The Age of Reason:

Managing the Classroom According to the Rational Capabilities of Students

Ashley Ellert
June 16, 2012
Final Essay


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Whether its a sticker or the interior personal sense of accomplishment after a job done
well, all people are motivated by something. Depending on a persons age and level of maturity,
what motivates a person will vary. This is particularly true of children as they progress though
their school years from the first day of preschool to high school graduation. Knowing what will
motivate a child is the key to a teachers ability to manage the classroom.
In the first eighteen years of a persons life, a dramatic amount of physical, psychological
and emotional changes occur. Educators need to be aware of these changes and how it they
affects the manner in which they manage their classroom. A high school teacher will not be able
to successfully motivate and manage sophomores by offering them a smiley sticker if they turn
in a project on time. Likewise, a preschooler will not be motivated by accomplishing anything
with long term results.
Educators need to be aware of a childs ability to reason. The teachers knowledge of
their students reasoning capabilities will allow them to set up a framework of student
management that will best facilitate the classroom. The age of reason in a child will directly
affect the type classroom management an educator decides to use. In order to understand this on
a deeper level, one must look at how the age of reason has affected people throughout history,
parental influences on the development of reason, and what management looks like in a
classroom before and after the age of reason occurs.
Throughout history, adults have viewed the place of children at home, in public or work
in varying ways. In the past, children were thought of as adults trapped in smaller bodies, and
were given responsibilities that are now reserved for those who have reached adulthood. As early
as in the past the last century, children under the age of eighteen years old were sent to do hard
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labor in factories and mines. What is interesting to find is that many beginnings and privileges
were presented to children around the age of reason.
Many cultures throughout history have observed this growth spurt by raising expectations and offering
new privileges. In Medieval times, court apprenticeships began at 7; so too did apprenticeships at the time
of the Guilds, and in English Common Law, children under 7 were not considered responsible for their
behavior. The Catholic Church offers first Communion at about age 7; it's also when formal schooling
begins in most societies (Brodkin, 2006).
In the early twentieth century, a woman physician named Maria Montessori began to
work with young children in an educational setting. Through her studies, She determined that
children develop through four stages, or planes. The second plane she observed focused on
ages six to twelve years. In other words, Dr. Montessori recognized a distinct change in a childs
development around the age of reason. Within this stage and the others, she saw different
characteristics, learning modes, and developmental imperatives active in each of these planes,
and called for educational approaches specific to each period (Carr, n.d. ).
In other words, the age of reason is something recognized by most periods in history as a
point in which children were given more responsibility over their actions. While the age of
reason was approached and dealt with in different ways, the acknowledgment of a noticeable
change in a child around the age of seven has been a constant.
While most children reach the age of reason around seven years old, parents are a vital,
contributing factor in the development of reasoning skills. While Although it is apparent that
children are ready to reason around the age of seven, a parent can either help or hinder the
development of maturation of their childs reasoning capabilities.
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The age at which a child reaches these milestones of moral reasoning varies with how he is raised and how
those around him act. Unlike empathy, full-fledged conscience does not seem innate. Children acquire the
cognitive understanding of right and wrong by observing the behavior of the people most important to
them, usually (and hopefully) their parents. If Dad reacts to injured pride--"He dissed me!"--with violence,
that becomes the model for his son. And that is only the beginning of a parent's influence(Newsweek,
2000).
Young children look to their primary care givers as an example to imitate. Small children
are experts at pretending and imitation. Their play is filled with games of pretending to be their
parents driving, going to work, and doing household chores. They will try out phrases they have
heard the grown-ups around them say as well as the body language they witness.
If a child sees a parent handle a difficult situation in an immature manner, the child will
think that the parents behavior is the appropriate way in which to respond as they mature into
adolescence and adulthood. Similarly, if they observe the adults around them manage difficult
situations in a balanced and mature manner, the child will know how to practice responding
respond maturely to a situation when they reach the age of reason.
Different styles of parenting seem to nourish, or beat down, a child's nascent conscience. Both autocratic
and permissive parenting, although they seem like opposites, tend to shape the same behavior and attitudes
in children. Children of permissive parents often struggle to learn the limits of acceptable behavior. They
typically develop poor self-control, perhaps because anything-goes parenting conveys the message that
none is needed. Autocratic parenting says that the course of control is outside the child--namely, parents--
so there is no need to develop an inner moral compass(Newsweek, 2000).
In all, Parents have a strong influence on the rational development of their children. The
examples they give has set have a strong correlation to the behavior they their children will
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portray after they have reached reaching the age of reason. When Once a child reaches the age to
be is enrolled in school, the actions and dispositions they have learned at home will be reflected
in how they behave in the classroom environment.
After their initial formation from their parents at home, children enter into the academic
