Children's Learning Activities and Play - Describe and explain the different ways that children learn, referring to the major theorists...

Unit 7: Children’s Learning Activities and Play.
P1, M1, and D1: Describe and explain the different ways that children learn, referring to the major theories of learning and illustrate your description with examples from placement. With these examples, evaluate the theories of learning giving strengths and weaknesses of those theories.
There are many theorists that have influenced the way we look at children’s learning, across a period of many years. The theorists that are going to be mentioned are Jerome Bruner, B F Skinner, Lev Vygotsky, Noam Chomsky, Albert Bandura and Jean Piaget.
Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner, and Albert Bandura all form what is known as a social constructivist view. This has its disadvantages and advantages, as do all the other models. The main advantages of the social constructivist view are children are active learners, parental involvement is encouraged, communication and adult involvement is recognised as important, stimulating environment produces observable positive results. (Squire, G., 2007, page 256.)
Bruner’s main theory was that children do not learn through stages; they gradually develop cognitive skills, referred to as modes. Bruner developed three modes, which relate to stages of age. The first was enactive, which was from 0-1 years old. This is when children learn through movement or action. The second mode was iconic, from 1-7 years, which is when children learn through images or icons. The third and final mode is symbolic, which is from 7 years old and above, when learning is done through abstract symbols. Bruner also believed that children reach higher levels of development with the support and assistance of adults, which is a concept known as scaffolding, and that children have a ‘readiness for learning’, which means they can be taught new concepts and ideas at any developmental stage by reinforcing the ideas repetitively. This is known as a ‘spiral curriculum’, as the concepts are being built upon each time.
An example of spiral curriculum would be when the children are singing; a new song is sung at circle time, but the children do not immediately know the words. The song is a Christmas song, and is being practised daily so the words of the song are being reinforced into the children. They soon start to learn the words from hearing them on a daily basis.
I agree with Bruner with the fact that children can reach higher levels of development with the support of adults, because adults are more knowledgeable than children and can share their advice to help the child learn. I also think that children have a readiness for learning, because anyone can be taught new concepts once it has been repeated over and over, it is easier to remember. I think that Bruner was correct in some concepts; within the fact that children can learn within different aspects, such as through movements, images, and abstract symbols, but I also think that children can learn through speaking, and listening to others.
Bandura’s theory is known as the Social Learning Theory; he believed that direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning, and that people can learn new information and behaviour by watching other people, which is known as observational modelling. Bandura had three main concepts to his theory;
1. People can learn through observation.
2. Mental states are important to learning.
3. Learning does not necessarily lead to a change in behaviour.
Bandura believed that aggression is learned through behaviour modelling. This is when a child learns though behaviour they have witnessed, and then copies it. He believed that aggression is learned though this process, rather than individuals inheriting violet behaviour, it is passed on though behaviour modelling.
This is when children copy types of behaviour; at placement I have seen this in practise as the children can copy bad behaviour from other children or staff, or good behaviour. For example, a child started to bite other children, and because another child saw this, when he appeared to be upset or angry, he would bite the person who made him feel this way.
I think that Bandura’s theory has many valid points; children definitely learn through copying others, whether it is in a positive way or a negative way. I also think he is correct in thinking that learning does not necessarily lead to a change in behaviour; children can learn the right way to do something, but may still continue to do it in a bad way, and vice-versa.
Vygotsky believed that children’s development was supported by adults, and they had a large impact on how the child learnt. The level of development for a child is known as ‘the zone of actual development’, but Vygotsky believed that children were able to reach higher levels with the support from the adults. The difference between the two levels became known as ‘the zone of proximal development’. The involvement of the adult is vital if the child is to move onto the next zone.
I have seen this theory on many occasions at placement; one of these times was when a child had puzzles, and wasn’t quite sure how to complete them. A member of staff then went over and helped her; she sat and explained how to do the puzzle, and showed her to turn all the pieces the right way around. The child soon learned the best way to complete the puzzle, as she had the help of an adult.
I think that Vygotsky is correct, as I have seen this in practice many times. Children can develop without the help of adults, but it is better for them if they have someone with prior and greater knowledge to help them. This gives the children help and advances them to the next level of learning.
Jean Piaget forms a constructivist view, which has its strengths and limitations. Some of the advantages are as follows; children are active learners, children learn through discovery, and the developmental stages are clearly identified. This method has only one obvious disadvantage, which is that the importance of social interaction is not recognised. (Squire, G. 2007, page 256.)
