The Developmental Advantages and Disadvantages of Elementary School - Essay Example

Most of the curriculum was centered around counting and the alphabet. The kids did have the opportunity to explore their creative sides by doing art projects, playing with Legos, and working on the computer. It was necessary for the teacher to break up the day into smaller chunks because the kids became restless quickly. After spending the first hour with the teacher, the students broke off into smaller learning groups of 5-7 children monitored by the teacher and her aides. The classroom was very clean and the supplies were readily available.

There was a variety of learning tools for students to use. Puzzles, blocks, and Legos were the tools most frequently used. All of the tools were well organized in bins. Overall, the classroom was well-organized. According to Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning, a child exhibiting bad behavior can be trained to behave. Middle childhood falls under stages 1 and 2 of Kohlberg’s theory of Preconventional Morality. In Stage 1, children follow rules to avoid punishment. In Stage 2, children follow rules for their own benefit (reward).

(Feldman 2006). The reward system figures very prominently into a Kindergarten classroom. Children can collect prizes for doing their work well and staying on task. Conversely, they lose their chance to win prizes when they cause disruptions and refuse to do work. Children at this stage of development are seeking to establish their own identity. Self-esteem may play a role in how children view their relationships with their peers. According to Feldman, “Sometimes children make downward social comparisons with others who are obviously less competent or successful to raise or protect their own self-esteem.

” Erickson’s Psychosocial Stages can be broken down as follows: Basic Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame or Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs.