Understanding Why Children Are Different: Developmental Changes that Influence Learning and the Ability to Play

This chapter focuses on development. It explains the impact and interaction of nature (i.e. what the children inherit from their parents) and nurture (how the people and resources in the children’s environment respond to them and foster play/learning opportunities). Many practitioners ask if – and to what extent – what they do in their setting can compensate for ‘a poor start’ (which may be a health issue, a financial or social disadvantage or a lack of opportunity to play), or how they can challenge children who come into the setting with spectacular gifts. They are concerned that their part in providing ‘nurture’ should complement and enhance what is provided by nature. There are no easy answers to the nature/nurture debate for so much depends on each child’s motivation/temperament and how the home and the setting work together to achieve similar goals.