Unit 1: The Study of Children Child Development Unit 1: The Study of Children

Objectives State characteristics of development (1.2) Name reasons for studying child development (1.3) Identify 5 basic areas of child development (1.4) Match stages of the individual life cycle with the correct age ranges (1.5) Describe influences of heredity and environment (1.6) Designate guidelines for observing children (1.7) Describe theories related to child development (1.8)

What is Childhood? Period of life separate from adulthood Development is rapid When babies are born, they are totally dependent on caregivers When childhood ends, people prepare to be independent Childhood has a profound influence on later life

Why is Childhood Crucial? Early childhood may be the most important stage of life In the first few years, the brain develops connections between nerve cells that allow it to think and control the body in certain ways

Characteristics of Development Development is similar for everyone. Development builds on earlier learning. Development proceeds at an individual rate. The different areas of development are interrelated. Development is continuous throughout life.

Development is similar for everyone Children go through the same stages in about the same order. What are some examples of this characteristic? Babies life their head before they lift their body Babies stand before they can walk

Development builds on earlier learning Development follows a step-by-step pattern, or a sequence What are some examples of this characteristic? Before a child can learn to run, he/she must learn to walk Before a child can form sentences, he/she must learn to speak single words

Development proceeds at an individual rate The rate of growth differs from one child to another. What is an example of this characteristic? Sally might learn to walk before Johnny

The different areas of development are interrelated Changes in many areas are taking place at the same time. What is an example of this characteristic? A child is developing physically and intellectually at the same time

Development is continuous throughout life Sometimes it is more rapid and sometimes it is slower but it never stops. What is an example of this characteristic? Everyone goes through the human life cycle

Why study child development? You can benefit from studying children in many ways. You can improve your understanding of how children grow and change. Studying children can also improve your understanding of yourself- and help you think about your future.

4 reasons for studying child development To Understand Children To Gain Skills To Understand Yourself To Build for the Future

To Understand Children You will better understand why children act, feel and think as they do You will understand the importance of caregivers

To Gain Skills You’ll learn what children need at each stage of development and how to meet those needs The skills you gain as a caregiver will make you a more effective one, as a babysitter or in your own family Children feel more comfortable with people who care for them with confidence

To Understand Yourself As you learn to understand children better, you’ll also come to know yourself better You will learn more about what makes you the person you are Who you are right now has developed from you as a child and you will continue to develop into your adult self

To Build for the Future Today, your understanding of children may help you become a better babysitter, teacher’s aide or playground supervisor In the future, your knowledge may help you as a parent or in a career related to children Studying children could help you make career decisions

Five basic areas of Child Development Physical development Social development Emotional development Moral development Intellectual development

Physical development Definition: A development process that refers to the physical growth of a person’s body. This growth affects height, weight, and internal body systems Activities such as running, climbing, jumping rope, and riding a bicycle help the large muscles of the back, arms, and legs develop working jigsaw puzzles, finger painting, and stringing beads all help a child learn to control the small muscles of the hands

Social Development Definition: The process of learning to interact with others and to express oneself to others. At first children play alone Gradually, they learn to play together Then, they learn how to take turns, work together toward a common goal, lead and follow

Emotional Development Definition: the process of learning to recognize and express one’s feelings, control emotions and to establish one’s identity as a unique person Play can help children work through life’s challenges and problems

Moral Development Definition: the process of gradually learning to base one’s behavior on personal beliefs of right and wrong. Through play, children learn to follow rules and act fairly toward others They learn to share and encourage the efforts of others

Intellectual Development Definition: a development process that refers to the growth of the brain and the use of mental skills Simple activities such as singing nursery rhymes, stacking blocks, and sorting through a box of buttons help a child learn language, balance, and how to organize objects.

