Child Development Free Essays

1. You are asked to select a reading book for a three year old. Describe the features you would want within the book in order to foster a child’s intellectual ability, such as colour recognition and shape recognition? For this assignment is my chosen book is: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now In my opinion this book contains lots of things that a three-years old needs to develop intellectually. Children at this age, learns quickly through exploring. They use all of their senses to discover new things from the world. Reading this book, children can get involved in the story. It is easy to read, to understand. It has simple, short sentences which are understandable by 3 years olds as they already can talk in complete 3-5 words sentences. The text is repeating itself: â€Å"So they sent me a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is just like a rhyme, and it makes the story enjoyable, interesting. By the third page, children usually are repeating the words. Probably, listening this story couple of times, they are able to tell it by themselves, by their words. If not, they can tell a simple story from the pictures. This book is able to teach colours and shapes. Every page contains different basic colours and basic shapes, such as yellow, red, green, blue, and rectangles, squares. They can recognize different animals which children are interested in. They learn about how animals look like, what makes them unique, their main characteristic, for example: the elephant is big, the giraffe is tall, the lion is fierce, etc. Because this book is a lift-the-flap book, kids can get involved in the reading. They can uncover the hiding animals under the boxes. Then, when they got known which animal is hiding there, they can imitate them. It is good fun and learning adventure for them and their parents as well. 2. How would you design a book? Describe your layout in terms of language, images, colours. If I were a children book writer, designer, I would consider the age I write my books to, because every age is interested in different things. A book has to be interesting to keep children’s attention. Choosing the subject, we have to decide who we want to write the book because girls and boys are usually not interested in the same thing. While a girl likes playing with dolls, little cute animals, likes flowers and butterflies, a boy prefers cars, trains, dinosaurs, wild animals. With reference to the first point, a three year old needs colours, shapes, animals to kindle their interests. I would use brief, easy sentences, rhymes that children easily can repeat. Rhymes are just like songs, they have melody, rhythm. I wouldn’t use too many colours, just mainly the basic ones, such as red, yellow, green, blue, white, black, and some orange, pink. 3. Explain how the proposed book would assist the child’s overall development. A child who leafs through this book can improve intellectually. Through colour and shape recognition to recognizing animals, using short sentences by repeating them children can learn many things. As everything is new to them, they learn from small, everyday actions. A fascinating book helps children to visualize the reality of event. For example: an tank engine is usually big, dirty, loud, smelly, but if you tell them here comes Thomas, they know he is nice, he can talk, something always happens to him, he has got friends, so they can be familiar with him. How to cite Child Development, Papers Child Development Free Essays Abstract Preschool students who are entering kindergarten are often expected to attend a screening session. My research focused on the qualities of a successful screening tool and how the tool is used to assist educators. I was curious to know if a screening tool provided enough information for educators to adequately balance classes during the process of placing incoming kindergarteners. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now Placing students based on their academic and social needs gives teachers more time and opportunities to successfully teach to their students’ strengths, challenges, and personalities. Finally, I was interested in researching which screening tools educators chose to use. Throughout my research I wanted to determine which areas of development were typically part of the preferred screening tools and to determine which areas were better predictors of academic achievement. Running head: BENEFITS OF SCREENING INCOMING KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS 3Statement of IssueKindergarten screening is used to determine which students are at risk for developmental, behavioral, or academic difficulties. A kindergarten screening tool is designed to identify potential learning or behavioral difficulties before they increase in frequency, intensity, or duration after the student enters school. Students who are identified can receive support from their school and families in a more timely and effective manner. The screening data also provides information that assists in the process of student placement into kindergarten classrooms.Literature ReviewSchool readiness, defined as social, emotional, and behavioral readiness to learn is a fundamental aspect of school success. Screening students who are entering kindergarten can be beneficial in identifying which students are demonstrating school readiness and which students would benefit from additional support once they begin kindergarten. Determining whether or not to require incoming kindergarteners to participate in a screening session is a discussion between the kindergarten teachers, administration of the elementary school, guidance counselor, and curriculum coordinator. The purpose may extend beyond the placement of students to include comparative data gathered to use in future discussions related to the students’ progress.It is necessary to recognize the difference between the terms assessment and screening. While many people use these terms interchangeably, they have different purposes. Given the growth in the use of screening and assessment practices to identify students at increased levels of risk, it is important to emphasize important distinctions between screening and assessment. Running head: BENEFITS OF SCREENING INCOMING KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS 4Specifically, screening and assessment procedures differ in their purposes, features, and the types of tools used. School readiness screening measures would