| Recent research on intellectual and
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| | below are especially relevant to the
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| social development and learning is rich
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| | education of young children:
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| in implications for curriculum and
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| | Knowledge. In early childhood, knowledge
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| teaching strategies for early childhood
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| | consists of facts, concepts, ideas,
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| education. Unfortunately, educational
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| | vocabulary, and stories. A child acquires
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| practices tend to lag behind what is
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| | knowledge from someone's answers to his
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| known about teaching and learning. This
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| | questions, explanations, descriptions and
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| digest discusses curriculum and the
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| | accounts of events as well as through
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| methods of teaching which best serve
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| | observation.
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| children's long-term development.
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| | Skills. Skills are small units of action
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| The Nature Of Development
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| | which occur in a relatively short period
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| The concept of development includes two
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| | of time and are easily observed or
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| dimensions: the normative dimension,
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| | inferred. Physical, social, verbal,
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| concerning the capabilities and
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| | counting and drawing skills are among a
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| limitations of most children at a given
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| | few of the almost endless number of
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| age, and the dynamic dimension,
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| | skills learned in the early years. Skills
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| concerning the sequence and changes that
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| | can be learned from direct instruction
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| occur in all aspects of the child's
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| | and improved with practice and drill.
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| functioning as he grows. While the
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| | Dispositions. Dispositions can be thought
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| normative dimension indicates what
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| | of as habits of mind or tendencies to
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| children can and cannot do at a given
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| | respond to certain situations in certain
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| age, the dynamic dimension raises
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| | ways. Curiosity, friendliness or
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| questions about what children should or
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| | unfriendliness, bossiness, and creativity
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| should not do at a particular time in
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| | are dispositions or sets of dispositions
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| their development in light of possible
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| | rather than skills or pieces of
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| long-term consequences.
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| | knowledge. There is a significant
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| In many preschool programs and
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| | difference between having writing skills
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| kindergartens, young children are engaged
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| | and having the disposition to be a
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| in filling out worksheets, reading from
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| | writer.
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| flash cards or reciting numbers in rote
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| | Dispositions are not learned through
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| fashion. But just because young children
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| | instruction or drill. The dispositions
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| can do those things, in a normative
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| | that children need to acquire or to
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| sense, is not sufficient justification
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| | strengthen--curiosity, creativity,
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| for requiring them to do so. Young
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| | cooperation, friendliness--are learned
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| children usually do willingly most things
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| | primarily from being around people who
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| adults ask of them. But their willingness
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| | exhibit them. It is unfortunate that some
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| is not a reliable indicator of the value
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| | dispositions, such as being curious or
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| of an activity. The developmental
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| | puzzled, are rarely displayed by adults
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| question is not, What can children do?
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| | in front of children.
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| Rather it is, What should children do
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| | A child who is to learn a particular
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| that best serves their learning and
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| | disposition must have the opportunity to
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| development in the long term?
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| | behave in a manner that is in keeping
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| Learning Through Interaction
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| | with the disposition. If that occurs,
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| Contemporary research confirms the view
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| | then the child's behavior can be
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| that young children learn most
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| | responded to, and thus strengthened.
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| efficiently when they are engaged in
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| | Teachers can reinforce certain
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| interaction rather than in merely
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| | dispositions by setting learning goals
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| receptive or passive activities. Young
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| | rather than performance goals. A teacher
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| children should be interacting with
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| | who says, "Let's see how much we can find
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| adults, materials and their surroundings
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| | out about something," rather than, "I
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| in ways which help them make sense of
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| | want to see how well you can do,"
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| their own experience and environment.
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| | encourages children to focus on what they
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| They should be investigating and
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| | are learning rather than on their
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| observing aspects of their environment
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| | performance.
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| worth learning about, and recording their
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| | Feelings. These are subjective emotional
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| findings and observations through talk,
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| | states, many of which are innate. Among
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| paintings and drawings. Interaction that
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| | those that are learned are feelings of
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| arises in the course of such activities
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| | competence, belonging, and security.
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| provides a context for much social and
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| | Feelings about school, teachers, learning
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| cognitive learning.
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| | and other children are also learned in
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| Four Categories Of Learning
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| | the early years.
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| The four categories of learning outlined
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