Making a Difference in the Lives of Children and Adolescents Chapter 1

Chapter Outline The field of child development Basic issues in development Theories of child development Developmental periods From theory to practice

The Field of Child Development Goal: to identify and explain persistent, cumulative, & progressive changes in physical, cognitive, & social-emotional development of children & adolescents Three key factors Nature – genetics Nurture – environment The child’s own activity – choices and efforts

Three Developmental Domains Physical genetics prenatal growth & birth process body/brain changes & motor skills health-promoting behaviors Cognitive concepts, language, memory, reasoning Social/Emotional emotions, self-concept, motivation, social relationships, moral reasoning & behavior

Nature and Nurture Nature: inherited (genetic) characteristics & tendencies Nurture: environmental conditions Separate and combined effects relative effects vary for different areas of development inherited tendencies affect responsiveness to environment extreme environments may play greater role in development timing of environmental exposure matters children’s natural tendencies affect their environments

Universality and Diversity Universality – commonalities seen in all individuals Diversity – different individuals progress in different ways

Change Qualitative – dramatic change in essence or underlying structure stage theories (Piaget, Erikson) hierarchical often universal Quantitative – gradual progression with many small additions and modifications

Basic Lessons Remember both nature and nurture Familiarize yourself with developmental trends & common variations Look for both qualitative & quantitative change

Theories of Child Development Biological Behaviorism and social learning Psychodynamic Cognitive-developmental Cognitive process Sociocultural Developmental systems

Biological Theories Emphasize bodily maturation & motor abilities Historically, overlooked effects of experience Darwin, Montessori, Lorenz, Bowlby Key principles: maturational levels impose limits on abilities & interests physical abilities serve valuable functions

Behaviorist & Social Learning Theories Behaviorism: visible, external behaviors & environmental influences Skinner, Pavlov Social learning: beliefs and goals Bandura

Psychodynamic Theories Interaction between internal conflicts & environment Role of early experience Social/personality, abnormal development Freud, Erikson

Cognitive-Developmental Theories Qualitative changes in thinking processes Children play an active role Piaget, Kohlberg, Flavell

Cognitive Process Theories Detailed analyses of what children think and do Siegler

Sociocultural Theory Impact of social and cultural systems “process of children becoming full adult participants in the society into which they are born” Vygotsky, Greenfield, Gauvain

Developmental Systems Theory Dynamic relation among systems child’s body physical environment multiple, interconnected social systems Bronfenbrenner, Thelen

Developmental Periods Infancy (birth to 2 years) Early childhood (2–6 years) Middle childhood (6–10 years) Early adolescence (10–14 years) Late adolescence (14–18 years)

Developmentally Appropriate Practice Instruction & services adapted to age, characteristics, & developmental progress of individual children children as active learners adult-level functioning is not always realistic or valuable for children to model children should work together with ethics and democracy

Preparing for Developmentally Appropriate Practices Look for & capitalize on children’s strengths Recognize that immaturity serves a purpose Meet diverse needs Nudge children toward advanced thinking & behaving

Strengthening the Commitment Maintain awareness of current research findings through continued coursework Work with colleagues & professionals to share concerns & gain new perspectives Join organizations & subscribe to professional journals

Take-Home Messages Developmental change is studied in several domains in several developmental periods Patterns of change can vary Many theoretical frameworks provide explanations for change Teachers and practitioners should commit to developmentally appropriate practices