| Recent research on intellectual and social | | | | below are especially relevant to the |
| development and learning is rich in | | | | education of young children: |
| implications for curriculum and teaching | | | | |
| strategies for early childhood education. | | | | Knowledge. In early childhood, knowledge |
| Unfortunately, educational practices tend to | | | | consists of facts, concepts, ideas, |
| lag behind what is known about teaching and | | | | vocabulary, and stories. A child acquires |
| learning. This digest discusses curriculum | | | | knowledge from someone's answers to his |
| and the methods of teaching which best serve | | | | questions, explanations, descriptions and |
| children's long-term development. | | | | accounts of events as well as through |
| | | | observation. |
| The Nature Of Development | | | | |
| | | | Skills. Skills are small units of action |
| The concept of development includes two | | | | which occur in a relatively short period of |
| dimensions: the normative dimension, | | | | time and are easily observed or inferred. |
| concerning the capabilities and limitations | | | | Physical, social, verbal, counting and |
| of most children at a given age, and the | | | | drawing skills are among a few of the almost |
| dynamic dimension, concerning the sequence | | | | endless number of skills learned in the early |
| and changes that occur in all aspects of the | | | | years. Skills can be learned from direct |
| child's functioning as he grows. While the | | | | instruction and improved with practice and |
| normative dimension indicates what children | | | | drill. |
| can and cannot do at a given age, the dynamic | | | | |
| dimension raises questions about what | | | | Dispositions. Dispositions can be thought of |
| children should or should not do at a | | | | as habits of mind or tendencies to respond to |
| particular time in their development in light | | | | certain situations in certain ways. |
| of possible long-term consequences. | | | | Curiosity, friendliness or unfriendliness, |
| | | | bossiness, and creativity are dispositions or |
| In many preschool programs and kindergartens, | | | | sets of dispositions rather than skills or |
| young children are engaged in filling out | | | | pieces of knowledge. There is a significant |
| worksheets, reading from flash cards or | | | | difference between having writing skills and |
| reciting numbers in rote fashion. But just | | | | having the disposition to be a writer. |
| because young children can do those things, | | | | |
| in a normative sense, is not sufficient | | | | Dispositions are not learned through |
| justification for requiring them to do so. | | | | instruction or drill. The dispositions that |
| Young children usually do willingly most | | | | children need to acquire or to |
| things adults ask of them. But their | | | | strengthen--curiosity, creativity, |
| willingness is not a reliable indicator of | | | | cooperation, friendliness--are learned |
| the value of an activity. The developmental | | | | primarily from being around people who |
| question is not, What can children do? Rather | | | | exhibit them. It is unfortunate that some |
| it is, What should children do that best | | | | dispositions, such as being curious or |
| serves their learning and development in the | | | | puzzled, are rarely displayed by adults in |
| long term? | | | | front of children. |
| | | | |
| Learning Through Interaction | | | | A child who is to learn a particular |
| | | | disposition must have the opportunity to |
| Contemporary research confirms the view that | | | | behave in a manner that is in keeping with |
| young children learn most efficiently when | | | | the disposition. If that occurs, then the |
| they are engaged in interaction rather than | | | | child's behavior can be responded to, and |
| in merely receptive or passive activities. | | | | thus strengthened. Teachers can reinforce |
| Young children should be interacting with | | | | certain dispositions by setting learning |
| adults, materials and their surroundings in | | | | goals rather than performance goals. A |
| ways which help them make sense of their own | | | | teacher who says, "Let's see how much we can |
| experience and environment. They should be | | | | find out about something," rather than, "I |
| investigating and observing aspects of their | | | | want to see how well you can do," encourages |
| environment worth learning about, and | | | | children to focus on what they are learning |
| recording their findings and observations | | | | rather than on their performance. |
| through talk, paintings and drawings. | | | | |
| Interaction that arises in the course of such | | | | Feelings. These are subjective emotional |
| activities provides a context for much social | | | | states, many of which are innate. Among those |
| and cognitive learning. | | | | that are learned are feelings of competence, |
| | | | belonging, and security. Feelings about |
| Four Categories Of Learning | | | | school, teachers, learning and other children |
| | | | are also learned in the early years. |
| The four categories of learning outlined | | | | |