Fold, Color, Talk

Launching Ananth’s Fold, Color, Talk series of videos today! Ananth has been folding circles using Wholemovement (https://www.wholemovement.com/) since 2007.

In 2014, during an entrepreneurrship camp, he developed the Fold, Color, Talk concept, created a logo, and did some initial work on this approach. Now, we are ready to share our explorations on Ananth’s Adventures channel as an activity for parents to do with their children.

ACTIVITY 1. FOLDING THREE DIAMETERS

The first activity that we will share is folding a circle into three diameters. The 3-diameter folding is one that we will use frequently in our future activities. So take a paper plate and follow along with Ananth as he demonstrates 3-diameter folding. Watch the embedded video or click this link to view the video.

Imitate, Repeat, Memorize, Improvise

One reason that we have decided to share Fold, Color, Talk videos is that we can create an opportunity for parents and children to explore imitation-based learning.

We encourage parents to watch the video and try folding the 3-diameter circle. Once you are comfortable, do a lesson for your child where they imitate you.

Repeat the lesson for many days. Color the folded circle in different ways to make the activity more interesting. You can color in different ways. For example, use two colors and color alternate sectors with those colors.

Give a specific role to your child. For example, you can take turns coloring the different sections.

As you repeat daily, you and your child will memorize the steps. Further, the 3-diameter folding is used in most of the activities that we will share. Over time, 3-diameter folding will happen effortlessly and you and your child can build complex creations.

Improvise while coloring or talking. For example, use the six sectors for recording the 5Ws + H and make a 5Ws + H wheel. Or write story elements and create a storytelling wheel.

Ananth and I have created a daily schedule. After folding the three diameters, touch one end of each diameter to the opposite end and crease. You will create three additional diameters. The circle is now divided into 12 parts.

Wholemovement and Origami

Ananth has never shown any interest in Origami. However, he loves Wholemovement and has done it for many years. One reason for his interest could be the orderly process of folding. We usually start with a circle, divide into two, fold three diameters, and then proceed. Origami books that we have seen present discrete projects. We have not seen folding up developed gradually as in Wholemovement.

Foldables and Learning

Dinah Zikes has focused on foldables as a tool for learning. Visit her website here. We explored Dinah Zikes foldables for some time. However, since Ananth was using Wholemovement regularly, we started using circle foldables for folding.

I will write more about learning with foldables in future posts. I will end this post with one thought:

Folding is a way of organizing ideas that follows the principle of division without separation. For example, we create a schedule by dividing the circle into 12 parts. We divide a story into different parts. The idea is that any topic you are exploring can be divided into parts in different ways.

In contrast, when we use blocks, post-its etc., we are creating by putting parts together.

The two ways of modeling create a different experience. We encourage you to foldables!