Child Development

1. Child Development • Chapter 1 • Learning About Children

2. Section 1-1

3. Objectives • Summarize the benefits of having children • Explain how learning about typical behaviors can help you better understand children. • Describe how childhood today differs from childhood in the past.

4. Benefits of Studying Children • Better understand why children feel, think, and act the way they do • Gain skills as a caregiver • Learn to enjoy children more • Explore whether a career related to children interests you

5. History of Parenting Practices

6. What are typical behaviors? How can knowing about them help you better understand children’s behavior?Typical Behaviors • Ways of acting and responding that are common at each stage of childhood • Understanding these behaviors can help you recognize when children are acting appropriately for their age

7. Caregivers… • Provide basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter • Give affection needed for emotional growth • Stimulate learning • Teach how to get along with others • Teach right from wrong

8. 1800s Children vs. Today’s Children

9. Play is important because… • It helps children learn intellectually, emotionally, and socially.

10. Studying children may… • Reinforce the views you already have about childhood or… • Cause you to rethink your views on childhood

11. Section 1-2

12. Objectives • Explain why childhood is an important time of development. • Compare/Contrast leading theories of how children develop. • Identify and give examples of the 5 characteristics of development. • Explain impact of heredity and environment on development. • Define the stages of development after childhood. • Describe how self-esteem and development are interrelated.

13. The Baby’s Brain At birth – least developed organ – about ¼ the size of an adult’s. By age 3 – has produced hundreds of trillions of connections among the brain cells.

14. Stimulation and Development • It improves: • Curiosity • Attention span • memory • Development occurs more quickly • Babies have more secure self-image

15. Stimulating Environment and Neural Pathways • The collective group of used pathways become a map of how an individual thinks, reasons, and remembers • Unused pathways are eliminated • Babies in stimulated environments retain greater number of connections

16. 10. Child Development Theorists • Freud • Personality develops through stages • Childhood experiences profoundly affect adult life • Piaget • Children go through 4 stages of learning • Children must be given tasks appropriate to their level of development • Vygotsky • Biological development and cultural experience influence ability to learn. Social contact essential to intellectual development. • Erikson • Each dev. stage includes a unique psychological crisis. If the crisis is met in a positive way, the individual develops normally

17. Theorists cont’d… • Skinner • Children will repeat actions that receive positive results. Children will stop actions that receive negative results. • Bandura • Children learn by imitating others. Environment shapes behavior and behavior affects environment. • Bronfenbrenner • A child’s own biology, family/community environment, and society affect a child’s development.

18. Child Development Theorists

19. 11. Characteristics of development • Development is similar for each individual. • Children go through the same stages of development in about the same order. • Development builds on earlier learning • Skills learned at later stages build on those mastered earlier. • Development proceeds at an individual rate. • Children go through the same stages, but at his/her own pace. • The different areas of development are interrelated. • Changes occur in body, mind, emotions at the same time. • Development is a lifelong process. • Humans continue to change throughout life—sometimes rapidly, sometimes slowly

20. 2 Major Influences on Development • Heredity • Examples: Blood type, eye color, hair color • Environment • Examples: Family, community

21. Typical Developmental Tasksin the Human Life Cycle (birth to death) • Adolescence • Stage between childhood and adulthood • Teens work on 3 tasks: • Creating an identity • Becoming independent • Pursuing education and career ops • Young Adulthood • People in their 20s work on these tasks: • Finish their education • Begin working • May marry

22. Typical Developmental Tasksin the Human Life Cycle (birth to death) cont’d… • The Thirties • Tasks: • Establishing roots • Reevaluating life choices • Find stability in career and relationships • Middle Age • Ages 40-55 • Tasks: • Adjust as children become more independent • Question satisfaction with life and make changes if wanted

23. Typical Developmental Tasksin the Human Life Cycle (birth to death) cont’d… • Late Adulthood • Ages 55-75 • Tasks: • Retirement • May become more politically and socially active • Enjoy hobbies and spend time with grandchildren • Health issues may arise • Very Late Adulthood • Beyond age 75 • Health problems more common • May still be active and contribute knowledge/experience to society • Those in fragile health may need assistance

24. Self Esteem and Development • Self esteem is the value people place on themselves. • Contributes to people’s abilities to face and overcome challenges • Research as found links between low self-esteem and poor school performance, truancy, and criminal behavior Children who feel good about themselves are more likely to • show enthusiasm for learning, • form friendships • make healthy choices

25. How We Can Help Children Develop Self-esteem • Give praise for accomplishments or real effort • Don’t be overly critical. They are still learning. Find the good in what they did and discuss what they can do better next time. • Model self-esteem. Children learn by example and will imitate adult behaviors and attitudes.