Dynamic systems · 1990s–
Development as a moving system
Skills do not march in a straight line. Body, task, and world cooperate — a baby walks when the room, the muscles, and the motivation line up, not on a due date.
Why it matters when you teach
This frees you from panic about 'late' walking and from pride about 'early' reading as destiny. Change the floor, the shoes, the motivation, and the skill can appear. Variability is the process, not the error.
Core ideas
Soft assembly
A skill is assembled in the moment from many parts.
Control parameters
Sometimes the missing piece is motivation, or a less slippery floor, not 'more teaching.'
In the room
- If they 'can't,' change one thing: height of the surface, weight of the ball, who is watching.
- Expect zigzag. A skill that was there Tuesday may hide on Thursday. That is development, not backsliding as moral failure.
- For motor skills, environment design is teaching.
Try this
- Stuck skill: change the space before you change the child.
Hold it lightly
- Can feel abstract. Translate it as: tweak the context before you pathologize the kid.