1. 1 Learning About Children Chapter 1

2. 2 Child development is a fascinating subject Constantly changing and discovering How does studying children help you??

3. 3 Help understand them and yourself See the changes children go through Helps learn positive ways to care for children

4. 4 Child-centered society– society that sees children as important and works for their good Some children experience neglect and abuse Need safe environments Chance to grow and promote health and well being

5. 5 Why Study Children? To understand yourself –Appreciate all that goes into a first word or step –Gain insight into your own growth, development, and personal priorities

6. 6 To Be A Responsible Parent Parents need to know stages of development Know the best ways to respond to those needs Have realistic expectations

7. 7 Parents responsible for: 1. Physical needs – right diet, well fitting clothes, need shelter, and physical protection

8. 8 2. Intellectual needs – good experiences for their children Develop skills needed to survive Creative needs recognized

9. 9 3. Social Needs – learn to form relationships Need strong relationships from parents Need a sense of belonging Socialize– train a child to live as a part of a group, such as the family, culture, or society Teach child about their culture– way of life within the group

10. 10 4. trust needs –need to feel they can cope with demands of family, friends, and society Able to trust parents Gain confidence

11. 11 5. love/guidance needs Need love and support Listen to children Set limits Share reasons for limits Character– inward force that guides a person’s conduct

12. 12 Protect Children’s Rights Easily hurt They are physically weaker Cannot reason as adults do Convention on the Rights of The Child – set out the rights of every child –11 major categories

13. 13 Convention on the Rights of the Child 1. an identity – protect children’s names, family ties, nationalities 2. a family – able to live with their parents unless this is not in the child’s best interest

14. 14 3. express themselves and have access to information Children have the right to express their views, freedom of thought, conscience religion, obtain information 4. a safe and healthy life – right to live, to survive and develop, access to medical services, decent standard of living

15. 15 5. special protection in times of war – refugees are entitled to special protection, under 15 should not take part in armed conflict 6. an education – primary education free and required for all, secondary should be accessible to all children

16. 16 7. special care for the disabled – have the right to special care, education, training 8. protection from discrimination – rights apply to all children, practice their own religion, culture, languages 9. protection from abuse –government shall have laws that will protect

17. 17 10. protection from harmful work – right to rest, leisure, play and participation in cultural and artistic activities, protected from having to work that threatens their health, education, development 11. special treatment if arrested – respect their rights

18. 18 In the United States Parents have the rights of guardianship Determine their children’s upbringing Control religious and moral taching Each state makes laws and policies –School attendance, child labor, illegal drug sales

19. 19 State protect children from the results of their own lack of judgment Cannot make a contract Treated differently in court than adults Local laws can be enacted also –curfews

20. 20 Working with Children Careers focus on only one area of child’s needs School cook – nutrition Teacher -- intellectual

21. 21 What is Child Development Development – gradual process of growth through many stages, infancy, children, adolescence, and adulthood Child development – scientific study of children from conception to adolescence

22. 22 Child development focuses on changes that occur in children over time Do research to gather information

23. 23 Individual Life Cycle Is a description of the stages of change people experience thoughout life Stages based on changes in growth and behavior Exact ages may vary Basic idea where the stage begins or ends

24. 24 Prenatal –begins at conception and ends about 9 months later at birth Fastest rate of growth

25. 25 Neonatal – birth through the second week Baby physically adapts to life outside of the mother’s body

26. 26 Infancy – two week until the first birthday Develops the foundation for motor, thinking, language, and social skills

27. 27 Toddler stage – begins at 12 months and ends at 36 months Great strides in motor, thinking, language skills and begins to test his or her dependence on adults

28. 28 Preschool stage – begins at three years and ends at six years Spends hours play exploring social and physical world More self sufficient Rather stable self-concept

29. 29 School age stage – begins at 6 years and ends at 12 years Typical ages of elementary school Master the basics of reading, writing, math Interact with more peers Learn by group instruction

30. 30 Factors that Influence Growth and Development 1. each child has unique, inborn traits 2. child’s surroundings also play a large role

31. 31 Heredity – sum of all the traits that are passed to a child from blood relatives Environment – sum of all conditions and situations that affect a child’s growth and development

32. 32 Heredity Genes—sections of the DNA molecule found in a person’s cells that determine the individual traits the person will have Genetics –study of the factors involved in passing of traits from one generation to the next

33. 33 Genes influence your growth and development –Genes’ instructions are lifelong –Genes affect some parts of growth and development more than others (color of eyes, skin, teeth, mental ability) –Some genes determine whether a person will have a trait

34. 34 Other genes affect the range of traits Height, athletic ability Whether a person will show or use the trait to its potential depends on the person’s life Poor nutrition = not achieve full potential Good nutrition = reach potential height

35. 35 Environment Affects growth and development Food and rest part of environment These condition shape the experiences children have Studies show that babies’ brains develop at a slower rate if no one holds or talks to them

36. 36 Heredity & Environment Combined Working together Genes control how quickly a babies muscles and bones grow (heredity) but a proper diet is important also (environment)

37. 37 Brain Development Brain research with high technology and advances in biochemistry More information available now

38. 38 Basic Wiring Occurs Brain responsible for controlling most body functions Neurons – cells that send and receive electrical impulses amongst each other that direct the various tasks of the brain Wiring – network of fibers that carry brain signals between neurons See page 30 figure 1-11

