In the Past, according to the text "Psychology in Education" by Sorenson and Herbert:

Traditonal schools focused strictly on subject material and passing tests.	Classrooms were more authoritarian rather than democratic.
The lessons were teacher centered rather than student centered.	Learning was teacher directed rather than student directed.

Previously, the process of education was to transfer information from teacher to child. The updated process includes letting the child make discoveries for himself in order that he might better understand it. This common teaching method correlates well to the cognitive developmental theory of Jean Piaget. Piaget argued that individuals pass through four qualitatively different stages of cognitive development. These include: sensorimotor (infants), preoperational (preschoolers), concrete operations (school age children), and formal operations (adolescents).

Piaget's view on education is developmentally appropriate in respect to his theory. His is a contructionist approach which states that in order to develop a real understanding, children must be active investigators, finding answers or solutions through mental and physical actions. In this way the child is not simply imitating the teacher with blind repetitions. For example, having a child learn to count with Froot Loops would be considered a Piagetian way of teaching math instead of having the child recite the numbers. This hands on appraoch allows the child to be actively engaged in the learning process matching action with thought and thereby reinforcing the information being taught.

This is a sample of a kindergartener's phonetic worksheet. She has constructed the words according to the knowledge she has about letters and the sounds they make. This invented spelling style is a popular technique in teaching children to read and write. Although there is some objection, there is not yet any significant evidence that indicates phonetics causes children to be poor spellers in the future. Association of letters and sounds is a first and important step in the learning process. Allowing children to sound their words out accomplishes this.

Some tips from psychologists for parents who want to enhance their school agers education .

• Parents need to get involved, children tend to get higher grades and have a better attitude about learning when the parent is involved in and outside of the classroom.
• Make contact with the teacher and show that you are interested in what your child is learning in their classroom, what they are struggling with and what their interests are.
• Make your home a place where your child can learn. Turn off the television, have books to read, and help them with their homework.
• Help your child learn with technology based ideas. Use computers and the internet. Make a web page to get your child more interested in what they are learning about in class.
  (Parents Magazine, Oct.1998 v73 n10)

The social atmosphere a child experiences while learning plays an important role in how they develop. At six and seven, children are emotionally and physically dependant on their parents and family members. By age eight or nine, the child begins to put more emphasis on spending time with fellow students. They tend to notice physical appearance, intellegence, race, and personality. Children that share interests, dress alike, and act the same become friends. Children that are different are sometimes left out of the group. Children don't exclude other children intentionally, they are trying to find where they fit in the most. Some studies have shown that students who have a higher social acceptance do better in school. One particular study involved third, fourth, and fifth grade boys and girls. Of the nineteen high IQ children studied, only 3 were below the average in social acceptance. Of the twenty-one low IQs, only one was above average in socail acceptance status. The average IQ children had varied social acceptance, some high, some average, some low. (Sorenson, pg85).

The emotional atmosphere begins in the classroom and the teachers attitude toward each individual student and the classrroom as a whole. Studies have shown that when a teacher always calls on the same students and only makes positive comments toward certain students, those children are more likely to achieve better and go above and beyond expectations. Although there are many different teacher personalities, there are a few traits that have been linked to a higher student success rate. These are:

• Enthusiam
• Ability to plan
• Poise
• Adaptability
• Warmth
• Flexibility
• Awareness of individual differences

(Santrock, John W., Life-Span Development, 7th ed.)