Child Studies 120

Agenda- January 28th 1. Course Outline 2. Class Expectations 3. What is a Child Centered Society? 4. Poem Reflection 5. Exit Card: What do you hope to get out of this course?

Class Expectations 1. Come to class prepared. This means on time with the proper materials. **You will owe me time if you are late or unprepared. If you choose to not give me the appropriate time back I will assign you an office detention. 2. Use technology properly. I should not see you on your phone unless you have asked me specifically to use it. If I have to ask you to put your phone away more than three times you will owe me the time you have wasted.

What is a Child Centered Society? A Child Centered Society is a society that sees children as important and works for their good. People like to think they live in this type of society, however, some children experience a great deal of harm through abuse and neglect. Children need safe environments, homes, schools and other places where thy can develop to their full potential. By studying children, you will learn how to provide these safe places.

Poem 1. Read this poem quietly to yourself. 2. Jot down any lines that you feel are significant when considering the need for a child centered society. Do you think this poem has anything to say about the significance of Child Studies? 3. Get to know your neighbor!  Share your observations and lines that spoke to you. 4. We will debrief as a class.

Exit Card 1. Tell me a bit about yourself: Give me your name, your grade, and any other kind of interesting tidbit you would care to share! 2. Explain to me what you hope to see happen in this course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLxQbkVTYZk

January 29th Agenda 1. Lesson: Child Development, Individual Life Cycle 2. Activity: The Subject Matter of Child Development 3. Discussion: The Subject Matter of Child Development 4. Exit Card: Write down something you learned today and provide me with one thing you would like to know about Child Development.

Lesson: Child Development Development: The gradual process of growth through many stages, such as infancy, children, adolescence and adulthood. Scientists and researchers have been studying the development of children for many years. Their goal is to learn more about how children grow and develop.

Lesson: Child Development Child Development: The Scientific study of children from conception to adolescence. Child development focuses on changes that occur in children over time. This includes how children’s bodies change and how children think and learn. Child development also focuses on how children feel about themselves and interact with others. Child development teaches people how to care for children. Anyone who is around children can use this knowledge.

Individual Life Cycle The Individual Life Cycle is a description of the stages of change people experience throughout life. Experts divide life into age-related stages that are chosen based on changes in growth and behavior that occur as a result of age. Ages for a specific person may vary, but average ages are given.

Individual Life Cycle- Stages 1. The Prenatal Stage: Begins at conception and ends about nine months later at birth. The rate of growth at this stage is the fastest it will be in life. A child grows from a single cell to a complete organisim.

Individual Life Cycle- Stages 2. The Neonatal Stage: From birth through the second week. During this period, the baby physically adapts to life outside of the mother’s body. 3. The Infancy Stage: Begins at two weeks and continues through to the first birthday. Develops the foundation for motor, thinking, language, and social skills.

Individual Life Cycle- Stages 4. The Toddler Stage Begins at 12 months and ends at 36 months. In the toddler stage, the child makes great strides in motor, thinking, and language skills and begins to test his/her dependence on adults.

Individual Life Cycle- Stages 5. The Preschool Stage Begins at 3 years and ends at the sixth birthday. During this stage, the child becomes more self-sufficient, spends many hours in play exploring the physical and social world, and develops a rather stable self-concept.

Individual Life Cycle- Stages 6. School-Age Stage Begins at 6 years and ends at 12 years. This stage corresponds to the typical ages of children in the elementary school years. School-age children master the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. Children interact with peers more and learn by group instruction.

Activity: The Subject Matter of Child Development When we begin examining each stage in detail we will be examining the following areas of knowledge: The way children’s bodies grow and develop The way children think and learn The way children feel about themselves The way children interact with others On the sheet provided, you will be given 10 statements about Children. Match the areas of knowledge with the statements about children. We will discuss our findings after you have completed the sheet.

Exit Card Write down one thing you learned today during class. Write down one thing you are eager to learn about based on the information provided today.

January 30th Agenda Entry Card: What kind of traits do you think you have inherited from family members? Lesson: Factors That Influence Growth and Development Activity: Heredity or Environment?? Class Discussion on Heredity or Environment News Bulletin: There will be a Quiz on Unit 1 on Thursday, February 5th

Factors that Influence Growth and Development Heredity and Environment influence growth and development. Heredity- Includes all the traits that are passed to a child from blood relatives. Environment- Includes all the conditions and situations that affect a child.

Heredity You have many traits in common with all the other members of your family. These traits were passed to you in complex ways through your parents’ genes at the moment of conception. Genes: Are sections of the DNA molecule found in a person’s cells that determine the individual traits each person will have. Genetics: The study of the factors involved in the passing of traits from one generation of living beings to the next. Genetics is the study of heredity.

Heredity Genes’ instructions are life-long. Ex: The genes for eye colour remain the same for life. Genes affect some parts of growth and development more than others. Ex: They determine body features like blood type, but other traits, such as mental ability, are affected by both genes and the environment.

Heredity Some genes determine whether a person will have a trait. Ex: A person either is or is not an albino. This is determined by genes. Other genes affect the range of a trait. Traits like height come from these genes. These genes determine a trait’s potential. Whether a person will show or use that trait to its potential depends on the person’s life. Example: A good diet will help a child reach his or her height potential.

Environment Environment: The sum of all the conditions and situations that affect a child’s growth and development. Physical conditions, such as food and rest, are part of the environment. Relationships with others, as well as everything children hear or see are also a part of environment.

Environment Factors in environment can affect physical traits. Ex: Studies show that babies’ brains develop at a slower rate if no one holds or talks to them. Intellectual and social emotional traits are also affected by environment. Ex: A child whose family members show affection openly may be more likely to show affection.

