The Needs of Young Children
Whatever their backgrounds, all children have similar needs. These needs may be described as:
Children need to develop a sense of trust in themselves and others. If they feel secure in an environment that is comfortable and supportive, they will dare to be themselves, to explore what they might become, to make mistakes and learn to accept the consequences without their confidence being destroyed. They will learn to adjust to new situations and share ideas while maintaining their individuality. In this way, they establish a sense of competence.
Children need to feel free of guilt and uncertainty, and free to develop and grow at their own pace. They need to feel confident that someone cares about them and that they can learn. They need to feel accepted and affirmed.
Teachers should plan an environment in which children can try new ideas and skills, and apply what they have learned. They need to accept and value each child. It is necessary to make provision for each child to grow and flourish at her or his own rate and pace in a safe, supportive environment where the child feels some ownership and empowerment.
Children have a need to know, to reason and to solve problems.
Children need to play and explore because this is the way they come to know and understand the world about them. They need to have a chance to describe what they see and do, solve problems and evaluate what they see and hear. They need to experiment with, explore and manipulate materials. They need to become careful observers, reflect on their observations, and be challenged beyond their observations in order to develop the knowledge, values, skills and processes which enable independent learning.
Children need to learn sensitivity and responsiveness to the environment. They need to become flexible so that they can accept challenges and changes without becoming frustrated by doubts, failures and uncertainties in a changing world. They need to be able to plan ahead and anticipate consequences.
Teachers should provide a variety and range of resources. They should design the schedule with blocks of time to allow for exploration and experimentation, and support individual choice from a range of activities, materials or equipment. Opportunities to set short term goals encourage students to develop planning skills. Assessing the outcome of those goals provides students with practice in anticipating consequences.
Children need to be creative.
In order to be creative, children need to store their perceptions of the world around them in the form of images. They need opportunities to identify and express their emotional feelings by participating in dramatic play, sharing stories with other children, enjoying music and working with art materials. They need people to listen to them and respond to what they say. They need to develop the ability to explain things to others and to persist in the expression of their ideas.
Teachers should make sure that consumables (paper, markers, pencils, etc.) are in many places within the classroom. Scheduling unbroken blocks of time will allow children to complete creations. Teachers can provide opportunities for students to share their creativity by designating display space, having "performance" opportunities during group time, and encouraging children to interact with others both inside and outside the classroom.
Children need to develop physical coordination.
Physical coordination is developed through physical activity, exploring space and handling objects. Children need to become aware of their bodies and achieve a sense of mastery and control over their body movements. They achieve this sense of mastery through gross motor activities such as running, jumping, and throwing, and through small motor activities such as cutting, drawing and stringing beads. Children's sense of themselves is closely tied to their feelings about their bodies and their acceptance of their physical characteristics.
Teachers can meet these needs through planning activities that teach physical skills. They should persist in actively involving children in the gym, outdoors and in the classroom, and choose alternate physical activity if the scheduled routine is interrupted.
Children need to share experiences with other children and adults.
Children need to feel they are part of a community. They need to talk and listen to other children and to adults. They need opportunities to watch others and imitate what they do. They need a chance to test different ways of interacting with others and see the consequences of their actions. Children need to find out that other people do not always think the same way they do, or see things from the same perspective. They need a chance to try out other people's roles and learn to take turns and share equipment and activities with others.
Teachers should provide opportunities for children to play/interact with both peers and adults. They should provide several centres that encourage role play and development of social skills. Teachers may see the need to model social skills such as how to enter a group or how to interact at a party. Many children may not have acquired such skills prior to Kindergarten.