Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools
P1 – State the chosen age range and area of development AND describe the development of the children or young people in this age range
The age range I have chosen is 3-7 yrs and I will discuss intellectual development. The main stages of intellectual development as defined by Jean Piaget for children aged 3-7 yrs are classified under the “Preoperational Stage” the second stage of four in his cognitive development theory. Piaget states that children between the ages of 3-7 yrs continue to explore their environment and develop their thinking from their experience. They use mental imagery and begin to represent their thinking symbolically through language and the symbolic use of objects, such as using a doll to represent a baby. They tend to focus on one characteristic of an object or person at a time and can make inaccurate generalisations. Piaget described children as “egocentric” during this stage of development, as they perceive the world from their point of view. (Allen/Gordon 2011)
P2 – Identify factors which may affect this chosen area of development
Factors which may affect intellectual development are as follows
• Biological factors, such as sense organs, intelligence, genetic hereditary traits, and maturity
• Environmental factors, such as learning opportunities, economic status, poverty, play, family and society and various types of stimuli.
P3 – Describe how this chosen area of development affects other areas of children and young people’s holistic development
P4 – Describe TWO (2) activities which will support children or young people’s learning in this area of development
Two activities which I have chosen are “Big Maths” and “Big Writing”.
• “Big Writing” is an approach to teaching writing and raising writing standards that focuses on how to raise a child’s attainment level in speaking, listening and writing. There are four key points to improving children’s writing, vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation, known simply as VCOP.
The age range I have chosen is 3-7 yrs and I will discuss intellectual development. The main stages of intellectual development as defined by Jean Piaget for children aged 3-7 yrs are classified under the “Preoperational Stage” the second stage of four in his cognitive development theory. Piaget states that children between the ages of 3-7 yrs continue to explore their environment and develop their thinking from their experience. They use mental imagery and begin to represent their thinking symbolically through language and the symbolic use of objects, such as using a doll to represent a baby. They tend to focus on one characteristic of an object or person at a time and can make inaccurate generalisations. Piaget described children as “egocentric” during this stage of development, as they perceive the world from their point of view. (Allen/Gordon 2011)
P2 – Identify factors which may affect this chosen area of development
Factors which may affect intellectual development are as follows
• Biological factors, such as sense organs, intelligence, genetic hereditary traits, and maturity
• Environmental factors, such as learning opportunities, economic status, poverty, play, family and society and various types of stimuli.
P3 – Describe how this chosen area of development affects other areas of children and young people’s holistic development
P4 – Describe TWO (2) activities which will support children or young people’s learning in this area of development
Two activities which I have chosen are “Big Maths” and “Big Writing”.
• “Big Writing” is an approach to teaching writing and raising writing standards that focuses on how to raise a child’s attainment level in speaking, listening and writing. There are four key points to improving children’s writing, vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation, known simply as VCOP.
References: Kamen, T (2003) Teaching Assistant’s Handbook London, Hodder Arnold Kamen, T (2008) Teaching Assistant’s Handbook NVQ & SVQ Levels 2 & 3, London, Hodder Education Tassoni, P (2007) Child Care and Education – Cache level 2, 3rd edition, London, Heinemann Online: Data Protection Act 1998 (no date) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents - accessed on 8th April 2013 Online: Tweeddale, Chris, The role of classroom observation in raising standards (April 2012) http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publications/120410classobservationletteren.pdf - accessed on 8th April 2013 Online: Wilson, Ross, Big Writing discussion, (2013) http://www.oxfordschoolimprovement.co.uk/professional-development/video/ros-wilson/ros-big-writing accessed on 9th April 2013