Characteristics of Primary Learners (part 1)

Characteristics of Primary Learners (part 1)

Young children find security in rhythm, ritual, and repetition.

Try to explain to a preschooler what a “tomorrow, ” or a “yesterday, ” or even “to wait until later” means. For the child time is “now. ” Primary school students live in the present time, too. They experience the flow of time in the rhythms of the day, the week and the year. They do not relate to the abstract symbol of clock hands. A feeling of order is established in the consistent patterns of their schedule. Children love the predictability of repeating stories, songs, and activities. They enjoy the rhymes, meters and alliterations of language. They feel a sense of security and control as they live through the repeating rhythms of the school day, anticipate the special traditions of the week, and celebrate the annual festivals of the year.

Young children learn through play.

Play is the highest form of research, by Albert Einstein. Primary learners are at an age where learning capacity and brain development are at their peak, and nature has given them its best learning tool – play. It is no surprise that children prefer acting and interacting to listening passively. Play is the context within which primary students can develop vital skills that are harder to practice in more structured formats – complex decision-making, leadership, and executive functioning. Play invites having of wonderful ideas. Play also builds the foundation for abstract thinking – a rag on a stick becomes a flag, just as a shoe box stands for a train car. Play encourages children to create their own worlds, overcome most urgent challenges, and gain experience negotiating roles and strategies with their peers. Encouraging play in the classroom, and directing its power for specific learning purposes allows for natural engagement and vast learning opportunities for our young students.

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