Heredity and Environment Experts agree that Heredity and Environment work together. Genes control how quickly a baby’s muscles and bones grow (heredity). A proper diet is needed for the baby to grow (environment). However….a better diet does not make bones and muscles bigger than heredity allows (heredity and environment )

Activity: Heredity or Environment?? Time to reflect!  Start by referring to the list of traits you made at the beginning of class. On the sheet provided: Try to distinguish between traits that are a product of your environment and traits that you possess that are a product of heredity. Discussion to follow! I will also complete the sheet and justify my responses.

February 2nd 1. Entry Card: What are some examples of differences in the rates of growth and development in children you know? 2. Lesson: Growth and Development 3. Activity: Parents Aid Children’s Growth and Development 4. Pair and Share: Find someone in the class to share your responses with. The two of you will present your ‘findings’ and observations together.

Differences in the Rate and Growth and Development Some people enter a stage earlier and some later than the typical age. Developmental Acceleration: When a child performs like an older child. Ex: A 30-month-old child who speaks in long, complex sentences is developmentally accelerated in language. Developmental Delay: When a child performs like a younger child. Ex: A three-year old who speaks in two-word sentences may have a developmental delay in language.

Principles of Growth and Development These are statements of the general patterns in which growth and development take place in people. They do not fit every person exactly, but they are true enough to be used as a guide when learning about children.

Principle 1- Growth and Development are Constant Many aspects of a person’s growth and development are unchanging. This is what is called Constancy. What a child is today is a good hint—but not proof—of what he or she will be tomorrow. Example: Tall two year-olds tend to be tall adults. Why?: a)Traits controlled by heredity do not change. b) People often live in the same environment for years.

Principle 2- Growth and Development are Gradual and Continuous Growth and development are gradual and continuous because changes that take place happen in little, unbroken steps. Example: A baby taking his or her first steps on a certain date. Each day before walking, the baby grew, the body matured, and the baby practiced motor skills, such as crawling and pulling to stand. Positive View: Development does not reverse overnight. Ex: A junk food binge does not seriously harm a healthy person. Disadvantage/Negative View: Poor growth and development are not easily reversed. Ex: For a child with poor health due to a lifelong poor diet, it may take many months or years of eating a carefully planned diet to restore the child’s health.

Principle 3- Growth and Development Happen in Sequenced Steps In order for growth and development to be continuous, change must build on what children have already learned. Example: Writing Sequenced Steps: Steps in growth and development that follow one another in a set order. Teachable Moment: A time when a person can learn a new task because the body is physically ready, caregivers encourage and support, and the child feels a strong desire to learn.

Principle 4- Growth and Development Happen at Different Rates Example: Height and weight increases are fast in infancy, but the increases are moderate in preschool, slow in elementary school, and fast again in middle and high school. Rates also vary from one child to another. Why do these rates differ?- Children grow and develop at different rates because of heredity, environment and motivation. Examples: A) Heredity- girls’ bones and organs are more mature than boy’s at all ages B) Environment- If the Environment is lacking, lags or delays in growth and development can occur. C) Motivation- A child’s desire to achieve, can make growth and development rates vary.

Principle #5: Growth and Development have Interrelated Parts Physical, mental and social emotional aspects of growth all interact within a person in complex ways. Example: As children’s bodies grow and mature, their motor skills improve. Increased motor skills, in turn, can improve children’s social skills. Example 2: A teacher’s job is to improve children’s intellectual growth. However, how teacher’s treat children also affects their social-emotional growth.

Activity: Parents Aid Children’s Growth and Development Parents are responsible for meeting many needs of their children. For each of the following categories of children’s needs, write two examples of how parents may meet their children’s needs. Pair and Share: You will pair up with a partner and discuss your examples. The two of you will be responsible for presenting some similar examples to the remainder of the class.

February 3rd Agenda 1. Reminder: There will be a Quiz on Unit 1: Learning About Children on Thursday. 2. Lesson: Theories of Growth and Development 3. Review compilation: In groups of two or three you may begin reviewing your notes. I would like each group of three to develop 5 review questions that will be helpful to the remainder of the class. 4. Exit Card: Which theory makes the most sense to you and why.

Theories of Growth and Development First----what is a Theory? How/Why is a theory developed? Take 5 minutes to discuss with your neighbor.

Theories of Growth and Development- Theory 1 Havighurst’s Theory of Developmental Tasks: Each child masters skills and activities that fit his or her level of growth and development. In all cultures children are expected to develop skills like crawling, self-feeding and dressing at a time that is right for them. These are called Developmental Tasks.

Theories of Growth and Development- Theory 1 Havighurst’s Theory of Developmental Tasks: Havighurst identified the developmental tasks of children as coming from the following three sources: Physical Growth: As its body matures, the child is able to learn many new skills, such as walking and reading. Social Pressures: Through rewards and penalties, society pressures the child to master the tasks seen as important. Inner Pressure: The push to achieve comes from within children. It is the child who is responsible for mastering each task.

Theories of Growth and Development Part II Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs: This theory states all people work to fulfill basic needs and higher-level needs. Maslow ranks these basic and higher-level needs in an order he calls a hierarchy. This means lower-level needs must be somewhat fulfilled before higher-level needs can be pursued. Maslow’s work implies the further up the hierarchy a person can go, the more growth and fulfillment he or she will seek.

Review Activity In Groups of two or three come up with 5 review questions for the quiz. These will need to be passed in to me before the end of the period.

Exit Card Which of the two theories makes the most sense to you and why?

February 4th Review Day! 1. You have thirty minutes to go through your notes and ask me any questions you might have. 2. Trivia- Using the review Questions you provided me with yesterday, I have created a trivia review game to help you with your studying.

February 5th 1. Quiz 2. Worksheet: Why is It important to Study Children