A recent report shows that when parents collaborate with educators on a defined developmental path for students, they cultivate better skills while experiencing an increase in learning achievement. 

The report, “Foundations for Young Adult Success: A Developmental Framework,” calls for integrating certain aspects of a child’s development into their education, with the hope that engagement will be improved due to the positive effects developmental learning. This include to self regulating time and appropriate directing working energy, along with absorbing meaning, and how to apply knowledge, from lessons. The report was led by deputy director of the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research Jenny Nagaoka. 

“The idea is that if everybody starts to have a common understanding about what they’re trying to do and what an effective approach would be, and they understand that it’s a shared responsibility to help kids develop and learn over time, then hopefully it will lead to more discussion,” said Nagaoka to the education blog Mind/Shift. 

Through a range of observational traditions, including psychology, sociology, neuroscience and research perspectives, the report offers insight into creating a support structure during school, extracurricular activities, and at the home by laying out three key factors that developing students need to maintain well-rounded success in all areas of life. The report features a series of interviews with students and education and developmental professionals which paint a picture of how students can reach their full potential in a world ripe for contribution and innovation. 

“Kids will be engaged in learning and internalize the academic side if you are also helping them work to develop in multiple ways,” she said. 

These key factors include agency, meaning they have a sense of control over the results that they work towards; integrated identity, as in self discovery within a larger sense of accomplishment; and competency, which ranges from performing complex tasks within team settings to using critical and creative thought processes to solve problems. This also include effective communication. 

The adults in students’ lives, the report highlights, have the most important role to play in guiding students through a holistic approach to learning. 

“Cognition, emotion, affect, and behavior are reflexive, mutually reinforcing, and inextricably associated with one another as a part of development and learning. Adults will make little headway if they target only one particular component or subcomponent in isolation,” says the report. 

For more on the “Foundations for Young Adult Success: A Developmental Framework,” visit here. 

Article by Jason Papallo, Education World Social Media Editor
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