lessons
MIDLOTHIAN children are literally having facts and figures drummed into them — and loving every minute of it!
Musician Daniel Duggan has been beating the drum for a revolutionary way of helping youngsters recall what they are taught — beginning with minors of Midlothian.
The African drum specialist has been rolling out his pioneering technique for the first time in local primary schools across the county.
Lasswade Primary School pupils are among the many children who have gained from the benefits of using different types of drum beat and rhythm to aid them in remembering facts taught in the classroom.
Daniel, of Inspirational Grooves, based in Edinburgh, has been running the initiative jointly with the Arts Council since 2005 and has visited every primary school in Midlothian to give workshops and train teachers on how to use the drums to aid and enrich learning.
A drum pack is the new must-have for every school as teachers recognise the benefits of teaching everything from spelling, facts and figures to the names of Greek gods!
At the start of this year, staff at Lasswade agreed to undergo additional training to enhance the use of African drums to assist learning across the curriculum and youngsters from the school performed at the Scottish Learning Festival this autumn, attended by the minister for schools, Maureen Watt MSP.
Staff went to experienced demonstrative workshops and were supported by Daniel and his handbooks and CDs.
The drum has been used to teach classroom topics such as Scottish history, Europe and the European Union, space, health, the environment and many more.
It has also been used to enhance stories, teach the times tables, foreign languages, grammar and spelling, in fact almost every area of the curriculum has been tried and tested with great results.
Julie Fox, headteacher at Lasswade Primary School said: "Learning is not just about being presented with information, but taking in the information, remembering it and being able to recall it at a later date.
"'Drumming for Excellence' uses percussion as a teaching tool which
makes the information memorable and the process fun for both pupils and staff."
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