Although stages of development are put into age ranges, not all children develop at the same rate. Therefore you should treat each child individually.
If you are dealing with a child at infant level it is good to remember they are still very young and it may be the first time a lot of them have been away from home and their families for whole days at a time. You should therefore be aware that they may not yet know how to interact with others of their own age or possibly even how to share. Therefore to begin with school should feel more of a new place to play. You should make sure they are comfortable and happy in their surroundings. Learning should be made to feel fun for them. School needs to be a positive experience for them, however you should still be fair and consistent.
Primary school children will be used to school. They will understand about structure and rules. This is a stage where some children mature sooner than others. This is where you really need to recognise their individual stages of development.
Some children will still be very young in mind and actions to those of others in their classes. If a child appears uncomfortable or lacking confidence in their surroundings you should take this into account when interacting with them. They may also need more time and patience in understanding different things.
Some junior school children can be quite mature and appreciate being treated the same way in return.
The same applies to secondary school pupils. This can be a tricky age for some in lots of ways. If you can treat them as adults if that is what they want they will appreciate this. For some children who are not quite so mature it would be a boost to their confidence if you were to give them some types of responsibilities. These can be important or minor responsibilities depending on the individual. Hopefully this should aid their self esteem and development.
A Waldron
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