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Teaching Child Development: The level of the child's neurological and physiological development determines the kinds of learning that can take place. Accordingly, the age at which a particular task should be taught to a child depends on the complexity of the skill, the degree of co-ordination and mental ability involved, and the rate of that particular child's development. A little practice at the appropriate stage of maturation is more effective than a lot when the child is too young.
This may range from direct, didactic teaching child development, to the encouragement to represent, interpret, evaluate, and transform (or be creative with) ideas about those experiences. We have evidence about the experience and development of the role of teacher as 'facilitator', or 'mediator', which is based on Vygotsky's work (1978) from, for example, Wood et al. (1980), Desforges and Cockburn (1987). Adult intervention in learning which is child-centred is aimed at helping each child make sense of a new learning situation, or activity, by building on the individual child's existing knowledge and previous experience.
Even if a child has made a poor start, it may be corrected by later life experiences, with the help of an understanding adult or through association with a chum or a group of peers. For example, in a family limited in intelligence and income, but blessed with genuinely warm feelings toward one another, the development of one child took place as follows: At twenty months the child was unweaned, had temper tantrums, and was retarded in language development. At this time a clinical study of the child was made and discussed with the mother. |
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