HOW CHILDREN LEARN

National Network for Child Care's Connections Newsletter

Karen DeBord, Ph.D.
Child Development Specialist
Virginia Cooperative Extension

Mary Ann H. Johnson
Communications Specialist
Virginia Cooperative Extension

Copyright/Access Information


Three-year-old Judy watched in fascination as her toy magnet pulled at the metal disk. She moved the magnet to her plastic toy. She was disappointed when she couldn't pull it in the same way. Judy tried again with the metal disk and laughed. Again, she tried with the plastic toy. She sighed.

Four-year-old Yolanda sat at the table. Spread out in front of her were four small boxes of slightly different sizes - the lids separated from the bottoms. She picked up a lid and tried it on a bottom. Too small. Then she tried it on another bottom. The lid was too big. Carefully, she surveyed the remaining boxes. This time she chose the right one. The lid slipped on easily. She moved on to the other boxes. Eventually, with some trial and error, she matched each lid with its bottom. A big smile was evident on her face as she stacked the boxes on top of each other, from largest to smallest.

Any teacher of young children would cheer at the way these simple activities had taught science and math skills. The magnet helped Judy to understand the world a little better. The boxes taught Yolanda the meaning of "bigger" and "smaller," how to order things from largest to smallest, and to judge size. What's more, in each case learning was fun.

Judy and Yolanda learned as they experimented with the materials. They did it on their own, at their own speed. They learned because they were curious. They learned because they were ready to learn that particular information. Listening to a teacher talking about magnets would not have worked as well. A television program on magnets wouldn't have been effective either. Neither would worksheets on math concepts.

These are examples of "developmentally appropriate practice." Teachers have found that young children learn best this way. Children move through stages. They are ready to learn at different times and at different paces. Children learn best when teachers provide activities that are at just the right stage for the child. For example, learning how to cut will be easier for three-year-old Clare if she is given long strings of playdough to practice on first. She can cut the playdough easily. It doesn't turn sideways if she holds the scissors wrong. She would be very frustrated trying to cut the paper. After a few failures, she would probably give up.

Researchers say that teachers of young children are more like guides. They prepare an environment so that it provides a variety of stimulating, challenging materials and activities. In other words, children learn by doing. Most parents understand this, and some of the most well-known child development researchers, such as Maria Montessori and Jean Piaget, have described it.

In a day care center, as in kindergarten and the elementary grades, trial and error is an important way to learn. Instead of always being the expert and supplying the answers, teachers can encourage children to explore and discover knowledge on their own. They can ask, "What do you think?" As they respond to the question, the children will be encouraged to discover new information.

A day care center with this kind of atmosphere helps children to develop. They learn about their world and how to get along in it.

DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service
Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce
these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of
reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is
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Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. DeBord, K. and Johnson M.H. (1992). How children learn. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), *Day care center connections*, 1(5), p. 4. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.