ABSTRACT
In this chapter we will explore a model - cycles of development - which offers a picture of child development that is linked to self-esteem and to the concepts of strokes, discounts and scripts discussed in the previous chapter. The idea that emotional development affects and is part of the learning process is well supported (Goleman 1996; Steiner 1997). This TA-based approach provides practical help for teachers in assessing a child's progress, suggesting helpful teacher/carer interventions for children at different stages, and offering an optimistic and restorative theory to underpin the practicalities of using the concept. Current focus on achievement, and the consequent emphasis on standards and outcomes, sometimes discounts the importance of a more humanistic, student-centred approach that takes the necessity of appropriate support for emotional development as a prerequisite for effective learning (Rogers 1978).