world. For the first couple years of schooling, a child has not yet reached reasoning capability.
Between the ages of 4 to around 6 years old, a child has limited rational functioning. They make
decisions based on what they have seen at home from family and their neighborhood and are
driven by literal, immediate rewards. Their view of the world is limited to what they have seen
and touched. The abstract is a realm reserved for later years.
An educator that manages a classroom of children who have not yet reached the age of
reason has to facilitate young people who have little concept of time. They often use phrases
such as last year or in five minutes without understanding what is meant by them. Essentially,
children are practicing terms of speech they have heard an adult use. This is important to keep in
mind when providing structure for a classroom of small children. For example, it is more
effective to tell a preschooler that they will receive an M&M as soon as they clean up the toys
they were playing with, rather than offering a prize at the end of the week for cleaning up toys
well for five school days in a row. An irrational child does not care about a week from now
because they have little idea what the abstract concept of a week is.
Because children who have not reached the age of reason are literal, externally verbal
creatures, a classroom is most successfully managed by the educator providing explicit, concrete
steps for accomplishing every task. There is a vast difference in telling a child, Timmy, go put
your book away and come back to the carpet and Timmy, without talking, close your book,
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stand up, take the book with both hands and walk right to the book shelf. Put your book on the
shelf. (Allow him to do these steps). Great job, Timmy. Now, without talking, walk back to the
carpet with walking feet and sit with crisscross legs on the carpet. The former may not get the
results the teacher was hoping for. If a teacher is not explicit in the way they desire their
classroom to run, a non-reasoning child will find an unexpected way to do it.
Another area that teachers of children who have not reached the age of reason need to be
aware of in managing their classroom is that small children need to talk out loud to solve issues.
It takes a strong amount of practiced self-control for most young students not to blurt out during
circle time. They have an innate desire to work through their thoughts verbally. They have yet to
learn internal dialogue.
Preschoolers (age 3-5 years) are beginning to be more involved with verbal problem solving skills. They
direct their own learning through speech and use vocal communication to direct their own behavior to solve
problems. Young children are often heard talking themselves through a series of actions that lead to the
solution of a problem. As children get older, this "talking out loud" will become an internal monologue.
This newly developing ability to problem solve is the basis for motivation at this stage. Having the self
confidence to know that one can solve a problem motivates the learner to accept other new and challenging
situations, which in turn lead to greater learning(NASP, n.d.).
Within the aspect of vocalization, educators can help their young students to rehearse
positive, constructive verbalization. When a child is frustrated about by having to wait or by not
understanding a procedure, the teacher can do a repeat after me with the child. It can be
something as simple as teaching a child to say and repeat its okay if Im not first in line.
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Overall, Classroom management with students before the age of reason needs to be
concrete, verbal and explicit. By doing so, a teacher will have greater success in maintaining
structure and a sense of peacefulness.
Between second and third grade, children begin to reach the age of reason. This is an
amazing situation to witness as an educator; students transform from thinking only concretely to
thinking concretely and abstractly. In addition, their ability to view to the world expands like a
birds wings ready for flight. No longer does a child focus on the present alone, but
acknowledges their time and space in the times world around them.
In addition to the leap in reasonableness, your child has an increased ability to focus and concentrate; and
it all adds up to readiness for formal schooling. He is capable of classifying and ordering, and has a more
realistic sense of cause and effect. Doing well in the real world becomes vital to his self-esteem. Actual
sports and school achievement are important goals; and therefore, serious academic troubles or lack of age-
appropriate physical skills can shake confidence (Brodkin, 2006).
At this point, an educator will have success in managing the classroom if they motivate
their students by the events of the microsomal world surrounding the children them. For
example, they can provide references to things happening personally to the children, such as a
school sport or rally. By incorporating the world around them into a lesson, academic
information can be made palatable for students who have no natural interest in school subjects.
Another means to managing a classroom of students who have just reached the age of
reason is to allow them a wider range of choices to complete a task given to them. For example,
if the objective task is to report a summary on a chapter book read by the class, have the teacher
can provide several options on how they can fulfill the assignment. They may choose from being
able to write a paper, perform a skit showing a key point in the book, or create a poster board
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presentation depicting the main aspects or characters of the book. While each way may be
different, each means accomplishes the end of reporting a summary. of the chapter book. The
ability of a teacher to provide different ways allows children to use and practice their reasoning
skills as well as choose a way that is best suited to their learning temperament.
One aspect to be aware of with this age group is the dramatic variance in reasoning
capabilities among students. Some will seem to reason as a well-balanced adult while other
children may not function on a high reasoning level as well due to environmental and physical
determent. Teachers have to keep this in mind in order to establish reasonable goals and
expectations for their students. A standard should be set so that the average student in the class
could be successful. If expectations are too high or low, students may respond with deviance
