Why Young Children need to get "Messy"

Most people think of the cognitive process as it relates to IQ scores and school-type experiences (including grades!). In fact, a quality young children program will promote cognitive and intellectual growth in young children, but it will not look the same as a traditional classroom setting.

Understanding how children grow and learn is basic to planning a developmentally appropriate setting that will foster cognitive development.

Initially, young children perceive experiences directly with the senses. As they  use their senses to experience the world, they need labels to categorize and remember these experiences. By creating these labels, children increase their ability to communicate and begin to control their own behavior.

Above all, interaction with people and the environment is essential. As young children grow and mature, they use experience to build, or construct new knowledge. The child’s action on objects (sucking, pulling, pushing) is the central force for cognitive development.

Problem solving and learning work best when in a positive, responsive environment that encourages interactions. The adult, taking cues from the child, assists the child only until he or she can work independently. If the child doesn’t need or want help, the adult backs off.

A learning environment is essential for young children. Children whose needs are met consistently will feel trusting and comfortable. Children who feel comfortable will explore the environment. From

continual exploration comes cognitive development.  Cognitive development is promoted by inviting and encouraging exploration in an environment rich in sensory experience, which is the fundamentals for a quality young children program.

There is no need to create “academic” experiences for young children. They learn significant concepts that are embedded in real-life, everyday activities. For example, normal conversations can teach colors and shapes—for example, “Please bring me the red pillow,” or “Do you want a round cracker or a square one?” Number concepts, including size and weight comparisons, happen naturally as young children play with blocks and sand. Key ways to support cognitive growth include providing experiences with a variety of materials, supplying the opportunity to figure out relationships, and fostering the feeling that you can make things happen in your world.

Outdoor experiences also provide wonderful ways to encourage cognitive development in young children. When they have had the experience of planting beans, for example—and then watering, picking, snapping, washing, and eating them—they really understand what the word bean means. Because of these many associations, by the time they see the written word for bean and have listened to related stories, they are ready to decode the word itself.

Will you teach alphabets and numbers to infant and young toddlers? Probably not, the researchers and experts in early childhood education suggest providing experiences that build concepts and lead (on the literacy continuum) to the eventual joy of reading itself.  If you don’t hinder children with restrictive limits and an impoverished environment, they will give you lessons in how to use toys and materials in ways you never thought of.

Putting your child in a strong academic program at a young age will benefit, harm or make no different to your child’s development? We will discuss this topic next time.

References

·         John Sandrock (2009-11-20), Children, 11^th edition

·         Gonzalez-Mena, Janet; Eyer, Dianne Widmeyer (2012-07-01), Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers: A Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive, Relationship-Based Care and Education, 9^th edition

·         Cynthia Lightfoot , Michael Cole , Sheila R. Cole (2012-05-04),The Development of Children, 7^th edition