Theories of Child Development
Child
Development
Child
development refers about mental, emotional and physical in different stages of
his/ her life.
Science
study of behavior of processes of change and stability from conception through
adolescences.
Developmental
Processes: change and stability
There are two kinds of changes:
1.
Quantity change: Quantity change is a change in number or amount such as in height,
weight or size of vocabulary.
2.
Quantity change: Quantity change is a change in kind, structure or organization such
as the change from nonverbal to verbal.
Domains of
Child Development
There are three domains of child
development:
1.
Physical Development: Growth of the body size, brain development, sensory capacities,
appearance, motor skills and physical health.
2.
Cognitive Development: Changes in intellectual abilities including attention, memory,
problem solving, imagination, creativity, academic and everyday knowledge,
metacognition and language.
3.
Psychosocial Development (Emotional / Social Development): Change and
stability in personality, emotional life and social relationship.
Self -esteem, metacognition, sexual
identity, ethnic identity.
Understanding and expression of
emotions, self- regulation, temperament, other interpersonal skills and
friendship
Influence on
Development
1. Heredity
2. Environmental
3. Maturation
Principals of
Development:
1. Development starts from the head
and work down the body (head to toes).
2. All the development happens in
the same order, but can occur at different rates. (Near to far).
3. All area of developments is
linked together (Simple to complex).
Continuous
versus Discontinuous
Some theorists believe that
development is a smooth, continuous process.
Children gradually add more of the same types of skills. Other theorists think that development takes
place in discontinuous stages.
Children change rapidly as they step
up to a new level of development and then change very little for a while. With
each step children interprets and responds to the world in a qualitatively
different way.
Nature versus
Nurture
By
Nature we mean inborn, biological givens - the hereditary information we
receive from our parents at the moment of conception. By Nurture we mean the
complex forces of the physical and social world that influence our biological
makeup and psychological experiences before and after birth.
How
parents can boost their child’s development
Give the child lots of love and attention.
Interact with the child by talking, singing, playing,
eating, and reading with the child.
Read, read, read. Research has shown that children who are
read to by their parents have a larger vocabulary than other children. Reading
also provides children with new perspectives about the world we live in.
Learn some simple parenting basics to help the child to
learn how to behave. Things like being consistent with rules and offering
rewards for good behaviour will work wonders.
Find fun doing everyday tasks together.
Cooking and eating together not only improves the family
bond but also introduces great rhythms and routines to daily life. Summary
What we know about child development is rooted in developmental theories. Over the years, psychologists and other scientists have developed a variety of theories to explain observations and discoveries about child development. I am going to summarize many of them below. Again, there is a lot more to each of them, and you will surely study them in your child development classes.
Theorists
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Freud believed that the way parents dealt with their child’s basic sexual and aggressive desires would determine how the child’s personality developed. Freud also thought that all babies were born with instinctive selfish urges which he labeled the “Id”. As a child experienced that not all his or her whims were met, he or she developed a more realistic appreciation of what is realistic and possible, which Freud called the “Ego”. Over time, Freud believed, babies learn values or morals, which he called the “Super-Ego”. The Super Ego, he thought, then worked with the Ego to control the selfish urges of the Id.
Erik Erikson (1902-1994)
Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages. In each stage, Erikson believed children experience conflicts that affect development. He believed these conflicts are based on either developing a psychological quality, or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for success and development is high, but so is the potential for failure. Below are Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages that occur during childhood and adolescence, and a brief summary for each:
Social, emotional development begins with the first of Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages, Trust vs. Mistrust. An infant develops trust when he experiences his needs being met in a consistent, nurturing relationship with a primary caregiver. In a secure relationship, an infant can form attachments.
Erikson’s second Psychosocial Stage, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, says that toddlers strive to be autonomous. We can help them to get there by supporting them when they struggle and being there for them, but not always doing for them. Toddlers also need to be able to make simple choices that allow them to decide things for themselves and build self esteem and confidence.
In his third Psychological Stage, Erikson says that preschoolers begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing play and other social interaction, allowing them to feel capable and able to lead others.
Erikson’s fourth Psychological Stage occurs between ages 5 and 11. At this age, children develop self confidence by interacting with their peers and through encouragement and praise by parents and teachers.
The fifth Psychological Stage, Identity vs. Confusion, suggests that encouraging adolescents to explore their independence strengthens their sense of self and their ability to be self-sufficient and gives them the feeling of being in control of their own world.
Jean Piaget (1896-1990)
Piaget believed that early cognitive development occurs through a process where actions prompt thought processes, which influence the actions the next time around. He talked about Schemas which describe both the mental and physical actions involved in interpreting and understanding the world. New information acquired through an experience is used to modify, add to, or change previously existing schemas.
He believed cognitive development follows a fixed process of four stages that are the same for all children, though they may arrive at each stage sooner or later than their peers. His first stage is Sensori-Motor (0 – 2 years); in this stage, the child is learning about the world around him through his senses. This is the stage, Piaget said, where infants learn about object permanence, that a person or object still exists, even if the infant cannot see it. The second stage is the Preoperational Stage (2 – 7 years); in this stage, the child sees his world as if it revolved around, and for, him. Piaget’s third stage is the Concrete Operational Stage (7 – 11 years); though not yet able to think in the abstract, children in this stage are starting to mentally solve problems, develop concepts such as numbers, and are getting better at understanding and following rules. Piaget’s final stage is the Formal Operations Stage (11 years and up); in this stage, the child is able to think, not just in terms of the concrete, but also in the abstract. He is now able to hypothesize and see his world as it could be, not just as it is.
Piaget tells us that children learn differently than adults because they do not yet have the experiences and interactions needed to interpret information. Especially as infants, children are constantly gathering information though their senses. They learn about their world by watching, grasping, mouthing and listening. They learn to avoid danger for example, not by reading a caution sign, but by experiencing ‘hot’ or falling from a the chair they just climbed up on. But, it is not just activities and sensory experiences that help children to develop; they also learn through interactions with adults and their peers.
Alfred Bandura (1925 – )
Bandura believed that children can learn new information and behaviors by watching, or observing, other people. This was referred to as the social learning theory.
Lev Vygotsky (1896 – 1934)
Vygotsky believed in the sociocultural theory – that children learn actively and through hands-on experiences, and that parents and caregivers and peers have a role in a child’s development. Children, he said, learn best when new information is scaffolded for them. He called the area of cognitive development, from where a child starts out to where he could get to with scaffolding, the Zone of Proximal Development.
Vocabulary
Learning: Is define as any relatively permanent change in behavior and
cognitive skills
Behavior: A person’s overt action and reactions, which can be observed
and measured.
Growth: The increase in the size of the body, like weight and height
Development: The gaining of skills, in all aspects of a child’s life
Psychology: Can be defined as the science of behavior and mental
process.
Fine motor development: The development is referred to the pattern of students
learning.
Gross motor development: The development and using of large muscles like arms and
legs.
Research and theories: Can help teacher understanding the pattern of students
learning.
References
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