How do the themes of To Kill a Mockingbird help Scout develop in the book?prejudice (racial and general prejudice), tolerance, courage, knowledge...

Simply put, all of the themes mentioned above help Scout
mature at an alarming rate and better understand the world around
her.

PREJUDICE.  Scout sees
the various forms of prejudice--particularly racial and social--and she comes to better
understand Atticus' advice to climb into another's skin and walk around in it before
judging people. Although she uses the "N" word early in the novel (not fully
understanding its hurtfulness), she discards it when Atticus warns her that it is
"common." Scout is actually color-blind when it comes to the races; she loves Calpurnia
and wants to return to the church and visit her home; she feels sympathy for Tom
Robinson; and she feels at home in the courtroom balcony with the rest of Tom's friends.
She is also quick to see the hypocrisy in some people, such as Miss Gates and members of
the Missionary Circle, when they talk of helping others in faraway lands while speaking
hatefully of their own African-American
neighbors.

TOLERANCE.  Scout
learns about tolerance through her own experiences--having to hold her tongue,
restraining her temper (and her fists), and understanding her place in the world of
adults. She also sees that Atticus is right about people being different, and that
everyone deserves a right to be
accepted. 

COURAGE.  Scout
learns there are various kinds of courage: Atticus standing up to public scorn by
defending Tom Robinson; Mrs. Dubose going cold turkey to rid herself of morphine
addiction before she dies; and Boo Radley risking his life to save
hers.

KNOWLEDGE.  Scout gains
valuable information from a number of people--Jem, Dill, Cal, Miss Maudie, Dolphus
Raymond and Atticus being just a few. But she also learns that those with the capability
of passing on knowledge (such as her teachers) are not always
successful.

INNOCENCE.  Scout
may not actually recognize her own loss of innocence for many years to come, but it is
obvious to the reader that the three main children in the novel deal with problems that
few children of the time should endure. She also sees that the innocent--Tom Robinson
and Boo Radley specifically--are not spared the wrath of others.