Education Process: Interaction between Boys and Girls - Literature review Example

Interaction between Young Boys and Girls and Introduction Today, the angle at which educationhas been aligned is way different than it was years ago. Presently, education is not just about enrolling children in schools and leaving it to the teachers and instructors to see to the advancement and development of the children’s’ education. Adults have a big role to play, and these roles are pertinent to the success and growth of children in their early stages of growth (Hollingsworth, 2013). The power of young people to learn and grasp new concepts should not be undermined. It is through interactions with fellow children and key adults that children learn. Play and interaction is a channel through which the young children reach out into the world and fathom experiences, events and actions that other people undertake. Interaction between children, which is commonly referred to as play, is an essential element in fostering growth and development of children as Reunamo et al (2014) collectively agree. The importance of interaction and play is so fundamental that it is even spelt out in Article 31 of the United Nation’s Convention, which states that all children have a right to interact through play (Lillard et al, 2013). It is also important in fostering the growth and development of the child. Of importance to note is that children are not passive learners, and that education is not only educational but it is also social. This therefore means that interaction is pertinent for every child. In this work, I embark on finding out how young boys and girls interact with each other in pre-nursery and the reception classes, and the importance of this interaction. In addition, the role that adults play in supporting the growth and learning of young children shall also be discussed. Two theories have been used to justify the framework and importance of this work. They are the social learning theory and the surplus energy theory of play. The social learning theory, also referred to as the social cultural theory simply states that children learn best through observation, and by imitating what they observe (Sue and Janet, 2012). Behaviors such as aggression, care, respect, interest generation among others are best advanced in children through learning and observation. At their tender age, children pick up and register in their brains the things that they see other people doing, and end up imitating the very same things. The social learning theory, therefore, suggests and advises that the social behaviors depicted in young children is usually as a result of what they pick from other people’s actions, through the power of observation (Sue and Janet, 2012). This, therefore, means that adults should be involved in the interactive activities of the children. The second theory that also explains the importance and value of interaction is the surplus energy theory of play. This theory suggests that play and interaction, aspects which are very important in the growth and development of a child, are a s a result of the extra energy that is left after all other energy requiring basic needs have been met (Donna and Kent, 2013). Such basic needs and activities include class work among others. However, the theory also proposes that interaction and play should be considered as basic activities, especially in the early stages of the child’s development. To effectively discuss the above aspects, I carried out keen observations of children in the pre-nursery stage and that in the reception class from St. Vincent’s’ R.C. Primary School. This school is located in the borough of Barking and Dagenham. In the nursery class, there are 26 students and in the reception class, there are 30 students. The school has eight classrooms and also has an ICT suite. This school’s practices are largely based on Catholic beliefs and practices. It is located near St. Vincent’s Church. In this work, I will greatly focus and use as examples two students from the pre-nursery class, a boy and a girl who play together indoors and outside. The two shall be referred to as child A and B, aged 3 and 4 respectively. In the reception class, a boy and a girl, both aged five years shall be used as examples, and shall be referred to as student C and student D respectively. How do boys and girls interact? In pre-nursery and inception classes, the children are still at a tender age. However, it is important for them to have a firm base and foundation as this will determine much about their future (TNS, 2009). Children normally interact through play. Play is important in mirroring and reflecting what is paramount in the lives they grow up into. Play can be different at different times. It can be noisy or orderly. It can be funny and at times it can be serious. Play can also be strenuous or effortless (Stevens, 2013). Whichever the form of play, the fact remains that play is pertinent for the growth and development of every child. Play is important for exploring and even teaching young children new things. It is also important in incorporating and consolidating what children learn. I observed this in St. Vincent’s inception class where the two five year old tried to do what their teacher had taught them. In their indoor games, the teacher had showed the young children how to carefully stack in cards into a box without ruining them. The children imitated their teacher and as a result, they incorporated what they had learnt. In addition, play is important for helping young children to construe situations and determine the actions that they will take, all dependent on what they see from the adults who are the key people in their lives (Donna and Kent, 2013). Boys and girls also interact through meetings and gatherings organized by their parents or their teachers. The value of these meetings should not be undermined as the children learn a lot. It is from such that children collect out important values such as courteous words, appreciating others and other values. They learn to use words such as excuse, please, may I, thank you, sorry and many others. These words are important in reflecting the kind of modeling and upbringing that a child gets since their birth (Aisteir, 2009). In St Vincents R.C Primary school, I watched student C and D playing. At one point, the young boy accidentally spilled water on the girl. On realizing this, the boy took upon himself to help the girl dust and dry the water off her dress. He sincerely apologized and I could not help but note that noble gesture down. As they were conversing, the girl told him that it was okay, that he did not have to feel bad about it, but the young boy insisted that their teacher, and her mother too, always insisted that they should say “I am sorry” whenever they accidentally spill water on their friends. It appeared and sounded funny at that time, but looking at it afterwards, I realized that this was one of the many values that children get from interaction in social gatherings. Importance of interaction between children In St. Vincent’s, children are advised to