Need of Love in Early Development Stages of a Learner

All of us learn throughout our lives. It starts from the day we are born. It is now recognized that the early years of life are the most important for learning. That’s when the foundations for the future are laid, and when we begin moving down the path that will take us through childhood, the teenage years and ultimately into adulthood.
The importance of the early years is now well practiced throughout SHANA curriculum and rest of the world. These years are a time when the brain develops and much of its ‘wiring’ is laid down. The experiences and relationships a child has, plus nutrition and health, can actually affect this enormously. Positive experiences help the brain to develop in healthy ways. Seriously negative experiences such as neglect and abuse, on the other hand, affect brain development in more harmful ways, and contribute to emotional and behavioral problems later in life. So the experiences a child has in the early years can either support learning or interfere with it.
Kamlesh Chandra Sir always say “The brain is the only organ that is not fully formed at birth. During the first three years, trillions of connections between brain cells are being made. A child’s relationships and experiences during the early years greatly influence how their brain grows”.
Children are born ready to learn and interested in the world around them. It is natural for them to use all their abilities to learn. From birth, children are learning about themselves, other people and the world around them, and playing an active role in their own learning and development.
Children’s development and learning are affected by:
Influences within themselves – their genetic inheritance, temperament, gender, and health influences within the family – family relationships, parenting styles and values, the family’s financial situation, parents’ level of education, parents’ occupation, and parents’ physical and mental health
Influences within the community – children’s services (both availability and quality), support for parenting, housing (both quality and security of tenure), safety and crime in the neighborhood, unemployment levels and the general feeling of trust among the residents
Influences within their culture – with different cultures marked by differences in parenting styles, beliefs and values, and different views on how children should be educated.
One of the most important things children learning the early years is about themselves – that is, they develop a picture of themselves that affects the ways they approach any situation, task, or relationship with another person. In other words, they develop a self-concept. An important part of that self-concept is the picture they have of themselves as learners: is it okay to be curious, to explore, to ask questions, to tackle problems, to try to figure things out, to experiment? Is it okay to try something and fail sometimes? Being a good learner means having an ego, seeing yourself as capable, and taking reasonable risks.
It is important for parents, and others who work and live with children, to keep in mind the broad range of kinds of learning that are important in the early years. Some important areas of learning are listed below.
use of the body, including hands , respect for others, how to relate to others both adults and other children, how to resolve conflict, problem solving skills, communication, getting used to the things that make people different from each other, self-knowledge – understanding of feelings, a sense of your own strengths, talents and uniqueness, confidence, a sense of belonging to family, community, culture, how to look after and take care of yourself, behaving in acceptable ways and controlling your own behavior.
All children need people, or at least one person, who believe in them, care for them, and want to support them as learners. Children do some of their most powerful learning from copying what people around them do, so it is important that they are with adults who are learners themselves.
Adults who appreciate the uniqueness of each child, and who respect and respond to the child’s feelings, needs and interests help to learn to control their behavior and patient teaching about what behavior is accepted.
Children need to be actively involved in meaningful experiences. Learning happens best in context, that is, when there’s a real need to know. So, going to the supermarket, working in the garden, cooking with an adult, helping to wash the car, as well as going to the park or the beach are some of the best kinds of learning experiences. Young children especially need chances to get actively involved. ‘Hands-on, minds-on’ is the expression sometimes used. TV, DVDS, computers and other forms of technology, can be wonderful tools for learning if used in moderation and with the help of an adult.
Books to look at and read stories to listen to and people to have conversations with loving language and books makes a great and strong start to develop a wide vocabulary and literacy skills. Children can benefit from having stories read to them from the very beginning, even before they are able to understand what’s being said.
Children need encouragement but they don’t need to be ‘pushed’ and put under pressure to learn things earlier than they would if they weren’t pushed. Learning happens best when caring adults work with the child, have loving relationships, and explore the world together.