Childhood is a Distinct Time
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Childhood is a distinct and valid time in and of itself, rather than something to hurry through in a race toward adulthood. Children are not miniature adults; they have a unique set of needs for healthy development. Only when children are engaged with relevant and developmentally appropriate activities can these developmental milestones be reached and real learning occur. Assessing developmental milestones along with academic levels provides a more complete picture of student concerns and capacities.
Learning is Acting in New Ways
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Learning is the foundation for a human being to act and behave in new ways. While information alone can be valuable, learning develops a capacity to translate information into knowledge, knowledge into understanding, understanding into wisdom, and any of these into action. At the same time, acting or behaving in new ways can support healthy brain development and influence learning. Children experience the world through the senses; then interpret those experiences through the intellectual and emotional body which leads to action.
Learning is Physiological and Begins in the Body
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Learning is physiological and begins in the body. Children process, integrate and act upon information with their entire body. Sensory motor skills, body awareness, maturing reflexes, spatial perception and focused attention are directly related to a child’s capacity for learning. Because the young child’s brain is malleable, it is possible to strengthen these foundational aspects of physiological development as a natural process in the learning environment.
