Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Assignment-01

Q.No.1 Describe the factor which may affect the process growth and
development.
Ans-When raising children,there are many factorsfrom family and environment
to genes and biology that influence their growth and development. It is
important to understand these factors to help your children achieve a healthy
growth and development pattern.Children’s proper growth and development is
the most common topic of discussion in the PTMs of Montessori City of
Industry, CA, so, a group of teachers is sharing below the major factors
affecting the growth and development of children.

Heredity :

Heredity is the biological process of transmission of physical characteristics

from parents to children through genes.It strongly influences many aspects of
the physical appearances of children such as their height, weight, body
structure,the color of the eye, the texture of the hair, and even the intelligence
and aptitude skills.Many diseases like heart problems, diabetes, obesity, blood
pressure can also transmit through genes, thereby affecting the growth pattern of
childrenadversely.

Environment :

The environment is a major factor that plays a crucial role in the development of
children and it represents the overall physical and psychological stimulation
they receive.The physical surroundings and the geographical conditions of the
place the child lives in, his social environment and relationships with family and
peers come under the environmental factors that influence early childhood
development in a major way.The safe and secure environment of the Montessori
City of Industry, CA as well as the love and care of family contribute
positivelytochildren’s healthy development.

Gender :

The gender of the child is a very common but important factor affecting the
physical growth and development of a child. The growth pattern of girls and
boys is quite different like boys tend to be taller and physically stronger than
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

girls on the other hand girls tend to mature faster during their adolescencethan
the boys.

Hormones :

You must be knowing that hormones belong to the endocrine system and
influence the various functions of our bodies.Hormones secreted from different
glands that are situated in specific parts of our body and control many of our
body functions.The proper functioning of these hormones plays a major role in
the normal physical growth and development of the children. If these hormone-
secreting glandscannot function properly, children may suffer from growth
defects, obesity, behavioral problems, and some other diseases.

Exercise :

In Montessori City of Industry, CA, children are encouraged to participate in

different physical activitiesas thiswill help themto gain their muscular strength
and put on bone mass.It has been observed that kids who engage in different
physical activities, attain developmental milestones on time or sooner.

Nutrition :

Nutrition, maybe the most important ofthe lot, has the most profound impact on
children’s healthy growth and development.Abalanced diet, rich in vitamins,
minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, provides everything that a child’s
body needs to grow properly. Malnutrition can cause deficiency diseases
affecting their growth and developmentin a major way.On the other
hand,overeating can also lead to obesity and many other health problems in the
long run such as diabetes and heart-related problems.

Apart from the above-mentioned factors, family and geographical influence,

socioeconomic status of the child and education play a major role in children’s
growth and development.
Q.No.2 Is physical development a collective result of genes and
environment? Discuss.
Ans-

Experiences Affect How Genes Are Expressed

Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Inside the nucleus of each cell in our bodies, we have chromosomes, which contain

the code for characteristics that pass to the next generation. Within these

chromosomes, specific segments of genetic code, known as genes, make up long,

double-helix strands of DNA.

Experiences leave a chemical “signature” on genes that determines

whether and how genes are expressed.
Children inherit approximately 23,000 genes from their parents, but not every gene

does what it was designed to do. Experiences leave a chemical “signature” on genes

that determines whether and how the genes are expressed. Collectively, those

signatures are called the epigenome.

The brain is particularly responsive to experiences and environments during early

development. External experiences spark signals between neurons, which respond

by producing proteins. These gene regulatory proteins head to the nucleus of the

neural cell, where they either attract or repel enzymes that can attach them to the

genes. Positive experiences, such as exposure to rich learning opportunities, and

negative influences, such as malnutrition or environmental toxins, can change the

chemistry that encodes genes in brain cells — a change that can be temporary or

permanent. This process is called epigenetic modification.

Epigenetic “markers” control where and how much protein is made by a gene,

effectively turning the gene “on” or “off.” Such epigenetic modification typically occurs

in cells that comprise organ systems, thereby influencing how these structures

develop and function. Therefore, experiences that change the epigenome early in

life, when the specialized cells of organs such as the brain, heart, or kidneys are first

developing, can have a powerful impact on physical and mental health for a lifetime.
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

The fact that genes are vulnerable to modification in response to toxic stress,

nutritional problems, and other negative influences underscores the importance of

providing supportive and nurturing experiences for young children in the earliest

years, when brain development is most rapid. From a policy perspective, it is in

society’s interest to strengthen the foundations of healthy brain architecture in all

young children to maximize the return on future investments in education, health,

and workforce development.

