Children’s participation in various activities is a very strong indicator of their developmental maturity in that particular skill. Every kindergarten teacher is familiar with (sometimes perhaps more than she would like to be) the teacher's report required for the Institute for Child Development. In this report, the child’s degree of participation is the most significant piece of information.
Development occurs as a result of children's participation in an activity, any activity. When children think, they develop; when children move, they develop; when children feel, draw, and play, they develop. A child’s broad development as a result of these activities brings with it the experience of success. When children gather, slowly and surely, one experience of success after another, it builds a feeling of aptitude. This feeling uplifts the child and encourages participation, which leads to development, and the cycle continues.
The opposite of participation is avoidance. The hardest part of treatment, but for me also the most rewarding and the most creativity-inspiring part, is working with children who refrain – be it from drawing, cutting, playing, expressing their views, thinking, and so on.
When a child avoids activities that are generally required from other children their age, it may be the beginning of a developmental delay. A child’s participation in developmentally appropriate activities, immediate intervention as soon as the child begins to avoid an activity, appropriate involvement, and experiences of success that build up feelings of aptitude will prevent difficulties and frustration in the child, and certainly will reduce the bottleneck in waiting lists for occupational therapy at institutes for child development, which will lead to fewer reports for the teacher to fill out...
Participation in activities = development.
Share with everyone who influences the development of children.
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