Top Eight Child Development Topics in 2009

1. Top Eight Child Development Topics in 2009 Ann Epstein, Ph.D.

2. 8 Important Topics in 2009 • Brain Research: infants, 2nd language, enhancers • Gender: classroom biases • TV Viewing and Video Game Playing: detrimental & positive effects • Temperament: inborn, goodness of fit

3. 8Important Topics in 2009 (cont) 5. Achievement and Culture: expectations 6. Bullying: victim, aggressor, by-stander, cyber bullies 7. Families: parenting styles, super-Dads 8. Socio-Economic Status: Effects of Poverty & Affluence

4. Sources Primary References • Frieberg, K. (2010) Annual Editions: Human Development 09/10, 38th Edition. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. • Junn, E. N. & Boyatzid, C. J. (2009). Annual Editions: Child Growth and Development 09/10, 16th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. • Klass, P. & Costello, E. (2003). Quirky Kids. New York: Ballantine Books. • Santrock, J.W. (2007; 2009).Children. 9th , 10th Editions. New York: McGraw Hill. (Specific citations available upon request.)

5. Brain Research and Young Children “Blooming and Pruning” of Synaptic Connections • Nearly twice as many synaptic connections are produced during first year as will ever be used • Synaptic density peaks in visual cortex (vision) at approximately 8 months • ….. in auditory cortex (hearing) and prefrontal cortex (reasoning and self regulation) between 3 and 6 years • Blooming and pruning continues throughout life

6. Anatomy of the Brain

7. Neurons Nerve cells transmit information from one part of the body to another. Each nerve cell has branching dendrites to connect to other dendrites, and a long axon to transmit or collect impulses.

8. Neuron Soma (Nucleus), Dendrites & Axon

9. Brain Research and Young Children Implications for “blooming and pruning” Brain is ready to learn! • Provide rich sensory experiences • Provide appropriate conceptual learning experiences: inquiry based learning • Recognize plasticity (changing nature) of young child’s brain

10. Brain Research and Young Children Implications of Plasticity • Repeated experiences “wire” the brain; appropriate learning activities actually build strong brains • Resiliency (recovery from early traumatic events) has biological foundation

11. Brain Functions

12. Practices That Support Neural Development • Use fixed equipment (e.g. high chairs, approved walkers and jumpers) sparingly: little opportunity for varied experiences • Provide variety of auditory, tactile and visual experiences • Sensitive teacher/parent/care-giver responses facilitate brain growth

13. Stress Hormones and Developmentally Appropriate Practice Too much cortisol (released during stress) over extended periods can lead to memory and self-regulation problems. • Ease transitions, particularly separation • Support family changes (sibling birth, moves) • Maintain calm environment • Nurture friendships

14. Right Brain Growth Spurt • Right side of cerebral cortex: processes negative emotions, intense emotions, creativity • Left side: processes positive emotions, language development, interest in new objects & experiences • Right side: greater growth during first 18 months, dominates functioning for first three years.

15. Learning to Regulate Emotions • Adults: minimize stress, provide comfort • Toddlers: assess fearful situations, use expressive language to make needs known, apply strategies to manage stress • Respond quickly, appropriately to child’s stress with soft voice, reassuring expression.

16. Autonomic Nervous System • Watch for stress cues: fluctuations in skin color, breathing patterns, sweating, hiccupping, yawning, need for the bathroom “Observation of neurobehavioral functioning can alert caregivers (teachers) to signs of disorganization before the child experiences failure.” (p. 183)

17. Brain Research and Mylenation • Mylenation: fatty covering of neurons that increases speed of information traveling through nervous system • Finding: children who watch excessive amounts of TV have less mylenation, thus not able to process information as quickly as children who have sensory-rich experiences

18. Brain Development and 2nd Language Learning Bilingual children perform better than monolingual children on cognitive tasks including • selective attention • concept formation • analytic reasoning Current statistics: 6% of US children study a second language in grades 1 – 6 (no figures for preK/K)

