Child Development &
Appropriate Teaching Techniques
Credit: ??
Kindergarten - 5 Year Olds
"Five is the beginning of the end -- the end of the pot belly, the end of the cuddly lap hug, and the end of the unquestioned faith in adult omnipotence. To parents, five is at last the age when reason and dialog promise the long-awaited civilized behavior that is close to the adults' own. To the children, five is power and strength, to be tested and expressed with as full a measure of autonomy as they dare take."
Becoming physically independent of adult assistance
Testing own physical capabilities… "I can do it myself"
Daring adventures, riding tricycles fast, going down the slide head first, etc.
Developing large muscle coordination, running, skipping, hopping
Becoming less egocentric than toddlers, beginning interest in interacting with others
Desire to play with others but may not have social or verbal skills to do so
Play or sharing with one another in cooperative efforts, possible but challenging
Fantasy and reality may be combined and /or confused
Emotions are a strong motivator for actions
Capable of sound thinking, but emotions rule over "logic"
Fantasy and feelings are key factors. Knocking over the block creation of another child may feel fun, even though "logically" it isn't kind. To a 5-year-old, animals are very anthropomorphic characters… kids can easily empathize with the bunny that is lost, the kitten that is mischievous, or the young animal that goes out into the world to test it's autonomy, only to return safely home after numerous adventures.
Concrete operational stage; needs concrete examples to learn from
Just beginning to create symbolic meaning… a big part of learning to read
Learn from sensory experiences
Meaning from observable actions and responses
Able to communicate in complete sentences
Sensory awareness experiences are especially valuable, cooking, finger painting, scent jars, etc.
First and Second Grade -- 6-7 Year Olds
"The growth taking place in children at six and seven impels them toward a strong declaration of individuality and a separate psychological existence while they are still children in their parents' homes. There is only so much that 6's and 7's can remember if they don't see it in front of them."
Learning to jump
Coordination and neurological skills improving
Fine muscle development
Kids are beginning to use fine muscles for writing and their ability to master their body has increased, thus expanding their attention span. Usually they now have their own desks to sit at and work from, but still need lots of exercise.
Personality traits solidifying
Still egocentric, but beginning development of conscience
Beginning sense of culture/ group identity
Right and wrong begin to be determined by internal conscience instead of external punishment or praise. Kids may start to form tight friendships as their interactions with others increase with skill. Social groups may be determined in part by skill, th8us it is important to address different learning styles to avoid kids being labeled as "dummies." One saying goes "What you are at 7 you are at 70!"
Interested in facts if they can see concrete examples
Beginning to order world through classifying objects by concrete principles
Able to conceive of immediate time and space
Need to do their own exploring and experimenting
Reading, handwriting, and math concepts being developed
Interest in information is there, but needs to be immediate information. Columbus coming to America many years ago is a story they may remember, yet their perception of time previous to today and space other than their town or neighborhood, may make traditional studies of history or geography irrelevant.
Tools and Techniques for K-2nd Grades
Puppets
Imaginary trips, characters, etc
Play acting
Brief slide shows
Learning that involves moving
Music/ rhythm
Hands-on experimenting
Any type of sensory awareness
Exercise
Games
Storytelling
Appeal to feeling
Appeal to immediate
Skins and skulls-use with discretion (they may be scaring and confusing for some kids)
Third through Fifth Grade -- 8-11 Years Old
"Eric Erickson described this age as the "Age of Industry", i.e., of keen interest and intense involvement with material and activity. Elementary age children are avid for information and enjoy gaining skills. But they learn beset when the appeal of the content is real for their age and stage, when the skill has some observable value and when the style of learning is the childhood style of action."
Major physical changes during these years
Between tantrums of earlier years and the dramatic changes of adolescence... a fairly steady time.
Moving towards increased independence from adult authority, while needing security of family structure
Developing own preferences, likes and dislikes that may not be shared by parents
Clubs and alignments with group of peers becomes important
Boy/girl differences become issues
Develop own code of operating and strong sense of fairness
Developing their own sense of selfhood and independence, kids this age may appear rude and antagonistic. It is also the age at which they begin noticing and aligning with male/ female roles… through these years contempt turns to curiosity… and even interest!
