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Basic Theoretical Principles of Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood
Introduction
Various theories that explain how children learn have been formulated
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Today however, many educational
research scholars have come up with more appropriate teaching methods
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Knowledge of theoretical principles in child development
and instructional methods will help us understand the stages through which a child passes and what
he/she is capable of learning or doing
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In his
experiment, Pavlov taught a dog to salivate whenever its meat was brought to it
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Later on when the bell alone was rung without the food,
the dog still salivated which indicates that learning had already taken place through associating the
bell with food
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This can be likened with
giving a child a reward such as a smile, a nod, a clap or thumbs-up gesture after he/she gives a
correct response during learning
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F
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After two or three accidental contacts with
the food dispenser, the hungry rats showed a deliberate effort to press the dispenser so as to get
food
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Skinner noted that continuous reinforcement is
thus important if a certain response was to be encouraged
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A negative reinforcer (unpleasant
stimulus), such as holding the child in class so that he/she finishes his/her work can also make a
child to work hard to avoid being confined in class as others go to play
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Learning thus occurs as the child engages in social interactions with those in his/her environment
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If children have positive models to emulate, they learn to
do the right thing and vice versa
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Good behaviour in children should also be encouraged
so that others learn to follow suit
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According to Gessel, the child unconsciously selects from his/her environment one thing which

he/she takes notice of and then gets motivated to actively respond to it through investigation
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In a classroom situation it means that provision of
materials or new learning opportunities are important in stimulating learning in children
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Piaget 1984
Piaget was a Swiss psychologist/scientist
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Piaget observed that children are active seekers of knowledge, and interpreters of their
environment, which helps them, adapt to it by use of their cognition or thinking faculties
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He
further asserts that learning takes place by assimilation whereby new information is simply added
to already existing cognitive organisation through the senses
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Piaget divides learning or mental ability of children/humans
according to four cognitive levels or stages and that learning depends on their cognitive maturation
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The four stages
have also to be experienced in a specific order and that it is impossible to skip one of them to go
to the next
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They thus begin to build up concepts about
objects as a result of experimenting with them as they grasp them, suck and shake them thereby
learning that objects have different qualities
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During play or learning, concrete
materials for manipulation are thus very important for them to explore, discover and acquire new
knowledge
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The pre-school teacher should thus consider these limitations in-order to
make their learning process successful
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Since they have
difficulties in decentring, reversibility and conservation, their learning activities should be
segmented into small manageable portions to assist their comprehension
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John Fredrick Herbert
He was a German philosopher who saw learning as a progression through five stages, namely:
preparation, presentation, association, systematization and application
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It begins with highlighting the goal
or objectives and gathering content and resources needed in order to focus on the successful
attainment of the goal
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Good presentation entails use of varied learning
activities, teaching methods, ensuring pupils and teachers’ participation as well as
motivating children throughout the presentation
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Systematization stage: It entails helping children make sense of new knowledge presented
in readiness for its use
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Application stage: It involves children working on their own using the new knowledge
presented
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Unless children can apply new
knowledge presented to them, it is deemed that learning has not taken place
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Provision/meeting all children’s needs: Children learn best when all their needs are met
physically: food, clothing, shelter, health-care, play, and rest
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Socio-emotionally: provision of love, emotional security,
reinforcement, recognition, and ethics, support learning
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2
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Interaction with the environment can be enhanced through
opportunities for children to explore their surroundings
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As children interact with others, they
learn through identification and imitation
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Ethics are also learnt by interaction
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Provision of play opportunities: The play method is one way of learning which involves all
other learning methods
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They learn many concepts as they manipulate play objects and their environment
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Play offers opportunity for social learning or
interaction and prepares them for social roles/chores as they role-play
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Recognition of individual differences/variations: Children/human beings have unique
individual differences
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Catering for all the
varied needs among children therefore supports their learning
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Children should
also be provided with opportunities to work individually or as a group according to their
interest t
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Children also represent their families and cultural
communities or environment
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5
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They
construct their knowledge through the provision of opportunities that allow them to use their
senses to learn
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A good teacher will thus provide opportunities for children to generate
knowledge on their own
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Motivation efforts: Motivating learning content and activities stimulate children’s learning
interest and performance
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Children’s learning interest should
also be stimulated through the use of positive reinforcements (rewards) and also negative
reinforcement as well as punishment even though the latter should be used minimally
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Motivation can be enhanced through active participation by all children, giving work
that is within the children’s’ ability, provision of a loving environment and ensuring that all
children’s needs are met
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References
K
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E
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Handbook for early childhood development education syllabus
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Ng’asike, J
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(2003)
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Kenyatta University
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B
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J
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Creating highly motivating classrooms for all
students: a schoolTide approach to powerful teaching
with diverse learners
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A
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K
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E
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Kenya pre-school guidelines
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I
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/NACECE
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J
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Teaching tips: strategies, research, and theory for
university teachers
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college

and

Ayot & Patel (1992)
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Nairobi: ERAP
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C
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J
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Creating excitement in classrooms
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(1987)
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Washington DC:
NAEYC
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I
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(1984)
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Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau
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I
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(1984)
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Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau
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I
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(1984)
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Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau

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