Supporting Young Children’s Learning: What, When, and How do They Learn?

1. Supporting Young Children’s Learning: What, When, and How do They Learn? Presented by Dr Siat Yeow, Kok

2. What’s the goal for supporting young children’s learning ? A. Prepare them for primary school learning ? B. Prepare them as life long learners ?

3. What are children learning ? • Social skills- turn taking • Motor skills- eye hand co-ordination skills and throwing skills • All the above

4. How are they feeling about their learning ? • What do you notice about their level of engagement? • What is the role of the teacher ?

5. So, how do young children learn ? • Sit and listen to instructions from adults • Active learning and through the use of various senses • Children learn best when they are being taught by adults

6. Agenda • What is the current evidence from studies about children’s learning ? • What are the principles on children’s learning ? • What do young children learn? And why? • How do we support children’s learning? • What is the conducive environment for cultivating interest in learning? • What is the significance of the home learning environment on early learning outcomes? 

7. True or False • Brain development is determined predominantly by genetics. A. True B. False

8. True or False • Emotional development is not as important as brain development. A. True B. False

9. Current evidence from studies about children’s learning

10. Brain development had been thought to be determined by genetics, more recently, research shows that brain development is highly dependent upon the child’s experiences (National Scientific Council Centre on the Developing Child, 2007).

11. The brain depends on the mutual influences of …

12. Genetics supply a basic plan for brain development - basic properties of nerve cells and lay down the basic rules for interconnecting nerve cells within and across circuits. • Environment - a healthy environment beginning in the prenatal period allows for the full potential of the genetic plan for the brain to be expressed- an abundant supply of nutrients, an absence of toxins and healthy personal and social habits of expectant mother.

13. "The active ingredient in the environment that's having an influence on development is the quality of the relationships that children have with the important people in their lives. That's what it's all about".  Jack P. Shonkoff, M. D.

14. Experience is the interaction of a child and his or her environment before and after birth. After birth, the child’s experience adjusts the genetic plan for the brain and shapes the neural pathways. • Healthy and stimulating experience results in the brain that operates at its full genetic potential.

15. Sensitive periods of brain development • Occur at different ages for different parts of the brain. • Areas that have been shown to be affected by sensitive periods include vision, hearing, language and responses to social cues. • Experiences during these sensitive periods play an exceptionally important role in shaping the capacities of the brain • It is far more difficult to alter neural circuits substantially after their sensitive periods have ended.

16. Sensitive period acts as a double-edged -sword. • Optimize vs. vulnerable to damaging effects of adversity

17. The brain is a highly integrated organ. Cognitive , emotional and social capabilities are inextricably intertwined thoughout life. • All our human capabilities develop through a process that is both simultaneous and deeply inter-related. • Hence, emotional well-being, social competence and emerging cognitive abilities are highly inter-related.

18. Neuroscience shows us how emotional experiences, shown in the quality of the relationships, i.e., interactions and feelings, that children have with the important people in their lives, influence the development of the brain.

19. True or False • Brain development is determined predominantly by genetics. False • Emotional development is not as important as brain development. False

20. Principles on Children’s Learning

21. Principle 1 : Nurturing & stable relationships with important people are essential for healthy development & learning

22. Children develop in an environment of relationships that begin within their families • Sensitive and responsive parent-child relationships are associated with stronger cognitive skills in young children and enhanced social competence later in life.

23. The quality of home environment (including toys, activities, interactions within the family setting) are also strongly related to early cognitive and language development, and later achievement in school.

24. Principle 2 : Children are active learners

25. Studies on brain development underscores the connection between physical development and cognitive development • Young children use their whole bodies as instruments of learning, taking in the data through all their senses. • As they act on the environment, children connect thought with behaviour –exploring, discovering, acquiring and applying new knowledge.

26. Principle 3 : Children learn through social interaction

27. Young children learn a lot from one another. The learn how to share, to engage in reciprocal interactions, to take the needs and desires of others account, and to manage their own impulses.

