Child Development and Learning

Book excerpt: Child Development and Learning integrates concepts of learning and development into one comprehensive text for understanding child development. At its core is the belief that learning and development are intertwined. As children learn, they also develop. As children develop, they also learn.With an understanding of how children develop, specific activities can be implemented to support the learning of all children. The text explores both classical and emerging theories and assists pre-service teachers to grasp the details of the historical references to current understandings of development. The intention is to highlight the importance of understanding how child development theories can be implemented withinthe field of education. With its clear and engaging style, the text presents up-to-date research while offering practical applications that will relate to pre-service teachers' personal and professional lives. Child Development and Learning is comprised of six sections. Five of the sections cover the developmental domains, and within each domain there are four chapters based on chronological age, from birth to 18 years. Each section consists of activities to foster engagement by allowing the reader tolearn through critical reflection and analysis. The final sixth section provides an overview of how to plan for schooling starting with early childhood education and ending with senior schooling, and draws together the learning techniques necessary to support children within different age ranges.Complete with examples that are research-focused, real-world and cross-cultural, students are provided with practical strategies to help them program and plan for learning and development.