Q.No.3 Discuss Gardner's multiple intelligence theory.

Ans-
Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences
The concept of multiple intelligences is a theory proposed by Harvard
psychologist Howard Gardner. When you hear the word intelligence, the
concept of IQ testing may immediately come to mind. Intelligence is often
defined as our intellectual potential; something we are born with, something
that can be measured, and a capacity that is difficult to change.

In recent years, however, other views of intelligence have emerged, including

Gardner's suggestion that multiple different types of intelligence may exist.

Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell

Theory of Multiple Intelligences
This theory suggests that traditional psychometric views of intelligence are too
limited. Gardner first outlined his theory in his 1983 book Frames of Mind: The
Theory of Multiple Intelligences, where he suggested that all people have
different kinds of "intelligences."

Gardner proposed that there are eight intelligences, and has suggested the
possible addition of a ninth known as "existentialist intelligence." 1

While a person might be particularly strong in a specific area, such as musical

intelligence, he or she most likely possesses a range of abilities. For example,
an individual might be strong in verbal, musical, and naturalistic intelligence.

Criticism
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Gardner’s theory has come under criticism from both psychologists and
educators. These critics argue that Gardner’s definition of intelligence is
too broad and that his eight different "intelligences" simply represent talents,
personality traits, and abilities. Gardner’s theory also suffers from a lack of
supporting empirical research.

Despite this, the theory of multiple intelligences enjoys considerable popularity

with educators. Many teachers utilize multiple intelligences in their teaching
philosophies and work to integrate Gardner’s theory into the classroom.2

Gardner has cautioned that multiple intelligences should not be conflated

with learning styles.3 (It is also important to stress that evidence has found that
matching instruction to a learner's perceived style has no benefits in terms of
learning outcomes or educational attainment.)4

There is a lack of evidence to demonstrate that learning according to your

"intelligence" produces better educational outcomes. However, you may find
that learning more about multiple intelligences can give you a better
understanding of your strengths and preferences.

1
Visual-Spatial Intelligence

People who are strong in visual-spatial intelligence are good at visualizing

things. These individuals are often good with directions as well as maps, charts,
videos, and pictures.5

 Strengths

 Visual and spatial judgment

 Characteristics

People with visual-spatial intelligence:

 Read and write for enjoyment

 Are good at putting puzzles together
 Interpret pictures, graphs, and charts well
 Enjoy drawing, painting, and the visual arts
 Recognize patterns easily

Potential Career Choices

Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

If you're strong in visual-spatial intelligence, good career choices for you are: 

 Architect
 Artist
 Engineer

2
Linguistic-Verbal Intelligence

People who are strong in linguistic-verbal intelligence are able to use words
well, both when writing and speaking. These individuals are typically very good
at writing stories, memorizing information, and reading. 1

 Strengths

 Words, language, and writing

 Characteristics

People with linguistic-verbal intelligence:

 Remember written and spoken information

 Enjoy reading and writing
 Debate or give persuasive speeches
 Are able to explain things well
 Use humor when telling stories

Potential Career Choices

If you're strong in linguistic-verbal intelligence, good career choices for you

are:

 Writer/journalist
 Lawyer
 Teacher

3
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

People who are strong in logical-mathematical intelligence are good at

reasoning, recognizing patterns, and logically analyzing problems. These
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

individuals tend to think conceptually about numbers, relationships, and

patterns.6

People with logical-mathematical intelligence:

 Have excellent problem-solving skills

 Enjoy thinking about abstract ideas
 Like conducting scientific experiments
 Can solve complex computations

Potential Career Choices

If you're strong in logical-mathematical intelligence, good career choices for

you are:

 Scientist
 Mathematician
 Computer programmer
 Engineer
 Accountant

4
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
Those who have high bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are said to be good at
body movement, performing actions, and physical control. People who are
strong in this area tend to have excellent hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
People with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence:

