how children learn

Children learn in a variety of different ways. Over the course of time there have been many different theories as to what it is that launches a child into a world full of knowledge and development. Such theorist like Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, Lev Semenovich Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, along with many other have long speculated on the how children's brains develop. The study of how children learn is ever evolving. While some of today's newest findings may not correspond to these early theories, many of the basic concepts remain the same. Through the work of these early theorists five major theoretical perspectives have been the study of how children learn. Behavioral, cognitive, evolutionary perspectives, contextual, and the psychodynamic perspective.

Researchers are interested in finding out how an organ, such as the brain, can be the most immature organ at birth, but over time, grow and continue to mature. According to an article by the Arizona State Department of Education, the brains "growth had been thought to be determined primarily by genetics, scientists now believe that it is also highly dependent upon the child’s experiences." (Education.com) As a child matures the experiences they encounter help develop their language, and social skills, among other abilities. Negative experiences, such as abuse, or neglect can hinder a child's ability to properly develop. This can easily lead to learning disabilities, and emotional issues, thus stunting the child's brain development. It is important that a child had a stable and loving environment to be able to fully thrive and develop. Parents play a key part in their child's learning process. Early childhood interactions and experiences such as hearing speech also help shape a child's brain."When an infant is 3 months old, his brain can distinguish several hundred different spoken sounds, many more than are present in his native language. Over the next several months, however, his brain will organize itself more