Panchaadi – Five-Step Learning Process

The five-step learning process – ‘Panchaadi’ – is a good guide to formulating the sequence that a Teacher may adopt in planning for instruction. This process is also helpful for parents to understand how children learn in a structured and meaningful way.

Aditi (Introduction)

As a first step, the Teacher introduces a new concept/topic by establishing a connection with the child’s prior knowledge. Children gather relevant information regarding the new topic with the help of the Teacher by asking questions, exploring, and experimenting with ideas and material.

Bodh (Conceptual Understanding)

Children try to understand core concepts through play, enquiry, experiments, discussion, or reading in the second step. The Teacher observes the process and guides the children. The teaching plan has the list of concepts to be learnt by the children.

Abhyas (Practice)

The third step is about practice to strengthen understanding and skills through a range of interesting activities. Teachers can organize group work or small projects to reinforce conceptual understanding and attainment of competencies.

Prayog (Application)

The fourth step is about applying the acquired understanding in the child’s everyday life. This can be accomplished through various activities and small projects.

Prasar (Expansion)

The fifth step is about spreading the acquired understanding through conversations with friends, telling each other new stories, singing new songs, reading new books together and playing new games with each other. For each and every new topic learnt, a neural pathway is created in our brain. Sharing knowledge strengthens our learning. A neural pathway is incomplete if we don’t teach what we have learnt. Teaching makes learning clear and long-lasting.