I believe that to some degree the learning of children is different than the learning of adults. According to Piaget, until children reach the age of seven or eight, their thinking differs from that of adults. Young children are egocentric and more concrete thinkers. Because young children have different thinking patterns than adults, they also learn differently. Young children learn through direct experiences rather than verbal instruction. As children develop into more abstract thinkers, they are then able to learn as adults. However, there is a common thread in the way children and adults learn in that both learn by constructing on the relation to an individual's previous knowledge.
When considering the difference between the learning of children and the learning of adults, it is important to recognize that development affects learning patterns. Development is a biological process as demonstrated in Piaget's theory of developmental stages. It is from within those stages of development that contribute to the patterns of learning. For instance, as previously mentioned, until young children process through their natural development as concrete thinkers, they are unable to learn as adults, who are abstract thinkers. In Piaget's developmental stage of formal operations (11 years and up) adults can solve problems hypothetically (abstract), while children would need to use visual and hands-on experiences (concrete).
I feel that children are intrinsically motivated as learners and their curiosity is the driving force in their learning. Children are naturally curious and when given the opportunities to explore their curiosity, they are able to gain a sense of accomplishment. When children attain a sense of accomplishment, it fosters their self-esteem and self-confidence. As intrinsically motivated learners, children achieve their goals built on self-worth not on rewards. Reward systems provide the children with instant gratification when a task is completed, but teaches little to motivate students in accomplishing further goals.
Not all children learn the same way or at the same pace. For instance, learning styles vary in each individual. Some may learn better through verbal instruction, others learn through visual instruction, and still some need the hands-on experiences. Learning styles in children also depends on their developmental stage. For example, children in Piaget's preoperational stage mostly learn by seeing and doing. It is important to note that children will process through their developmental stages at different rates.
Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences also contributes to the way children learn. Children with a high degree of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence have the ability to use the body skillfully for expressive as well as goal-directed purposes. Therefore, children with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are more apt to be hands-on learners.
I believe that children with special needs learn in the same way as other children. The only difference is that children with special needs require some modifications and adaptations to learn and achieve the same goals as other children. When I was in my field placement in an inclusive preschool program, I observed a three-year-old boy with Down Syndrome. Children with Down Syndrome experience developmental delays. Thus, adaptations are needed to guide learning experiences. For example, when the class was learning eye-hand/fine motor coordination by stringing beads, the child with Down Syndrome was also learning eye-hand/fine motor coordination. While the typically developing children used string for the beads, the child with Down Syndrome used a pipe cleaner. All the children were learning the same experience; the only difference was that the child with Down Syndrome required an adaptation to the activity.
A teacher is ultimately a decision-maker in determining what and how to teach. Before a teacher can make such decisions, she needs to guide, observe, and facilitate children's learning experiences. Through developmentally appropriate practices teachers are able to make decisions in preparing a learning environment for young children. Because young children learn differently from older children and adults, their learning environment needs to be child-centered, offering open-ended activities, and integrates all areas of children's development which are physical, emotional, social, linguistic, aesthetic, and cognitive. Based on Piaget's theory, the constructivist approach teaches children through active physical and mental activity. Through the constructivist approach in a developmentally appropriate curriculum, teachers are able to observe and assess children's learning experiences in a natural environment. Developmentally appropriate programs allow children to be individuals in their learning process. Following the guidelines for developmentally appropriate practices enables teachers to guide each child to stretch their knowledge and scaffold each individual child's learning.
Developmentally appropriate practices will foster children's natural curiosity by providing active learning experiences. By allowing children to be active learners they develop a sense of accomplishment. Through their own achievements, children gain confidence to take risks in stepping toward their potential capabilities. As children develop confidence in themselves as learners, they continue to be motivated to meet new challenges.
Integration of all subject areas in developmentally appropriate programs allows for various learning styles where children can learn based on their areas of strengths. As a teacher focuses on children's strengths, she can use developmentally appropriate guidelines in an inclusive classroom. When teaching is focused on the process and not whether there is a right and wrong way, all students benefit from learning at their own level of ability. An example of focusing on the process is promoting open-ended activities where all children are learning at their own pace and adaptations are feasible for children with special needs. Children with special needs are capable of learning like their typically developing peers. They may need some special tools to guide them in the same learning experiences as that of developmentally typical children. A developmentally appropriate curriculum allows learning to take place for all children even those with special needs.