Page 3 - LESSION 13.pmd

How Children Learn (Early Learning and Teaching)

• asking questions like, "Why?'" solving problems
• experimenting with textures or objects categorizing and
Notes • listening, mimicking, repeating, practising building skills

• moving to rhythm, repeating small stories memory, recall and sequence

13.2.1 Indicators of Progress

By progress, we mean that children have gained skills and competencies. In an
ECCE centre, how would we gauge that children have benefitted from being in
a learning setting? Regular observations, keeping daily records of individual
child are some common methods.

Observations need to be in all domains of development. It is through such diary
noting and records that parents are informed of their children’s unique features
as well as how they compare with age related behaviour referred as ‘age norms’.

Building understanding of children’s progress is when a child acquires milestones
such as standing with support and then starts walking, climbing steps, jumping,
holding a ball, being able to push and pull objects. Children gain cognitive
progress when they are able to sit and listen to a story or engage in completing a
puzzle. Social progress is defined when children are together and may play
individually with blocks or share crayons while painting, wait for a turn on the
swing etc. Learning to care, share, take turns and get along with others are
important in the foundational years.

Children also learn communication skills, enrich their expressive vocabulary
and participate in art, music and dance. They also acquire early numeracy and
literacy as they display interest in similar sounds, identifying sounds with other
similar sounds and repetition of numbers.

Children moving freely, asking questions, playing with each other, exploring,
watching, sitting, listening or watching a puppet show, resolving conflict are
often indicators of a dynamic early learning space. Often, children may face
limitations and inability in completing tasks; they may be helped or allowed to
understand limitations.
Children with varying abilities need to be supported with assertive design and
architecture such as ramps, hearing devices and sound-rich inputs. Barrier-free
and supportive interventions besides addressing ability, build empathy and
awareness for co-existence.
Development opportunities have to provide variations in activities as development
is integrated and growth is holistic as well as dependent on domain
interdependence. For example, a child who is not healthy may not be active,
while a socially aloof child may lose on group participation.

62 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION