History -personal observations of Lupe Escamilla, Director of Pars Omni

Because of Dr. Lozanov's success in his suggestopedic work with foreign languages for adults, the Bulgarian government designated several elementary schools as experimental schools where the entire curriculum could be implemented using Suggestopedia. One of those schools was Public School #122 in Sofia.

In the fall of 1982 I had the opportunity to visit public School #122. As I watched the children in different grades and different subject areas, I realized that what was unfolding before me was not just another approach to teaching, but rather a completely different educational philosophy at work. The exceptionally high degree of learning was all taking place in a game-like environment. And what struck me most was that learning was taking place unnoticed by the children. If ever the description, 'the joy of learning' could be applied, it was most certainly here.

I had arrived in the beginning of October and school had started in September. The children had been in school for just over a month. At the time of my visit, children in Bulgaria did not attend kindergarten formally, but started school in first grade. Some were five-year olds, but mostly they were six-year olds. There were 30 to 35 students per classroom, with one teacher and no teaching assistants. At this point, I saw first graders who had no previous reading experience reading simple texts, with good comprehension. The level of these texts was roughly comparable to the level of teaching material handled at the end of the first grade in U.S. schools. [See Description of Reading Method]. In mathematics class the children were adding and subtracting, with numbers 1 to 100, and using comparators (less than, greater than and equal to).

In the second grade, the children were reading at a level normally achieved by U.S. third graders. In second grade math, students were doing addition, subtraction, division and multiplication with numbers ranging from 0 to 1000. I could only imagine what they would be accomplishing by the end of the year. [See Math Sample Lesson].

Dr. Lozanov explained the reason for these second graders' high knowledge of math: in the first grade the mathematical material they cover suggestopedically comprises everything that is in the official curriculum for the first and second grades of other schools. A part of the material for third grade is also included. The whole material is divided up, according to its functions, into six themes; each theme is studied in four stages. [See Description of Math Procedure].

Also, the second graders were speaking English with an uninhibited spontaneity. I was able to converse with them in simple sentences and questions and the children were obviously quite proud that they were speaking, in English, to an American. Their first grade exposure to the English program came three months after stabilizing their ability to read in their own language.

Pars Omni has long delivered language programs for adults using the Suggestopedic method. Currently, we also offer reading programs for children (Kindergarten age). In the near future, we will be opening an elementary school in the San Diego (California) area.

Conclusion

Children come into this world equipped with spontaneity, playfulness, creativity, fearlessness, intelligence and a joyful eagerness to explore and learn. However, when these are suppressed we often see a counter response of rebelliousness and discipline problems. With Suggestopedia, these conditions do not exist because the relations and the organization in the school are designed to be harmonious with children's natural appetite for learning, growing and exploring.

Elementary school, especially the first grade, is a critical time in the development of self-image with regard to learning. The relationship the student forms with the teacher and with learning during this time can have the most profound effect on the remainder of life - on each child's learning potential, happiness, and desire to continue to learn - or not.

Our educational system has taught us how to measure up to certain external criteria of learning only. We learn our A B C's, how to read and how to write (more or less!). Our scores on standardized achievement exams rather than the degree to which we utilize our own unique neural circuits for our individual goals measure the adequacy of our learning. Our educational system has little or no means of training and measuring the individual's ability to utilize his own unique behavioral matrix and associative processes even though this internal ability is of the essence in creativity and personality development.

The advances in the teaching field will come primarily not because of high-tech innovations, but because of advances in our abilities as teachers to help students achieve greater focus and freedom from mental limitations.

When applied correctly, Suggestopedia has shown that a global approach to the personality can reveal fresh reserves and create a stimulating set-up and high motivation. It opens a world of exciting possibilities for human development, one in which children can learn at the level of their reserve capacities.

The growth of the human mind is still high adventure. In many ways, the highest on earth.