When I started observing the education system that my children were exposed to, I felt that there is something missing in the formal education system in Sri Lanka. I wanted to act instead of blaming the deficiencies in the current education system. As you know mothers want their children to have the ‘BEST’! I researched few education systems accepted world-wide, and the best research-based approach I found was SEL. I fell in love with the process and thought of using stories to teach the aspects covered in the SEL framework to Children” says Kumudu De Silva an author/publisher who has published 40 story books for children with the approval of the Educational Publications Advisory Board of Sri Lanka.
RIFKA ZIYARD
COLOMBO : Her story books designed based on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) concepts have reached the world as e-books available through Amazon.com. One of her books (i.e. Find your Bell) has ranked among top ten best sellers in children’s self-help category in Amazon.com in August 2017.
She writes in both Sinhala and English medium. Colombo Times spoke to Kumudu De Silva (Kumudu) to understand the concept of SEL, the importance of reading and how her books strengthen relationships between the parent and child.
Few years ago, Kumudu was a top tier professional in the field of Finance working at a large organization in the telecommunication sector. Today, she spends significant time in creating children’s literature. Colombo Times inquired as to the factors that triggered such transition.
“Finance and storytelling are very similar yet very different. In fact, it is my experiences in managing finances & doing financial reporting that made me a storyteller. The goal of both disciplines is to influence a target audience or the stakeholders in changing their current awareness on a subject & change of attitudes, belief, knowledge, and behavior. In this aspect both disciplines are very similar. Yet, a difference is seen between financial reporting and storytelling. We provide Information and facts in Financial reporting which alone rarely influence target audience and bring in expected results. In storytelling we speak to the hearts of the readers, which will influence readers instantly”. saysKumudu.
In her view, research confirms that well-designed stories are the most effective vehicle for exerting influence. She further adds “In any group, roughly 40% will be predominantly visual learners who learn best from videos, diagrams, or illustrations. Another 40 % will be auditory, learning best through verbal presentations , lectures, and discussions. The remaining 20% are kinesthetic learners, who learn best by doing, experiencing, or feeling. Storytelling has aspects that work for all three types. Visual learners appreciate the mental pictures storytelling evokes. Auditory learners focus on the words and the storyteller’s voice. Kinesthetic learners remember the emotional connections and feelings brought about by the story. When a good story is being told, listeners are not only engaged, but they’re also involved— both in head and in heart”.
“Gradually and effortlessly, I evolved to be a writer over time! I not only write but also convert my stories to live story telling sessions for children. I also work with an amazingly talented team at ‘Power of Play’ who converted my stories into live puppet shows too” says Kumudu.
Kumudu has multi-disciplinary qualifications across different spectrums. Kumudu functions as a Certified Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner while holding B.Sc. Accountancy (Special) degree from University of Sri Jayewardenepura and an MBA from postgraduate institute of Management of University of Sri Jayewardenepura . She is also a Fellow member of ACCA-UK, CIMA-UK, CMA-SL.
Hence, we queried on the focus areas that she covers in the books she authors. Kumudu responds “In my story books for children what you find is a beautiful blend of the art of storytelling and the science of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). As the name implies SEL is a learning of two things. First is One’s own EMOTIONS (i.e knowing the internal aspect of life, mainly focusing on self-awareness, self-management and responsible decision making ). Next is One’s relationship with SOCIETY (i.e knowing the external aspect of life, addressing social diversity/awareness and relationship skills)”
She further explains, “In my view, knowing the art of these two aspects of life is the foundation for all other learnings/knowledge that we gather over the period. Because,
· if one is aware of who he/she is and what he/she is good at , one would be able to be aware of and manage their own emotions in the most productive way.
· On the other hand, if one knows the art of forming and sustaining relationship with society , one will know the way to be happy
Having worked on SEL for a long time, I begin to understand that SEL is “SPIRITUALITY FOR CHILDREN”. In SEL we talk about being aware of our own thoughts, understanding and helping others, and spreading love and kindness !
Kumudu is passionate about the study of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and she explains “Being a mother is what trigged my interest in Social Emotional Learning. I was a working mother with two sons and my husband was on full time work too. We had little time to spend with our children”.
“When I started observing the education system that my children were exposed to , I felt that there is something missing in the formal education system in Sri Lanka that results in driving the children towards higher grades at exams while little attention is paid on nurturing beautiful souls who know how to be happy no matter what the circumstances are.
She further adds, “I wanted to act instead of blaming the deficiencies in the current education system. As you know mothers want their children to have the “BEST”! I researched few education systems accepted world-wide, tried a few techniques on my own children. The best research-based approach I found was SEL . I fell in love with the process and thought of using stories to teach the aspects covered in the SEL framework to Children”.
We requested Kumudu to share her views on changes that can be brought into society by embracing social and emotional learning. Kumudu says, “SEL is based on rigorous research in multiple fields that clearly indicate that our emotions and relationships affect how and what we learn. A growing body of research findings has demonstrated that:
• SEL promotes positive development among children , reduces problem behaviors, and improves academic performance.
• Academic outcomes promoted by SEL include greater motivation to learn and commitment to school, increased time devoted to schoolwork and mastery of subject matter
• Students in schools that use an evidence based SEL curriculum in certain counties including America and UK significantly improve in their attitudes toward school, their behaviors, and their academic performance”.
Kumudu shared her knowledge on SEL by making reference to global research. “A recent review of 30 studies found that SEL results in improvements in students’ achievement test scores—by an average of 11 percentile points over students who are not involved in SEL programming. ¹
The same research showed that even as SEL programs produce positive effects in students, they also prevent negative outcomes. The retention (hold-back) rate of students who received SEL in grades 1-6 was 14% , versus 23 % of students in a control group. The same students at age 18 showed a 30 % lower incidence of school behavior problems, a 20% lower rate of violent delinquency, and a 40% lower rate of heavy alcohol use. ²”
Kumudu explains that SEL has been adopted by many countries due to its benefits, “having seen the benefits, some countries including United Kingdom, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain , Germany & some states in America already have a fully-designed set of standards for SEL programs with benchmarks for students from grade 1 -12. In some countries SEL concepts are incorporated into Kindergarten programs too”.
Kumudu shared that SEL fundamentals would be adopted in Sri Lanka too in the future, “I am delighted to learn that SEL fundamentals are to be given significance in the proposed educational reforms to be implemented by 2023 by the ministry of education of Sri Lanka. While waiting for the best, as a responsible citizen and a parent I am doing the best I can do by publishing story books for children based on SEL principles”.
Kumudu speaking of the books she has written is humble in saying “It is the parent that makes the difference!”
Kumudu elaborates, “Books are Great! but when the parents add a lot of love, cuddle their kids, and read books with them, books become the greatest! Knowing this, I designed my books as “joint reading” books . The first page of all my storybooks is for the parent/teacher, setting up the guidance notes on the learnings targeted by the story book. Once the story is read, the last page contains a little question to be answered jointly by the parent and the child to make sure that the learning has been internalized”.
She further adds “my message to all parents is that books will not be loved by the children if the parents don’t add the flavor of love to it and read together. So, parents are at the center, as always! No matter how many books you buy or make them read, only a miniscule amount of information is retained. What can increase the retention rate and make reading a positive experience for your children is the way that you make them feel while they read”.
Kumudu counts 22 years of senior level accounting & financial management work experience in Apparel Manufacturing/Export & Telecommunication and E-Commerce sectors in Sri Lanka, Kumudu enjoys her multiple roles as a happy wife, a mother of two children, a director of family owned export-oriented business and a registered company secretary. Kumudu can be reached out via emailKumudu.stories@gmail.com Her website is https://www.kumududesilva.com/ and official facebook page: Log in to Facebook
