You are here

Supporting Children's Learning
Share
Share

Supporting Children's Learning
A Guide for Teaching Assistants


February 2007 | 160 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
Are you looking for a book that explains all the key ideas on how children learn and how best to support children in that learning?

Covering all major themes, this book offers:
  • An introduction to main theories of learning and development from birth to primary including brain and emotional and social development
  • An introduction to what motivates learners to learn, and how much learners understand about how learning takes place
  • A glossary of terms
  • Case studies, research summaries and tasks for reflection
 
Teaching assistants studying for Foundation Degrees or for the Higher Level Teaching Assistant qualification will find this book meets their needs. Students in any course looking at how children learn such as Early Childhood & Teacher Training Courses will likewise find this book covers all key themes.

 
How to Use This Book
 
1 - LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
 
Theory, What's That?
 
The Big Themes
 
f003 Values and Beliefs
 
Nativism Versus Empiricism?
 
Continuous or Discontinuous?
 
Stability or Change?
 
How is Theory Developed?
 
How is Theory Used?
 
Summary
 
Further Reading
 
2 - THE BRAIN AND LEARNING
 
What Is The Brain?
 
What Does The Brain Do?
 
Learning and the Brain
 
Brain Connections, Birth to One Year
 
Does The Brain Learn Some Things More Easily At Some Points?
 
Does The Brain Development Need A Rich And Varied Setting?
 
Summary
 
Further Reading
 
3 - THE SENSES AND LEARNING
 
Sensation and Perception
 
Studying Perception
 
Seeing
 
Hearing
 
Kinaesthesia
 
Making Sense
 
Visual Learning, Auditory Learning, Kinaesthetic Learning
 
Summary
 
Further Reading
 
4 - BIG THEORY 1: Skinner and the Behaviourists
 
What is Behaviourism?
 
The Behaviourists
 
Cat in a Box
 
Rat in a Box
 
Learning Through Imitation
 
Implications for Teaching
 
5- BIG THEORY 2: Piaget and the Constructivists
 
What is Constructivism?
 
The Work of Piaget
 
How Well Does This Theory Work?
 
Children's Social Development
 
What is Intelligence?
 
Information Processing
 
Implications for Teaching
 
6- BIG THEORY 3: Vygotsky and Social Constructivism
 
What is Social Constructivism?
 
Vygotsky's Theory
 
Implications for Teaching
 
Summary: Theories in the Classroom
 
7 - MANAGING LEARNING
 
What Is Learning?
 
Making Choices About Managing Learning
 
Longer Term Outcomes
 
What We Do To Help Learning?
 
Views about Learning
 
8 - MANAGING BEHAVIOUR
 
What Do We Mean By Managing Behaviour?
 
Views about Children and Young People
 
The Outcomes of Control and Guidance Approaches to Discipline
 
What Do We Do About Social and Emotional Development
 
Do Children and Young People Understand Social Behaviour?
 
Learning from Parents
 
Our Expectations about Conduct
 
Using Control Approaches
 
Praise and Blame
 
Do Control Approaches Work?
 
Using the Guidance Approach

This book provides a useful introduction to psychology and how it relates to supporting learning. The book presents teaching and learning theories in an accessible form and links key theories to practical classroom situations. Children and young person development is explained effectively and the book is a useful text when teaching TA fundamentals.

Mr David Andrews
Education, Loughborough College
September 17, 2018

It's clearly written however doesn't seem to tie well with the course. Explains theory really well with good practical examples.

Miss Claire Louise Hill
Education Department, Newcastle College
October 11, 2016

Excellent resource for my students will recommend they all use this for their course

Mrs Helen Middleton
Caring, Cardiff and Vale College
June 16, 2014

Excellent book - which I have recommended to the students, however low income has prevented it from being a recommended book. The layout is easy to use, and very relevant to the students roles within the school. Content is useful to those studying at both level 2 and level 3

Mrs Penny Yates
Island Training, Isle of Wight College
February 1, 2014

The book was an easy read but not relevant to the course.

Miss Catherine Flint
Educational Foundations , Tameside College
April 15, 2013

an essesntial guide for those looking at theories in learning. easy to read and understand and love the little boxes with scenarios etc whic help to put the chapter content into perspective.

Mrs Pamela Canning
early , North West Institute
January 6, 2013

I loved the links between practise and theory. Written in a very accessible way with good supporting examples I will certainly be recommending this to my students.

Mrs Samantha Piggot
Bristol Ctr for Care, Health & Educ St, City of Bristol College
November 21, 2012

Very useful for TAs

Mrs Clare Hallam
Health, education and social care, Barnet College
September 6, 2012

Very useful book for the FD in Learning support.

Miss Emma Baxter
School of Care, Ystrad Mynach College
August 15, 2012

Helpful as additional/background reading.

Miss Alyson Lewis
Dept of Care & Continuing Education, Ystrad Mynach College
April 6, 2012

Sample Materials & Chapters

book