Part 1: How do students learn?
There are many different theories on how people learn. The textbook uses Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget’s constructivist framework. His theory tells us that children acquire knowledge as they experience new things. As a child experiences new information the information is stored and organized in the brain. This organization is referred to as the cognitive structure. Category systems are called schemata. As the child learns something new the existing schemata grow or new ones are created.
The process of learning itself occurs through the process of Equilibration. If the child encounters something he or she doesn’t understand disequilibrium or cognitive conflict occurs. The child will be confused or agitated and will try to make sense of it. Either assimilation (new information is integrated into an existing schemata) or accommodation (existing schemata are modified or new schemata are created) will occur allowing Equilibrium to be obtained at a higher development level.
One important aspect of Piaget’s theory is that learning doesn’t always occur just because new information is presented. The information must be challenging, but not too difficult for the student to understand. Information that is too familiar will be quickly assimilated and information that is too unfamiliar cannot be accommodated.
As children age they develop a number of learning strategies that are problem solving mechanisms. Elementary level students develop a number of strategies for remembering material such as Rehearsal, Predicating, Organizing, Elaborating, and Monitoring. As a child acquires more effective means of remembering information they become more aware of their own cognitive processes allowing them better control.
Part 2: What are the six components of Language Arts? How does teaching Language Arts connect to how children learn?
The six components of language arts are listening, talking, reading, writing, viewing, and visually representing. The first two are sometimes neglected by elementary teachers because they feel the students should already understand them. Visually Representing combines aspects of the other language arts to create visual texts to share information learned.
Listening is a multi part process of which hearing is only one part. Children listen differently according to their purpose. When a child listens to a story they may only listen to obtain basic information about the story. Much like learning, children develop strategies and monitor their comprehension so they can listen more effectively.
Talking, like listening is a sometimes neglected Language Art. Talking is perhaps the most essential of the language arts. Students participate in response to literature, provide feedback to others, give oral presentations, and to communicate with the teacher and each other.
Reading is a process where children use strategies and skills to understand what the words they are reading. Students read to comprehend the material, but read differently when reading for pleasure then when reading to learn information. Students participate in five types of reading: independent reading, shared reading, guided reading, buddy reading, and reading aloud.
Writing is a strategic process just like reading. Students write stories, reports, and poems. They write in logs and create clusters. Informal writing is used to develop fluency. Writing can be used to improve handwriting and spelling.
Viewing includes visual media like films, videos, commercials, pictures and anything that can be viewed. There is a wide variety of visual media available to today’s student through the internet and in print. Viewing is much like reading and comprehension strategies are used to fully understand what they are seeing.
As I mentioned above, Visually Representing is process where student can combine several of the other language arts using video productions, computer programs, charts, or posters to create visual texts. The intended audience and purpose should be considered when doing so. These can be created to share information the student has learned with others.
Teaching Language Arts connects to how children learn because its components are the basics of what it takes to learn. When a child first starts learning it’s by listening and watching. Later, as the child learns to speak and then read the learning a process is greatly accelerated. As a child’s language arts skills improve the capacity for learning increases.
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