Under the heading "Intellectual Development" in the Primary Program from the province of British Columbia, a number of subgoals are indicated but not ranked in order of importance, nor is there any indication as to how to evaluate the achievement of these subgoals. The goals have to be related to the characteristics of the learner so that there is a match between ability and possibility in what is taught, and this must derive from the mechanisms by which children learn at this age. Much of the section details both these mechanisms and the importance of certain types of learning program, notably the importance of play, in developing different capabilities.
Intellectual development is first of all defined as "the process of deriving meaning from experience through acquiring, structuring and restructuring knowledge" (Primary Program foundation document, 1993, 57). The emphasis is on giving the child the tools to shape his or her life and to have an influence on the world at large. The subgoals listed are five in number:
--sustain and extend natural curiosity;
--develop thinking through meaningful learning experiences;
--use language to facilitate thinking and learning;
--use language to communicate effectively;
--develop and integrate the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of several subjects; and
--become an independent, lifelong learner.
The Program also notes the characteristics of the learner at this age. The child is curious, seeking, and a social human being, characteristics related to the learning of language and the existence of natural curiosity. The child is a natural explorer. The child thinks differently from adults and learns best through play. The child is already developing thinking skills. The child represents knowledge in different ways, clarifies and extends thinking through language, and uses language to communicate (Primary Program foundation document, 1993, 57).
The priorities for the...