Life-Span perspective is an important theoretical milestone in the study of aging, since it helped to change the concept that the elderly person is a passive and sick being, by highlighting the possibility of development throughout the course of life. It has also stressed the heterogeneity of old age, emphasizing the importance of activities in order to maintain healthy aging. The acquisition of new learning has been considered an important task in this sense, since it may enhance the cognitive skills and favor the social support network for the elderly. Thus, by the presentation of assumptions that give the utmost importance to Life-Span in the field of Developmental Psychology, the present study discusses the importance of education for a healthy old age, the offer of educational activities for the elderly in Brazil and elucidates the range of terms found in the literature to describe the learning process throughout the course of life.
Human development; Education; Aging