Chapter 1 Learning About Children
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Essential Question How can studying child development help you interact with children? ©iStock.com/goldenKB
1.1 Understanding Child Development
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Objectives After studying this lesson, you will be able to define the term child development. describe the four domains of child development. summarize the six stages of the individual life cycle that involve children. explain how heredity and environment influence growth and development.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. What Is Child Development? Development is the gradual process through which babies become adults. Child development is the scientific study of children from conception to adolescence. The individual life cycle is a description of the stages of change people experience throughout life.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Four Domains of Child Development Physical Intellectual Social Emotional Flashon Studio/Shutterstock.com, Aletia/Shutterstock.com, YanLev/Shutterstock.com, szefei/Shutterstock.com
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Stages of Child Development Prenatal—from conception to birth Neonatal—birth to 1month Infancy—1 to 12 months Toddler—12 to 36 months Preschool—3 to 6 years School-age (middle childhood)—6 to 12 years
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Factors That Influence Growth and Development Heredity—traits passed to a child from a blood relative –Genes—sections of the DNA molecule that are found in cells and determine traits –Genetics—study of heredity (Continued) XiXinXing/Shutterstock.com
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Factors That Influence Growth and Development Environment—the conditions and situations that surround and affect a child (physical and social) Heredity and environment combined—the combination of nature and nurture Heredity affected by environment—how environmental factors influence genes
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. The Epigenome Consists of chemicals that can turn genes on and off Built through positive or negative factors from the environment Is impacted by stressors (situations that cause anxiety) Changes are passed from mother to child during prenatal development
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. What Do You Think? Do you think there is such a thing as genes for aggression? for a tendency toward aggression? Is there another explanation for aggression across generations? vitstudio/Shutterstock.com
1.2 Recognizing Principles and Theories of Growth and Development
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Objectives After studying this lesson, you will be able to identify key principles of growth and development. assess how milestones aid people who are working with children. give examples of the major principles of growth and development. explain how child development research can become a theory.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Principles of Growth and Development
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Theories of Growth and Development A theory is a set of statements offered as possible explanation for a phenomenon. One theory cannot adequately describe child development. Developmental research is never completely objective. (Continued)
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Theories of Growth and Development New research begins with foundation of classic theory. Research is dependent on the tools and methods available. Theory development requires a knowledge network.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Child Development Theory Categories Maturational Psychoanalytic Psychosocial Learning Cognitive-developmental Sociocultural Ecological systems Flashon Studio/Shutterstock.com
1.3 Studying and Observing Children
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Objectives After studying this lesson, you will be able to recognize the benefits of studying children. assess Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. explain Brazelton and Greenspan’s seven basic needs of all children. develop observation skills.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Benefits of Studying Children Understand yourself (your growth, development and values) Be a responsible parent Work with children Protect children’s rights
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Brazelton/Greenspan’s Irreducible Needs Ongoing nurturing relationships Physical protection, safety, and regulation Experiences tailored to individual differences Experiences that are developmentally appropriate Limited setting, structure, and expectations Stable communities and cultural continuity Protection of the future
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. What Would You Do? Someone tells you that child care skills come naturally. How would you explain to this person that working in a child- related career requires careful study? Dragon Images/Shutterstock.com
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Investigate Special Topics According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children in the world have rights. What are these rights? Do children have these rights in all countries? Why or why not?
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Why Observe Children? To understand what you read and hear about children Because professional researchers learn through observation To help you better interact with children in your care So you can respond quickly if trouble arises
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Types of Observation Direct observation—watching children in natural environments Indirect observation—gathering information about children from various sources
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Did You Know? You can learn about children by observing the products they create. What can you learn by observing this piece of children’s art? Katarzyna Mazurowska/Shutterstock,com
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Guidelines for Observations Know your objectives. Obtain permission. Know what to do at the site. Ask questions at convenient times. Do not be distracting. Observe carefully and objectively. Record accurately. Protect the rights of those observed.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Review 1.Give an example of how learning a skill in one developmental domain affects other domains. 2.Trace the effects of poor nutrition on all domains of development. How are the domains of development interrelated? 3.Close your eyes and listen for sounds that could be used in an observation. What do you hear?