Characteristics of a child

Intellectual Characteristics
Children at this age

 think very concretely and literally, not abstractly or figuratively as youth and
adults do; to a preschool child, things are as they appear to be.
 are not capable of reasoning or organizing abstract faith concepts along logical
lines.
 learn through their experiences at home, church, preschool, caregivers.
 learn with their whole bodies; love to taste, touch, move, explore, smell, watch,
and wonder.
 are just beginning to develop some literacy skills; some can write their own
name, recognize the letters of the alphabet, and count to twenty.
 love to use language to please adults; “right answers” do not necessarily indicate
comprehension.
 enjoy being told stories and read to; repetition an important way to learn.
 are often easily distracted from staying “on task.”

Social Characteristics
Children at this age

 are blissfully egocentric; see the world through their own eyes.
 are developmentally incapable of understanding another’s perspective or
emotions.
 are self-centered, yet are significantly influenced by others, especially mom, dad,
teachers, other significant adults.
 are on the verge of experiencing a wider world of people; many young children
still want to play alone and must make a real effort to have any meaningful play with
others.

Spiritual Characteristics
Children at this age

 have a growing sense that God is very special and real rather than pretend.
 tend to have a very literal concept of God, perhaps as a “grandfather” figure who
lives “up there.”
 readily accept what you say about God.
 sense that God loves them and cares for them.
 enjoy some Bible stories, especially about Jesus; want stories retold often.
 can develop attitudes of love and trust toward Jesus and God.
 do not yet have a built-in control (conscience) that nudges them toward right
behavior for its own sake; do the “right thing” out of fear of punishment or to win
approval.
 sense that “church” is a good place to be..
 recite simple prayers ; in some cases may add own ideas to “form” prayers.

Adolescent

Self-direction
Adults feel the need to take responsibility for their lives and decisions and this is why
it’s important for them to have control over their learning. Therefore, self-assessment, a
peer relationship with the instructor, multiple options and initial, yet subtle support are
all imperative.
Practical and results-oriented
Adult learners are usually practical, resent theory, need information that can be
immediately applicable to their professional needs, and generally prefer practical
knowledge that will improve their skills, facilitate their work and boost their confidence.
This is why it’s important to create a course that will cover their individual needs and
have a more utilitarian content.
Less open-minded And therefore more resistant to change.
Maturity and profound life experiences usually lead to rigidity, which is the enemy of
learning. Thus, instructional designers need to provide the “why” behind the change,
new concepts that can be linked to already established ones, and promote the need to
explore.
Slower learning, yet more integrative knowledge
Aging does affect learning. Adults tend to learn less rapidly with age. However, the
depth of learning tends to increase over time, navigating knowledge and skills to
unprecedented personal levels.
Use personal experience as a resource
Adults have lived longer, seen and done more, have the tendency to link their past
experiences to anything new and validate new concepts based on prior learning. This is
why it’s crucial to form a class with adults that have similar life experience levels,
encourage discussion and sharing, and generally create a learning community consisting
of people who can profoundly interact.
Motivation
Learning in adulthood is usually voluntary. Thus, it’s a personal choice to attend
school, in order to improve job skills and achieve professional growth. This motivation is
the driving force behind learning and this is why it’s crucial to tap into a learner’s
intrinsic impetus with the right thought-provoking material that will question
conventional wisdom and stimulate his mind.
Multi-level responsibilities
Adult learners have a lot to juggle; family, friends, work, and the need for personal
quality time. This is why it’s more difficult for an adult to make room for learning,
while it’s absolutely crucial to prioritize. If his life is already demanding, then the
learning outcome will be compromised. Taking that under consideration, an
instructional designer needs to create a flexible program, accommodate busy
schedules, and accept the fact that personal obligations might obstruct the learning
process.
High expectations
Adult learners have high expectations. They want to be taught about things that will
be useful to their work, expect to have immediate results, seek for a course that will
worth their while and not be a waste of their time or money. This is why it’s
important to create a course that will maximize their advantages, meet their
individual needs and address all the learning challenges.

Adult

chaCharacteristic # 1.

