Learning is a process that changes the way we think, feel, or act based on experience. There is no single definition, but all agree that learning means growing and transforming what we know. Sometimes we learn by discovering for ourselves, other times by receiving guidance from a teacher, or simply by recalling what we've already learned. However, the most valuable learning occurs when we understand and connect new knowledge with what we already know, because then knowledge becomes meaningful and useful for life. In short, learning is developing as people, acquiring skills, and preparing ourselves to live and contribute to society.

Learning theories help us understand how we acquire knowledge and which methods work best. For example, Pavlov showed that we learn by associating stimuli and responses; Skinner emphasized that rewards or punishments reinforce behavior; and Thorndike, with his theory of trial and error, explained that we learn by practicing and repeating what works. His laws remind us that we learn best when we are prepared, when we practice frequently, and when our actions give us satisfaction. In short, learning is an active process that combines practice, motivation, and experience.

Gestalt theory teaches us that learning doesn't work well if we divide it into isolated parts. According to this perspective, the mind perceives knowledge as complete and meaningful wholes, not as separate elements. Therefore, teaching must begin with the whole before analyzing the parts; for example, we learn the word or phrase first before the letters. This idea is reflected in modern educational methods that seek to organize content holistically, starting from the student's interests and following stages of understanding that go from the general to the specific. Therefore, learning from a Gestalt perspective means understanding and capturing knowledge as a coherent whole, which facilitates comprehension and memory.

Gestalt psychology holds that we learn best when we perceive knowledge as an integrated whole rather than as separate parts, grasping the general idea before the details. Its main laws state that learning cannot be achieved from disorganized stimuli, that understanding occurs through intuitions or leaps, that elements must be mentally organized, and that learning requires active effort on the part of the individual. Its criticisms include the fact that it does not explain how the perception that enables insight is organized, that it focuses too much on the perception of objects, neglecting conceptual aspects of thought, and that what is perceived as insight may simply be the awareness of previous learning.

The principle of globalization posits that the individual functions as a complete unit, where different capacities such as perception, memory, will, emotions, and action operate together. Therefore, our first perception of an object is general, and only later can we analyze, distinguish, and understand it accurately. This means that fragmenting learning is pointless, as the most effective approach is to grasp the content in an organized and coherent manner. In educational practice, teaching methods must respect this natural way of perceiving children, coordinating the different subjects and avoiding the dispersion of knowledge; for example, synthetic-analytical methods for learning to read and write apply this principle by linking the general with the specific.

The Centers of Interest method, proposed by Decroly, is based on the idea that children perceive reality holistically and understand the whole before the parts. Therefore, teaching should be organized around themes or interests that are meaningful to them, such as health, nature, or the community. Based on these centers of interest, interdisciplinary activities are designed that integrate several subjects: for example, when visiting a paper factory, students can work on content from Social Studies, Mathematics, Language Arts, Art, Music, and English, researching, measuring, writing, drawing, dramatizing, and singing about the manufacturing process. Planning includes prior preparation, the visit, the organization of information, and complementary activities, with an assessment focused on student participation and understanding. In this way, active, holistic learning connected to the child's reality is fostered.

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget studied how intelligence is formed in children, investigating the origins of thought and its logical development from infancy. His theory explains that learning occurs through assimilation (applying prior knowledge) and accommodation (adapting what has been learned to new experiences). Intellectual development goes through four stages: sensorimotor (ages 0-2, exploring the world with the senses), preoperational (ages 2-7, beginning to use symbols and language), concrete operations (ages 7-11, logical thinking in concrete contexts), and formal operations (ages 11 and older, abstract thinking and planning). His methodological principles encourage exploration, discovery, and real-world problem-solving, respecting the child's pace and connecting affectivity and intellect. For example, in a science lesson about plants, students might plant seeds, observe their growth, compare results, and adjust their ideas, reflecting active teaching methods based on experimentation and reasoning.