 Are skilled at dancing and sports

 Enjoy creating things with his or her hands
 Have excellent physical coordination
 Remember by doing, rather than hearing or seeing

Potential Career Choices

If you're strong in bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, good career choices for you

are:

 Craftsperson
 Dancer
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

 Builder
 Surgeon
 Sculptor
 Actor

5
Musical Intelligence

People who have strong musical intelligence are good at thinking in patterns,
rhythms, and sounds. They have a strong appreciation for music and are often
good at musical composition and performance.7

 Strengths

 Rhythm and music

 Characteristics

People with musical intelligence:

 Enjoy singing and playing musical instruments

 Recognize musical patterns and tones easily
 Remember songs and melodies
 Have a rich understanding of musical structure, rhythm, and notes

Potential Career Choices

If you're strong in musical intelligence, good career choices for you are:

 Musician
 Composer
 Singer
 Music teacher
 Conductor

6
Interpersonal Intelligence
Those who have strong interpersonal intelligence are good at understanding
and interacting with other people. These individuals are skilled at assessing
the emotions, motivations, desires, and intentions of those around them.7
Strengths
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Understanding and relating to other people

Characteristics

People with interpersonal intelligence:

 Communicate well verbally

 Are skilled at nonverbal communication
 See situations from different perspectives
 Create positive relationships with others
 Resolve conflicts in group settings

Potential Career Choices

If you're strong in interpersonal intelligence, good career choices for you are:

 Psychologist
 Philosopher
 Counselor
 Salesperson
 Politician

7
Intrapersonal Intelligence

Individuals who are strong in intrapersonal intelligence are good at being

aware of their own emotional states, feelings, and motivations. They tend to
enjoy self-reflection and analysis, including daydreaming, exploring
relationships with others, and assessing their personal strengths. 7

Strengths

Introspection and self-reflection

Characteristics

People with intrapersonal intelligence:

 Analyze their strengths and weaknesses well

 Enjoy analyzing theories and ideas
 Have excellent self-awareness
 Understand the basis for his or her own motivations and feelings
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Potential Career Choices

If you're strong in intrapersonal intelligence, good career choices for you are:

 Philosopher
 Writer
 Theorist
 Scientist

8
Naturalistic Intelligence

Naturalistic is the most recent addition to Gardner’s theory and has been met
with more resistance than his original seven intelligences. According to
Gardner, individuals who are high in this type of intelligence are more in tune
with nature and are often interested in nurturing, exploring the environment,
and learning about other species. These individuals are said to be highly aware
of even subtle changes to their environments.1

Strengths

Finding patterns and relationships to nature

Characteristics

People with naturalistic intelligence:

 Are interested in subjects such as botany, biology, and zoology

 Categorize and catalog information easily
 Enjoy camping, gardening, hiking, and exploring the outdoors
 Dislikes learning unfamiliar topics that have no connection to nature

Potential Career Choices

If you're strong in naturalistic intelligence, good career choices for you are:

 Biologist
 Conservationist
 Gardener
 Farmer

9
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Existential Intelligence

Existential intelligence is the ninth type of intelligence suggested as an addition

to Gardner's original theory. He described existential intelligence as an ability
to delve into deeper questions about life and existence. People with this type
of intelligence contemplate the "big" questions about topics such as the
meaning of life and how actions can serve larger goals.

Strengths

An ability to see the big picture

Characteristics

People with existential intelligence:

 Have a long-term outlook

 Consider how current actions influence future outcomes
 Interest in questions about the meaning of life and death
 Strong interest and concern for others
 The ability to see situations from an outside perspective

Potential Career Choices

If you have a strong sense of existential intelligence, you might enjoy a career
as a:

 Philosopher
 Theologian
 Pastoral counselor
 Pastor

A Word From Verywell

The theory of multiple intelligences is important because it allows us to think

about different types of mental strengths and abilities. Learning more about
which types of intelligence you lean towards may help you learn to recognize
your own preferences. However, it shouldn't be used as a tool to label and
should not be confused with learning styles.
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Instead of trying to match what you learn to your perceived type of

intelligence, focus on learning new things via various modalities and formats to
strengthen encoding and reinforce learning.

