a. The Characteristics of Young Learners in the Elementary School
The discussion of young learners in the elementary school is taken up since the subjects of this study are the second grade learners of elementary school.
The learners’ growths in this grade are indicated by special characteristics that differentiate them from others. The characteristics include physical characteristics,
intellectual characteristics, emotional characteristics and social characteristics Cole, 1956: 125. Further, the special characteristics of children as young
learners will be explained below. Within physical characteristics, children grow through special
characteristics. During the years of schooling, children grow physically as their bones, muscles, as well as nerve systems develop. The physical development of
the body requires children to do any physical activities at one moment that make them too easily exhausted Cole, 1956: 126. Therefore, it is better if children are
not burdened with too many complicated activities that demand great effort and concentration, since their nerve and muscular control will rapidly become worse if
too much complex work is required over them. Within the intellectual development, children possess immature mind that
leads them to poor memories since their development has not been accomplished yet in this stage Cole, 1956: 127. It is quite hard for them to memorize all the
things they find in their environment in detailed way. Children usually have a good memory only at a thing that interests them most particularly on concrete
thing. Added to the intellectual development of children, their fantasy is strong since their knowledge of reality is weak. Any fantasy that they find and create in
their little environment leads them to experience a new thing involving their imaginations that are somewhat overrated. Generally, children need to have the
feeling of being secure and safe when they do such activities. The feeling of security is found when they do the same things repeatedly. The same activities or
things make them feel safe for they do not have to be exposed to a new experience that is somehow unfamiliar and terrible for them. As they make repetition at the
known and familiar things, hence, they are devoted to routine. Emotional development is indicated firstly by lack of self-control and
inhibition and secondly by assortment of exaggerated fears over children Cole, 1956: 128. This means that they want to do something processed in their mind
immediately. In other words, children intend to do a large variety of things at one moment. Secondly, the emotional development that is indicated by assortment of
exaggerated fears is caused by little knowledge that children have on any point. For instance, they are afraid of thunder, wind, or darkness for they lack of
information about them. In this phase, children experience intense feeling of insecurity. They always need some help from an adult to do or even to accomplish
their work for they are not yet old enough to understand what is happening in their environment. In an ordinary school environment, children usually have a load of
anxiety towards anything that they cannot concentrate upon schoolwork. The anxiety often makes them ask several things to an adult until they feel that their
curiosity has been satisfactorily fulfilled. According to Cole 1956: 130, the social characteristics of children are
indicated by two significant characteristics. They are highly individualistic in their PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
interests and desires, but highly dependent upon others for putting their desires into effect. Children usually have desires particularly on everything that interests
them. They really want their desires to be fulfilled even without being able to satisfy those. Hence, children are almost always dependent upon others in order to
do so. Nonetheless, the contact toward socialization that children have is little, so they do not know how to get along with others. Thus, it is to say that they are
intense individuals.
b. Principles of Teaching Young Learners in the Elementary School
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