Beginning to use more abstract thinking skills
Able to deal with several variables simultaneously in some academic areas
Able to extend knowledge of time, space, and number are deeper, however, variables should be extended only one at a time
May relate particular to the universal and may make connections and develop association between specific situations and general principles
Content needs to be presented in terms that hold value for child
Most important to keep alive interest in the process of learning
In mathematics, doing multiplication and enjoy finding more complex patterns
Geography = relationships between people and the earth
History = for history to become alive, children must feel that they are living the past
Learn about heroes, because own aspirations are similar to explorers, pioneers, etc… and need to emphasize with how people in the past felt
Working at putting feelings and thought into written and verbal format.
Middle School -- 12-14 Years Old
"Sometimes called the 'age of raging hormones' as kids this age work through, emotionally, the changes occurring in their bodies. Interest in each other is heightened and sentiments of peers especially important. Beginning to be able to argue different sides of the same issue… can hold two contradictory thoughts at the same time. Developing own opinions with less influence from parents. Teaching activities that involve social interactions and/or some degree of competition may be especially successful. Physical activities that involve visible accomplishments may be especially successful."
(Notes and quotes taken from "The Learning Child" by Dorothy Cohen and L. Marr)
What is a Middle Level Student?
There are (5) aspects to the child between the ages of 10-14 that one needs to look at when trying to understand adolescents.
Physical Characteristics: Students run the gamut of size and shape. Often their bodies look like that of an adult but inside they are still a young person. Don't let size fool you. Often the smallest kids are some of the ones who act the most mature. Growth is often rapid and this causes them to feel uncoordinated, hyperactive and easily fatigued. Often when they say they are tired, they really are.
Emotional/ Psychological Development: Trying to find themselves is the rule for middle school students. They are as confused about who they are, as we are of them. One minute they want to do adult-like things and 5 minutes later they are playing with dolls or trucks. Their attention span is very short, often they appear to be daydreaming or off in space. They are easily embarrassed and their self-concept is easily destroyed. The middle level student is willing to learn what he/she considers useful. They want to have their needs met and their problems solved immediately.
They are often over-enthusiastic and then inconsistent with follow-through in responsibilities. They display erratic and inconsistent behavior from giggling, loud laughing to anger and pouting all within a few minutes. Often what starts out as simple horseplay can climax into a full fledged fight because someone went too far or hit too hard.
Social Development: The social creature of the middle level student is the most consistent. Young people are very sensitive to peer influence and want to be part of a group. Very seldom do they become loners. They like to be with friends and the peer pressure of the group can often lead into behavior problems. They are often noisy and restless. Being corrected in front of the group can have worse affects than the behavior going uncorrected. Students will act out or "cop an attitude" toward any adult that they feel is challenging their group position. The best way to handle a disruptive student is to take that student aside and speak privately to them.
As the student becomes more secure in themselves they venture out to the opposite sex. Boy-girl relationships become established and lead to additional problems.
Talking is the key form of communication and socialization in the life of a middle level student. Try to make good use of this skill. Don't expect them to remain silent; it is impossible. Ask lots of questions and give them time to talk with each other and to the group.
Intellectual Development: The ability to go from concrete to abstract develops during adolescent/middle level years. Problem solving skills are often at the infancy stage and need encouragement and guidance. Often a student will act like he/she understands a concept and you realize that he/she is totally confused about what you just said. The best way to find out is to have a student repeat what they understand. This clears the way for group assistance and understanding.
Spiritually: This area of middle level students life is often nurtured through the home/ church family and is not displayed in a school like setting.
The main consideration of middle level students is the diversity amongst them. Don't assume that they are all alike. They are as different as the varieties of ice cream.
Activities must be relevant to the wide range of abilities, attention spans, and physical needs. Do not try to have them sit for long periods of time. Some may fall asleep and others may bounce off the walls. Get the students involved as much as possible. Students are usually very curious and inventive. They need lots of hands-on activities and projects. Realize that not all of us learn in the same manner. Be flexible and offer different approaches to
activities and learning.
When talking to young adolescents, often, if you let them direct the questioning, you will find that they like to think that they know about everything. Work with them, not against them. They hate being treated like elementary children even though that is often the way they act. Using words like "young men and women" offers them a challenge.
The following statements are useful when confronted with behavior that makes you angry: Think carefully about the words you use especially to middle level students. They love to get in a verbal confrontation and they will always win.
Return to Facilitator Resources