Understanding The Learner (UTL) (Spring Semester: PgDE – 2009) __________________________ 1.Child Development: An Introduction Module Tutor Karma Gayphel

Lets think of these questions: What made you the kind of child you were? What made you the kind of adult you are now? What made your parents, friends, teachers, the leaders of government the way they are? What factors will influence your children to be in future? What influences some person to become a mass murderer and other a humanitarian? What influenced you to be different from your next neighbours and even from your own brothers and sisters? [The answers to these questions are what we hope to find by studying human development from birth to life span]

1.1 What is Development? Development is the pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the lifespan. What are some changes we undergo as we grow from childhood to adulthood? Biological Cognitive Three Domains of Development Socio-emotional Development is a product of biological, cognitive and socio- emotional processes:

Biological processes changes in physical nature e.g. height and weight gains Cognitive processes changes in thought, intelligence and language e.g. putting together a two-word sentence, imagining what it would be like to be a movie star Socio-emotional processes changes in relationships with others, emotions and personality, e.g. an infant’s smile in response to mother’s touch, a girl’s shyness in interacting with others etc

1.2 Why Study Child Development? Responsibility for children is part of our everyday life as parents & teachers. The more you know them, the better you can deal with them. Gain insights into our own growth history. To understand how we change as we grow up and the forces that contribute to this change.

Periods of dev. hyperlink.doc 1.3 Periods of Development

1.4 Developmental Issues a) Nature vs. Nurture Nature: refers to the inborn biological traits such as heredity and genetically controlled maturational processes of development. Nurture: refers effects of environmental conditions on our development.

Which has the most important influence on our development – biological inheritance or environmental experience? Think about commonalities such as: we walk before we talk; speak using one word before using two words; grow rapidly in infancy and less so in early childhood; experience a rush of sexual hormones during adolescence; reach peak of physical strength during early adulthood etc. In contrast think about how the following influence us:  family, friends;  school, community;  media, culture etc.

b) Continuity and Discontinuity Does our development involve gradual, cumulative change from conception to death; or does it involve distinct stages in life span?

Do we grow slowly and cumulatively like a seedling to a great big tree, or are there sudden distinct changes in our growth just as a caterpillar changes into butterfly?

c) Early and Later experience Are we more affected by events that occur in early childhood, or do later events play an equally important role? OR Is our later development determined by our early experiences of childhood or does it continue to be like the ebb and flow of a river rather than statue like? However, developmentalists recognize that it is unwise to take an extreme view. For instance, most believe that the key to development is the interaction of nature and nurture rather than either factor alone.

References McDevitt, T. M. and Ormrod, J. E. (2004). Child Development: Educating and Working with Children and Adolescents. (2 nd Ed.). Pearson Education, Inc., Upper River, New Jersey. Meadows, S. (1990). Understanding Child Development. Unwin Hyman, Broadwick Street,London. Santrock, J. W. (1998). Child Development.(8 th Ed.). McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., USA. Wagner, K. V. (2009). Issues in Developmental Psychology. The New York Times Company. Retrieved February, 18, 2009 from m m