DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

OF THE LEARNER
 LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of the learning course, the student will be
able to:
1. Relate appropriate teaching strategies which are
effective for learners at different developmental
stage
 ENABLING LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of the learning course, the student will be
able to:
1. Identify the physical, cognitive and psychosocial
characteristics of learners that influence learning at
various stages of growth and development
2. Recognize the role of health care professionals in
assessing stage-specific learner needs according to
maturational needs
3. Determine the role of the family in patient education
4. Discuss the appropriate teaching strategies effective
for learners at different developmental stages
 DEVELOPMENTAL
CHARACTERISTICS
What influences a person’s Major factors associated
ability & readiness to learn? with learner readiness
• Growth and development • Physical
interact with experiential • Cognitive
background • Psychosocial
• Physical and emotional
health status
• Personal motivation
• Environmental factors
 DEVELOPMENTAL
CHARACTERISTICS
3 Phases of Learning
1. Dependence
2. Independence
3. Interdependence
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF
CHILDHOOD
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD
• Infancy (first 12 months of life)
• Toddler (0 – 3 years old)

PEDAGOGY
• The art and science of helping children to learn
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD
• Growth and development is highly
complex
• Main focus of instruction for health
maintenance is geared toward the
parents, who are considered the
primary learners
• Older toddler can be included in
health care teaching and education
process
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD:
Physical Development
Exploration of Self and Environment
• Sensorimotor period (Piaget)
• Coordination and integration of motor
activities with sensory perceptions
• Object permanence
• Realizing that objects and events exist even
when they cannot be seen, heard or
touched
• Encourage parents to create a safe
environment for exploration
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD:
Cognitive Development
• Basic reasoning, understands object
permanence, has beginnings of memory,
and develops an elementary concept of
causality
• Causality – the ability to grasp a cause-and-
effect relationship between two paired,
successive events
• Short attention spans and easily distracted
• Language skills develop rapidly
• Ask tons of questions
• Respond to simple, step-by-step commands
and obey directives
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD:
Psychosocial Development
Trust vs. Mistrust (Infant)
• Children develop sense of trust
with primary caretaker
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
(Toddler)
• Learn to balance feelings of love
and hate and learn to cooperate
• Routines give sense of security
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD:
Teaching Strategies
• Teach aspects of normal
development, safety, health
promotion, and disease prevention
• Assess the parents’ and child’s
anxiety levels
• Establish a relationship with child
and parents
• Teach in a familiar environment
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD:
Short-term Learning
• Read simple stories with lots of
pictures
• Use dolls or puppets to act out
feelings and behaviors
• Role-lay to bring imagination to
reality
• Give simple, concrete explanations
with visual and tactile experiences
• Brief teaching sessions
 INFANCY and TODDLERHOOD:
Long-term Learning
• Focus on rituals, imitation, and
repetition of information
• Words and actions to hold child’s
attention
• Use reinforcement as an
opportunity for children to
achieve permanence of learning
• Parents as role models
• Their values and beliefs serve to
reinforce health behaviors
 WHAT DO YOU THINK?
The answer is…
Two-year old Kenny is seen playing with
blocks alongside his older brother. B
Kenny’s mother tries to encourage him
to interact with his brother so they can
play together, but Kenny seems
uninterested. Based on his age, what
type of play is Kenny participating in?
A. Cooperative Play
B. Solitary Play
C. Associative Play
D. Parallel Play
EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOL
WHAT DOES • Kenny is now 4 years old
LEARNING LOOK LIKE? • He enjoys playing Doctor,
• Interactions since that’s his dad’s job
• Kenny has developed
• Mimicking / independence with
Modeling dressing and toileting
 EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOLER:
Physical Development
• Fine and gross motor skills become refined
 EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOLER:
Cognitive Development
• Piaget: Preoperational Stage
• Egocentric
• Precausal Thinking allows young
children to understand that
people can make things happen
• Animistic Thinking – the tendency
to endow inanimate objects with
life and consciousness
 EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOLER:
Psychosocial Development
Erikson’s stage: INITIATIVE vs. GUILT
• Expanding imagination and creativity
• Impulsive
• Curious about almost everything
• Interacting with playmates
• Role-playing
 EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOLER:
Barriers to Learning
• Fear
• Impulsive
• Limited sense of time
• Lack of concrete understanding
 EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOLER:
TEACHING STRATEGIES
• Teach the parents
• Reassure the child
• Use friendly terminology
• Short and simple
 EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOLER:
SHORT-TERM LEARNING
• Provide physical and visual stimuli
• Keep teaching sessions short
• Relate information
• Encourage the child to choose
• Small group sessions
• Allow the child to manipulate equipment
• Use storybooks
• Give praise and approval
• Give tangible rewards
 EARLY CHILDHOOD / PRESCHOOLER:
LONG-TERM LEARNING
• Enlist the help of parents
• Reinforce positive health behaviors
• Reinforce acquisition of specific skills
 WHAT DO YOU THINK?
The answer is…
4-year old Kenny was brought into the ER by his mother
with difficulty breathing. The doctor ordered the child
receive a CXR (Chest X-ray) to make sure there was
nothing blocking her airway. The nurse came in to take
the child to radiology. Kenny started screaming and
would not let go of mom. What is the best way to tell the
child what is going on?
A. Tell the mother what the plan is and ask him to calm
Kenny down
B. Reassure Kenny that he will be okay and that his
mom will be waiting for him in the room when he’s
done
C. Tell Kenny he’s going to get a giant picture taken to
help him feel better, and he is gets back from the
picture his favorite juice will be waiting for him
D. Inform the mother of the procedure, and tell Kenny
he will be right back
MIDDLE AND LATE CHILDHOOD /
SCHOOL AGE
WHAT DOES LEARNING • Kenny is now in
LOOK LIKE? elementary school full
day, which he loves
• Minds are open
• Kenny comes home
• Motivated to learn everyday telling mom
about what he learned
• Period of great change
• Kenny’s biggest concern is
play and learning
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Physical Development
• Motor abilities more coordinated
• Physical growth is highly variable
• Girls ˃ Boys
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Cognitive Development
• Piaget: Concrete Operations
• Logical and rational though process
Syllogistic Reasoning
• That is, they can consider two premises
and draw a logical conclusion from them
Conservation
• which is the ability to recognize that the
properties of an object stay the same
even though its appearance and position
may change, are beginning to be
mastered
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Psychosocial Development
• Erikson’s: INDUSTRY vs. INFERIORITY
• Gain awareness of uniqueness
• Develops self-concept
• Fear failure of being left out
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Barriers to Learning
• Children develop at different rates
• Frustration tolerance
• Limited understanding of consequence
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Teaching Strategies
• Include them in the entire
process
• Keep them simple and logical
• Observe the child’s reaction
• Parents should be taught to help
foster independence
• Gear towards fostering normal
development
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Short-term Learning
• Take responsibility
• Sessions ca be longer
• Use AV
• Clarify terminology
• Use analogies
• Show peers undergoing similar
situations
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Short-term Learning
• Individual / Group Instruction
• Provide time
• Prepare them in advance
• Encourage participation
• Provide nurture and support
 MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD / SCHOOL AGE:
Long-term Learning
• Help child acquire skills
• Assist in teaching them to
maintain own well-being
• Incorporate positive health
actions into daily lives
 WHAT DO YOU THINK?
The answer is…

