LEARNING ABOUT CHILDREN Chapter 1

What is Child Development?  Development- gradual process of change in all living organisms  Child development- study of children from conception to adolescence

Why Study Children?  To Understand yourself  To Be A Responsible Parent  To Protect Children’s Rights  To Work with Children

Individual Life Cycle

Factors that Influence Development  Heredity- traits passed down from parents  Environment- all outside conditions that effect a child  Experts now believe that development is determined by both of these.

Brain Development

 Your brain is ever changing.  If you do not use a pathway it will be cut off over time.  The more activities and experiences you have the more pathways you develop. This means that your brain has more ways to find the same information.

Development principles  Development follows a general pattern but can be accelerated or delayed  Development is consistent.  Development is gradual.  Development happens in sequential order  Development happens at different rates

Havighurst’s Theory of Developmental Tasks  Three sources  Physical growth  Social Pressure  Inner Pressure

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs