STUDYING CHILDREN CHAPTER 1; SECTION 2

CHILDHOOD IS IMPORTANT Childhood- a period of life separate from adulthood; development happens rapidly Time of preparation for adulthood Most important in brain development Environment plays a role

STIMULATION Activities that arouse a baby’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell –Baby’s curiosity –Attention span –Memory –Nervous system

BENEFITS OF STIMULATION Development more quickly More secure of self-image Repetition of actions reinforces pathways in the brain

LEARNING Children learn the most the first three years 100 billion nerve cells called neurons Neurons have 50 trillion connections Increase Rapidly Have twice as many as adults If they are not used the are LOST

DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS Challenges that must be met or skills to be acquired during different stages of life

Human Life Cycle Stages of development through out life: –Childhood –Adolescence –Young adulthood (20’s) –30’s –Middle age (40-45) –Late adulthood (ages 55-75) –Very late adulthood (beyond 75)

Adolescence identity, independence, education

Young Adulthood Finish education Begin working Marry

The Thirties Establishing roots Reevaluating life choices Stability

Middle Ages Adjusting to changing children Ask, “Am I satisfied?”

Late Adulthood` More Active: –Politically –Socially –Travel –Take Classes Time with grandchildren Health issue may arise

Very Late Adulthood Health Problems Contribute knowledge and Experience to society Nursing Homes, Assisted Living

GROWTH OF CHILD STUDY Alfred Binet- Jean Piaget Sigmund Freud Arnold Gesell Erik Erikson

Alfred Binet- French Psychologist, developed a series of tests to measure intellectual processes Binet arranged the tests according to mental levels from age three-fifteen,

Jean Piaget Swiss Psychologist Theorized that intelligence develops in stages that are age related Mental abilities determine the limits of the child during that period

Sigmund Freud Austrian Physician Theory that the emotional experiences of childhood have lasting effect on personality of an adult

Arnold Gesell American In the 1940s and 1950s, Gesell was widely regarded as the nation's foremost authority on child rearing and development, and developmental quotients based on his development schedules were widely used as an assessment of children's intelligence

Arnold Gesell Until the ideas of Bruner and Piaget gained prominence no longer accepted as a valid measure of intellectual ability, he remains an important pioneer in child development, and is recognized for his advances in the methodology of observing and measuring behavior

Erik Erikson American developmental theory –8 psychosocial stages –Develop through throughout their entire life span

CHARACTERISTICS OF DEVELOPMENT Development is similar for each individual Development builds upon earlier learning –Sequence- an order of steps Development proceeds at an individual rate The different areas of development are interrelated Development is a lifelong process

INFLUENCES ON DEVELOPMENT Heredity Is the biological transfer of certain characteristics from earlier generations –Blood type –Eye color –Hair color Environment The people, places, and things that surround and influence a person –Home –Family –School –Community –Experiences

SELF ESTEEM The value people place on themselves Self-worth is another name Self-Esteem helps to overcome challenges of each developmental stage Secure: dependable; firm; not liable to fail,safe

Self-Esteem Activity In Notebooks (#3) Answer the 2 Q’s: –Label: Self-Esteem Activity #3 1.What makes someone have HIGH self-esteem? 2.What makes someone have LOW self-esteem? Take Personal Inventory

School Subjects 1.I like ______. 2.I do not like _________. 3.I am good at ________. 4.I am not good at _______. 5.I am good at this subject, but I do not like it: _____. 6.I am not good at this subject, but I like it: _____.

Activities 1.I like ______. 2.I do not like______. 3.I am good at_____. 4.I am not good at_____. 5.I am good at this activity, but I do not like it: _____. 6.I am not good at this activity, but I like it: _____. 7.I prefer being involved in individual activities___ or group activities ___ which one best fits you?

Relationships with Friends and Adults 1.I am generally well liked:____ 2.I am generally not well liked:____ 3.I have a group of friends____ 4.I prefer having one or two friends____ 5.I am a leader_____ 6.I am a follower____ 7.I prefer people who like the same things I like____ 8.I prefer people who like different things:____ 9.I have the support of significant adults in my life_______ 10.I have the support of a group of peers_____

Food Preferences I like to eat_____ I do not like to eat___ I do___ do not___ eat a balanced diet (which one?)

Relaxing I relax by_____ I like relaxing alone____ or with people____ (which one) After this activity, I always feel calm and peaceful_______

Create Collage 1.Create Collage that represents what you discovered about yourself 2.Have a minimum of 5 pictures (one from each area) 3.Name (first and last) on back 4.Write one paragraph explaining what you learned about yourself. 5.Write one paragraph of why you think I had you do this activity.

INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM Personal Inventory: –Achieve better self-understanding Give praise Don’t’ be overly critical Set realistic goals Encourage new activities Model self-esteem Be honest about mistakes