Unlike Bruner, Piaget’s theory was that children are active learners and do learn through stages, rather than developing cognitive skills. Each of the stages builds on the previous one, and they also overlap. His theory suggests that as children learn, they do not memorise or take in others perception of reality; they make their own understanding. Piaget created 4 stages of mental growth:
1. The Sensori motor stage. (0-2 years).
2. The Pre-operational stage. (2-7 years).
3. The Concrete operational stage. (7-11 years).
4. The Formal operational stage. (11+ years).
The Sensori motor stage is when the child has very basic reflexes, and then progresses to learn through movement and senses. During this time, the child will create schemas for grasping, shaking, and hitting. The Pre-operational stage is when the child develops symbolic play experiences, language and literacy skills. During this stage the child is very egocentric, and they only see things from their own point of view. The Concrete operational stage is when the child develops more organised and logical thoughts, but still plays concrete activities. The Formal operational stage is when the child’s thoughts are more abstract, and the child is beginning to recognise and understand ethical issues and the truth. They are able to think about hypothesis and make attempts to test them. (Squire, G. 2007, page 254.)
B.F. Skinner’s theory is part of the transmission model of learning, which has its advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages are as follows; undesirable behaviour can be changed, children can learn though repeated behaviour patterns, and children learn though experience. (Squire, G. 2007, page 256.)
Skinner’s theory is called operant conditioning. This is a type of learning in which behaviour is influenced by its consequences. As part of this theory, he had something called Skinners Box, which is a chamber that an animal can press or manipulate to be fed or watered as a type of reinforcement. Skinner believed that as children, behaviour can be influenced by consequences, and reinforcement is a big part of this process. An example of this would be if a child has good behaviour, they are rewarded with stickers, or extra playtime. This encourages the child to repeat this behaviour. If the child produces negative behaviour, a consequence of this is to take time off playtime, or not let them do a certain activity. This reinforces the fact that they will not get to do enjoyable activities if they are being badly behaved.
An example of this from placement would be when a child with challenging behaviour is being badly behaved, he will be disciplined in that fact that he will have something taken away, such as doing an activity he wanted to take part in or not being allowed to participate in cooking.
I think this theory is very accurate, as children learn though things being repeated and reinforced several times. Children can learn right from wrong and good behaviour from bad by using operant conditioning. This theory is able to reinforce the good behaviour, and encourage the children to do this, and it can also show children that some behaviour is not tolerated, with consequences, so the children will learn not to do this again.
Noam Chomsky’s theory is based on a laissez-faire view, which like all the other method has its strengths and limitations. The strengths are that children are directly involved in shaping the learning process, and development will progress regardless of intervention. This theory type has more weaknesses rather than strengths, these being that children are programmed before birth as to their developmental level, differences in rates of development linked to race or culture not recognised, children are easily labelled if they do not fit in with recognised milestones, and children are not seen as active learners. (Squire, G. 2007, page 256.)
Chomsky’s theory was that children have a structure in the brain, which enables them to develop language. He called this a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which means that children can apply grammar rules in the daily use of language. (Squire, G. 2007, page 254.)

P3: Include a description of the role of the adult when providing and learning opportunities for children.
The role of the adult is very important when considering learning opportunities for children. There are many different areas of role to take into account, to ensure than the child has the best opportunities they can be given.
Something the adult could do to ensure the child is given the best learning opportunities is to identify and promote learning activates. This is to ensure the adult knows where the individual children are currently at in their learning and development, and can plan appropriate activates to help the children progress to their next stage of learning. When identifying activities, it is important to take into consideration the child’s current interests, as this can they make them feel more involved as it is something they enjoy doing.
Another important aspect of the adult’s role is making sure that they understand the relevant curriculum requirements. This is particularly important, because if the adult does not understand these, it can become difficult for them to observe the children, and plan relevant activities so the child can move on to the next stage of developmental learning. The United Kingdom had developed a national framework for under 3 year old children, pre-school aged children, and school aged children. School settings in receipt of government funding are required to plan and set lessons and activities using the National Curriculum. (Squire, G. 2007, page 272.)
