Why study children? To Understand Children To Gain Skills Better understand why they do what they do Better appreciate all characteristics of human development Understand the importance of caregivers To Gain Skills Sharpen your powers of observation To Understand Yourself To Build for the Future

Understanding Child Development

Development is….. A process that includes growth- becoming taller, for example- as well as progress in skills and abilities.

The study of how children master new skills. Child Development is… The study of how children master new skills.

Developmental Tasks Challenges met at a particular stage of life. 1. Childhood 2. Adolescence 3. Adulthood YOU ARE HERE!

Adolescence You must: Find your identity Become independent Plan for your life’s work

Influences on Development Heredity (Nature) Passing on certain characteristics from parent to child Eye color, blood type, etc. Genes- small section of a chromosome Chromosomes- threadlike structures found within the nucleus, or center, of body cells. Environment (Nurture) People – especially family Society and Culture can transmit values and customs Economic Conditions Technology

How Did I Get This List some traits that children would develop or inherit from their environment and then list some traits that children would develop from their heredity. Finally list 5 personal traits that you have and tell whether they came from environment or heredity.

Evaluating Your Personal Development Examine your present personality – what you like and do not like, how you react to things or people, what your habits are, etc.   Identify three or four factors in your childhood that have influenced your personal development and have aided in forming your present personality. These factors may be individuals, events, places, etc. Write about these influences and how you feel about them. Include ideas that you as a parent or caregiver may do differently and what you would do the same with your own children or children for which you may care.

Areas of Child Development P.I.E.S Physical Gross (large) Motor Fine (small) Motor Social Interactions w/ others Expressing self Emotional Express feelings Establish identity Intellectual Learning Language Moral Personal beliefs Right and wrong

Physical Development Development including physical growth (weight, height) and muscle development.

Hand-eye coordination How the hands work in relation to what is being seen.

Small & Large Motor Skills Small: the use of the small muscles of the body Large: the use of the large muscles of the body

Physical Dev. Examples Fine Motor Coloring Drawing Pointing Working puzzles Manipulating small objects Gross Motor Running Jumping Playing sports Walking Throwing

Cognitive/Intellectual Development The development of the mind including thought processes and learning

Cognitive Dev. Examples Vocabulary Counting Cause and effect Trial and error Incidental learning

Social Development How children interact and get along with each other.

Social Dev. Examples Parallel Play—two children playing next to each other, but not together Solitary Play—a child playing by him/herself Cooperative Play—two or more children playing and interacting together Sharing

Emotional Development How a child feels about him/herself and others and how he/she expresses those feelings. Self-esteem: how a child values him/herself

Emotional Dev. Examples Crying Smiling Separation Anxiety Stranger Anxiety

Moral Development What is right and wrong Through play children learn to follow the rules and act fairly toward others They learn to share and to encourage the efforts of others.

Moral Examples Sharing Having Manners Following rules Using appropriate language Respecting others Not lying Not stealing

Developmental Showcases! Your work will be displayed in the classroom and hallway!!! 

Developmental Showcase Create a mini-poster showcasing the four areas of development Physical Social Emotional Intellectual Have at least four examples of each area. Cut pictures out of the magazines provided. Be sure to identify the specific area of development.

Physical Social Areas of Development Emotional Intellectual

Characteristics of Development Development is…. similar for everyone builds on earlier learning proceeds at an individual rate interrelated continuous throughout life

Development is similar for everyone. Children go through the same stages in about the same order. Examples— all babies lift their head before they lift their bodies all babies stand up before they walk

Development builds on earlier learning Development follows a step by step pattern or a sequence The skills a child learns at one stage build directly on those mastered earlier. Examples— Before a child learns to run, he/she has to learn to walk.

Development proceeds at an individual rate. Children follow a similar pattern of development, each child is an individual. The rate of growth differs from child to child Examples When did you first say dada? When did you first crawl/walk?

Development is continuous throughout life. The rate of development changes, sometimes it is fast and sometimes it is slow. Development never stops!

The different areas of development are interrelated PIES Physical—the increasing ability to control and coordinate body movements Intellectual—the process of learning to think, remember, understand, reason, and use language Emotional—the process of learning to recognize and express feelings Social—learning to relate to other people

Checking Your Understanding Growth picture frame—draw a mirror or picture frame on a poster. Divide it into four sections (PIES). Write four words or draw four pictures that describe you in each area of development. You can only use something one time.

Area of Development Project Choose one of the following or create your own…display of your development Prepare a scrapbook illustrating your development in all four areas Prepare a power point showing pictures of yourself as you developed in all four areas Prepare a poster showing pictures of yourself as you developed in all four areas Create your own display—just be sure to label PIES Due on Friday at the beginning of class….be sure to bring pictures tomorrow to work on this!

Class Discussion What are a list of ways a family can provide enrichment for children without elaborate or expensive toys? Name some inexpensive toys or activities that can help children develop THE END