Stages in the individual life cycle Remember, development continues throughout life. Each person passes through various stages after childhood. This is called the human life cycle

Individual life cycle Prenatal: conception to birth Infant: birth to 12 months Toddler: 1-3 years Preschool: 3-6 years School age: 6-12 years Adolescence: 12-18 years Young adulthood: 19-40 years Middle adulthood: 40-65 years Late adulthood: 65 years and older

Adolescence Three development tasks to achieve: Finding your identity Becoming independent Planning for your life’s work

Young adulthood Finishes preparing for a career and begins working in it Many marry Establish roots Starts family and settles down to live in a particular place

Middle adulthood Reevaluating life choices Readjusting, and finding stability and peace Children are grown and have moved out New sense of freedom Travel or spend time with friends May take care of elderly parents

Late adulthood The main developmental task for a person in this period is to come to terms with life What this means: People follow typical patterns of development through these stages, but people differ in how each individual experiences this pattern.

Writing assignment Compare and contrast two stages of the individual life cycle. How are the stages similar? How are they different? Write a paragraph Use a main idea and give supporting details

Influences on Development Each child develops as an individual because of unique combination of factors that he or she experiences. Those factors can be placed in two categories: Heredity Environment

Heredity (nature) The passing on of certain characteristics from earlier generations Physical characteristics: Blood type Eye color Hair color

Why You Are Who You Are… Heredity is the qualities passed from your parents to you at birth. By understanding the role of heredity, you can learn to understand yourself. Chromosomes carry the hereditary information from each parent, creating the genetic “blueprint” for the child. The gene (the basic unit of heredity) determines all inherited characteristics or traits a person has received from their parents.

Punnett Square Dominant genes determine the nature of a certain trait in a person. Recessive genes, determine the nature of the trait only when 2 of them are present (one from each parent). Scientists use a Punnett square to determine what possible gene pairs may result from combining the genes of parents.

Inherited Traits Dominant Traits Recessive Traits Black/brown hair Full lips Free earlobes Dimples in cheeks High/narrow nose Brown eyes Curly hair Freckles Farsightedness Recessive Traits Blond hair Thin lips Attached earlobes No dimples in cheeks Broad nose Blue eyes Straight hair No freckles Normal vision

Hereditary Diseases Certain diseases and disabilities are inherited, such as: Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle-Cell Anemia, and Down’s Syndrome. Some people are a carrier of a disease, meaning they pass the disease to their children but never have it themselves. These diseases and disabilities contribute to the Special Needs Population- a group of people identified as needing assistance to compensate for specific disabilities.

Environment (nurture) The people, places, and things that surround and influence a person Through the environment you learn certain attitudes and ways of doing things You are constantly being shaped by the people around you and by your experiences

Your Environment A person’s environment includes their surroundings and everything in them: Family Friends Home School Community Religion Technology Media Society

Child Development Theorists Create a flip chart with information about each of the following theorists and their significance: Jean Piaget Sigmund Freud Maria Montessori Lev Vygotsky B.F. Skinner Erik Erikson

Jean Piaget (1896-1980) The first theorist to study children in a scientific way- he focused on how children learn He said that children go through four stages of thinking that shape how they see and learn about the world Significance: children should be given learning tasks that are suitable for their stage of thinking

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Believed that personality develops through a series of stages. Emotional experiences in childhood have profound effects on a person as an adult Significance: idea about emotional experiences is very important for caregivers

Maria Montessori (1870-1952) Her theory states that children learn by using their senses and best by pursuing their interests Significance: children need to be given objects to play with so they can exercise their sensory learning

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) Believed that a child’s needs must be met in order for that child to reach their full potential. Order of needs: physical, safety, love and belonging, and self esteem.

Section 1-3 Observing Young Children

Why is Observing Children Important? To better understand their development Helps you learn about individual children Helps identify children with special needs or disabilities Gives you important feedback about your own approach to parenting or teaching

Objective vs. Subjective Observations Subjective uses personal opinions, rather than facts to judge or describe things Objective uses facts, not personal feelings or prejudice. We should strive to always be objective observers Avoid using words like sad, happy, good, or bad

Types of Observation Records Running record Anecdotal record Frequency count Developmental checklist

How to Act While Observing You don’t want to be noticed Your presence might affect their behavior Blend into the background If a child talks to you, answer politely but briefly If you see a child is hurt and no adult knows it, you should step in

Using Observations When recording, make every effort to be objective Later, you must interpret the information and express your ideas and opinions about what has occurred Must be confidential Remember you observed a child for only a short time and it may not be an accurate representation