Ages & Stages; Your developmentally appropriate guide to learning

BY AMIE HANKINSON – GROWING KIND

There is every chance that you are at home with your children due to COVID-19, and you are probably wondering ‘WHAT’ and ‘HOW’ your children should be learning. I have been watching homeschool resources circulate the internet this week (not all good, though with great intentions I am sure) and have been very proactive in sharing my love for ‘hands-on’ learning. Let me say Kindly, worksheets do not have a place in early childhood education.

I truly believe that this is a time for building relationships, patience and compassion and we should be focusing on a safe, predictable and gentle routine. In saying that, I also understand that parents need to feel a sense of ‘control’ right now, in a world where they have lost all control and certainty.

I want to ensure that when children look back on 2020 it is full of beautiful memories with their family, not trauma! So I will continue to share my vision and passion for raising kind, resilient and compassionate children – and I really hope you will join me.

To understand how and why children thrive off hands-on, active learning it’s important to know a few things:
1. How do children brains form?
2. What is developmentally appropriate at each age/ stage?
3. What is the research against early academics and rote learning?

I do not have time or enough words to explain all of these in detail, so will list some suggested readings at the end.

In the most basic explanation ever:

1. How do children brains form?

– Brains are built not born, they require experience to shape and grow

– The brain increases in size, reaching approximately 90% of adult volume by age 6

– From conception and through childhood profound changes occur in the construction of the brain leading to the emergence of increasingly complex social, emotional, cognitive and motor skills.

– The first 3 years of life are the most important, for most children. By 3.5 years brain development patterns are mostly set (they can be repaired later in life but its not simple)

– The brain develops from the bottom up; survival needs must first be met, then movement needs, then emotional before finally abstract and cognitive processes

2. What is developmentally appropriate at each age/ stage?

An understanding of developmental milestones allows parents to effectively assess children’s play and learning and plan for future learning based on their observations. It is important for parents to know that in Australian early childhood settings, we plan learning in accordance with the Early Years Learning Framework and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“The Convention states that all children have the right to an education that lays a foundation for the rest of their lives, maximises their ability, and respects their family, cultural and other identities and languages. The Convention also recognises children’s right to play and be active participants in all matters affecting their lives.”

The following developmental milestones have been abstracted from the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and are based off typical childhood development.

“Children’s learning is ongoing and each child will progress towards the outcomes in different and equally meaningful ways. Learning is not always predictable and linear. Educators plan with each child and the outcomes in mind.”

From 0-12 months

This age is complex and constantly evolving –please see milestone document for the breakdown of ages

From 1-2 years

walks, climbs and runs
takes two to three steps without support, legs wide and hands up for balance
crawls up steps
dances in place to music
climbs onto chair
kicks and throws a ball
feeds themselves
begins to run (hurried walk)
scribbles with pencil or crayon held in fist
turns pages of book, two or three pages at a time
rolls large ball, using both hands and arms
finger feeds efficiently
begins to walk alone in a ‘tottering way’, with frequent falls
squats to pick up an object
reverts to crawling if in a hurry
can drink from a cup
tries to use spoon/fork
begins to cooperate when playing
may play alongside other toddlers, doing what they do but without seeming to interact (parallel play)
curious and energetic, but depends on adult presence for reassurance
may show anxiety when separating from significant people in their lives
seeks comfort when upset or afraid
takes cue from parent or principal carer
regarding attitude to a stranger
may ‘lose control’ of self when tired or frustrated
assists another in distress by patting, making sympathetic noises or offering material objects
repeats actions that lead to interesting/ predictable results, e.g. bangs spoon on saucepan
points to objects when named
knows some body parts
points to body parts in a game
recognises self in photo or mirror
mimics household activities, e.g. bathing baby, sweeping floor
may signal when s/he has finished their toileting
spends a lot of time exploring and manipulating objects, putting in mouth, shaking and banging them
stacks and knocks over items
selects games and puts them away
calls self by name, uses ‘I’, ‘mine’, ‘I do it myself’
will search for hidden toy
comprehends and follows simple questions/ commands
says first name
says many words (mostly naming words)
begins to use one to two word sentences, e.g. ”want milk”
reciprocal imitation of another toddler: will imitate each other’s actions
enjoys rhymes and songs

