Chapter 4 Child Development Principles and Theories Child

Chapter 4 Child Development Principles and Theories

Child Development • Development: change or growth in children • Infants: children from birth through the first year • Toddlers: children from age one up to the third birthday • Preschooler: children ages three to six years

Areas of Development • Physical development: physical body changes that occur in a relatively stable, predictable sequence – Gross-motor development: improvement of skills using the large muscles in the legs and arms – Fine-motor development: improvement of small muscles of the hands and fingers • Cognitive development: mental processes used to gain knowledge

Areas of Development • Social-emotional development: two areas grouped together – Social development: learning to relate to others – Emotional development: refining feelings and expression of feelings

Principles of Development • Cephalocaudal principle: development proceeds from the head downward • Proximodistal principle: development proceeds from the center outward • Maturation: sequence of biological changes in a child

Discussion • Which is more important for the developing brain—heredity or the environment in which the child grows?

Brain Development • Neurons: specialized nerve cells • Synapses: connections or links between the neurons – Brain wiring occurs as new links are formed – The larger the number of synapses, the greater the number of messages that can pass through the brain

Brain Development • Links are a result of the child’s interaction with the world • They influence the ability of the child to – learn – solve problems – get along with others – control emotions

Brain Development • Plasticity is the ability of an infant’s brain to change according to stimulation. • Early care has long-lasting impact on how children develop.

Discussion • Identify a case from your experience or the news about a child who is being neglected. How might this lack of nurturing hurt the child?

Brain Development • Amount of stress created by negative experiences also affects brain development – Overstimulation—flood of sounds and sights causing stress – Body produces a steroid called cortisol – Cortisol washes over brain like an acid – Cortisol has been linked with memory problems and the ability to regulate emotion

Windows of Opportunity • Windows of opportunity: specific times for normal development of certain types of skills – Appropriate stimulation is needed for brain synapses to link easily and efficiently

Discussion • What might be done to alleviate some of the risk factors for healthy brain development?

Windows of Opportunity • • • Vision—first six months of life Vocabulary and speech—birth to three years Emotional control—birth to three years Math/logic development—one to four years Motor development—prenatal to eight years

Theories of Development • Theory: a principle or idea that is proposed, researched, and generally accepted as an explanation • Developmental theories provide insights into how children grow and learn. • Theories are helpful for understanding and guiding developmental processes.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory • Erikson believed development occurs throughout the life span • His theory emphasizes the social and emotional aspects of growth • A social conflict or crisis occurs at each stage • Children’s personalities develop in response to their social environment

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory • Eight stages (four between birth and age 12) – Trust versus mistrust – Autonomy versus shame and doubt – Initiative versus guilt – Industry versus inferiority

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory • Stage 1: Trust Versus Mistrust – Occurs during first 18 months – Purpose: children learn to trust or mistrust – Children need • warm, consistent, predictable, attentive care • caregivers who read and respond to signals • loving, physical contact, nourishment, cleanliness, and warmth – Mistrust occurs if the infant experiences an unpredictable world and is handled harshly

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory • Stage 2: Autonomy Versus Shame and Doubt – Occurs between 18 months and 3 years – Purpose: toddlers gain self-control without loss of self-esteem – Children need • loving and supportive environments • positive opportunities for autonomy and independence

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory – Toddlers begin to • become self-sufficient • use their motor and mental skills • discover their bodies • make decisions and choices

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory • Stage 3: Initiative Versus Guilt – Occurs between 3 and 5 years – Purpose: take initiative without being hurtful to others – Children need to develop • a sense of purpose • constructive ways of dealing with people and things

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory • Stage 4: Industry Versus Inferiority – Occurs between 6 and 12 years – Purpose: gain approval through planning and carrying out projects – Children need • realistic goals and expectations • encouragement

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Piaget believed – children naturally attempt to understand what they don’t know – knowledge is gathered gradually during active involvement in real-life experiences

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Schemata: mental representations or concepts • Adaptation: mentally organizing what is perceived • Assimilation: process of taking in new information and adding it to what is already known • Accommodation: adjusting what is already known to fit the new information

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Sensorimotor stage – Birth to 2 years of age – Infants use all their senses to explore – Learn that objects still exist when out of sight

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Preoperational stage – Ages 2 to 7 – Children are very egocentric – Skills of language, symbolic play, drawing are learned – Thinking is illogical – Children learn skills of conservation, classification

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • • Concrete operations stage – Ages 7 -11 – Children develop capacity to think systematically – Begin to internalize tasks – Become capable of reversing operations

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Formal operations stage – 11 years of age to adulthood – Develop capacity to think in abstract ways – No longer need concrete examples – Learn problem-solving and reasoning skills

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory • Vygotsky’s beliefs: – children build knowledge through experiences – children learn through social and cultural experiences – through interaction with others, children learn customs, values, beliefs, and language of their culture – language is an important tool for thought and plays key role in cognitive development • Private speech—when children think out loud

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory • Zone of proximal development (ZPD) – Presents learning as a scale • One end: tasks children can do alone • Other end: tasks children cannot do even with help • Middle: tasks children can accomplish with help – Learning is not limited by stage or maturation

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Multiple intelligences: theory that there are different kinds of intelligences used by the human brain – Intelligence is result of complex interactions between children’s heredity and experiences – Each intelligence functions separately, but all are linked – Learning is best achieved using a child’s strongest intelligence

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Bodily-kinesthetic – Ability to control one’s own body movements and manipulate objects – Athletes, dancers, actors

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Musical-rhythmic – Ability to recognize, create, and appreciate pitch, rhythm, tone quality – Composers, musicians

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Logical-mathematical – Ability to use logic, reason, mathematics to solve problems – Math experts, scientists, composers

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Verbal-linguistic – Ability to use well-developed language skills to express self and understand others – Lawyers, poets, public speakers, translators

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Interpersonal – Ability to understand feelings, behaviors, and motives of others – Teachers, politicians, salespeople, people in the service industry

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Intrapersonal – Ability to understand personal strengths, weaknesses, talents, and interests – Psychologists, social workers, religious leaders, counselors

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Visual-spatial – Ability to form mental images – Photographers, artists, architects, engineers, surgeons

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory • Naturalistic – Ability to distinguish between living things such as plants and animals – Sailors, gardeners, chefs, farmers

Making the Pieces Fit • The brain affects all aspects of growth and development • Development generally progresses in a similar way for all children • Each theory of development offers a wealth of insight into how children develop • Theorists agree that children learn best in a caring environment with many opportunities for learning

Summary • Understanding child development will help you become a successful caregiver or early childhood education teacher. • Development is divided into three main areas: – physical – cognitive – social-emotional

Summary • Early infant care and interaction with caregivers is crucial to brain development. • Theories of development help caregivers understand how to best work with children. – Erikson – Piaget – Vygotsky – Gardner

Discussion • Do you believe there is a connection between child and adult behavior based on theories presented in this chapter?