Children learn best when teachers provide activities that are at just the right stage for the child. She can cut the playdough easily. It doesn't turn sideways if she holds the scissors wrong. She would be very frustrated trying to cut the paper. After a few failures, she would probably give up.
Researchers say that teachers of young children are more like guides.
They prepare an environment so that it provides a variety of stimulating, challenging materials and activities. In other words, children learn by doing. Most parents understand this, and some of the most well-known child development researchers, such as Maria Montessori and Jean Piaget, have described it. In a day care center, as in kindergarten and the elementary grades, trial and error is an important way to learn. Instead of always being the expert and supplying the answers, teachers can encourage children to explore and discover knowledge on their own.