Similarly, it is inappropriate to expect them to sit working quietly for extended periods. Their growing bodies require physical action as they continue to develop and refine motor skills and coordination. For children in this age group, sitting for long periods may actually be more tiring than running and jumping. Young children learn best when they are allowed to actively explore their environment, using materials in a hands-on fashion to learn specific concepts and building on their natural curiosity and desire to make sense of the world around them. Their learning style in the kindergarten and primary years lends itself to an integrated approach to curriculum rather than a subject-specific approach.
Young children benefit most from regular and supportive interaction with teachers and peers.
In too many primary classrooms, young children receive information from teachers passively. They are restrained from communicating with their peers, when what they really need is to interact with other children to practice their emerging social skills and develop a common frame of reference. As they move from kindergarten through first, second, and third grades, children become increasingly able to reason and communicate with others. During this period, they can be introduced gradually to more formal academic learning models. Many adults assume that the alternative to a highly structured, teacher-directed classroom must be chaos.