be involved in play and this greatly promotes their level of social interaction. This has been important in promoting the growth of the young kids, some who are still too little to do basic things for themselves. Observing student A and B involved in play, I get the idea that these kids have been playing together for a long time. In addition, I can confidently deduct that to a great extent, the teachers have been involved in the play and interaction of this little children. While playing an outdoors game, child A and B are trying put water in a bucket without spilling it. This water is then mixed with some soil so that it can then be used to carve out some shapes. At one point, the smaller of the two has problem carving out a particular shape and the older one readily helps. This shows the noble virtues of love and care for one another, which are developed and cultivated through play. Interaction between boys and girls has three great benefits for the children. They promote social development, personal development and emotional development. Personal development is pertinent and paramount for the growth of interaction and learning ability of children. It gives a chance to the child to be able to identify who they are. Even at the very tender age, the young children have a capability and the potential to discover who they are, usually through close interaction with others (Porter, 2007; Reunamo et al, 2014). Personal development also entails the ability of a child to know what they can do, and even how to look after themselves. I observed this in the inception class at St. Vincent’s as the boy and the girl were playing. The young girl played a different role from the boy, even though they were of the same age. At one point, the two were piling up wooden bricks, making up a wall. The young girl had the responsibility of handing over the wooden blocks to the boy, who in return piled them up. As he did this, he explained to the girl that his father always said that he is a brick layer, and in the evenings after work, he always taught him how to pile up bricks. The boy also expressed his joy at teaching the little girl how to lay the wooden bricks. At the next round, the girl also practiced on how to lay the wooden bricks, just like the little boy had taught her. This shows that through interaction, personal development is cultivated, an aspect which has greater advantages in the days after. Social development is also cultivated through interaction between the young children. This provides a reflection on how one relates with another person. For the young children, it helps to instill friendship, trust, and respect and also helps one to understand other people (Lillard et al, 2013). Making friends is important for the young children and this is promoted through interaction. This was also observed in the pre-nursery children. Student A and B, in the first play session played together. During the break which was allowed to the children, the two stuck together and played with their dolls. This was the first time that I saw them together during their play time. During the second play session, which happened to be indoor activities, the two played together again. At one point, when another student snatched the playing tools of child A, child B defended her by snatching back the playing tools. This shows that the interaction between the two, even at their tender ages was very high, and they were good friends. They serve to show that interactions between young children greatly promote social development. The last aspect that can be realized from the interaction of children is emotional development. This is where one learns to not only have their own feelings at heart, but also learn to consider how others feel (Hancock et al, 2012). This teaches them to empathize with others. These factors of development end up having a large impact on the later lives of the children. Usually, these aspects of development are cultivated from what the children grow up seeing from the adults in their lives. Emotional development ensures that a child knows the right words to say when in different circumstances, especially those that require them to be sympathetic and caring as noted by Hancock et al (2012). Through interaction, a child knows that when a fellow classmate loses a mother, they are supposed to empathize with them and say words that will make them feel better. It also teaches them that it is not a bad thing to break down and cry when certain things happen in your life. Emotional development, when not learnt at an early age can be problematic when a person is already grown up. Interactions, therefore, are pertinent for the emotional development of young children. Interaction is also important as children get a chance to offer their own input and part into the activity taking place. In one play session at the inception class at St. Vincent’s, student C and D were pretending to be in church. They played together with three other children. In their game, they were pretending to be at the hospital, where one of the children was sick, and another was a doctor. All the children gave their views about what should be done to make the sick patient well. They all had different ideas, all based on what they had learnt, either from personal experiences or from their parents. Role of adults in promoting learning and interaction of young boys and girls Records and research conducted in the past shows that adult involvement in child interaction is pertinent for the growth, development and learning in young children. Young children learn best through observation and by imitating what other people do, especially those who come out as key people in their lives (Mayesky, 2014). Parents, older siblings and teachers and instructors are the main people whom the young children imitate. The involvement of adults in overseeing and promoting the interaction of children is vital for healthy growth, and for enhancing balance between class work and social life (Donna and Kent, 2013). The adults see to it that in the interactions, the children learn the art and importance of well-being develop a sense of identity and belonging, learn how to communicate and also how to explore and think on what to do in different circumstances and situations. Interactions between adults and children should be respectful, enabling and should also be awarding. In addition, they should be playful and help in promoting the development and self esteem of the child (Singer, Golinkoff and Kathy, 2006). This therefore means that adults should constantly get involved in the interactions that take place between the young boys and girls. In St. Vincent’s, the role of adult in the interactions of the children was seen through the constant monitoring and involvement of their teachers. During one play session in the reception class, the teacher divided the children into groups of two. Everyone was told to select a partner of their choice. Students C and D, due to the friendship bond that I assumed had developed after several sessions of playing and interacting chose each other and hence, one again, they ended