A period of Rapid Physical/Biological Changes, has Psychological Repercussions Too: The

growth of the pelvis bone, the filling out of breast, growing in size and sensitivity of genitalia,
growing of pubic and axillary hair, deepening of voice, acne, and the menarche are the main
physical and biological developments in girls which make them confused and apprehensive.
Both in boys and girls, the secretion of hormones from adrenal and gonads, and supported by
what is secreted from the glandular anterior and the posterior neural portions of the pituitary
gland, bring about rapid changes in size and strength of bones, muscles, nervous systems and
especially in the reproductive organs which become fully matured for the sexual function.

#2
Appearance-Consciousness: During adolescence, both the girl and the boy, grow very much
conscious about their appearance. As physical changes are very rapidly taking place, affecting
the appearance of the adolescent, “how do I appear?” becomes his or her haunting concern. An
adolescent would do all that he or she can to develop and maintain an attractive look. One grows
very particular regarding one’s dress, hair-style and so on. One may have to come before a
mirror many times a day, just to know how she or he may be looking now. It is the period when
the narcissism of the psychoanalysts becomes relevant; narcissism stands for self-love, when one
becomes enamored of one’s own appearance. But this state of feeling is not to last long; the
adolescent feels a strong pull towards the opposite sex. Now, his or her main concern becomes
how he or she must be looking in the eyes of the opposite sex.
Characteristic # 3. Attraction Towards the Opposite Sex: The pubic changes in the girl, and in
the boy, make one feel a strong attraction towards the other. The physical growth during the
period of adolescence, makes one attractive for the opposite sex. Nevertheless, it entails the
problem of adaptability to peers of the same sex, and to those of the opposite sex. The
adolescents who fail to adjust themselves to those of the opposite sex in a proper way, would
prove awkward in their behaviour. Such a maladjusted person would ever be having a feeling of
strain.

Characteristic # 4. Cognitive Development: Adolescence is the stage when a person attains

maturity in physical development, in respect of sexual behaviour, and also cognitively. From
year eleven onward, Jean Piaget considers it to be the stage of formal operations when the
growing adolescent starts thinking logically and persistently.

Characteristic # 5. Career-Consciousness: A mention, by the way, has already been made that an
adolescent starts thinking about his career at this stage. Now, one happens to be mature enough
to think of the importance of a good job in life. Looking to his own parents and to others, he can
very well realise the importance of a good job for a respectable and comfortable life.

Characteristic # 6. Emotional Conditions: Wilkins writes that hyperthyroidism is more common

in adolescence. Hyperthyroidism is caused because of excessive secretion of thyroid gland.
Hyperthyroidism is characterised by emotional instability and excessive movements. Because of
emotional instability, an adolescent has no patience to think over the pros and cons of a step that
he is going to take—though cognitively he or she is developed enough to do it.

Characteristic # 7. Flight on Imagination: The adolescent often rises high and above the
limitations of realities into the unbridled sky of imagination, seeking the fulfillment of a lot many
of his desires which stand no chances of being fulfilled otherwise. Adolescence is also a period
when imagination can help him in visualizing likely consequences, and enable him think
persistently.

Characteristic # 8. Hero Worship: Some living character, maybe, some hero of the screen, a
member of his peer-group, or someone among the acquaintances, or of the family, may have
caught the imagination of the adolescent, and he starts emulating him keenly.

Characteristic # 9. Hobbies: Adolescence is also a period when one is inclined to a number of

hobbies, or at least to one or the other of the hobbies. He may join some gym, or a club of table-
tennis or lawn-tennis. Some may like to compose poems or write stories. Music or dance may
attract a few.

Characteristic # 10. Sex-Role Identity: Girls have their identity in the choice of play, in the
choice of their companions; and also in the way they behave. A distinct identity of the sex may
be marked in the selection of dresses and other items to wear.

Characteristic # 11. Impact of the Peer-Group is the Strongest: During early childhood, parents,
and more especially, the mother, enjoys the greatest influence upon the child. The child values its
acceptance by the parents to be the highest. The child’s greatest reward is the praise for his
behaviour by the parents, and the severest punishment is the withdrawal of parental affection.
Difference between adolescent and adult learning

Adolescent learning

involves interactive, purposeful, and meaningful engagement.