39. 39 Axons – long, thick cables that transmit all the signals from a neuron to other neurons Dendrites – short, bush cables that allow each neuron to receive signals sent by other neurons

40. 40 Synapse – tiny gap between a dendrite of one neuron and the axon of another across which electrical impulses can be transmitted Pruning – process of weeding out underused or weak connections between neurons

41. 41 Heredity & Environment Interact Heredity affects how many neurons a baby will have throughout life All neurons present at birth Overtime, brain continues to strengthen used pathways, but begins to weed out unused ones Pruning – process of weeding out underused or weak connections between neurons

42. 42 Rich sensory experiences create new dendrites, builds new networks for learning Rich experiences, hugs, hearing music, learning a skill, exploring a toy Strengthen and refine brain’s wiring

43. 43 Windows of Opportunity Timing is an important concept when it comes to brain development Window of opportunity = prime period in a child’s life for developing a particular skill if given the chance to do so Some windows are large while other are not

44. 44 Language development is a good example Some windows are small like vision which is completed in a few months Once passed, more difficult to acquire Skills are learned at the same time with windows of opportunity

45. 45 Brain Plasticity Ability of the brain to be shaped and reshaped, which is greatest early in life Positive and negative effects Depends on environment Great deal of stimulation increases strength of the wiring

46. 46 Positive Environment for Young Children Best experiences are interaction with loving adults engaged in daily tasks/family type activities Children need choices in what and how to learn – let them choose toys, story Children need time to practice and master skills (repetition)

47. 47 Brain Plasticity Easily injured by abuse, neglect or other negative experience Stress has a harmful effect on brain function “fight or flight” chemical change like an acid bath washing over brain wiring

48. 48 Plasticity Lessens with age 3 yr old is far less changeable than at birth

49. 49 1. infant and toddler years are times of great brain activity and learning 2. children who have developmental delay, live in unsafe environments, or lack stimulating experiences need early professional help to overcome these obstacles

50. 50 3. a good early environment provides the best foundation for all areas of development Early years are the most important for all areas of growth and development

51. 51 Differences in the Rate of Growth and Development Developmental acceleration – when a child performs like an older child Developmental delay – when a child performs like a younger child

52. 52 A child may be developmentally accelerated or delayed in one area

53. 53 Principles of Growth & Development Statements of the general patterns in which growth and development take place in people

54. 54 Growth & Development are Constant Traits controlled by heredity do not change People often live in the same environment for years Tall 2 year old will be a tall adult Good at school in elementary will be good at high school

55. 55 Growth & Development are Gradual and Continuous Changes take place in little, unbroken steps Tells us that if people don’t develop they may do so later If the window has closed it may be possible to learn but extremely hard if possible at all

56. 56 Growth & Development Happen in Sequenced Steps Steps in growth and development that follow one another in a set order Teachable moment – time when a person can learn a new task because the body is physically ready, caregivers encourage and support, and the child feels a strong desire to learn

57. 57 Growth & Development Happen at Different Rates Experts know when fast and slow periods of growth and development occur Vary from one child to another Need a good environment If lacking they may lag behind Some children eager to learn, others are not

58. 58 Growth & Development Have Interrelated Parts All aspects are interact

59. 59 Theories of Growth & Development Most famous researchers Erik Erikson Jean Piaget Others: Havighurst and Abraham Maslow

60. 60 Havighurst Theory of Developmental Tasks Developmental tasks – skills that should be mastered at a certain stage in life Educator and behavioral scientist Believed achieving developmental tasks lead to happiness and success with later tasks Failure to achieve leads to unhappiness and problems with later tasks

61. 61 3 Sources 1. physical growth – a baby comes into the world as helpless, as body matures learn new skills 2. social pressures – rewards and penalties society pressure child to master task seen as important

62. 62 3. inner pressures -- actual push to achieves comes from within children

63. 63 Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs Noted psychologist Believed that development is a result of meeting personal needs All people work to fulfill basic needs and higher-level needs See page 42 figure 1-19

64. 64 1. Basic needs – physiological and psychological 4 basic categories 1. physiological 2. psychological 3. belonging/love 4. esteem

65. 65 Higher Level Needs Self actualization – needs that at to grow and feel fulfilled as a person Drive to pursue talents, hobbies, gain skills and learn more about the world Education meets self-actualization Complete self-actualization is a lifelong process

66. 66 Hierarchy of Human Needs Lower level needs ( basic needs) must be somewhat fulfilled before high level needs can be pursued Further up the hierarchy a person can go, the more growth and fulfillment he or she will seek Sees humans as drive by need to become more fulfilled

67. 67 Observing Children Oldest, most common and best way to learn about human behavior Observing adults who work with children, you can learn to imitate their successful behaviors Senses are main tools in observation

68. 68 Observation skills must be learned

69. 69 What Do Researchers Want to Know? May think of another idea to study Want to know more about a behavior and decide to observe further May look for causes that affect behavior Helps you to better interact with children

70. 70 Ways to Observe Observe directly Direct observation—watching children in their natural environments Play groups, child care programs, schools

71. 71 Indirect Observations –asking questions of parents, teachers, or children Observe products children make,

72. 72 Guidelines for Observing 1. protect the rights of the subject and the observer See page 45, 46 figure1-22

73. 73 Making Observations 1. list examples of culture you have observed being handed down from one generation to another.