The Developmental stages for learners

Hello guys, welcome back to my blog. In this blog I will share about The development stages for learners.

Definition of young learners

Young learners is a catch-all term for students who are not yet adults. The term swept into fashion at the beginning of the nineties reflecting the trend to lower the starting age and broaden the access to English language learning to younger people in many countries all over the world.

Developmental stages that learners go through between birth and puberty 

Pedagogy is the art and science of helping children to learn (Knowles, 1990; Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2011). The different stages of childhood are divided according to what developmental theorists and educational psychologists define as speci fic patterns of behavior seen in particular phases of growth and development. One common attribute observed throughout all phases of childhood is that learning is subject centered. This section reviews the developmental characteristics in the four stages of childhood and the teaching strategies to be used in relation to the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial maturational levels indicative of learner readiness.

- Infancy (First 12 Months of Life) and Toddlerhood (1-2 Years of Age)

The field of growth and development is highly complex, and at no other time is physical, cognitive, and psychosocial maturation so changeable as during the very early years of childhood. Because of the dependency of members of this age group, the main focus of instruction for health maintenance of children is geared toward the parents, who are considered to be the primary learners rather than the very young child (Crandell et al., 2012; Palfrey et al., 2005; Santrock, 2011). However, the older toddler should not be excluded from healthcare teaching and can participate to some extent in the education process.

- Early Childhood (3-5 Years of Age)

Children in the preschool years continue with development of skills learned in the earlier years of growth. Their sense of identity becomes clearer, and their world expands to encompass involvement with others external to the family unit. Children in this developmental category acquire new behaviors that give them more independence from their parents and allow them to care for themselves more autonomously. Learning during this time period occurs through interactions with others and through mimicking or modeling the behaviors of playmates and adults (Crandell et al., 2012; Santrock, 2011).

- Middle and Late Childhood (6-11 Years of Age)

In middle and late childhood, children have progressed in their physical, cognitive, and psychosocial skills to the point where most begin formal training in structured school systems. They approach learning with enthusiastic anticipation, and their minds are open to new and varied ideas.

Children at this developmental level are motivated to learn because of their natural curiosity and their desire to understand more about themselves, their bodies, their world, and the influence that different things in the world have on them (Whitener et al., 1998). This stage is a period of great change for them, when attitudes, values, and perceptions of themselves, their society, and the world are shaped and expanded. Visions of their own environment and the cultures of others take on more depth and breadth (Santrock, 2011).

Challenges and solution

1. Students are not ready to start the class

The way the first few minutes of the class are spent can have a great influence on how the lesson goes. Students can be slow to get out their equipment and this can cause a lot of time wasting. To discourage this, start lessons with a timed challenge.

• Tell students what you want them to do when they come into class, e.g. sit down, take out their books and pencil cases, sit quietly ready for the lesson to start.
• Time how long it takes for everyone to do this and make a note. Each day do the same.
• Challenge students to do this faster every day. You could provide a goal and offer a prize at the end of the trimester if they reach it, e.g. be ready in less than a minute every day.

2. Students speak first language (L1) in class

One of the most common classroom management issues primary teachers face is getting them to speak English. However, young learners may need to speak their mother tongue on occasion, and a complete ban on L1 is often not the best solution. But how can we encourage students to use English wherever possible?

• Tell students they have to ask permission to speak in L1, if they really need to.
• 3 word rule — tell students that they can use a maximum of three words in L1 if they don’t know them in English.
• Write ENGLISH on the board in large letters. Each time someone speaks in L1, erase a letter. Tell students that each letter represents time (e.g. 1 minute) to play a game or do another fun activity at the end of the lesson. If the whole word remains they can choose a game.

Pros of the early introduction of a foreign language

1. Motivates kids skills in their native language

2. Encourages wisdom, empathy, curiosity, cultural sensitivity, and tolerance

3. Improves kids brains function

4. It prepares children for more future career opportunities

5. Help connecting kids to their heritage

Cons of the early introduction of a foreign language

1. Additional effort for the parents

2. Speaking later

3. Mixing languages

4. Not easy for young learners

That is the explanation about Development stages for learners, hope this blog can help you to add your knowledge, happy reading. Thank you.

source:

https://nursekey.com/developmental-stages-of-the-learner/

https://carolread.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/y-is-for-young-learners/#:~:text=Young%20learners%20is%20a%20catch,countries%20all%20over%20the%20world.

https://www.english.com/blog/8-first-lesson-problems-and-solutions-yl-classes/

https://seizeyourlifetoday.com/bilingual-education-in-early-age-pros-cons/

https://images.app.goo.gl/YFrTwQhTYs9miYu38