Adolescents "do something" that makes sense in a larger context, such as confronting real-life
issues and problems.
Their personal initiative and energy are moved into action through meaningful involvement with
relevant and current content.
Their cognitive and affective capabilities are challenged.
They can draw upon a variety of resources in the learning environment, including personal
experience, the local community, and the Internet.
Their knowledge and understanding are substantively broadened or deepened. 8. Conditions that
support adolescent learning Adolescent learn better when they
Encounter learning that is appropriate to their developmental level and is presented in multiple
ways and in an enjoyable and interesting manner.
Are intellectually intrigued by task that are authentic and perceived as challenging, novel, and
relevant to their own lives.
Are allowed to share and discuss ideas , and to work together on tasks, projects, and problems.
. They learn better when.Are afforded multiple strategies to acquire, integrate and interpret
knowledge meaningfully, to demonstrate understanding, and to apply knowledge to new
situations.
Are provided opportunities to develop and use strategic thinking skills.
They learn better when
Are given guidance and feedback about their work.
Are in safe, supportive environment where value is given to personal ideas and negative
emotions.

Adult Learners
Adults need to know why they are learning and how will it affect them?
Adults are autonomous and self-directed.
Adults have a lifetime of experience.
Adults use a hands-on problem-solving approach to learning.
Adults want to apply new knowledge and skills immediately.
Adults need to be shown respect.

Six Factors Serve as Sources of Motivation for Adult Learning

Develop social relationships
Stimulation
Social welfare
Personal advancement
External expectations
Cognitive interest
Characteristics of a child

1. Joie de vivre

The ability to love and appreciate life might sound wishy-washy in the hard world of exam
results, but love and security feed a host of qualities that great learners need. These include the
ability to be open and receptive, to be willing and to feel connected.

2. Resilience

For years, resilience has been known to be essential for great learning. Martin Seligman, the US
psychology professor who has studied this extensively, has shown that it helps children think
more flexibly and realistically, be more creative and ward off depression and anxiety.

Resilient children give things a try. They understand that learning has plenty of setbacks and that
they can overcome them. Resilient children talk to themselves differently from non- resilient
ones, and don't turn mistakes into catastrophes ("I've failed my maths test, it's a disaster. I'll
never get maths!"). Instead, they look at a wider, more positive picture ("Ugh, that was a horrible
test, and I screwed up, but I didn't do enough work. Next time I'll do more revision, and it'll
probably be a better paper as well").

3. Self-discipline

There are many famous pieces of research that show that children's ability to control their
impulses appears to lead to better health, wealth and mental happiness in later life. In school,
self-discipline is central.

Great learners need to listen, absorb and think. They need to keep going through difficult
patches, stick at hard tasks, manage their time well and keep mental focus. Children who bounce
about the classroom shouting the first answer that comes into their heads will never be great
learners.

Of course, a joyless, overly controlled child will never be one either. Balance matters. All
children need to develop a functioning "internal locus of control".
4. Honesty

Honesty matters for great learning because its opposites – deception and self-deception – hinder
progress. Great learners don't say "I'm brilliant at science" but, "I'm OK on photosynthesis, but
not sure I've nailed atomic structure yet." And this needs to start early.The pre-schooler who
speaks up and asks what a word means in a story, rather than pretending to know, is already on
the way to being a skilful learner. Honesty allows children to build good links with teachers and
mentors. It grows confidence, attracts goodwill, and gives children an infallible compass with
which to steer their learning.

5. Courage

Learning anything – piano, physics, tennis – is about approaching the unknown, and stepping up
to new challenges. Great learners are just as frightened of this as others, but can overcome their
fear and find focus.

6. Kindness

Great learners are kind to themselves. They understand that learning is sometimes hard, and not
always possible to get right, but keep a "good" voice going in their heads to encourage
themselves on.

A kind disposition also draws other people to them and bolsters their learning through the help
and support of others, as well as allowing them to work productively in teams and groups. A
kind disposition also feeds listening and empathy, which in turn foster deeper, more complex
learning.