The adult needs to ensure that the children are using a balance of activities. Practitioners need to consider the amount of play that is child led/free play, and that is being directed by the adults. It is important for the children to have structure, but they need time to explore so they can conclude what they like and dislike, and what their interests are. The balance needs to be just right; too much of one form of play or the other may not provide a range of activities to meet the child’s educational needs or help them to develop skills properly. Letting the children have free play encourages them to use their imagination, and explore their thoughts and wishes. When the children have structured play, it ensures that interaction with the adult is there, and that the children can relate this to timings of the day; for example if the children have circle time every day before lunch, they will know lunch is after circle time.
Implementing an integrated approach is imperative within the adult’s role. This is when the curriculum is delivered using themes, making the play and learning activities interlinked. This benefits the children in a huge way; as everything is interlinked, nothing is separate and this can be used for all the curriculum outcomes. Some popular themes are ‘Myself’, ‘Growing’, and ‘Colours’. (Squire, G. 2007, page 272.)
Planning and Preparing are important as if this fails, the activity will not be good, and may not be appropriate to the age and developmental stage of the child or children. This means that the adult must be organised, and be able to link the activity to the curriculum outcomes, making sure the children can gain something from the activity, or improve on a current skill. When preparing the activity, the practitioner needs to consider the resources they will need, how many children they will allow to do the activity at the time, and the time the activity will take.
When implementing an activity, the adult may need to explain and show the children what they need to do, so the children understand and can then do what is expected of them correctly. If playing a game, it may be necessary to have a trial, so the children can see what they have to do. It is also important for the adult to encourage the children to ask questions, and to think about what is going on in the activity. The activity must also be language appropriate, as this way children can pick up new vocabulary. (Squire, G. 2007, page 272.)
The adult must ensure that Health and Safety measures are in place. This is to ensure the children are in a safe environment and that all the activities they take part in are risk assessed to keep the children from harm. The health and safety policies and procedures are outline in detail by each setting or local authority, and these must be read and understood by all the staff, including volunteers and work experience students. Equipment and appliances should have regular checks, to make sure they are safe and not defected in any way, and discarded if they are damaged. The adults also need to be in the correct ratio for the children, so there are enough adults to supervise the children at any one time.
Adults also need to make sure they are providing encouragement to the children, as this will show the children the adults are interested in what they are doing, and builds up their confidence and self-esteem. Giving the children support and praise will encourage them to take part in other activities, and develop their skills. When the adult shows encouragement, it is important not just to use words, but to reflect the encouragement in body language, tone of voice, eye contact, and facial expression.
It is important for adults to recognise when to intervene when required, as if an adult presence is unwanted, it may ruin the activity the children are currently doing, for example, if children are being domestic in the home corner, and an adult comes over and joins in, the children may feel like they don’t want to play with the adult, so it would be more appropriate for the practitioner to supervise. Adults must never take over an activity from a child, as they may need to learn a skill by themselves – the practitioner cannot do this for them. Even if the adult thinks the child may be struggling, it is important for the child to ask for help, or for the adult to ask if they need help, rather than taking over.
The adult must be providing stimulation for the children, within the environment the children are in. Activities need to be changed regularly so the children do not get bored and content, and it is a good idea to take advantages of events that don’t happen regularly, such as the weather being snowy or flooding. This gives children different experiences, and lets them watch environmental changes. (Squire, G. 2007, page 273.)
Building confidence and self-esteem is crucial for the adult to do; as early failure can result in the children not wanting to continue. This means that all the activities need to planned beforehand so the children find them slightly challenging, but not overly, so they do not fail and not want to try again. Before attempting some activities, children will have to gain confidence before they try, like climbing or riding a bike. Adults must avoid pressuring children, as this can cause them unnecessary stress and make them less likely to try.
Adults must make sure that all children are included in every activity, and not discriminated against in any way. It may be necessary to alter some activities, to ensure that all the children are able to join in, and that their individual needs are met. The right resources must also be available so all children can join in.
Differentiation is important for the adults to recognise; as not all children work at the same physical or academic level, or speed. Activities that all children can achieve in must be provided, but if challenging is needed for others, then this should provided too, by extending the activity, or having an extra task. Extension tasks should be provided, as this can encourage children to learn more. Discussions can then carry on from this, relevant to the activity topic.
The role of the adult is important to provide children with the best learning opportunities, as without them children would not be able to decide for themselves and would not learn about these things, such as right and wrong. Children will not develop to their full potential without the role of the adult encouraging them and planning their next steps.