In
today’s constantly changing world of work, if there is one ability
that determines the child's capacity to deal with future, it is his
capability to learn effectively. This is called Learning Coefficient
– LCF. Just like we develop any skill with practice, child’s LCF
also increases when the child utilises his/her existing capacity more
efficiently. Unfortunately, schools and coaching classes practice
rote learning – memorization technique based on repetition. Hence
it becomes parent's responsibility to help child in enhancing his/her
LCF by practicing meaningful learning i.e. learning by understanding
the meaning.
Good
thing is that child learns through his natural urge of understanding
the world. Jean Piaget, the first Swiss psychologist to study
cognitive development in child, suggests that child learns by
constructing his mind-map brick by brick. This is called theory of
constructivism. If parents understand this theory well, they can
contribute to child’s learning ability.
Source:
While
constructing his/her mind map, a child develops certain ability and
faces a specific hurdle according to his/her age. The three distinct
stages are: Preschool (up to age 6), Elementary School (Class I to V)
and Secondary School (Class VIth to Xth). Parent's response to
child’s achievements and challenges at every stage influences
childs learning ability.
If
parents wants to help his/her child develop his LCF, they must
understand cognitive and emotional hurdles of every stage and respond
accordingly.
Preschool
stage (up to age six)
Until
age of six, child constructs his mind-map by using extensive motor
coordination (hand and eye coordination), language-learning (use of
mother tongue to communicate), and sensorial development (use of five
senses in understanding the world). All these three developments help
the child to construct his mind-map 'unconsciously'. At this stage,
parents face two hurdles in helping the child to increase his
Learning Coefficient (LCF).
One
hurdle is to abstract. Building intelligence of child is helping him
to abstract or differentiate essence from non-essence. To 'learn'
numbers, child must learn to abstract 'quantity' in the number
symbol. For instance, in the number symbol of 36, he must learn to
abstract the quantity of three tens and six units or understand that
36 is larger than 26. For a child below six, it is very difficult to
abstract because he can only see and relate to concrete 'items' like
number symbols.
But
the second hurdle of 'emotions' is much bigger for a preschool child.
Due to emotions, preschool-child is highly distracted and experiences
huge stress of failing whenever he takes up a new thinking challenge.
Without helping child to negotiate his emotions (or increasing his
EQ) parent cannot help child in developing his IQ.
Dr
Maria Montessori, an Italian born physician and educator, discovered
unique method of negotiating these two hurdles which is why her
education method is so popular in the world. Parents, with some
expert guidance, can use this method now to help their preschool
child.
Elementary
school group (class I to V)
If
you have missed helping your child at Preschool stage, your child has
to develop his/her 'thinking' mind from scratch.
On
the one hand, child's 'thinking' engine is ready to negotiate the
challenge at this age. But, on the other hand, her 'emotional' engine
is yet to start 'ticking'. These children therefore require extensive
help in coordinating the emotional development (which is EQ) with the
development of thinking mind, which is IQ. Increasing LCF is like
climbing on two ladders: IQ and EQ. One cannot go too much ahead on
one ladder. One has to coordinate both. Learning coefficient
increases when the child coordinates this climbing of two ladders.
At
this age, the child can understand instructions. Parents mistakenly
therefore believe that 'teaching' is equivalent to 'learning'. They
overuse 'instructions'; they bombard the child with explanations
which the child cannot understand. Unable to understand, the child
feels inadequate. Either he accepts it as his 'fault', or he blames
his parents for being too domineering. In both situations, child
becomes defensive and stops learning.
Parents
have to understand the child psychology and respond differently. They
have to wait for the right 'moments' that emerge in the daily
encounters with child. In order to spot these moments, parents first
must become keen observers of child. But observation is the first
step. They must also learn to channelize their 'advice' that suits a
given moment. This is the skill of facilitation. Parents therefore
must be keen observers and facilitators to help their Elementary
stage child.
This
stage is important for another reason. At the end of this stage, the child makes a subconscious 'conclusion' in
dealing with his life. Alfred Alder, founder of the school of
individual psychology, calls it 'lifestyle' conclusion. This
conclusion hinders or helps the learning of next stage: Am I capable
to make my own mind-maps? Can I negotiate the hurdle of my emotional
mind? Can I use challenges to develop my thinking mind? Are friends
to help or hinder? Are elders to guide or instruct?
Secondary
School stage (Class VI to X)
At
this stage, the child's thinking mind is better prepared to abstract.
He starts learning algebra, physics and other abstract subjects.
Because he has started learning to think, he has also started
explaining his emotions, which helps his EQ development.
If
the child's lifestyle conclusion at the end of earlier stage is
dysfunctional, the child will not listen to parental advice in this age even if the parent has honest intentions and well developed
skills.
In
this stage, parents also must understand the process of abstraction
in details. Without understanding this, a parent cannot find ideas to
help his child utilise his learning capacity further. For instance,
without understanding the abstraction involved in numbers, the parent
cannot help the child unfold the mystery involved in unraveling prime numbers. Without understanding the abstraction involved in
using language, he cannot help the child in telling a compelling
story. Without understanding abstraction, Parents also cannot
increase child's learning capacity. They are stuck.
But
the bigger hurdle that Parent has to overcome is to help the child
process his emotions. Like a preschool child, Secondary school child
is flooded with emotions due to his hormonal changes. Adolescent
child also identifies more with his peers in this age. If parents
understand these changes in his emotional make-up, they help
construct a resilient and strong child. But when parents fail to
understand, they unwittingly construct their child as
emotionally-fragile and diffident. And without processing emotions
parents cannot help their child in finding their sources of
motivation.
Conclusion
By
understanding the principles of learning and child psychology, parent
can make a huge difference in their child's learning ability, LCF. Even if
they fail to help the child in earlier stage, they can catch up in
the next stage by investing more effort. But when parents try to help
their child without understanding these principles, despite their
good intentions, they unknowingly obstruct their child’s learning ability.