Child Growth and Development

1. Child Growth and Development CM²C Nevada Mentoring Project

2. Presentation Objectives • To review the developmental stages of children. • Learning to develop classroom environments that support the growth and development of children. • Supporting mentees with understanding the critical importance of growth and development.

3. Theories of Development Piaget Vygotsky Social Developmental Theorist. Social development theory argues that social interaction comes before development. The cognitive processes of a child, as well as their awareness are the results of socialization. • Children develop in 4 stages. • Early childhood falls within the first 2 stages. • Stage 1: Sensori-motor (Birth-2 years old) • Differentiation of self from objects. • Self as agent of action (i.e., shaking a rattle to make noise). • Stage 2: Pre-Operational (2-7 years old) • Learns to use language and represents objects by images and words. • Egocentric thinking – unable to take the viewpoint of others. • Classifies objects by a single feature. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY-SXM8f0gU&feature=player_detailpage

4. Theories of Development Erickson’s Stages of Development: 1. Infancy: Birth to 18 Months (Oral-Sensory Stage) • Ego Development Outcome: Trust vs. Mistrust; Basic strength: Drive and Hope 2. Early Childhood: 18 Months to 3 Years • Ego Development Outcome: Autonomy vs. Shame; Basic Strengths: Self-control, Courage, and Will 3. Play Age: 3 to 5 Years • Ego Development Outcome: Initiative vs. Guilt; Basic Strength: Purpose 4. School Age: 6 to 12 Years (Latency) • Ego Development Outcome: Industry vs. Inferiority; Basic Strengths: Method and Competence

5. Theories of Development Constructivist Normative Based in a sociological perspective. Statements and hypotheses regarding what is right/wrong, desirable/undesirable, just/unjust in society. Developing socially aware children based on teacher practices. • Humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and ideas. • Piaget is considered a cognitive constructivist. • Vygotsky is considered a social constructivist.

6. Discussion ??????? The current trend in education is focusing on academic skills and student progress. • How would you respond to the current debate about a play-based approach to education given the information you have learned about theories of development, as well as what you have observed in practice?

7. Theory in Practice • Students have an active role in their own learning. (Center-based classroom) • Focused around play and socialization in the early years. • Students develop self-awareness and academic skills through experiences.

9. Chronological Age • “Chronological age refers to the period that has elapsed beginning with an individual's birth and extending to any given point in time. Chronological age is used in research and in test norm development as a measure to group individuals. Developmental research looks for age-related differences or behavior changes as a function of age.” • “Using chronological age provides a means to roughly assure the equivalence of such factors as physical experience, social interaction, learning, and acculturation among others. Chronological age is not necessarily a predictor of an individual's stages of development, as the rate at which individual's progress through stages may not be identical.” From: http://social.jrank.org/pages/134/Chronological-Age.html#ixzz1C5f0NiRn

10. Developmental Age • “The concept of developmental age, as opposed to chronological age, is an important one. To measure developmental age, there is need of some way of determining how far along his own path to maturity a given child has gone.” From: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/275624/human-development/63851/Physical-and-behavioral-interaction?anchor=ref526720 • Developmental age looks more in depth into how a child is functioning socially, emotionally, and cognitively. • Though a child’s chronological age may be 4 years, 6 months, their developmental age may be at a 2 year, 8 month range. • There are implications on practice when we consider a child’s developmental age as opposed to their chronological age. This is especially of importance for teachers to be aware of when working with Special Education populations.

11. Discussion ??????? Chronological Age vs. Developmental Age • What are the struggles you have with adapting the curriculum you are using in practice to the diverse range of needs/levels in your classroom? • What have been successful strategies you have used to support you with those struggles?

12. More focused on the physical development of a child. Motor skills are considered of importance. Bones and joints continue to develop. There are hormonal considerations, as well. Stages of Growth

13. Physical Development • Changes in a child’s physical body have an impact on their functioning. • Children become more self-aware and identify their physical attributes more readily.

14. Stages of Development • Use developmental age to assess functioning. • Considerations for: • Social/Emotional • Cognitive • Adaptive Behavior Skills (Independent Functioning)

15. Social/Emotional Overview Children learn how to socialize within their environment. Children will begin their experiences with make- believe play. Children move from parallel play to interactive play with other children. Children learn how to ask for what they need/want.

16. Cognitive Overview • Children will begin to learn new things (Language and Communication are vital!). • Children will begin to understand how to solve problems. • The brain is growing rapidly during the first few years of a child’s life.

