“Kisoedu” means…
The Study Group on Fundamental Education and Handmade Materials
On behalf of “The Study Group on Fundamental Education and Handmade Materials”
Masanori Kichise
（A Former Specially Appointed Professor in Meiji Gakuin University）
“The Study Group on Fundamental Education and Handmade Materials (goes by the name Mizuguchi-ken) ” was established by late Fukashi Mizuguchi in 1988. He was a principal of a school for the disabled children and gathered his colleagues to realize his dream before his resignation from Seibi Special School in Suginami-area, Tokyo, Japan, and began to activate this study group.
Nowadays members of the Study Group abbreviated as “Kisoedu” (“kiso” means “fundamental in Japanese and “edu” means “education”), set the regular meeting up once a month, which will reach 317th in this April, 2020, counted from the first assembly.
Activities
★Individual learning practices
Main participants are children, adolescents, adults, or the elderly people with disability. The members of this group carry out the individual learning practices using Original Handmade Tangible Teaching Materials (OHTTMs) in each workplaces such as special schools, the social welfare places or in a treatment therapy situation. Especially in Otsuka special school affiliated in Tukuba University, the regular practices are implemented once a month on the same day before the regular meeting.
★Making wooden original materials
The members of this study group make original wooden materials for their daily teaching practice once a month in Otsuka special school. Anyone can join this activity. The core members actually conduct and guide how to make the materials.
★Exhibition of OHTTMs
About 2 thousand of the OHTTMs are exhibited once a year in Tokyo University of Social Welfare. Many people including professionals or caregivers for disabled children visit the exhibition and anyone can touch the OHTTMs. Original manufacturer introduces the back grounds of the manufacturing and explain how to use the original materials for students or adults with disability.
Distinguish Features of “Kisoedu”
(1) In addition to teachers of the special education, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists are gathered in “Kisoedu” study group. Multidisciplinary discussion can be made in the regular meetings.
(2) Aiming to resolve the developmental process practically from some distinct motor actions in the early developmental stage, for example, “focusing to the object”, “ reaching towards the object which caught one’s eye”. to the symbolic functioning such as language acquisition, understanding the letters and the numbers and concept formation using the OHTTMs.
(3) Regarding such process of learning practices are significant as alternative communication instead of language.
Contact us
For inquiries about “Kisoedu” regular meetings and manufacturing the OHTTMs , please click “[お問い合わせ](Contact us)” button which links to our secretariats.