Ways Children Develop

Application: Developing Your Professional Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

Part 4: Recognizing and Supporting the Unique Ways Children Develop and Learn

This week, you have been studying three people who made key contributions to theories and understandings about how children develop and learn. What do these theories and understandings mean to people who work directly with children and families? How does this knowledge impact the philosophy that you will bring to your work?

Consider what you have learned this week about the work of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson, as well as their perspectives on children, their insights related to child development, and their commitment to lifelong learning.

For this section of your Professional Philosophy of Teaching and Learning:

1. Summarize your thinking about children’s ability to learn and the relationship between learning and development.
2. Describe what you believe is the role adults play in fostering development and learning.
3. As a lifelong learner, identify any questions about children’s learning and development that you hope to learn the answer to as you proceed through this program.