S1: Reflection 5 - (Coursework)

Chapter 5: The Puzzling mind of the four-year-old Tizard, B. & Hughes, M. (1984). Young children learning. Oxford: Blackwell.

A reading “The Puzzling mind of the four-year-old” from my Early Education module got me thinking about children’s learning. It’s based on the study of the ‘why’ questions children ask. You’d be hard pressed to find someone that isn’t familiar with this phase in childhood, we’re all aware of it but I never realised how paramount it was to children’s learning. It’s often been the case where I’ve assumed a child’s incessant questions are a bid for attention, an excuse not to go to sleep yet or a delay tactic for something else they don’t want to do. I have always entertained children ‘why’ questions and attempted to answer them to the best of my ability but I was astonished to learn of their importance. I honestly feel quite guilty having jumped to such conclusions without giving the subject more thought.