From 2-3 years

walks, runs, climbs, kicks and jumps easily
uses steps one at a time
squats to play and rises without using hands
catches ball rolled to him/her
walks into a ball to kick it
jumps from low step or over low objects
attempts to balance on one foot
avoids obstacles
able to open doors
stops readily
moves about moving to music
turns pages one at a time
holds crayon with fingers
uses a pencil to draw or scribble in circles and lines
gets dressed with help
self-feeds using utensils and a cup
plays with other children
simple make believe play
may prefer same sex playmates and toys
unlikely to share toys without protest
shows strong attachment to a parent (or main family carer)
shows distress and protest when they leave and wants that person to do things for them
begins to show guilt or remorse for misdeeds
may be less likely to willingly share toys with peers
demands adult attention
builds tower of five to seven objects
lines up objects in ‘train’ fashion
recognises and identifies common objects and pictures by pointing
enjoys playing with sand, water, dough; explores what these materials can do more than making things with them
uses symbolic play, e.g. use a block as a car
shows knowledge of gender-role stereotypes
identifies picture as a boy or girl
engages in making believe and pretend play
begins to count with numbers
recognises similarities and differences
imitates rhythms and animal movements
becoming aware of space through physical activity
can follow two or more direction
uses two or three words together, e.g. “go potty now”
‘explosion’ of vocabulary and use of correct grammatical forms of language
refers to self by name and often says ‘mine’
asks lots of questions
uses pronouns and prepositions, simple sentences and phrases
labels own gender
copies words and actions
makes music, sing and dance
likes listening to stories and books

From 3 -5 years

dresses and undresses with little help
hops, jumps and runs with ease
climbs steps with alternating feet
gallops and skips by leading with one foot
transfers weight forward to throw ball
attempts to catch ball with hands
climbs playground equipment with increasing agility
holds crayon/pencil etc. between thumb and first two fingers
exhibits hand preference
imitates variety of shapes in drawing, e.g. circles
independently cuts paper with scissors
toilet themselves
feeds self with minimum spills
dresses/undresses with minimal assistance
walks and runs more smoothly
enjoys learning simple rhythm and movement routines
develops ability to toilet train at night
enjoys playing with other children
may have a particular friend
shares, smiles and cooperates with peers
jointly manipulates objects with one or two other peers
develops independence and social skills they will
use for learning and getting on with others at preschool and school
understands when someone is hurt and comforts them
may show bouts of aggression with peers
likes to give and receive affection from parents
may praise themselves and be boastful
understands opposites (e.g. big/little) and positional words (middle, end)
uses objects and materials to build or construct things, e.g. block tower, puzzle, clay, sand and water
builds tower eight to ten blocks
answers simple questions
counts five to ten things
has a longer attention span
talks to self during play – to help guide what he/she does
follows simple instructions
follows simple rules and enjoys helping
may write some numbers and letters
engages in dramatic play, taking on pretend character roles
recalls events correctly
counts by rote, having memorised numbers
touches objects to count – starting to understand relationship between numbers and objects
can recount a recent story
copies letters and may write some unprompted
can match and name some colours
speaks in sentences and use many different words
answers simple questions
asks many questions
tells stories
talks constantly
enjoys talking and may like to experiment with new words
uses adult forms of speech
takes part in conversations
enjoys jokes, rhymes and stories
will assert self with words

So with an understanding of how the brain forms, and an understanding of the complex learning processes of children:

3. What is the research against early academics and rote learning?

Just by looking at the lists above it is pretty obvious that most of these skills cannot be achieved from a worksheet, right? Whenever I pose this question I am met with questions … “what about learning to write?’ ‘ what about cutting?’ ‘ what about drawing?’ “what if my child enjoys them?’

Firstly, arts and crafts on paper are NOT a worksheet. A worksheet is a piece of paper with a closed activity (there is a right and wrong answer).

Secondly, cutting is a skill to practise on all sorts of materials, we don’t need a worksheet for this. We can practise cutting out shapes to create a picture, cut leaves, cut play dough etc

Thirdly, children in the early years will begin writing when they are ready. They will write letters/ numbers, their name or copy text in an unstructured context from being exposed to a print rich environment. The strongest predictor of reading & writing success is exposure to books from a very young age, so read, read and read again.

Lastly, if your child enjoys worksheets, then you need to make your own judgement about what is best for them. I do pose this though; my child enjoys eating chocolate cake every morning for breakfast- but knowing the research about their health, do I allow it?

A number of international have compared the effects of early academic orientated classrooms with those of play-based classrooms. “Early academic training somewhat increases children’s immediate scores on the specific tests that the training is aimed at (no surprise), but these initial gains wash out within 1 to 3 years and, at least in some studies, are eventually reversed. Perhaps more tragic than the lack of long-term academic advantage of early academic instruction is evidence that such instruction can produce long-term harm, especially in the realms of social and emotional development.”

There are two fundamental problems with early academics. First, young children do not learn from them what teachers and parents believe they do (Kostelnik, Soderman, & Whiren, 1993). Secondly, children’s time should be spent in more beneficial endeavours solving real world issues (Willis, 1995). The use of abstract numerals and letters, rather than hands-on materials, puts too many young children at risk of school failure. This has implications for years to come.