Approaches to Learning:
Children are born ready to learn, and the first three years are the time when children develop the habits in how they approach and explore their world. Depending on the quality of their early experiences, children learn the thing. Children’s earliest relationships, cultural and societal contexts, and individual influences directly impact their approach and feelings about learning. Children who have nurturing and secure relationships with meaningful people in their lives demonstrate a positive attitude toward learning. They tend to be interested in exploring the world around them and share delight in discovering new things. These positive “approaches” set the foundation for children’s learning styles and better prepare them to learn when they enter school.2
Healthy and secure relationships are the foundation for all areas of development, and children’s approaches toward learning are no different. Children who feel safe and trust in their world can explore their world with increasing confidence. They feel supported by their caregivers and are more willing to try new things and take appropriate risks while they explore. Caregivers who engage with children and support them in discovering their world and solving tasks foster positive feelings of mastery and self-esteem. These positive feelings are important to how children engage with peers, handle new tasks, build attention, and form their own self-concept.
Culture influences how children learn, and shapes what learning qualities and experiences are encouraged and appreciated.
All children are naturally interested in the world around them. The attitudes or “approaches” children have toward learning are dependent on their everyday experiences.