DISCOVER how kids learn values

Although Quigley’s Village may just seem like fun entertainment, there is a lot more going on in the program than that which meets the eye. Quigley’s Village was developed by a group of moms, dads, child psychologists, early childhood educators, and more who were determined to provide a means to teach good values to children. Out of their research they learned many things that makes Quigley’s Village so essential to kids. Please check out some of the valuable information they uncovered to help teach good values to your children.

Here are some helpful things to know about children to help you teach them life-lessons and values:

• General Characteristics of Children
• Age Level 3-5 Year Olds Characteristics
• Age Level 6-8 Year Olds Characteristics
• Table Comparison of 3-5 Year Olds & 6-8 Year Olds

General Characteristics of Children

Self-Centered

Because of their age and level of cognitive development, young children think of themselves as the center of the universe. This does not mean that young children have a moral problem which makes them more selfish than older people. Indeed, many young children freely share and help others who are hurt. Yet, because of their developmental level, most young children have a "world view" that perceives other people and things to have meaning only in relationship to the children themselves. As a result, their concepts of time and space are limited to that of their own experience and they are often unable to truly perceive the needs of others.

Pre-conscience

Moral behavior in young children consists of learned, concrete patterns of behavior that are followed in order to receive rewards, avoid punishment, or satisfy an authority figure. Young children are emotionally attached to parents and teachers. Therefore, they are usually willing to do what adults ask them to do and to believe anything adults say... unless adults have shown themselves to be untrustworthy or children are asserting their independence!

Concrete Thinkers

Youngsters have difficulty in distinguishing between reality and fantasy. They believe, "If I think so." They are not detached thinkers; they cannot think about thinking. They use and understand language only in concrete terms. They do not understand metaphors, symbols, or abstract ideas. They take people literally.

Bound by Sensory Perceptions

Young Children deal only with that which they experience perceptually, that is, through their senses. And they focus on just one aspect of a situation at a time. For example, when they see someone put on a mask, their visual perception tells them that the person has actually changed into something else. When they see a glass of water poured into several glasses, their perception tells them that there must now be more water because there are more glasses.

Controlled by their Impulses

We may be able to have children state "the rules," but find that many of them are unable to convert the "knowing" into "doing" what is expected. Young children are unable to exert the control necessary to deny their strong inner impulses.

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Age Level 3-5 Year Olds Characteristics

• Active
• Curious about things and people
• Questions "how?" and "why?"
• Imaginative: may have imaginary companions; imitate adults in play
• Short attention span; able to wait for short periods; starts things but may not finish
• Sociable; younger child play alone well; beginning to play well with other children, but is self-assertive
• Developing language skills; uses short sentences; talks; tell stories; invents meaningless words of many syllables
• Establishes self-concept; wants to be included: "me, too"
• Devloping initiative; likes to help, such as run simple errands; takes some limited responsibility for staying within bounds and putting toys away
• Needs to feel safe and secure; responsive to adults; enjoys their approval
• Developing at individual rates; children of same ages may be at different stages in development of language, social skills, and cognitive ability
• Learns through all senses

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Age Level 6-8 Year Olds Characteristics

• Active
• Curious about things and people
• Questions "how?" and "why?" and "what about me?"
• Imaginative; enjoys stories about animals, trains, fire engines
• Lengthening attention span; interested in following through, but attention span may still be short
• Sociable; plays well with other children; sense of property rights; rules are meaningful
• Developing language skills; talks; tells stories; tends to exaggerate
• Establishing self-concept; pride in independence; rebels if interfered with
• Developing initiative; more independent for washing, dressing, eating, household tasks; takes more responibility for staying within bounds and putting toys away; beginning to develop judgment
• Needs to feel safe and secure; responsive to adults; seeks their approval
• Developing at indvidual rates; children of same ages may be at different stages in development of language, social skills, and cognitive ability

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Table Comparison of 3-5 Year Olds & 6-8 Year Olds

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