Key Ideas in the Chapters
One of the important ideas in the chapters is brain development and how to help learners be physically healthy by ensuring good nutrition in school and promoting physical activities. Teachers are advised to have an occupational therapist in cases where there are students with motor problems. The next key idea is the cognitive developmental theory of childhood development. This theory was introduced by Piaget and states that children have the belief that inanimate objects are alive (Bergin & Bergin, 2019). They also do not understand that things or people can be part of several classifications because they assume everyone sees the world from their point of view. Piaget’s theory has been applied by educators to advance scientific reasoning.
Another key idea is the importance of teaching language to children using context instead of using words. Educators are advised to use language to assist the students to organize their thoughts. This may involve encouraging private thoughts in young children and ensuring the learners comprehend the class lessons. Teachers are also advised to know what the learner can do with assistance and without assistance. Learners should be active and teachers are requested to allow the learners to observe and participate during learning (Wang et al., 2020). The tutors are also advised to teach vocabulary and standard English using gestures (Bergin & Bergin, 2019). The strategy of using rehearsal and talking with the learners to promote long-term memory is an important idea presented in the two chapters.
A significant learning issue in the chapters
One of the learning issues identified is information processing during early childhood. Children have a unique way of encoding, storing, and decoding data. Understanding how children interpret and remember information is essential because it will help me during my practice.
Principles that relate to information processing during early childhood
Information processing has three key elements which are information stores, cognitive processes, and executive cognition. The information stores are where the brain stores information while the cognitive processes are the processes that transfer knowledge across different brain stores. On the other hand, executive cognition is the awareness of the individual about how information is processed within them (Çeliköz et al., 2019. Different theories have been used to explain how to assist children to process information. Educators can use gestures during instructions and limit talking especially after giving out important learning materials. Reducing the problem into smaller tasks so that it can seem doable can help learners process the information easily (Bergin & Bergin, 2019). Teachers can also remove any distractions in the classrooms and provide external storage.
The key ideas to incidences in personal practice
During a class lesson, I noticed that the children were struggling with understanding a math lesson. Some of the learners did not need assistance while other pupils required assistance. This meant that I had to divide the class into two groups to ensure that all the students were at the same level at the end of the lesson. The first group was comprised of children who were fast learners and the second group was comprised of pupils who needed assistance. The second incidence is experimenting with active learning in the classroom. The students were able to participate in the class lessons which enhanced their education process.
References
Bergin C. A. C. & Bergin D. A. (2019). Child and adolescent development in your classroom: chronological approach. Cengage Learning.
Çeliköz, N., Erişen, Y., & Şahin, M. (2019). Cognitive learning theories with emphasis on latent learning, gestalt, and information processing theories. Journal of Educational and Instructional Studies in the World, 9(3), 18-23.
Wang, M. T., Degol, J. L., Amemiya, J., Parr, A., & Guo, J. (2020). Classroom climate and children’s academic and psychological wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 57, 100912. Web.