Early Learning & Development
The Equation of Early Learning & Development
Chapter 3.1
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Every child is unique and as parents let us take a moment to respect & celebrate their individualities. All parents have proud stories like these, which keeps evolving with time and age:
- Just 20 months old and has a bent towards painting and scribbling all day long. “I can picture the easel and the colors in the room already” says the proud grandma
- All of 3yrs and has a knack to weave stories. Their imagination can turn that frown on your face to a smile
- Loves baking with dad. Both spend weekends just doing this. The aroma that lingers just warms up my heart!
Let’s Reflect
Babies are born seekers, ever eager and equally capable to learn, think, evolve, and grow. There are common milestones and characteristics that children of a particular age or stage of development share. However, the extent and the rate of development is an interplay of nature (genes) and the nurture (environment). Researchers have thus arrived at the following equation:
Unique Child + Positive Relationships + Enabling Environment = Learning & Development
Stuti’s Aunt…
Unique Child
As a young child Stuti was always more likely to stop and gaze at the varieties of plants in the garden, rather than playing chasey through the area. I remember her collecting natural items from the garden for her Tokonoma (Japanese tradition of displaying treasured objects).
Gradually the play of nature during the spring and the fall became her area of deep interest.
Positive Relationships + Enabling Environment
Her parents were sensitive towards her love for nature and supported her in the following ways:
- Gifted her floor books, learning stories etc. to further broaden her horizon into the world of botany
- Go on a nature discovery walk as excursion since her Kindergarten days
- encourage to collect natural object for her Tokonoma
- put up displays about nature play experiences
Helped her set up a small garden in the balcony. Growing plants and setting aside an area for the purpose of ‘harvesting’ natural objects for play
Learning & Development
Support and experiences were instrumental in enriching her knowledge, fascinating her further and getting hands on practical training. This is how began her journey unto horticulture with me!
Unique child
Children are born invariably competent of being resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
Parents should:
- Instill a positive sense of own identity in their child (right from infancy).
- Keep a close watch upon their child’s learning and development and the progress made.
- Keep a lookout on any requirement for additional support
- Value and respect their child
- Keep their child safe from any adversity caused emotionally and/or physically
Positive Relationships
Children develop a strong sense of Independence & Resilience when brought up in the company of warm, loving and positively supporting parents and adults.
Positive Relations:
- Built on early bonding and secured attachment with the parents.
- Stimulating i.e. Encourage freedom of movement, expression and thereby opening doors to varied experiences.
- Full of love and care and entrusts a sense of belonging.
- Acknowledging and supportive of a child’s own efforts and individuality.
- Sensitive & responsive towards child’s interests, feelings, and requirements.
- consistent in setting clear boundaries for e.g.
- Stuti’s parents never allowed her to take natural objects from a beach or conservation park. Collection of natural objects happened from street trees, backyards, the school/preschool itself.
Enabling Environments
It implies creating a collaborative environment that strengthens the quality of parent-child interactions and trust. It is a well thought space, focused on a child’s current developmental need and evolves with the age of the child.
What they Offer:
- It’s a space where risks are minimized and well managed for the child to explore his/her potential to the fullest
- The resources are thoughtfully curated to stimulate the child’s developing senses & learnings
- Nurtures combination of play-based learning and child led play to ensure holistic development of the child.
Learning and Development:
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected
Characteristics of Effective Learning:
- Exploration through play
- Fostering voluntarily spontaneous and pleasurable involving a combination of interrelated components of behavior, literacy, motor skills, language and cognition
- Encouraging creative and critical thought process
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