09/05/2026
Today was the third session of the Advance Diploma course, focusing on Foundations of Growth, Development & Developmental Domains.
What is the difference between growth and development?
Growth refers to physical changes such as height, weight, and body size, while development refers to functional changes in what a child can do, including skills, abilities, and capacities. Hence, intervention can foster development because development can be shaped and supported.
Here are the summary notes from today’s session:
⭐️ Observation is always the first step in understanding a child’s development.
⭐️ Understanding a child’s current developmental level is important for planning and designing an Individualised Teaching Plan (ITP).
⭐️ Observe the child’s development, identify the child’s needs, and understand the appropriate developmental support and intervention required.
⭐️ Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory emphasises that children learn by actively exploring the world.
👉 Children construct knowledge through experience (Learning = Doing + Thinking).
👉 Constructivism refers to children building their own understanding through active interaction with the world.
👉 Fixed sequence means children pass through the same four stages in the same order, although the timing may vary.
👉 Four stages and possible challenges in special education:
1. Sensorimotor Stage: Visual or motor differences may affect how exploration occurs.
2. Pre-operational Stage: Repetitive or limited functional play; language delays may mask cognitive understanding.
3. Concrete Operational Stage: Difficulties with abstract thinking and empathy.
4. Formal Operational Stage: Difficulties in reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
⭐️ Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory emphasises that learning happens through social interaction and support.
👉 Learning occurs through support.
👉 Learning happens through language (listening → understanding words → following instructions).
👉 The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) refers to the gap between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance from adults.
👉 Strategies within ZPD include breaking tasks into smaller steps, providing guidance (prompts, modelling, cues), and celebrating small successes.
⭐️ Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory emphasises that development is shaped by interconnected environments.
Teaching neurodivergent children is not about teaching according to their chronological age, but rather focusing on their developmental level. ⭐️
It was a fruitful lesson today.
Now, it’s time for assignments and homework💪
今天是 Advance Diploma 的第三堂课，主题为《成长、发展与发展领域基础-Foundations of Growth, Development & Developmental Domains》
什么是成长（Growth）与发展（Development）的区别呢？
成长是指身体上的变化，例如身高、体重与体型；而发展则是指孩子功能上的改变，例如技能、能力与潜能的发展。因此，介入（Intervention）能够促进发展，因为发展是可以被塑造与支持的。
以下是今天课程的重点笔记：
⭐️ 观察（Observation）永远是了解孩子发展的第一步。
⭐️ 了解孩子目前的发展水平，对于规划与设计个别化教学计划（Individualised Teaching Plan, ITP）是非常重要的。
⭐️ 观察孩子的发展，思考孩子的需要，并了解孩子所需的发展支持与介入方式。
⭐️ 皮亚杰（Piaget）的认知发展理论强调：孩子是通过主动探索世界来学习的。
👉 孩子通过经验建构知识（学习 = 实践 + 思考）。
👉 建构主义（Constructivism）是指孩子通过与世界积极互动，建立自己的理解。
👉 固定顺序（Fixed Sequence）是指孩子都会依照相同顺序经历四个发展阶段，只是时间进度会有所不同。
👉 特殊教育中四个阶段可能面对的挑战：
1️⃣ 感知动作期（Sensorimotor Stage）：视觉或动作上的差异可能影响孩子探索世界的方式。
2️⃣ 前运思期（Pre-operational Stage）：可能出现重复性或较少功能性的游戏行为；语言发展迟缓可能掩盖其认知理解能力。
3️⃣ 具体运思期（Concrete Operational Stage）：在抽象思维与同理心方面可能较吃挑战。
4️⃣ 形式运思期（Formal Operational Stage）：在推理、问题解决与决策方面可能面对困难。
⭐️ Vygotsky的社会文化理论强调：学习是在社会互动与支持中发生的。
👉 学习是通过支持而产生的。
👉 学习通过语言发生（聆听 → 理解词语 → 跟随指令）。
👉 最近发展区（Zone of Proximal Development, ZPD）是指孩子独立完成任务的能力，与在成人引导下所能达到能力之间的差距。
👉 ZPD 的策略包括：将任务拆解成小步骤、提供引导（提示、示范、线索）以及庆祝每一个小成功。
⭐️ Bronfenbrenner的生态系统理论强调：孩子的发展会受到相互关联环境的影响。
教导神经多样性的孩子时，不是依据他们的生理年龄来教学，而是更专注于他们的发展水平。⭐️
今天是一堂非常充实且有收获的课程。接下来，就是 assignment的时间啦 😃
