How can children learn from each other effectively?

Children learn from each other effectively when they are given opportunities to interact in inclusive environments where diverse abilities and perspectives are present. Including children with special needs alongside their non-handicapped peers fosters an atmosphere of collaboration and mutual understanding. This inclusive approach allows all children to benefit; typically developing children can learn empathy, patience, and adaptability, while children with special needs often gain social skills and positive role models.

Such interactions promote peer learning, as children can support one another's development through shared experiences and problem-solving activities. For instance, working together on tasks or play can help facilitate communication, enhance social skills, and provide varied approaches to learning material, benefiting all participants in the process.

In contrast, isolating children or limiting their interaction based on ability may hinder their emotional, social, and cognitive growth, reducing the richness of the learning environment that peer interactions provide. The idea that learning is best achieved through one-on-one instruction fails to take advantage of the diverse insights and skills that group learning experiences offer.