Q.No.4 Discuss information processing approach in context of intellectual

development

Ans-Intellectual development refers here to the changes that occur, as a result

of growth and experience, in a person’s capacities for thinking, reasoning,
relating, judging, conceptualizing, etc. In particular it concerns such changes in
children.

There are a number of different approaches to the study of intellectual

development in children. As in the history of most branches of scientific
knowledge, the study began with observation and description. For many years
descriptive accounts of children’s thinking, reasoning, and other intellectual
capacities were thoroughly mixed with descriptions of their social and
emotional development and of their verbal and motor skills. Moreover, there
was at first a tendency to attribute to the child mental processes that were
simply miniature versions of adult thought patterns. Such early observers as
Darwin (1877) were careful and deliberate, but their records often revealed
the limitations of studying only one child, and the biases of the observer.

Predictably, the early, unsystematic observation of one child at a time was

eventually replaced by systematic efforts to measure children’s behavior and
capacities in standardized and objective ways. The growth of the mental
testing movement in the first 40 years of the twentieth century testifies to the
enthusiasm that was generated by the possibility of applying the precision of
quantitative measurement to the task of comparing individual children and
calibrating the changes that take place over the early years of life. Although
observation had been supplemented by measurement, the primary purpose of
these efforts remained descriptive, and the generalizations achieved were
themselves only descriptions of trends and improvements that occurred
consistently with increasing age.

Still more recently, since about 1950, there has been an increasing movement
toward the laboratory study of the ways in which patterns of development
themselves change as age changes. This recent work has been not so much
concerned with the effects of age itself as with the development in children of
certain functional relationships between experience and performance that
have been demonstrated in human adults and have been found lacking in most
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

infrahuman species. The emphasis is on the application of laboratory controls

and experimental manipulations to the study of cognitive development. The
aim is to control the stimulus conditions under which behavior is observed and
to explain why intellect develops, as well as describing how and when it
develops.

Such an approach does not obviate the need for study of the child’s
understanding as it changes with age. Rather, it relies on developmental
descriptions of intellectual processes and products for clues as to when a
certain level of understanding or specific intellectual accomplishment is likely
to be achieved, and what repertoire of cognitive processes constitutes the
means available for such an accomplishment at that age. Even the correlation
of processes with products over ages, however, leaves the detailed cause-
effect analysis still to be performed.

Although the present article is not primarily concerned with age changes per
se, it should be noted that the description of age changes in intellectual
functioning continues to thrive in two lines of research. One is the continued
development and refinement of standardized tests of intelligence in order to
predict an individual’s future intellectual achievement and to select, train, and
guide children whenever a test-derived forecast can aid in making decisions on
their behalf

The second line of research is that of Jean Piaget and his associates on

cognitive development. This large body of work has been concerned with the
ontogenetic unfolding and evolution of cognitive capacities in the child, and
like the work of Heinz Werner (1926), it has an organic quality and a
complexity that are quite different from the empirical, item-analysis tradition
of the test developers.

Both of these lines of research are structural in emphasis, i.e., they are

primarily concerned with identifying the component parts or capacities of the
intellect and with the organization and arrangement of these parts. The test
developers are concerned with objective measurement of capacities in
quantitative terms governed by a sophisticated statistics and a well-worked-
out theory of measurement. The genetic epistemologists, on the other hand,
have followed Piaget’s lead in attempting to describe the step-by-step
development of the child’s understanding of his world as it progresses toward
a formal, abstract, and logical comprehension of operations and relations in
that world. Recent investigators stimulated by Piaget’s work have begun the
task of isolating the conditions necessary for cognitive change and the
explication of processes as well as products.
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

In contrast, a functional emphasis, i.e., a concern with dynamics, processes,

and interrelationships, is found in the descriptions of cognitive development
and in the explorations of dynamic mechanisms in cognitive change that have
largely been undertaken by American behaviorists and behavior analysts and
by Soviet pedagogists. These lines of research are more concerned with
the processes of learning and thinking than with the structure of
understanding. It is to the contributions of these functionalists that the present
article is primarily devoted. It will be necessary first to summarize the most
important age changes that have been described from infancy to adolescence.
Consideration is then given to cognition, seen as the elaboration and selective
generalization of simpler forms of learning and conditioning. Concepts such as
mediation, learning set, and expectancy are discussed in relation to
experimental studies of discrimination learning and discrimination reversal,
concept formation, and the perceptual constancies. Curiosity and exploratory
motivation are treated in relation to orienting responses and observing
behavior. Research on acquired dis-tinctiveness, equivalence, and relevance of
cues is presented as evidence for the importance of a general class of
intervening responses, and the major role of language in this connection is
stressed. Finally, consideration is given to individual differences in cognitive
style, including discussion of such variables as field dependency, rigidity,
reflectivity, and creativity.

