Chapter 4. Development Infant Toddler Preschooler Physical development Gross-motor development Fine-motor development Cognitive development Social-emotional.

Chapter 4

Child Development Principles and Theories

Terms to KnowDevelopment Infant ToddlerPreschoolerPhysical developmentGross-motor

developmentFine-motor developmentCognitive developmentSocial-emotional

development Cephalocaudal principle

Proximodistal principle MaturationNeuronsSynapsesWindows of opportunityTheorySchemataSensorimotor stagePreoperational stage Concrete operations

stageMultiple intelligences

Development – change or growth that occurs in children

Infants – birth through the first year

Toddlers – children from age one up to the third birthday

Preschooler - children ages three to six

Child Development

Areas of Development Physical development

Physical body changes that occurs in a relatively stable, predictable sequence

Gross motor development – improvement of skills using the large muscles in the arms and legs. Includes activities such as running, skipping, jumping.

Fine motor development – involves the small muscles of the hands and fingers. Includes grasping, cutting, holding.

Cognitive development AKA intellectual development Processes people use to gain

knowledge. Includes language, thought,

reasoning and imagination

Social – emotional development These two are put together because

learning to relate to others is social development. Emotional development involves feelings and expressing feelings.

Trust, fear, confidence, pride, friendship and humor are all part of social – emotional development.

All three are linked to the other. Development in one area can greatly influence another. Example: Writing words requires

fine motor skills (physical). It also involves language and thought (cognitive). Language is needed to communicate with others and is also necessary for growing socially and emotionally (social – emotional).

Cephalocaudal principleHead downward Child first gains control of the head, then arms, then

legs. Proximodistal principle

Development proceeds from center of body outward Spinal cord develops before other parts of the body Arms develop before hands, hands and feet develop

before toes and fingers Maturation

Sequence of biological changes in childrenDepends on changes in the brain and nervous systemThese changes assist children to improve their thinking

abilities and motor skills

Principles of Development

Specific spans of time for the normal development of certain types of skills

Vision Birth to 6 months If a child is kept in a dark room for the first few

months of life, vision will not develop properly Needs little stimulation to develop Infants need interesting objects to look at

Windows of Opportunity

Windows of Opportunity, cont. Emotional Control

Birth to 3 years Includes the abilities to

identify feelings, manage strong emotions and develop empathy.

Severe stress or early abuse can damage a child’s emotional development

Children need caregivers who can read their cues, respond promptly and meet their needs in a nurturing manner

Vocabulary / Speech Birth to 3 years Infants must hear

language to learn it Speak in full sentences Talk to children oftenTell them what you are

doing, what they are doing and what will happen next

Read stories Play music Engage in social

interactions that require language

Math / Logical Development 1 to 4 years oldGive children chance to work on materials that

offer an appropriate level of challenge

Motor DevelopmentPrenatal to 8 years Stable, long lasting structures can be created Young children need a variety of gross – and

fine – motor activities to support motor development

Windows of Opportunity, cont.

Feral children

Genie’s Story

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory

Theories of Development

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust Birth to 18 monthsTo develop trust, infants need warm, consistent,

predictable and attentive care When distressed, they need to be comforted Need loving, physical contact, nourishment,

cleanliness and warmth They will devel0p a sense of confidence and trust

that the world is safe and dependable

Mistrust occurs if an infant experiences an unpredictable world and is handled harshly

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt 18 months and 3 yearsAutonomy = Independence Objective is to gain self – control without losing

self – esteem Children need to learn to choose and decide for

themselves Children need positive opportunities for self-

feeding, toileting, dressing and exploration

Overprotection or lack of activities results in self-doubt, poor achievement and shame

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt 3 to 5 years of age Children need to develop a sense of purpose.

This happens when an adult directs the child’s urges toward acceptable social practices.

If children are discouraged by criticism, feelings of incompetence are likely to emerge.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority 6 – 12 years oldPlanning and carrying out projects Helps children to learn society’s rules and

expectations Realistic goals and expectations enrich

children’s sense of self

Children can develop a sense of incompetence and insecurity if they are discouraged, criticized or parents demand too much control

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Schemata – mental representations or concepts

Assimilation – process of taking in new information and adding it to what the child already knows

Accommodation – adjusting what is already known to fit the new information.

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

Piaget’s Cognitive Development TheorySensorimotor stage

Birth to 2 years oldInfants use all their

senses to explore and learn

Object permanence – children learn that objects still exist even if they are out of sight

Preoperational stage 2 to 7 years old Children are egocentric

Assume others see the world as they do

Language, symbolic play and drawing is learned

ConservationEven if the physical

appearance changes, the amount does not change

Classify groups of objects

Piaget’s Cognitive Development TheoryConcrete Operations

stage 7 to 11 years old Children develop the

capacity to think systematically, but only when they can refer to actual objects and use hands-on activities

Capable of reversing operations (1 + 3 = 3 + 1 )

Beginning to understand others’ POVs

Formal Operations stage 11 years to

adulthood Think abstractlyProblem solvingReasoning

Vygotsky believed that children learn through social and cultural experiences

While interacting with others, children learn customs, values, beliefs, and language of their culture

Private speech Self – talk or “thinking out loud” Helps guide child activity and develop their thinking

Zone of Proximal development Presents learning as a scale One end of the scale are tasks within child’s current

development level. Other end of scale are tasks too difficult for children to

accomplish, even with help Middle of scale are tasks children cannot accomplish alone

When children receive help from a knowledgeable peer or adult it is called scaffolding. This person provides a structure for the child to learn, such as giving clues or demonstrating.

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

Emphasizes that there are different kinds of intelligences used by the human brain.

Believes intelligence is the result of complex interactions between children’s heredity and experiences.

Each intelligence functions separately but are linked.

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Bodily – kinesthetic Ability to control one’s own body Use body to solve problems, handle objects and express

emotions Children benefit from creative-moment experiences and role

playing. Musical – rhythmic

Recognizes musical patternsAppreciate and create music Background music helps stimulate thought

Logical Ability to use reason and logic to solve problemsAbility to explore categories, patterns and other relationships Benefit from using blocks and storybooks

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Verbal – linguistic Ability to use language for expressionChildren learn best by talking, listening, reading and

writingInterpersonal

Communication and social skillsThese skills are nurtured in your children when caring

behaviors are modeled for themIntrapersonal

Ability to understand the inner selfChildren can best learn this when sharing emotions that

all children experience such as joy, sadness and disappointment.

Use storybooks that contain emotional examples

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Visual – spatialAllows people to use their vision to develop

mental images These children need unstructured materials

such as building blocks and puzzlesAlso use visual aids, charts and labels

Naturalistic

Ability to classify objects in nature such as animals and plants

To build on this, children need to be able to sort and classify items

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences