Just Enough

Each Day, the Child Care Exchange sends out informational emails on the world of Early Childhood Development and Education, which I try to share with you. For more info, please see their website at www.childcareExchange.com.

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Teachers and child care workers who favor a child-centered approach in their classrooms often encourage children solve their own problems, be responsible for their own achievements. We know, however, that there are times when a little adult intervention may be what's necessary to aid a child "just enough."

According to Alice Honig in her book, Little Kids, Big Worries: Stress-Busting Tips for Early Childhood Classrooms,"Children can accomplish some tasks on their own after trying hard. Others are too easy or too difficult. Children get restless and bored when toys or tasks are too easy. They feel frustrated when tasks are too challenging. The Russian child-development theorist Vygotsky taught that adults or more capable peers are priceless in supporting child learning and accomplishment when a task is just a bit too difficult at the child's present level of development. Then a teaching adult provides just that bit of help that will result in further child learning and satisfaction. Vygotsky used the term 'zone of proximal development' for the difference between what a child can do on his or her own compared with what the child can do with adult help. With the assistance of an adult or more capable child, a child will be able to succeed at a cognitive or social learning task beyond what he or she could have accomplished alone."

They key is to allow the child to do what they can on their own, but to be there, available to help when necessary.