Overview of age changes

Infancy

Very little behavior in infancy possesses that degree of orderliness and

abstractness which would qualify it as intellectual or cognitive. There are
evident, however, the beginnings of systematic relations with the environment
that imply understanding on a primitive level. Beyond the specific and
identifiable reflexes, newborn behavior is usually described as massive, diffuse,
and all-or-none in its occurrence. Recent investigations of neonatal behavior
have shown that such descriptions mask at least seven reliably discriminable
states of arousal, ranging from deep, unresponsive sleep to intense crying or
sucking that is equally unresponsive to external stimulation. Reactivity to
external stimuli is greatest at intermediate values on the arousal dimension

Beyond the neonatal period (birth to ten days) there are three kinds of
behavior in infants that appear to mark the beginnings of cognitive
development: the development of simple stimulus equivalences, expectations,
and persistent exploratory behavior.
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Stimulus equivalence. Stimulus equivalence means perceptual recognition of

the same object, person, or event under variable appearances due to changes
in distance, illumination, context, angle of regard, and the like. While there
have been no formal psychophysical investigations of perceptual constancies in
infants, studies of attention and recognition of familiar people and objects
have indicated that considerable equivalence learning takes place in early
infancy (Rheingold et al. 1959). Infants also show selective attention, indicating
some kind of differential sensitivity to faces and patterned stimuli (R. L. Fantz,
quoted in Gibson 1963).Expectations. If certain events occur in a brief,
invariant sequence with considerable frequency and regularity in the infant’s
environment, he is capable of displaying anticipatory responses that constitute
for many psychologists sufficient evidence of expectancy. For example, it is
commonly observed that quieting and sucking responses at first occur
primarily in response to tactile stimulation of the mouth or cheek and general
handling. Very soon, however, they begin to occur in response to vocalization
by the mother and to other sights and sounds accompanying her approach.
Another example is the eye blink, which at first occurs in response to tactile
stimulation only and later occurs whenever a figure grows rapidly in size
(“looms”), as if it were approaching the face at high speed. The acquisition of
such simple preparatory responses as these does not require a cognitive
interpretation and is explained satisfactorily by either classical or operant
conditioning theories. But motoric anticipation does seem to provide a
promising basis from which the child may develop more abstract capacities to
anticipate the outcomes of his actions and to interpret signals of events.

Exploratory behavior. One of the most persistent and ubiquitous observations

of infants of many species is their exploratory behavior, from which curiosity,
both as a cognitive and as a motivational variable, is inferred. Persistent
handling, mouthing, smelling, and visual scanning seem to occur in the first
year or nine months in proportion to the familiarity of the stimuli, and in the
first half of the second year in proportion to the relative novelty of the stimuli.
It has been suggested that this apparent reversal merely reflects an increase
with experience in the degree of variation required to make a stimulus
relatively novel. In any case, the behavior is persistent and repetitive, and only
toward the end of infancy is there evidence for selective matching of the
child’s exploratory behavior to the nature of the object being explored. Before
18 months the repertoire of exploratory movements is small and
undifferentiated.

The toddler
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Intellectual development in the second and third years is dominated by the

acquisition of communicative and referential language. Although it is not until
age five or six that language becomes available as a conceptual system for the
mediation of thinking, reasoning, and problem solving, the child of 1 ½ to 2
years begins to respond to verbal stimuli and to make verbal responses that
are selectively appropriate to his immediate environment.