up together. In this particular interaction session, the teacher told the children that in each group, one of the children had to fake some sickness, and the other one was supposed to take care of the sick one. The one who did it best was going to be rewarded. My focus was mainly on Child C and D, as I had focused on them since I began my observation. The little boy pretended that he had a broken leg. The girl was supposed to take care of him. She removed her clean kerchief and tied up the boy’s leg, and then helped him to walk to the bed, which in this case was a sweater spread on the floor. She then went ahead and brought some water for the boy. (This was in fact a tiny cup which had no water, and the boy just pretended to drink from it). Thereafter, she brought a few stones which were to act as aspirins. She told the boy that her mother said that aspirins were effective in reducing pain. Finally, she went to the corner and pretended to make a call to the hospital, and later came and informed the wounded boy that the ambulance was on the way. I was quite surprised at the creativity portrayed by this young girl, but I figured out that it was highly likely that she had seen this before. The other kids were also creative enough and the teacher was pleased. The teacher, after viewing and visiting each group at a time decided that they were all good, and they were all given pieces of oranges. From the above, one could see that adults should ensure that they recognize and appreciate what children do. This promotes their creativity and mentors them to generate more ideas as Anning and Edwards (2006) note. In addition, rewarding them helps the children to realize that they are appreciated, and this further motivates them in their interaction. Adults should ensure that they respect and treat all children equally (Lilemyr, Frode and Kurt, 2011). In the reception class, there is a diverse kind of students. They are from different social status, some black and others white. Of importance to mention is the fact that student C and D are of different races. However, the way they stick together and play respectfully means that they embrace and appreciate each other irrespective of their differences. It also means that the teachers, or the parents, have effectively taught them the value of embracing diversity. The fact that the teacher rewarded all of them equally shows how important it is to treat all children equally, whether they are handicapped, whether they are of a minor race or are from a low status and background. Another role that adults can play in enhancing the interaction between young boys and girls is to build and aid in developing the abilities, experiences and, the cultures and even the background of the children (Sue and Janet, 2012). This has been said to be one of the most important roles that any adult can and should play in the interaction of the child. The world is made exciting, intriguing and interesting by the vast variety of cultures and experiences and hence, all children should be taught to appreciate this. Developing their interests can go long way in influencing the later stages and outcomes of their lives. Developing on the interests of the children has been proven to be effective in promoting self esteem and challenging them to undertake different activities. The adults also have a role of providing the children with the necessary materials for effective interaction (Dockett and Perry, 2012). As earlier mentioned, the young boys and girls effectively interact through play. Play, however, cannot be successful or effective without proper props and materials. If the children will pretend to be planting trees, or pretend to be making a brick house, or pretend to be running a school, all these require different materials. It is upon the duty of the adults in the children’s life to provide the children with these materials. As I observed children A and B from the pre-nursery school playing, I realized the importance of these materials in promoting the development of the child. At St. Vincent’s, the children are provided with different materials of play, and this further makes it successful and enjoyable. At one point, the boy pretended to be a driver, and the girl was a passenger by the roadside. The boy comes alit pushing his small wired car. He “hoots”, and asks the little girl if he needs a ride. The little girl accepts the ride and holds on to the back of the boy’s sweater, and together, they head to town. Amusing as it was, I realized that the children are able to do this due to the availability of the toy car. The other children also play different pretend games and use different materials provided by the teacher. The ability of a parent to provide materials for the children greatly promotes the rate and level of interaction of the children. Adults also have a role of giving feedback on what the children have been doing. The parents not only appreciate the different activities well done, he or she also has a responsibility of commenting on what should or should not have been done (Sue and Janet 2012). The adult celebrates anything that has been well done and also aids the children by showing them their mistakes, helps them from the setbacks and the challenges. This is important as the children learn from their mistakes and when they are rewarded and encouraged, they are bound to do even better. One should not undermine the value of correction and appreciation. In St. Vincent’s, the teacher was keen to commend those who had done well during their interaction sessions, and also corrected those who had had made mistakes. The teacher was also quick to give assistance to the children who were in a fix on what to do in a certain situation. The above are just a few of the many roles and responsibilities that adults have in enabling interaction between the children. The adults act as a role model who is usually imitated by the children. The social learning theory suggests that children learn best through observing and then doing what they saw others do. The adults, therefore, should be involved if there is to be successful and beneficial interaction between the children, especially those who are very young. Conclusion In St. Vincent’s, I got to observe the importance of interaction between boys and girls in the pre-nursery and the reception classes. I got to draw an interrelationship between the value of interaction and the growth and development of children. As I observed those little children engrossed in their play and make little conversations, I clearly saw that interaction is pertinent in every child, and that observation from what others do is what drives and motivates what these young children do. The role that any adult has in shaping the angle and focus of interaction in any child is undeniably important. Today, more qualified professionals are being hired so as to ensure that there is a balance between the social life and class work for the young children. Setting a good foundation is paramount in affecting the later stages of development for any child. 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