19. Brain Research and Adolescence • Adolescent brains have more activity in amygdale • This is primary area for processing emotions • Implication: academic learning occurs in on-going context of emotional processing

20. Adolescent Brains • Changing until at least age 25 • Second major pruning occurs around age 11 (girls), 12 (boys) • Last area to develop is prefrontal cortex: planning, setting priorities, organizing thoughts, suppressing impulses, weighing consequences of actions • Hormones affect mood and excitability

21. Brain Based Gender Differences • Portions of the corpus callosum (band of tissue through which the brain’s two hemispheres communicate) larger in females • One part of hypothalamus responsible for sexual behavior larger in males • Area of parietal lobe involved in spatial tasks larger in males • Areas involved in emotional expression show more metabolic activity in females

22. Gender Current Classroom Biases Against Boys • Compliance, following rules, being neat and orderly are valued (boys “wired” differently) 2. Most teachers are female (lack of role models) 3. Boys more likely to be identified with learning disabilities (don’t fit today’s educational process)

23. Gender: Current Classroom Biases Against Boys (continued) • Boys more likely to be criticized • Boys’ academic struggles (especially in literacy) more likely to be overlooked • School personnel stereotype boys’ rough and tumble behavior as problematic • Competitive • Risk taking • Pursuing danger

24. Gender Current Classroom Biases Against Girls • Tendency toward compliance, diminished assertiveness • Seek harmony, avoid discord • Strive to maintain order, safety • Teachers give more attention to boys • By middle school, girls have lower self-esteem • Girls see fewer career options

25. Same Sex Classrooms Preliminary research (Australia) and anecdotal findings (South Carolina) show: • Girls develop more confidence • Boys are able to resolve conflicts faster • Teachers report more enjoyment • No change in academic gains

26. TV: “Taking our Kids Down the Tube” • Average young child watches 4 hours/day • Thousands of commercials for high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt foods • Violence, alcohol use, inappropriate sexual activity • 60% of children 8 to 16 have TVs in bedrooms

27. Effects of Excessive TV Viewing • 15 % of US children are seriously overweight (5% in 1964) • Children who watch 10 or more hours per week have lower reading scores • The more TV between ages 1 and 3, greater the risk for attention problems at age 7 • Exposure to TV violence definitely linked to aggressive behavior • Advertising affects children’s goals, aspirations • Corporate sponsorship of very young athletes

28. The Internet: It’s Fun, but Does It Make You Smarter? • Home internet use improves standardized reading scores (MSU study) • 140 13 year-olds, mostly African American, 75% living in single family homes with average income of $15,000 or less • Digital divide issue • Encourages self-directed learning • Compared to other nations, US educators do not focus on using Internet for educational purposes

29. Role Models and the Media • In TV and film, male figures appear more frequently • Male characters continue stereo-typed roles: more leaders, bossier, more intelligent than females • Role models • Parents (34%) • Entertainers (20%) • Friends (14%) • Athletes (11%) • Acquaintances (8%) • Authors (1%), • Historical figures (1%)

30. The Demise of Creative Play • Increased TV viewing, video playing results in less creative play • Children who play imaginatively • Have more sophisticated vocabularies • Laugh and smile more often • Show less aggression • Solve problems more easily

31. Guilt Free TV • Ages 2 – 5: Dora the Explorer, Clifford the Big Red Dog (slow moving, repetitive) • Ages 5 – 8: Sagwa, the Chinese Cat (good vs bad) • Ages 9 – 11: Doug, Lizzie McGuire, The Wild Thornberrys(inner lives, complex motives) • Young Adolescents and Tweens: Gilmore Girls, Nick News (rationale not provided) • www.Parentstv.org: weekly “pics”; cartoon ratings

32. Temperament Traits are primarily genetic with some environmental influence Three Types • Easy or Flexible: 40% • Slow to warm up or Fearful: 15% • Difficult or Feisty: 10% 35% of children exhibit combination of traits

33. Temperament Traits • Activity level • Regularity • Persistence • Distractibility • Mood • Approach/withdrawal • Adaptability • Intensity • Sensitivity