Adolescent

Self-direction
Adults feel the need to take responsibility for their lives and decisions and this is why
it’s important for them to have control over their learning. Therefore, self-assessment, a
peer relationship with the instructor, multiple options and initial, yet subtle support are
all imperative.
Practical and results-oriented
Adult learners are usually practical, resent theory, need information that can be
immediately applicable to their professional needs, and generally prefer practical
knowledge that will improve their skills, facilitate their work and boost their confidence.
This is why it’s important to create a course that will cover their individual needs and
have a more utilitarian content.
Less open-minded And therefore more resistant to change.
Maturity and profound life experiences usually lead to rigidity, which is the enemy of
learning. Thus, instructional designers need to provide the “why” behind the change,
new concepts that can be linked to already established ones, and promote the need to
explore.
Slower learning, yet more integrative knowledge
Aging does affect learning. Adults tend to learn less rapidly with age. However, the
depth of learning tends to increase over time, navigating knowledge and skills to
unprecedented personal levels.
Use personal experience as a resource
Adults have lived longer, seen and done more, have the tendency to link their past
experiences to anything new and validate new concepts based on prior learning. This is
why it’s crucial to form a class with adults that have similar life experience levels,
encourage discussion and sharing, and generally create a learning community consisting
of people who can profoundly interact.
Motivation
Learning in adulthood is usually voluntary. Thus, it’s a personal choice to attend
school, in order to improve job skills and achieve professional growth. This motivation is
the driving force behind learning and this is why it’s crucial to tap into a learner’s
intrinsic impetus with the right thought-provoking material that will question
conventional wisdom and stimulate his mind.
Multi-level responsibilities
Adult learners have a lot to juggle; family, friends, work, and the need for personal
quality time. This is why it’s more difficult for an adult to make room for learning, while
it’s absolutely crucial to prioritize. If his life is already demanding, then the learning
outcome will be compromised. Taking that under consideration, an instructional
designer needs to create a flexible program, accommodate busy schedules, and accept
the fact that personal obligations might obstruct the learning process.
High expectations
Adult learners have high expectations. They want to be taught about things that will be
useful to their work, expect to have immediate results, seek for a course that will worth
their while and not be a waste of their time or money. This is why it’s important to
create a course that will maximize their advantages, meet their individual needs and
address all the learning challenges.
Characteristics of an Adult

Characteristic # 1.

A period of Rapid Physical/Biological Changes, has Psychological Repercussions Too: The

growth of the pelvis bone, the filling out of breast, growing in size and sensitivity of genitalia,
growing of pubic and axillary hair, deepening of voice, acne, and the menarche are the main
physical and biological developments in girls which make them confused and apprehensive.
Both in boys and girls, the secretion of hormones from adrenal and gonads, and supported by
what is secreted from the glandular anterior and the posterior neural portions of the pituitary
gland, bring about rapid changes in size and strength of bones, muscles, nervous systems and
especially in the reproductive organs which become fully matured for the sexual function.

#2
Appearance-Consciousness: During adolescence, both the girl and the boy, grow very much
conscious about their appearance. As physical changes are very rapidly taking place, affecting
the appearance of the adolescent, “how do I appear?” becomes his or her haunting concern. An
adolescent would do all that he or she can to develop and maintain an attractive look. One grows
very particular regarding one’s dress, hair-style and so on. One may have to come before a
mirror many times a day, just to know how she or he may be looking now. It is the period when
the narcissism of the psychoanalysts becomes relevant; narcissism stands for self-love, when one
becomes enamored of one’s own appearance. But this state of feeling is not to last long; the
adolescent feels a strong pull towards the opposite sex. Now, his or her main concern becomes
how he or she must be looking in the eyes of the opposite sex.

Characteristic # 3. Attraction Towards the Opposite Sex: The pubic changes in the girl, and in
the boy, make one feel a strong attraction towards the other. The physical growth during the
period of adolescence, makes one attractive for the opposite sex. Nevertheless, it entails the
problem of adaptability to peers of the same sex, and to those of the opposite sex. The
adolescents who fail to adjust themselves to those of the opposite sex in a proper way, would
prove awkward in their behaviour. Such a maladjusted person would ever be having a feeling of
strain.

Characteristic # 4. Cognitive Development: Adolescence is the stage when a person attains

maturity in physical development, in respect of sexual behaviour, and also cognitively. From
year eleven onward, Jean Piaget considers it to be the stage of formal operations when the
growing adolescent starts thinking logically and persistently.

Characteristic # 5. Career-Consciousness: A mention, by the way, has already been made that an
adolescent starts thinking about his career at this stage. Now, one happens to be mature enough
to think of the importance of a good job in life. Looking to his own parents and to others, he can
very well realise the importance of a good job for a respectable and comfortable life.
Characteristic # 6. Emotional Conditions: Wilkins writes that hyperthyroidism is more common
in adolescence. Hyperthyroidism is caused because of excessive secretion of thyroid gland.
Hyperthyroidism is characterised by emotional instability and excessive movements. Because of
emotional instability, an adolescent has no patience to think over the pros and cons of a step that
he is going to take—though cognitively he or she is developed enough to do it.

Characteristic # 7. Flight on Imagination: The adolescent often rises high and above the
limitations of realities into the unbridled sky of imagination, seeking the fulfillment of a lot many
of his desires which stand no chances of being fulfilled otherwise. Adolescence is also a period
when imagination can help him in visualizing likely consequences, and enable him think
persistently.

Characteristic # 8. Hero Worship: Some living character, maybe, some hero of the screen, a
member of his peer-group, or someone among the acquaintances, or of the family, may have
caught the imagination of the adolescent, and he starts emulating him keenly.

Characteristic # 9. Hobbies: Adolescence is also a period when one is inclined to a number of

hobbies, or at least to one or the other of the hobbies. He may join some gym, or a club of table-
tennis or lawn-tennis. Some may like to compose poems or write stories. Music or dance may
attract a few.

Characteristic # 10. Sex-Role Identity: Girls have their identity in the choice of play, in the
choice of their companions; and also in the way they behave. A distinct identity of the sex may
be marked in the selection of dresses and other items to wear.

Characteristic # 11. Impact of the Peer-Group is the Strongest: During early childhood, parents,
and more especially, the mother, enjoys the greatest influence upon the child. The child values its
acceptance by the parents to be the highest. The child’s greatest reward is the praise for his
behaviour by the parents, and the severest punishment is the withdrawal of parental affection.

Adolescent Learning Adult Learning

involves interactive, purposeful, and Adults need to know why they are learning
meaningful engagement. and how will it affect them?
Adolescents "do something" that makes sense Adults are autonomous and self-directed.
in a larger context, such as confronting real- Adults have a lifetime of experience.
life issues and problems. Adults use a hands-on problem-solving
Their personal initiative and energy are approach to learning.
moved into action through meaningful Adults want to apply new knowledge and
involvement with relevant and current skills immediately.
content. Adults need to be shown respect.
Their cognitive and affective capabilities are
challenged. Six Factors Serve as Sources of Motivation
They can draw upon a variety of resources in for Adult Learning
the learning environment, including personal Develop social relationships
experience, the local community, and the Stimulation
Internet. Social welfare
Their knowledge and understanding are Personal advancement
substantively broadened or deepened. 8. External expectations
Conditions that support adolescent learning Cognitive interest
Adolescent learn better when they
Encounter learning that is appropriate to their
developmental level and is presented in
multiple ways and in an enjoyable and
interesting manner.
Are intellectually intrigued by task that are
authentic and perceived as challenging, novel,
and relevant to their own lives.
Are allowed to share and discuss ideas , and
to work together on tasks, projects, and
problems.
. They learn better when.Are afforded
multiple strategies to acquire, integrate and
interpret knowledge meaningfully, to
demonstrate understanding, and to apply
knowledge to new situations.
Are provided opportunities to develop
and use strategic thinking skills.
They learn better when
Are given guidance and feedback
about their work.
Are in safe, supportive environment
where value is given to personal ideas and
negative emotions.