Among the many different theories in the field of Child Development, one stands out as the most thorough approach to looking at the whole child and all the factors that go into their development. A child’s development, builds upon itself, like those of a Russian nesting doll. (Bronfenbrenner 2009) This theory looks at the child as a unique individual with their own ‘hard-wiring”, who is physically and emotionally connected to their environment, impacted by their individual cultural and social information from their family and society, as well as influenced by external connections - teachers, coaches, friends, etc.., which builds a strong picture of who they are as an individual. (Baltes et al. as cited in Child Development And Education, …show more content…
A teacher or parent must remember that his development is based on human behavior and patterns which is not always predictable. We need to consider the ideas of Richard M. Lerner and Celia B. Fisher that states when Bronfenbrenner’s ideas are tested, the variables of human behavior may modify his system, morph it into a modified system - “...Plasticity (the potential for systematic change)...” Fisher & Lerner, 1994; Lerner, 2002. Given all the variables that must be considered when using this theory - “racial/ethnic, cultural, and developmental diversity and the nature and variation that exists within and across tie in human behavior and development.” (Lerner & Fisher …show more content…
A child is literally bombarded by a multitude of information as they develop during early childhood. Are physiological factors, such as genetics playing a role in their development? Are their emotional and physical needs being met with proper nutrition and and supportive family connections? Have they been set up to compete or compliment their peers and siblings? What are the various systems set in place by generations of family traditions? Given all these variables, children will benefit from educators that are willing to take pieces from all the different theories to get a true, authentic understanding of where a child is developmentally so they grow and continue to develop into healthy, confident
Children’s development can be grouped into four different aspects: physical, social and emotional, intellectual and language.
There are many different theories of development which we use to understand children’s behaviour, reactions and the way in which they learn.
There have been many theories on how children develop and learn, some of the theorists who influence the educators of today on how to best teach children.
If a practitioner see that the child is struggling with certain things, there could be an influence on other areas of development, because as we know each area of development are connected, and practitioner can use special screening programmes what can help the to pick up any areas of difficulty that child maybe suffering.
There is a plethora of child development theories that have a degree of influence over current practice. Each of which both have criticism and contrasting theories.
One of the leading voices on these researches is Craig Anderson Ph.D. of Iowa State University. In one of his latest studies, Anderson surveyed over three thousand children ranging from
Though his has a multicultural approach with its emphasis on individualism, this makes it difficult to test. In addition, the theory fails to address how development occurs. This is where Piaget’s theory comes in. Piaget’s theory has been widely accepted by developmental theorists as it focuses on how development occurs through childhood and into adolescents. Despite having the potential for yielding based results, his theory has been widely accepted by developmental theorist (Belsky, 2016). Unlike Erikson’s theory, Piaget’s theory is not culturally friendly, in that it is near impossible to apply this theory to children who have intellectual disabilities or those who missed developmental milestones as it can underestimate their cognitive ability.
“How relevant are early experiences for later development?” 4. “How do physical, cognitive, emotional, and social functions interact?” 5. “How do the environmental and social contexts affect individual development?” 6.
Society and culture play a significant role in a child’s development which influences developmental milestones. This is because children in the early stages learn their way of life from imitating those around them and they are therefore inclined to behave in a certain way that seems normal to them (Albert & Trommsdorff, 2014). The acquired traits and behaviors at an early age are likely to influence later developmental stages that define who a person is and what they are capable of.
There are many factors that effect the way that children develop. Children progress through many stages as they grow and what happens in each of the stages can have an impact on their social and emotional well being. Many theorists have speculated as to what goes on in the depths of our psyche. Why do we make certain choices? How do our interactions within society impact our development? Self definition has been a studied from a variety of perspectives - historical, cultural and developmental (Kroger, 1996).
Children’s development may not follow the expected pattern due to a range of personal and external factors. This could be due to disability, long-term illness, life-threatening illness, environment, friends, family, etc.
Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson are very well known men for their different theories of development. Although each of them believe different things about how a child develops, I believe that a child can go through all of these theories and benefit from them. I also understand that not everyone is the same, and what might be true for someone could be different for someone else. In my own personal experience, I believe I went through and I’m going through all these different stages in theories throughout my life. I also work at a daycare and we use aspects from each of these theories when going about teaching children. The three different theories include: Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, Vygotsky;s sociocultural theory of
The purpose of this assignment is to closely observe the development of a child through an interview and apply the theories and concept of child development in his particular cultural and educational context. I selected the child who lives in my neighborhood for the interview and began with seeking the permission from his parents. The child’s name is ‘Abdullah’ and he is seven years old. He lives with his family in Terre Haute and his family consists of parents and two sisters. Abdullah goes to Sugar Grove Elementary School in the Terre Haute city along with his two sisters and he is in grade 2. The interview was conducted at his home and I ensured his convenience. He was cooperative and provided insightful responses to the questions and he provided significant detail in the interview. I was able to track his development stages and connect it to different theories of Developmental Psychology including psychoanalytical perspectives and Piaget’s stages of development. In the following paragraphs, I will explain my observations about Abdullah’s development in the light of developmental theories with special focus on cognitive, social, linguistic, and emotional development followed by making connections between his socioeconomic and cultural background and development. Lastly, I will conclude paper by highlighting that the observations during the interview can facilitate my future practice as a teacher.
When an infant arrives in the world they are helpless tiny humans who depend on adults for every need from love, to feeding them. It is amazing how these tiny babies grow into adults able to make decisions and become self-dependent. There are many theories about how children develop and what roles the environment plays, what people affect their lives and how events can shape their personalities. Some of these children have and easy life and some have a harder time making that journey to adulthood.
I believe that there is so much more to a child's development than any psychologist or doctor could ever theorize. It takes many different things to make a child who they are and who they will