founded in frustration or boredom.
It is interesting that in this so-called reasonable and quiet period of development (age 7 to 11), there are
more referrals to child therapists than at any other age. Why? Children are not more typically troubled
during this phase. The gap between a child's functioning and her parents'/teachers' reasonable expectations
for greater self-control and capacity to concentrate may lead to the therapist's door(Brodkin, 2006).
Something else to take into account with elementary children is their emotional
dependence on their caregivers. Between the ages of 7 and 12 years old, a child begins to wean
away from total dependence on their parents. Theyre Their search for approval and social
acceptance transfers from mom and dad to the social scene of friends and the school
environment.
The amount of dependency on adults is another indicator of motivation. Children with strong intrinsic
motivation do not need an adult constantly watching and helping with activities. Children who have a lower
level of motivation or are extrinsically motivated need constant attention from adults and cannot function
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independently. Since independence is an important aspect of quality learning, this dependence on adults
will greatly limit children's ability to succeed in school(NASP, n.d.).
The job of an upper elementary teacher is a balancing act; they are facilitating children
who have just reached reasoning capability, yet are still practicing how to use their thinking
skills well.
Once a child has reached adolescence, a great deal of their reasoning has been developed.
The last essential piece of rationality falls into place through the physical and biological changes
brought on through puberty. Middle school and high school teachers have the interesting
challenge of managing young adults on the sunrise of sexuality. Students are exposed to a great
deal of influences and are still learning how to make appropriate choices. In addition, the end of
their initial education will soon end after graduation; adult choices of what to pursue after high
school become very important.
While adolescents are able to reason beyond the present moment, it is common for this
age group to not think beyond now. When asked why they chose to pursue a poor decision, a
common response is It seemed like a good idea at the time.
With this in mind, educators of middle and high school students will have success in
managing their students through example, listening, and appealing to the students interests. No
matter the age, the example of another person is one of the most motivating and powerful tools a
person witnesses. Oftentimes, teenagers are told to do something and refuse or rebel because
they see the directions given as hypocritical. They see no profit in doing what the authorities do
not practice themselves. When they see an adult or significant other living out what they ask of
others them, a teenager is much more likely to comply. If an educator desires his students to be
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on time for class, he needs to be on time. If he wants all assignments turned in on time, he must
make sure to return the assignments on the day promised. If teachers hold students to a high
expectation, students will in turn hold their teachers to an even higher standard.
Another area that is tremendously meaningful to teenagers is being listened to.
Oftentimes in the midst of everyday life and responsibilities, teenage students can feel lost or
overwhelmed. Having a teacher who observes and listens well can help to create healthy,
meaningful relationships between teachers and students. When this relationship is established,
students are more adept to following the directions and procedures given by the teacher.
Appealing to the interests of the class is also an essential aspect of middle and high
school classroom management.
Interest is not a type of motivation but rather an influence on motivation. Students who are interested in
learning about a topic or improving their skills in a domain should display motivated behaviors, such as
choice of the activity, effort, persistence, and achievement(Schunk, 2012).
In other words, knowing the interests of students can be a key in motivating them to
perform at their highest academic potential. When a student has personal ties to a subject, the
information becomes alive to them, making learning enjoyable and easier to remember retain.
When learning is more enjoyable, managing the classrooms becomes easier for the teacher.
In conclusion, a student is motivated by a wide spectrum of things as they progress from
preschool to their senior year of high school. The amount of reasoning capabilities a child has
will be is a significant contributing factor in how classroom management must be facilitated.
Parents and other influential adults will contribute to the development of rationality in young
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people as they grow, and consequently effect affect how a child performs under the management
of an educator.
With regards to classroom management and education, Maria Montessori said, We
discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process
which develops spontaneously in the human being (Brainy Quote, 2001).
Montessori did not mean that there is no need for a teacher, but rather that an educators
place is to manage and facilitate so seamlessly that the learning process is able to blossom
unhindered.

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Works Cited
Brainy Quotes. (2001). Maria Montessori Quotes. Retrieved from
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/maria_montessori.html

Brodkin, A., PhD. (2006, July 1). Age of Reason. Retrieved from
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=7241

Carr, M. (n.d.). Montessori Education. Retrieved from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.carr/
history_of_montessori

NASP. (n.d.). Motivating Learning in Young Children. Retrieved from
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/earlychildmotiv_ho.aspx

Newsweek. (2000, March 13). Learning Right from Wrong. Retrieved from
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%208%2
Ethics/Learning-Right-From-Wrong.htm

Schunk, D. H. (2012). Characteristics of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. Retrieved from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/characteristics-intrinsic-extrinsic/

University of Michigan. (n.d.). Young Child Motivation. Retrieved from
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.omo/young_child_motivation