Lesson 6: Overview of Child Development, Brain Development, and Developmentally Appropriate Practice Experts tell us that 90% of all brain development occurs by the age of five. If we don’t begin thinking about educating in the early years, our children are at the risk of falling behind by the time they start kindergarten. ~ Bob Ehrlich Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
Teaching This lesson is going to provide a broad overview of child development, brain development, and developmentally appropriate practice. Throughout the lesson, links to additional resources are provided.
Physical Development– changes in the shape, size, and characteristics of the body – changes in physical abilities – Cognitive Development – changes in thinking, memory, problem solving, and other intellectual skills – changes in brain/mental processes Social Development – changes in relationships with others Emotional Development – changes in dealing with emotions and regulating emotions Communication Development – changes in the ability to send and receive messages through sounds, words, body language, and gestures (verbal and non-verbal) Child development follows a sequence but children grow and develop at different rates. This means that certain aspects of development follow each other but the timing of those occurrences may differ. An example is walking. Some children walk by the age of one others may walk a few months sooner and others a few months later. They may reach the milestone at different times but they typically walk after crawling (BTW – crawling is an important developmental milestone. It enhances brain development because of using cross modal functions – opposite hand to opposite leg. Crawling also helps to strengthen leg and hip muscles and bone structure). Cephalocaudal Development –Development occurs from head to toe – sensory and motor development Proximodistal Development – Development of center of the body and moves toward extremities – Example control of trunk and arms occurs before hands and fingers Nature vs. Nurture debate – A long standing debate on whether development is based more on nature (biological) or nurture (environmental). Is development based more on what a child is born with the ability to learn (nature) or the environments and experiences they are exposed to (nurture)? The early childhood development theorists that we discussed in lesson 2 tried to define how children develop by nature, nurture or a mixture of both. reud – (1856-1939) Freud was a neurologist originally and most of his work is based on the study of adults. Many people think of Freud as the guy with the couch in his office and people describing their dreams. Freud considered children passive in their development and concluded behavior is dictated by both conscious and unconscious processes. He believed nature influenced development but nurture played a role as well
If the needs during a particular stage were not met, Freud theorized fixation would occur and the individual would manifest that unmet need later in life. For example, someone who did not have their oral needs met because they were fed on a strict schedule might smoke or bite their nails later in life. Another example is an individual who was very strictly potty trained (anal stage) might be either obsessed with neatness or extremely messy. Information retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html
Erikson – (1902-1994) Erikson was influenced by Freud but felt culture and society played a role in development. Erikson believed development occurred across the entire life span (total of 8 stages). He theorized the conflicts of inner instincts and cultural /social demands led to a crisis or dilemma. A positive resolution led to healthy personalities. Unresolved areas hindered the ability to complete future stages, but the conflict could be successfully resolved at a later time. In Erikson’s early stages the focus is on the importance of emotional, quality relationships. Erikson believed nurture prevails but gave some credit to nature.
Information retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html Piaget – (1896-1980) – Piaget focused on how children learn in developing the Cognitive Theory. He theorized the child is active in development and believed nature and nurture are both important to development. Piaget’s focus of study was on children learning differently than adults and he believed they are born with certain mental processes that develop over time.
Information retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html Vygotsky - (1896-1937) – Vygotsky believed that culture, social interactions, and biological influences are all important to development. Children are active participants in their development. Vygotsky developed the Social Learning Theory in which children learn from social interactions that involve culture. He believed that development varied from culture to culture. Vygotsky emphasized the role of environment and language in development. The following terms were essential parts of his theory:
Skinner – (1904-1990) – Skinner developed the theory of Operant Conditioning. Basically, this means reinforcing a behavior for a desired response. Much of the focus is on reinforcement and punishment. Positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior by production of a positive consequence. Negative reinforcement promotes a behavior by removing a negative consequence. Punishment reduces a behavior. Behavior modification involves changing the environment to change an individuals’ behavior. Brain Development In the first three years of life, the brain grows more than it will at any other time. It does continue to grow throughout the lifespan, but a child’s brain is two and a half times more active than an adult brain. Millions of neurons are making connections. Pathways (synapses) are created by experiences. Utilizing these pathways strengthens them, while lack of use causes them to deteriorate (pruning). Stress and emotional threats can increase pruning. Positive experiences increase capacity for memory, understanding, and higher order thinking skills. Proper nutrition also plays a role in brain development. Physical touch, opportunities for play, sensory experiences (sounds, music, visual), communication, and consistent caregiving all impact early brain development. New research continues to show how critical brain development is in the first five years and has been a major topic driving the message of early childhood’s importance. We are literally shaping the brains of the future and have the most important job out there. In the following video and web resources you will find more information you will need to complete your assignment.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) – NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practice(DAP) – NAEYC guideline of standards for high quality care and education based on child development and the uniqueness of each child (observed interests, abilities, and needs) with consideration of social and cultural background. These guidelines are written to assure that early childhood educators are optimizing brain development and using best practice when caring for our future.
Assessment Lesson 6 Quiz
From the DAP Text pgs xii-xiii
Lesson 6 Discussion A Which do you think play a greater role in development, nature or nurture? Explain your reasoning. Support your answer with facts and examples. Lesson 6 Discussion B Think back to your experiences with young children and some of the milestones they have met. Which developmental theorist do you believe best describes early childhood development and why?
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