Communicative language. Acquisition of communicative language means the

child’s learning to respond to simple instructions and demands made by others
and his growing ability to verbalize his own need states and wishes with
sufficient accuracy and clarity that others can respond appropriately. Most of
this learning is acquired as part of training in daily routines, such as feeding,
dressing, sleeping, and elimination. Not only are verbal demands made that
require the child to discriminate the appropriate occasions and circumstances
for each of these activities, but also he is expected to report with some
accuracy on his internal need states, such as hunger, fatigue, pain, and need to
eliminate. Because of the deliberate simplicity of the verbal demands made on
him, the consistency with which they are made, and the immediacy of
feedback from the child’s compliance (or noncom-pliance), this learning
proceeds rapidly but remains at a concrete level. Similarly, the primacy and
strength of the needs that the child is asked to verbalize and the usual
promptness of their satisfaction ensure the accuracy, but limit the subtlety, of
his verbal self-report. Typically, all that is required of him is a “Yes” or “No”
answer or a choice of simple responses

Q.No.5 Explain the social characteristics associated with primary school

students.

Ans

Characteristics of Primary Learners

EL Education’s commitment to igniting each student’s motivation, persistence,

and compassion guides us to lift up best practices that complement the ways
people learn most naturally. Young children’s inherent capacities can be
harnessed in service of our goal of developing deep thinkers, lifelong learners,
compassionate community members, and creative future leaders.

This document highlights the unique needs and strengths of typical young
children, identifying eleven key characteristics of primary learners1 – their
ways of thinking and engaging with the world and their remarkable hunger for
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

learning. Each of these characteristics is based on the writings of

developmental psychologists and educators such as Lev Vygotsky, Maria
Montessori, and Jean Piaget, as well as recent peer-reviewed research and the
experience of primary educators in our EL network.

Each section below names a quality of primary learners that should guide
curriculum design, instructional practice and culture in our primary classrooms.
Specific teaching strategies and adaptations of our Core Practices derived from
these developmental characteristics of young learners are described in other
current and forthcoming documents in EL Commons.

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it
treats its children.Nelson Mandela
Young children find security in rhythm, ritual, and repetition.
Primary students live in the present tense. They experience the flow of time in
the rhythms of the day, the week and the year. They do not relate to the
abstract symbol of hands on a clock to know “when” they are. A feeling of
order and independence is established in the consistent patterns of their
schedule. Children love the predictability of repeating stories, songs, and
activities. They delight in the rhymes, meters and alliterations of language.
They feel a sense of security and control as they live through the recurring
rhythms of the school day, anticipate the special traditions of the week, and
celebrate the annual festivals of the year.

Young children learn through play.

Primary students are masters of play. One of the most important indicators of
a species’ intelligence is the behavior of its young – all intelligent animals play
(Ackerman, 1999). Primary learners are at an age where learning capacity and
brain development are at their peak, and nature has given them the drive to
maximize that power with its best learning tool – play. It is no surprise that
children prefer acting and interacting to listening passively. It’s how they are
designed. Play is the context within which primary students can develop vital
skills that are harder to practice in more structured formats – complex
decision-making, leadership, and executive functioning. It invites the “having of
wonderful ideas.” Play also builds the foundation for abstract representational
thinking – a rag on a stick becomes a flag, just as a set of squiggles on a page
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

stands for a word. Play encourages children to create and narrate their own
worlds, grapple with the challenges most urgent to them, and gain experience
negotiating alliances, roles, and strategies with their peers. Encouraging play in
the classroom, and strategically harnessing its power for specific learning
purposes allows for authentic engagement and deep learning opportunities for
our youngest students.

Young children want to belong to a community that is safe, beautiful, and

good.

Primary students seek to belong. More important than any curriculum or

instruction is a culture of love, warmth, and beauty. Children are keen
observers of the environment and adult behavior - what they see when they
walk into the classroom, how they are greeted by their teacher and classmates,
and how they perceive social interactions all have a profound effect on their
sense of belonging (Howard, 2006). A strong relationship with an adult in the
classroom is especially critical for young students to feel safe. The
teacher’s love, care, and thoughtfulness are evident in the organization of the
classroom, the display of beautiful student work, and the quality of the
materials for expression, learning, and play. Classroom
communities celebrating acts of kindness and respectfully resolving conflict
reinforce a sense of justice and good will. Singing and dancing together create
a language of unity that young children understand - a sense of safety in
a community that is greater than any individual member. Feeling secure in a
kind and beautiful classroom creates a strong inner foundation for the
development of young children’s academic and relational character.

