Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles This course deals with the study of the patterns of human development especially focusing on the cognitive, biological, social, moral and emotional development of the child and adolescent learners.

1. 2. Twelve Principles of Child Development
2.1 Principles of human development
Human Development is the pattern of movement or change that
begins in conception and continues throughout the life span.
Principles should be considered when making decisions about
children.
1. Development is relatively orderly.
* The muscular control of trunk and arms comes earlier as
compared to the hands and fingers. (Proximodital
pattern)
* The greatest growth occurs at the head gradually working
its way down from top to bottom. (Cephalocaudal
pattern)
2. While the pattern of development is likely to be similar, the
outcomes of developmental processes and the rate of development
are likely to vary among individuals.
* There is individual differences in developmental
characteristics and the experiences that will influence
development.
3. Development takes place gradually.
* Development does not blossom suddenly. More often it takes
weeks, months, or years for a person to undergo changes that result
in the display of developmental characteristics
4. Development as a process is complex because it is the product
of biological, cognitive and socio-emotional processes.
 The effect of one process or factor (cognitive, biological,
socio-emotional) on a person’s development is not isolated
from other processes. Biological process affects the
cognitive process which in turn, affects the socio-
emotional process.

2. 2.2 Principles of Child and Adolescent Development
Principle 1: Interrelatedness
All the domains of development and learning- physical, socio-
emotional, cognitive are interrelated. Development in one domain
influences and is influenced by development in other domains.
Example: Language skills impact social relationships
Example: Crawling increases development due to increased
ability to explore.
Principle 2: Orderly Sequence
Many aspects of children’s learning and development follow well
documented sequences with later abilities, skills, knowledge
building on those already acquired.
Example: crawl, pull to stand, steps, walking
Example: cooing, sounds, approximations, words, phrases, sentences
Principle 3: Varying Rates
Development proceeds at varying rates from child to child as
well as unevenly within different areas of each child’s
functioning.
Example: Own pattern and timing of growth
Example: Unique personality, temperament and learning style
Example: Varied experiences and family background
Principle 4: Long Term Effects
Early experiences have profound effects on a child’s development
and learning; and optimal periods exist for certain types of
development and learning to occur.
Example: Responding to infants cries
Example: Early literacy experiences
Example: First 3 years optimal for verbal language

3. Principle 5: Increasing Complexity
Development proceeds toward greater complexity. Development
proceeds in predictable directions toward greater complexity,
organization, and internalization.
Example: Self talk before abstract thinking
Example: Using real items in play before being able to substitute
a pretend or other object for that item
Principle 6: Social and Cultural Influence
Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple
social and cultural contexts. Learning is additive. We need to
help connect what children already know with what we want them to
know.
Example: Children whose primary language is not English develop a
new language well when provided opportunities to learn English
while continuing to learn new concepts in home language.
Principle 7: Active Learners
Children’s experiences shape their motivation and approaches to
learning, such as persistence, initiative, and flexibility; in
turn, these dispositions and behaviors affect their learning and
development.
Example: Learning addition through play with toys and games
Example: Learning spatial concepts through play with toys rather
than worksheets
Principle 8: Biological and Environmental
Development and learning result from a dynamic and continuous
interaction of biological maturation and experience in the
environment.

4. Example: The language that children are exposed to is the one that
they will learn even though they are born with capacity to learn
any language
Example: A child with typical physical abilities but not exposed
to bikes will not learn to ride a bike
Principle 9: Play
Play is an important vehicle for children’s development, as well
as a reflection of their development. Play develops self-
regulation as well as for promoting language, cognition, and social
competence.
Example: Organizing the play environment with themes and props can
enhance language development
Example: Providing many motor toys will give you opportunities to
observe children's motor development.
Principle 10: Practice and Challenge
Development advances when children have opportunities to practice
newly acquired skills as well as when they experience a challenge
just beyond the level of their present mastery.
Example: Allowing a child to put on own coat without needed
assistance
Example: Leaving recently mastered puzzles in the classroom
Principle 11: Learning Modes
Children demonstrate different modes of knowing and learning and
different ways of representing what they know. Always mentally
active in seeking to understand the world around them, children
learn in a variety of ways; a wide range of teaching strategies
and interactions are effective in supporting all these kinds of
learning.
Example: After a walk around the neighborhood one child may come
back and draw a picture, another act out what they saw and another
talk about it

5. Principle 12: Needs Met
Children develop when they have secure, consistent relationships.
Children develop and learn best in the context of a community where
they are safe and valued, their physical needs are met, and they
feel psychologically secure.
Example: If children are well fed they will be able to concentrate
on learning activities.
Example: If children are living in violent home environments they
may have trouble interacting positively with peers