Understanding Children
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Presentation Transcript
Understanding Children Birth to Age 2 (cont.)
Cognitive Development • Heredity and environment influence this the most. • Heredity determines when a child’s brain and senses will be mature enough to learn the skills. • Environment factors affect the learning.
Birth to 3 Months • Vision is blurry at birth. • During the first few weeks, infants focus on objects in the center of their visual field. • Their near vision is better than far vision. • As their vision improves, they gaze longer at certain objects of interest. They enjoy patterns and stripes more than solids. They prefer bold instead of soft colors.
Birth to 3 Months (cont.) • As they grow, they shift their attention to faces. • Enjoy a smiling face more than one with no expression. • Hearing develops early, from birth. By 3 weeks, infants can distinguish a parent’s voice from a stranger. • Don’t distinguish between themselves and objects around them. • Experiment with reflexes.
3 to 6 Months • Start to focus on surroundings, begin to examine objects. • By 6 months, can distinguish faces. • Learn they can touch, shake, and hit objects. • Start to show judgment, parent v/s stranger • Look around to explore sounds. • Respond in new ways to touch, kiss, etc. • Body awareness, may bite toes, etc.
6 to 9 Months • Object permanence develops- understanding objects exist when they can’t see them. • Know they can cry to call caregivers- even if they can’t see them, they are there. • They are also learning to communicate. • Will look up when name is spoken.
9 to 12 Months • More intentional about goals (if confined to a play pen, may cry to be taken out). • Start to anticipate events (may cry when a parent puts on a coat).
12 to 18 Months • Hearing and speech continues to develop. • Use trial and error problem solving. (express joy when find that toys make noise) • Cause and effect fascinates them (hits water and it splashes) • Use 1 or 2 words to communicate (bye bye, ball) • Books become more important.
18 to 24 Months • Start to think before they act. • Apply what they know to solve problems. (use a stool to reach a cookie) • Improved thinking and motor skills can wear them out because they want to explore everything. (may step in a drawer without realizing it might fall) • Pretending starts to happen.
18 to 24 Months (cont.) • Deferred imitation- watching another’s behavior and acting it out later. • May understand symbols that represent real objects (treat dolls like real babies) • Telegraphic speech- when vocabulary reaches 200 words, they make 2 word phrases (doggie barks) • They add as many as 10 to 20 new words a month.
Social-Emotional First 2 Years • Don’t show a wide range of emotions at birth. • During 1st few months, mostly facial expressions. • Happiness is shown when corners of mouth are pulled back and cheeks are raised. • Between 6 to 9 months, child shows fear, anxiety, anger • Fear signs are eyebrows raised, eyes widened
Temperament • Focus on a few adults close to them. • After 1st birthday, take interest in toddlers. • Temperament refers to the quality and intensity of their emotions. • Irritability- tendency to feel distressed. • Activity patterns- some move little, some lots. • Passivity- how react to surroundings.
Attachment • Strong emotional connection between 2 people. • May be moms, dads, siblings, caregivers. • They know these people will take care of them. • Infants may smile, kick, coo, laugh • Attachment begins early. Separation anxiety- when a child protests because someone is leaving. (starts 6 months, strongest 15 months)
Birth to 3 Months • No tears when a child cries. • General excitement and general distress is all that is shown. • Distress is shown by crying. • Excitement is shown by smiling or wiggling.
3 to 6 Months • Respond to people with smiles and laughter. • Make happy sounds as adults play with them. • Tears begin to appear. • Use different cries to signal different types of distress. • Start to notice and smile at other babies.
6 to 12 Months • Become actively involved with caregivers. • Begin to develop fear of strangers. • Attached to their caregivers. • Separation anxiety is likely.
12 to 24 Months • Become upset about something that will happen in the future (know a parent may be leaving soon). • More interested in exploring. • Take more interest in other children. • Like to play beside other kids, but not interact with them. • Become aware of their abilities, like to say “no”.
