12 important Principles of Child Development and Learning

All areas of development and learning are important. Learning and development follow sequences. Development and learning proceed at varying rates. Development and learning result from an interaction of maturation and experience. Early experiences have profound effects on development and learning. Development proceeds toward greater complexity, self-regulation, and symbolic or representational capacities. Children develop best when they have secure relationships. Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social and cultural contexts. Children learn in a variety of ways. Play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation and pro¬moting language, cognition, and social competence. Development and learning advance when children are challenged. Children’s experiences shape their motivation and approaches to learning.