17. Overview Children develop self-help skills (i.e., holding a cup, brushing teeth, getting dressed, etc.). Children begin to develop their independence (i.e., separate from parents/caregivers, begin doing things alone, etc.). May also include fine and gross motor skills. Adaptive Behavior Skills

18. Discussion ??????? Stages of Development • Recent considerations have emphasized the importance of social/emotional growth and development (i.e., teaching social skills, addressing problem behavior, etc.). • Do you agree with the trend towards this focus? Why or Why not? • Do you believe there is a link between the different areas of development, and do you feel the focus on social/emotional growth supports a link?

19. Developmental Milestones • The skills that a child develops within a specific time frame are considered developmental milestones. • Every child is UNIQUE! Every child will develop at a different rate.

20. Developmental Milestones

22. Developmental Milestones

24. Developmental Milestones

25. Discussion ??????? As an expert in early childhood education: • How do you use your knowledge of developmental milestones in designing lessons for the children in your classroom? • How can you encourage your mentees to do the same?

26. Scenario **Two students in your four-year-old program are told that they have to leave a classroom center focusing on imaginary play and move to the next activity. One student’s response is to follow directions, moving from one activity to the next. The other’s response, however, is to yell out and begin to throw a toy across the room.** • Compare the two children’s actions. At what developmental stage would each child fall into? • How should you approach the behavior of the second student, taking into consideration their developmental age?

27. Communication with Professionals • Early childhood educators need to be aware of developmental stages and milestones. • When there are concerns for a child’s development, educators need to turn to individuals who may have a different knowledge-base on how to support the child amongst their peers.

28. Communication with Professionals • We know best practices for the students in our classrooms, but when we have students who present with differing levels of functioning, we may need to learn new strategies to support ALL students! • Collaboration between with Early Childhood Educators, Special Educators, and Related Service Personnel is key!

29. Communication with Parents Helps educators to: • Understand any changes in the child’s home environment. (How might they be impacting the student?) • Learn from parents strategies that may work for supporting a child! • Empower parents with successful tools they can use at home. • Communicate any concerns with development. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE-D3pFlMe4&feature=player_detailpage

30. Supporting Children Through Development Resource for Play in the Classroom: http://www.naeyc.org/play/teachers Relevant Studies: • “…exposure to a highly formal teaching program at an early age leads to an acceleration of development” (de Lemos, 2002). • “By scaffolding make-believe play and making sure it does exist in its most mature form, we can positively impact not only the development of play itself, but also the development of early academic skills” (Bodrova, 2008). • “…the influence of age composition may be dynamically related to teachers’ modes of instruction, to the extent that teachers are influenced by classroom age composition”(Moller, Forbes-Jones, & Hightower, 2008).

31. Creating Classroom Environments to Support Growth and Development Classroom environments should support the development of: • Early literacy skills • Communication skills • Social/Emotional skills • Fine and Gross Motor skills How? You already know the answer!!!!! Additional articles of interest: Koppenhaver, D. A., & Erickson, K. A. (2003). Natural emergent literacy supports for preschoolers with autism and severe communication impairments. Top Lang Disorders, 23(4), 283-292. Kaiser, A. P., Hester, P. P., McDuffie, A. S. (2001). Supporting communication in young children with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 7, 143-150.

32. Creating Classroom Environments to Support Growth and Development Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or10f-YcM8Q&feature=player_detailpage The classroom environments you create are based in what you know to be beneficial for children’s growth and development. Continue to enrich the environments by further investigating the research on evidenced-based practices! “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.”  ~Mark Van Doren

33. Discussion ??????? • What are some evidence-based practices you are currently using in your classroom? • Where do you turn to find more strategies to support your professional growth? • Are your mentees using strategies that they have learned which you are unfamiliar with? How might you learn from your mentees?

34. Observing their practices and making recommendations. Reading through their lessons and making sure that they are including supports for emergent skills. Linking them with the appropriate resources. Supporting Mentees

35. Supporting Mentees “Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater.”  ~Gail Godwin Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/teachertipster?feature=mhum#p/u/10/T0xp5yxZu58 • What are your “tricks of the trade?” Those tried and true strategies….Share them!

36. Supporting Mentees • Do they know how to make referrals to related service personnel/special educators should a concern arise? • Do they know how to communicate concerns with parents in a non-judgmental, un-biased manner? • Are their lessons including a variety of activities for the range of developmental levels within their classroom? • Are they assessing children’s growth and development effectively?

37. Scenario Your mentee comes to you with a concern about a student in their classroom. They share that they have noticed the child isn’t speaking as clearly as the other students in the classroom and is only uttering two to three words at a time. Additionally, the child is easily frustrated and cries frequently. • What is your initial response to the child’s behavior? • What supports can you offer your mentee?

38. Conclusion As an expert in early childhood education: • I will remember to assess a child’s growth and development and consider developmental age when designing lessons! • I will support my mentees with identifying supports and strategies that will aid in the continual growth and development of the students in their classrooms. • I will remember to continue to grow as a professional by learning new and important techniques that are founded in evidence-based research!