28. Principle 4 : Children develop holistically

29. Children develop holistically; their learning is enhanced when all aspects of the child (physical, language, social, emotional, cognitive ) are addressed in the program.

30. Principle 5 : Children learn through play

31. All areas of development are enhanced through play; such as physical skills, language skills, creative imaginations. • Play is the fundamental means by which children gather and process information, learn new skills, and practice old ones. • Within the context of their play, children come to understand, create, and manipulate symbols as they take on roles and transform objects into something else.

32. Children learn through play • Children explore social relationships, experimenting various social roles, discovering points of views in contrast to their own, working on compromises, and negotiating differences. • Play is a safe haven for the release of tensions and the expression of emotions.

33. Principle 6 : Children are motivated to learn through developmentally appropriate challenges

34. Learning advances when children are challenged to achieve at a level just beyond their current mastery and when they have opportunities to practice their newly acquired skills. • Adult and more competent peers provide support that allows the child to succeed and once the child make the learning, the child can apply the skills independently.

35. Child practices his newly acquired skills.

36. Which of the following contradicts the principle of children’s learning ? A.Early childhood is about preparing children for primary school; hence, they should start learning about the 3Rs- writing, reading and arithmetic- very early in life so that they are ready for school B. Children are motivated to learn through developmentally appropriate challenges C. Children learn through social interaction

37. What do young children learn and how can the adult support their learning ?

38. What young children should be learning ? (Katz & Chard, 2000) • Knowledge: facts, concepts, ideas, vocabulary, stories & other aspects of children’s culture. Eg. types of plants, names of animals, types of transport. • Skills: Physical, verbal, social, counting, drawing skills. Eg., develop physical co-ordination skills, speak fluently to convey meaning.

39. Dispositions: habits of mind or tendencies to respond to certain situations in certain ways; such as curiosity, friendliness, generosity. • Dispositions are not learned through formal instructions, they are learned from being around people who exhibit them. • Feelings: competence, confidence, belonging & security.

40. Strategies to support young children’s learning • Learning through the senses : children learn best through first hand experience. Hence, give children direct contact with real objects, places, people and events.

41. Strategies to support young children’s learning • Adult use modeling to help children learn new or appropriate behaviours. • Effective explanations thatbuild on children’s first hand experiences and take place within a meaningful context, is necessary to support children’s learning.

42. Strategies to support young children’s learning • Based on careful observation and listening to children as they participate in activities, adults can challenge or stretch children’s thinking beyond their current level of perceptions • Adults ask open-ended questions to provoke children’s thinking

43. Strategies to support young children’s learning • Adult promotes child’s competence, self confidence and positive self esteem by acknowledging what child does or says and encouraging his/her efforts.

44. Strategies to support young children’s learning • Children’s engagement with a task and willingness to challenge themselves are maximized when the collaboration with adult is pleasant, warm and responsive. • The adult gives verbal praises attribute competence to the child.

45. The adult remains closely in tune with the child’s next moves and remain engaged in the activity just enough to provide the support needed.

46. Summary of strategies for supporting learning • Provide first hand experience to children • Modeling new or appropriate behaviours. • Effective explanations • Challenge or stretch children’s thinking • Ask open-ended questions • Promote child’s competence, self confidence and positive self esteem • Warm, nurturing and responsive relationships

47. Illustrations of strategies for supporting learning

48. What are the learning skills involved ? • Interpersonal communication kills • Fine and gross motor skills • Math concepts such as volume and weight are being explored • B and C

49. First hand experience Which one of the following is not inappropriate ? • Do not provide adequate tools for exploration • Provide time for children to explore • Add a variety of different size containers • Add water to observe the change to the sand

50. First hand experience & demonstrating What can the adult do to promote learning ? • Just set up the environment, keep an eye on things. • Provide materials for children to explore and promote learning by either talking or demonstrating the use of material to children