The Educational Implications of Developmental Tasks

(a) Pre-primary School Children

We must emphasize here that the teacher should bear in mind that children differ in their rates of development and learning. Therefore, teachers should not use the chronological age as the yardstick for assessing the child's ability to learn or perform certain tasks. Individuals must be respected and accepted as they are. They need love and attention to build some confidence in them. Their desire for autonomy, creativity and curiosity should not be thwarted through unnecessary restrictions, scolding, punishment and other inhuman treatments. As much as possible, the classroom should be neat, attractive and learner -friendly. The children must be encouraged to play with others and share things with others. Opportunities should be provided for the children to have varied learning experiences with real objects. Most of what they learn should be through play since formal teaching and learning has little place among pre-school children.

(b) Primary School Children

Primary school children generally are usually full of energy, which must be properly directed for purposeful activities. Competitive games such as football, volleyball, basketball, table tennis and athletics could be introduced. These help to develop in them the team spirit as well as self-confidence in their ability to perform. We must however be careful not to over- work them so as not to have any negative effect on their growth. When children disagree or even engage in physical fighting, we must be very understanding. With proper guidance and counselling, from the teachers, children could develop mutual respect and understanding for one another. They therefore build up the ability to get along easily with others.

As regards the development of the skills of reading, writing and calculation, teachers should realize that only interesting and purposeful activities in which children will be involved could bring about permanent literacy and numeracy. Teachers should therefore not do all the talking in the class. He must use different methods that will involve practical activities and participation of the pupils.

In the development of conscience, we must maintain a close and affectionate relationship with the pupils. This is better than the use of force, physical punishment, severe scolding or threat in controlling the pupils. In other words, the use of techniques that can arouse unpleasant feeling in the children should be avoided. For instance, giving some instructions in moral development and personal counselling can promote high level of conscience development in the pupils than punishment. Moreover, teachers should help children to recognise the good in other people through their own examples. Children should be encouraged to have adequate and correct information about others before they form their opinion about others.

 CONCLUSION

Children have the same characteristics irrespective of their races or cultures. The differences we often identify among children are in most cases due to hereditary and environmental factors. Therefore, their growth and development patterns, natural tendencies such as curiosity, creativity, gregariousness among others are common to all children. However, we should not expect all children to exhibit these characteristics in the same way and at the same time. Therefore, as a result of individual differences, we should always help the children to develop according to their own rates.

 SUMMARY

In this unit, we have discussed the nature and needs of children particularly at the pre-primary and primary levels of education. You learnt in the unit that children have the same characteristics and that the differences we may find in them may be due to the influence of heredity and environment. As far as the organs of the body are concerned, there is no difference. You also learnt the developmental tasks and their educational implications. In the next unit you will learn how children were treated in the past in Western Europe.