A Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Child Development and Psychology in the Classroom

How can you help students most effectively in the classroom? As a Teaching Assistant, you play a vital role in today’s schools. This fully updated third edition will help you get to grips with the main issues to do with psychology and its role in the processes of teaching and learning.

This accessible text provides informative, yet down-to-earth commentary with clear examples of how you can apply this knowledge in everyday practice. The book addresses issues such as how to support learning and behaviour, how to create an optimal learning environment for all students, ways to encourage pupil voice, supportive strategies for children with additional needs and how to help children with their self-esteem and independence. This new edition includes references to up-to-date research in child development and psychology to include information regarding wellbeing, mental health and learning strategies related to insights from cognitive science. Chapters are complemented with lively case studies, self-assessment questions and examples of how to apply theory to everyday classroom practice. The reader is encouraged to develop reflective practice to best support children’s behaviour and learning.

This reader-friendly book is an invaluable companion for every Teaching Assistant, HLTA, pastoral support assistant, learning mentor, classroom cover supervisor and anyone working in a supporting role in an educational setting.