It is a fact that the evolution of thought about children has been very astounding through the years. Back in the ancient times, it was thought that children are incomplete beings. Then, with Desiderius Erasmus, children were recognised to have the innate capacity to love and make moral choices. Many centuries have passed and different principles and concepts have been said about the children's magnificent development. One of them is the concept of the four planes of development which serves as one among the foundations of the principles of education.
Quite simply, the four planes of development outline each stage a child goes through, from infancy through adolescence, wherein certain benchmarks or guidelines of developments can be observed despite the uniqueness of each child. Each plane lasts about six years in length.
The very first plane starts from infancy and ends at the age of six. During this stage, children are like sponges that absorb every kind of stimulus they encounter. At this certain stage, children are very receptive to their immediate environment and also to their social constructs such as language and culture. It is for this very reason that having a prepared environment created by both educators and parents is crucial. Such environment should be beautiful and cheerful and at the same time filled with educational materials that will pique the interests of the child and in turn spur him or her on to discover many different simple learning concepts.
The second plane begins right after the first ends, once the child reaches the age of twelve. Building upon what the child has learned and assimilated during the first six years of life, the child adds imagination as well as the capacities for reasoning and abstract thought into the mix. It is at this stage wherein the knowledge they have picked up comes into play with how they explore the world. As such, it is important to encourage them to engage in activities that involve both acting and reasoning.
The third plane coexists with the adolescence period in which the child goes through a lot of rapid pace physical changes. At this stage, many existential issues come out and they start asking themselves about the proper ways they should relate with the greater world. Parents and educators must give them, at this stage, outlets for expression and exploration, allowing them to recognise their growing need for independence as well as their preparedness for responsibilities.
The final plane of development lasts between the ages of 18 and 24. It is at this age that your child becomes a fully-grown person, ready to take on the challenges of the "real world," inexperienced yet full of ideals. At this stage, his or her physical development has reached its end and yet mentally, socially and emotionally, there is much room for growth.
----------------------------------------------------
Give your child the right learning environment. Find out how by visiting http://www.themontessoriplace.org.uk
EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=326946
No comments:
Post a Comment