Child Development: Considerations for the Classroom

As teachers, we all understand the critical importance of considering a child’s developmental abilities when developing goals, objectives and learning activities.   And of course, we also have seen first-hand that each of our students comes into the classroom with a range with their own abilities unique to their individual developmental trajectory.  Some have an easier time waiting to be called on, while others blurt out whatever is on their minds.  To others, holding a pencil is second nature, or they have been helped out at home; while for others, holding a pencil and other fine motor skills will take them a little longer.  We would be hard pressed to ask the students who are in first grade to have the organizational skills of a third grader when transitioning from one activity to another.  The same is true for writing: we may not be able to expect a kindergartener to be able to write all of their thoughts down, but they can certainly express them in other ways: through interactive play with their peers, through block building and hands-on activities, through talking and so much more.

Below, our veteran teachers talk about child development, sharing their ideas about setting expectations and meeting standards, all the while prioritizing learning for their students. We also focus on child development benchmarks to ensure developmentally appropriate expectations for students.