Kenny is 6 years old. His teachers report that he is

displaying impulsive behaviors including grabbing toys
from peers, and incapable of sitting still for more than 10
minutes. The teacher is looking to the mother for
assistance with Kenny’s behavior since it is affecting her
learning. What might be a good techniques to use with
Kenny?
A. Provide Kenny with a start chart in which he can
earn rewards for appropriate behaviors
B. Use analogies to help Kenny understand why he
needs to do things
C. Help teach Kenny to maintain his own behaviors
through deep breathing
D. Engage in role-playing activities to help him
understand the teacher’s point of view
 ADOLESCENCE
WHAT DOES • Kenny is in high school
just about to get his
LEARNING LOOK driver’s license
LIKE? • Kenny has a wonderful
group of friends that
• Period of he spends most of his
transition time with
• Many health care • Kenny’s biggest
concern is fitting in,
issues but has recently been
tempted by friends to
• At risk population drink alcohol
 ADOLESCENCE:
Physical Development
• Fine and gross motor skills developed
• Period of transitioning
• Preoccupation with appearance
• Sexual urges
 ADOLESCENCE:
Cognitive Development
• Piaget: Formal Operations
• Higher-order level of reasoning,
capable of abstract thought
Imagery Audience
• Social thinking that has influence
over behavior
Personal Fable
• Leads adolescents to believe they
are invulnerable
 ADOLESCENCE:
Psychosocial Development
• Erikson’s: IDENTITY vs. ROLE CONFUSION
• Seeking independence and autonomy
• Conform to peers
• Need to develop coping skills
• Important event: SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
• Adolescents need to develop a sense of self
and personal identity. Success leads to an
ability to stay true to oneself and failure
leads to role confusion and a weak sense of
self.
 ADOLESCENCE:
Barriers to Learning
• Rebellious
• Concern with fitting in
• 20% have serious health issues
• Imaginary audience
• Personal fable
 ADOLESCENCE:
Teaching Strategies
• Develop trusting relationships
• Use peers going through similar
experiences
• Use a variety of tools
 ADOLESCENCE:
Short-term Learning
• Use one-on-one instruction
• Choose peer group discussion
sessions
• Use face-to-face or computer
group discussion:, role playing
and gaming as methods
• Employ adjunct instructional
tools
• Clarify terminology and medical
jargons
 ADOLESCENCE:
Short-term Learning
• Share decision-making
• Include them
• Suggest options
• Give a rationale
• Approach them with respect
• Expect negative responses
• Avoid confrontation
 ADOLESCENCE:
Long-term Learning
• Accept adolescents’ personal
fable and imaginary audience as
valid
• Acknowledge their feelings are
real
• Allow them the opportunity to
test their own convictions
 WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Kenny is grounded for sneaking out to go out with
friends. While he was out, Kenny had engaged in
some recreational activities. When you try to talk
him about it Kenny runs upstairs slamming his door,
saying “You don’t understand anything.” How would
you go about teaching Kenny the harms of
recreational activities?
A. Take him to an AA meeting so he can see the
potential repercussions
B. Get literature about the risk of drugs and leave
them under her door
C. Take time to sit with her and talk through her
concerns before trying to teach
D. Storm upstairs after her yelling that you need
to talk.