ABSTRACT
O n a general level, this book aims to give readers an understanding o f basic concepts relating to child development and psychology. Knowledge o f such issues is interesting, but what the teaching assistants that I have w orked w ith want to know is how they can use this information in the classroom to better support the students they w ork with. This book will give many examples o f how the theories and concepts can both explain student behaviour and be used to support learning. Above all this book aims to be reader-friendly, practical and hands-on. However, in explaining the concepts o f child development and psychology there is a lot o f terminology. W henever new terminology first occurs in this book it will be highlighted in bold type. N ew terminology will be explained within the text. In addition, definitions o f key concepts can be found in the glossary at the back o f the book. Terminology can seem overwhelming at first, but a grasp o f such terms can help teaching assistants communicate more effectively w ith other teaching professionals.