34. Understanding Temperament • Respect individual differences • Not an excuse for inappropriate behavior • Work with child instead of trying to change child • Anticipate and understand reactions

35. Goodness of Fit Match between child’s temperament and environmental demands • Difficult children need calm response, redirection, options for high energy • Fearful children need gradual introductions to new experiences

36. Gender, Culture and Temperament Cultures value temperament traits differently Example: Chinese value quiet babies, Canadians value active babies; Canadian mothers of inhibited 2 year-olds were less accepting of their infants’ temperament while Chinese mothers were more accepting

37. Achievement and Culture American/Japanese Example • Hours teaching math • Japan: 25% of time in first grade • US: 10% of time in first grade • Hours in school • Japan: 240 days • US: 178 days • Beliefs • US parents: Math achievement is due to ability • Japanese parents: Math achievement is due to effort

38. High Income Families & Achievement Comparison of inner city (middle to low income) and suburban (high income) 10th graders • More substance abuse, anxiety, depression in high income group • Causes: isolation from parents, pressure to achieve

39. Bullying • Who?: nearly 1 in 3 6th through 10th graders (either victim or perpetrator) • Begins in Kindergarten • Boys and younger middle school students (both genders) most likely

40. Bullying • “Tough Boys”: physical – hit, slapped, pushed • “Mean Girls”: verbal – rumors, sexual comments, gestures • Belittled about speech, looks, race, religion, dress (begins in elementary school), but mostly personality characteristics (also physical strength in boys)

41. Bullying • Victims: miss school, develop physical problems and/or depression • Bystanders: need training, encouragement and reinforcement • Perpetrators: poor grades, other behavior problems, smoke, drink alcohol, substance abuse, early sexual activity • Parents and teachers hesitate to become involved, children do not report incidences

42. Bullying Possible Solutions • Family involvement • Train ALL staff (cafeteria, bus, volunteers) • School-wide climate of acceptance • Consistent responses & consequences • Assist children in developing social skills • Address as top priority • Learning decreases as bullying increases • Continuing consequences for victim, aggressor, and bystander

43. Resolving Emotional Issues: The Role of Make Believe • 65% of children up to age 7 played with at least one imaginary friend at some point • Well-behaved OR bossy, mean, always busy • Provide opportunity to work out disappointments and upsets

44. Children with Imaginary Friends • Have better verbal skills • Are better at understanding other view points • Have above average IQs • Are more creative • Smile and laugh more on the playground than other children • Advice to parents: help child adjust scenario to fit real constraints

45. Families: Gay and Lesbian • 20% of lesbians, 10% of gays are parents • Most have children before acknowledging sexual orientation • Children are just as popular with peers • No differences in adjustment and mental health of children living in gay or lesbian families • Overwhelming majority: heterosexual orientation

46. Families: Maternal Employment No detrimental effects EXCEPT • Infants whose mothers worked during the first year of life experienced negative effects • Poorer cognitive abilities at age 3 • Less negative effects if Mom works < 30 hours/week • Proportion of working married mothers with children under age 3 dropped from 61% in 1997 to 58% in 2002

47. Families: Stress and the Superdad • 2004 poll: 75% of men are concerned with keeping up with job skills • 72% would sacrifice work advancement to spend more time at home • 60% of men with children work 41 to 59 hrs/wk (49% of men without children) • Stress: want to be with children, help at home, but feel pressure to advance at work

48. Families: Parenting Style • Spanking has negative short and long term effects • Decreased internalization of morals • Diminished quality of parent-child interactions • Poorer child and adult mental health • Mild spanking: little research, although often leads to more severe spanking • Maltreatment: most common abuser is overwhelmed single mother in poverty

49. Parenting Style Most effective guidance occurs through authoritative (democratic) style • Provide flexibility within limits • Communicate often • Give clear, age-appropriate expectations • Offer limited choices (e.g. would you like to read 1 or 2 stories after your bath?)

50. Poverty’s Effects Greatest risk for developmental weaknesses is from growing up in families with persistent socioeconomic disadvantages • Cognitive • Physical • Socio-emotional