Young children explore the world with wonder.

Younger learners are always asking questions. They hunger to make

discoveries, to find answers that will help them make meaning of the world
around them. They ask questions not to annoy or interrupt, but to pursue their
inherent drive to learn. Much like scientists, they develop hypotheses and test
them, incorporating their findings and often retesting and modifying their
theories over time –the foundations of logical reasoning. Children love to
develop deep expertise - naming obscure dinosaurs, explaining the workings of
a toy, or playing “teacher’ with precision of gesture and speech. Guiding this
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

relentless curiosity in the direction of students’ academic growth without

squelching it is a primary teacher’s greatest challenge. By joining students in
the inquiry process and creating rich opportunities for discovery, for building
deep expertise, and for sharing that new knowledge, teachers are able to
harness the “engine” of children’s natural learning predispositions to power
their success in the classroom.

Young children “understand” the world first through their bodies.

Children are born to move. They explore the world with their bodies,
particularly their senses, before they process it with their minds. They learn
best when their bodies are fully engaged. Because of busy family schedules,
limited access to the outdoors, and the allure of electronic devices, children
need opportunities to develop their physical senses, the five we all know, plus
others such as balance and proprioception (the sense of one’s body in space).
Occupational therapy researchers have documented the strong connections
between sensory development and academic success (Flanagan, 2009).
Cognitive skills and literacy are built on a foundation of sensory integration. EL
primary teachers find ways to develop the senses through playful movement,
and to link learning with physical activity. They invite children to explore
complex concepts first through movement, then through feelings, and finally in
thought.

Young children seek independence and mastery.

Primary learners seek to assert power and gain control over their world
(Erikson, 1959). They take great pride in accomplishing independent tasks –
tying their shoes, building a tower, or caring for seedlings. Primary children
look to adults to model the skills and attitude required to gain independence,
imitating and practicing what they observe through pretend as well as “real”
work. They long for challenging, meaningful, authentic work. When they find it,
they engage with great perseverance, a sense of craftsmanship, and joyful
purpose. They delight in sharing and celebrating their accomplishments with
others, through speaking, writing/dictation, art, music or drama. When
teachers take children’s work seriously and design environments and activities
that promote autonomy and mastery, they allow their students to take
ownership of their learning.
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022

Young children thrive in the natural world.

Children experience order, beauty, and diversity in the natural world. The
outdoors beckons them with an endless variety of flowers, trees and
fascinating creatures – in the woods behind the school, or the cracks in the
asphalt playground. Nature offers opportunities for the pre-literacy skills of
close observation and detailed questioning. Students experience risk-taking
adventure, from holding an earthworm to conquering a big hillside, and
evaluate risk as they grapple with success and failure - Can I climb that tree?
Can I jump over that stump? Spending time in the outdoors creates a context
for self-discovery. It fosters a sense of belonging to something greater than
oneself and participation in the interdependent web of life. The natural world
inspires reverence and wonder, an essential foundation for learning. Bringing
nature indoors and children outdoors fills important developmental and
human needs.

Young children use stories to construct meaning.

In all cultures throughout history, humans have used stories to give meaning to
events, to express their values, fears and hopes. In the oral culture of young
children, stories provide the cognitive structure to explore big ideas and
express deep emotions. Telling their own stories helps children to organize and
sequence information, and communicate their thoughts and feelings – from
the simple tale of what happened on the playground, to the complex
explanation of why it rains. Narrative development in the primary years is
a strong predictor of success in reading and writing. (Snow, Burns, and Griffin,
1998). They develop moral imagination through the feelings generated by
classic fairy tales and legends from around the world – a love for what is good
and beautiful, empathy for the oppressed, loathing of the bully and the
cheater. Children readily understand content when it is organized into story
form. Primary students learn vocabulary and syntax through stories, and create
foundational schemas of organization, sequence and causation. Their memory
is stimulated by rhythm, rhyme and repetition. Imagination is developed as
children create vivid images of story settings and characters in their own
minds. Story and metaphor clothe abstract concepts in
developmentally appropriate “language” enabling students to explore big ideas
and make meaning from experience.
Course: Human Development and Learning (8610) Semester: Autumn, 2022