1. H UMAN D EVELOPMENT Beginning your study of children, Sec. 1-1 Understanding childhood, Sec. 1-2

2. W HY IS CHILDHOOD IMPORTANT ? Many believe it’s the most important stage of life Early years are when the brain is developing connections between nerve cells that allow it to think and control the body The links made promote mental, physical, social and emotional skills

3. B ENEFITS OF PLAY Physical – Large motor skills learned through jumping, running, riding a bike. Small motor skills learned through making puzzles, finger painting and stringing beads. Social – Children learn to play together; take turns and work together. Emotional – Role play helps children work through life’s challenges, lessening their frustrations. Moral – Valuable lessons about right and wrong. Learn to follow rules and act fairly towards others. Intellectual – Simple games provide mental development; sorting, colors, shapes, etc.

4. G ROUP ACTIVITY Think about an activity you enjoyed as a child. Talk to your partners about these activities and then decide on one to focus on. Discuss: How did playing _______ benefit you? List the benefits received from this activity in 3 out of the 5 areas we discussed. Time: 5 minutes

5. U NDERSTANDING CHILDHOOD Child development largely ignored until the 1900s Since then we have many researchers, with different theories on how development occurs

6. 5 P RINCIPLES OF D EVELOPMENT Is similar for everyone Children go through the same stages in the same order. The pace may be different, but sequence is the same. Builds on earlier learning o Learn to walk before you can learn to run o Proceeds at an individual rate o Rate of growth differs for each child o Different areas are interrelated o Changes and growth occurs simultaneously in multiple areas o Is continuous throughout life

7. I NFLUENCES ON DEVELOPMENT Heredity – blood type, eye color, hair color Born with these traits Environment – people, places, things Attitudes and ways of doing things learned throughout your life Cultural, religious, family structure Which is more influential? Nature vs. Nurture Debate Venn Diagram

8. ADOLESCENCE Particularly challenging developmental tasks Important time of growth and change Self-Esteem is an important resource at this time Finding your identity Becoming independent Planning for your life’s work Does development end after adolescense? Given what we have learned about heredity and environment, do you think this stage is a good time to become a parent?

9. W RAP UP Questions? Answer Essential Questions