0-3 Stages Of Child Development

Babies will bring their hands together intentionally and soon after will try to bat at objects or grasp things

One famous behaviourist was Skinner (1904-1990) who was an American psychologist and believed in the role of reinforcement. There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement occurs when a particular behaviour is followed by a consequence that is desired such as receiving food, money or verbal praise. Whereas negative reinforcement takes place when a particular behaviour removes something unpleasant. Skinner used both positive and negative reinforcement in his experiment where he worked with rats and pigeons. He used a “Skinner box” to investigate the key values of learning new and challenging behaviours. Skinner used the theory of operant conditioning and would place the rat or pigeon into the “Skinner Box” the animal would then be curious and sniff and run around the box until eventually it would press the lever, which would release a food pellet. After a while the animal would carry out this behaviour many times, as it has learnt that after pressing the lever it will receive a food pellet as a consequence. As the pellet is experienced as reinforcing and something that the animal desires, this increases the chance of the behaviour being repeated. This is called

The physical development of a baby in its first six months of life shows limited range of movement but the beginnings of an ability to respond to stimulus around them. They show their reaction to people, sounds and movement by turning their head toward whatever attracts their attention. They will watch an adult’s face whilst feeding, but have already begun to shows signs of recognition as they will smile when familiar people are around them either because they can see them

Babies at birth – most are born at 40 week and premature babies more often need a little more time to reach the same level of development as babies born in and after the 40th week. Most are born with just reflexes for survival at first. These would be swallowing, sucking reflexes to help feed. Rooting reflex baby will move its head if the cheek is touched to find a nipple or teat. Grasp reflex babies will grip objects touching their palm. Startle reflex they will often move arms outwards and clench fists is a sound movement or light suddenly startles them. Walking reflex when babies are held upright with their feet on a

Thereby, Skinner produced experiments whereby rats would navigate through mazes to achieve the goal of a box containing food. His interest was the behaviour of the rat, taking the right turn to achieve the desired result, food. To begin with the rats would take the wrong turn but with experience, they became more skilful. The rats learning behaviour was measured in two ways, firstly the length of time it took from start to end and secondly, the reduction in errors. This was a lengthy experiment which led Skinner to produce ‘the Skinner box’. Whereby, rats learnt to press a lever and pigeons learnt to peck a key in order to attain food, also known as behaviour shaping. This experiment lacks ecological validity as the animals are kept in a controlled environment which is dissimilar to their natural habitat. However, the results which were attained could not have been possible in natural circumstances. Skinner wanted to observe if behaviour could be learned through reaching a desired outcome such as positive reinforcement which needed to be

At birth surprisingly a child has intellectually learned to do things already such as smell their mother and recognise her voice. They have also learnt that when they cry it lets people know that they need help and within the first few days of life they learn to use their senses particularly touch, taste and sound. At infancy a child is expected to weigh around 3.5kg or 7 1/2lbs and 50cm long. Bonding is very important socially and emotionally for both mother and baby, helps relationship in later life because they become closer. The babies reflexes are now improving, some of them are automatic responses. E.g. sucking a nipple or a bottle. Grasp reflex is when a

Rooting reflex- babies move their head to look for a nipple or teat if the cheek and mouth are touched, helping the babies to find milk

From birth to 6months- a child will develop a range of skills starting with being alerted when you say their name. Their neck muscles will become stronger and they will be able to hold their head

A new baby cannot hold up his or her head alone. Yet, within a few months, the baby will be able to sit alone. This is because control of the spine and central nervous system develops from the top of the head down to the base of the spine. You can see this control developing in a baby as he or she starts to hold the head without support. Similarly, a new-born baby waves his or her arms around vaguely, yet in nine months’ time will find the tiniest crumb or piece of Lego easy to pick up with the thumb and finger. This is because the nervous system also develops from the spinal cord out to the extremities (hands and feet).

| At birth babies are born with reflexes – such as: * swallowing and sucking * rooting * grasping * startle reflexIn the first few months babies change considerably * gradually sleeping less * looking less curled up and startle less

Physical development is usually very rapid early on in the childâ€TMs development. Within weeks of being born a baby will start to smile and respond to sounds and environments around them. By 6 months as their muscles begin to develop they will reach for and hold objects which they will also put into their mouths.

| Reflexes –Sucking, Grasping, Drinking, Eating.Lifting head unaided.Latterly, crawling, rolling over and possibly standing or cruising.

| At birth children start to develop survival and micro reflexes. They learn simple activities like grasping and sucking.At 3 months they learn how to smile and make eye contact. They learn to show that they are enjoying your company. Children learn how to show elements

In observing a normal newborn's behaviors and activities, reflexes play an important role. They help to identify normal brain and nerve activity. In my observation of Baby A, she demonstrated reflexes of rutting in finding the nipple of her bottle, sucking, head turning and grasping of my fingers. Although she was born full-term, she was quite small in stature and weight. She also showed alertness to senses of sight, hearing, taste and touch. Of course, at first, she slept most of the time while she was in my care, but as she aged, she became more active and alert. The key element to keeping Baby A happy was taking care of her physical needs first…diaper changes, feeding and burping. Although she is still very small in weight and height, she shows no sign of delayed development and is now a happy, healthy toddler.

The grasp appears at birth but only continues for another five or six months. This reflex occurs if a finger is placed on their open palm. The infant 's hand will close around the finger and trying to remove the finger causes the grip to tighten. Newborn infants have strong grasps and can almost be lifted up if both hands are grasping fingers! The moro reflex, also called the startle reflex, is likely to occur if the following happen: the infant 's head suddenly shifts in position, the temperature changes abruptly, they are startled by a sudden noise, or the sensation of falling takes place. Even the baby 's own cry may cause this reflex! The legs and head extend while the arms jerk up and out with the palms up and thumbs flexed. The step reflex is sparked when the sole of the foot touch a hard surface. The infant then lifts one foot, then the other, as if walking.