be administered to every child entering kindergarten. Stormant (2016) suggests that a true screening system should be brief, simple, and rely on easy to administer tools. The purpose of assessment is to conduct a lengthy, in-depth, and thorough investigation. Invernizzi (2010) discusses the criteria for early literacy assessment in preschoolers assessment decisions. They must be broad-based, easy and efficient to administer and interpret, and provide immediate instructional benefits to teachers. Along with deciding whether or not to participate, educators must choose which tool to use and what developmental areas to focus on. Educators can then create balanced classrooms and prepare supports for the students who showed a lack of school readiness based on the outcomes. Steps can be taken to prepare these students for their entrance into kindergarten by providing summer programs and planning for ways of implementing instruction that offers extra support at the start of the school year for students who need it. RTI is a method of providing Tiered support for struggling students. Kindergarten screening results can provide educators with a starting point of data. Interestingly, Seethaler (2010) advises that screening students who haven’t been exposed to math concepts prior to attending school may give false information. She questioned that waiting until students have more time to be exposed to common math experiences might allow the students without prior exposure to number concepts time to ‘catch up’ to their peers. In her research she also examined the single skill screener versus multiple skills screeners to determine potential mathematics difficulty in kindergarten students. Phonological Awareness is known to be a predictor of academic success in Literacy where Number Sense is a predictor of math success.   Bridges and Catts (2011) report that specifically, Running head: BENEFITS OF SCREENING INCOMING KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS 5dynamic screening may be able to reduce the false positives associated with universal screening in the early school grades. Although preschool opportunities provide many children with literacy experience and instruction, a large number of children continue to enter kindergarten with limited literacy knowledge. A lack of literacy knowledge at the beginning of kindergarten can affect performance on measures of phonological awareness and lead to children being identified as at risk for reading difficulties.The kindergarten screening process is a way to gauge a child’s current functioning and growth. It is a brief evaluation of several developmental domains of functioning in young children that typically takes place prior to the beginning of kindergarten. It can be an important prevention or early intervention tool to determine which young children are at risk for developmental, behavioral, or academic difficulties. The areas of development that are most commonly evaluated during a screening are; Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Language, Concepts (Math, Phonological Awareness), Self-help Development, Social/Emotional Development, and Behavior.Conoyer (2016) advises when selecting screening tools, educational professionals must balance efficiency relative to predictive utility and diagnostic feedback. While some may opt for a multi-skill measure with a longer administration time, others may prefer a brief screener that has sufficient predictive utility, and then administer diagnostic assessments to the smaller group of students identified in the initial screen.PALS-PreK is a scientifically-based phonological awareness and literacy screening that measures preschoolers’ developing knowledge of important literacy fundamentals. The assessment reflects skills that are predictive of future reading success. It measures name writing, Running head: BENEFITS OF SCREENING INCOMING KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS 6beginning sound awareness, print and word awareness, rhyme and nursery rhyme awareness, and alphabet knowledge. Phonological awareness refers to the ability to pay attention to, identify, and manipulate sound units within spoken words.As stated by McWayne (2011), the K-ABR is a teacher rating screener that includes three items to screen children in need of academic and/or behavior support. The specific items comprising the K-ABR include (1) â€Å"Compared to other students in this school, how was this child’s readiness for the behavioral expectations of kindergarten,† (2) â€Å"Compared to other students in this school, how was this child’s academic readiness for kindergarten,† and (3) â€Å"Compared to other students in this school, how was this child’s overall readiness for kindergarten. â€Å"Kokkalia (2017) explains that the DIAL–4 is an appropriate screening tool for children ages 2.6 years to 5.11 years. The tool is individually administered but is appropriate for use in environments where large kindergarten screenings occur, taking approximately 25-35 minutes per child to administer. Each of five performance areas is scored on a behavior (psychological and social) rating scale. Behaviors are observed during the screening process to help determine if further assessment is needed. This tool offers comprehensive information in five performance areas; Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Language, Concepts, Self-help Development, Social Development. This is the tool that my school district has chosen to implement this year for the first time.Hamm (2014) describes a program called KidSkills whose goal is to meet the principles of RTI and illustrate the effectiveness of elementary teachers and specialists teaming up to systematically examine student needs. Collaborative models such as this one aim to support Running head: BENEFITS OF SCREENING INCOMING KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS 7student achievement. Multiple perspectives from various areas of expertise offer strategies that collectively support the whole child. Early screening, systematic data collection, collaboration, and a strong home- school partnership are key components of this program that can be replicated in a variety of settings and possibly generalized to other academic areas. The program provides kindergarten students with targeted small-group instruction once a week focusing on phonemic awareness, language and vocabulary development, literacy skills, and fine motor and perceptual skills.ConclusionThe methods used to perform kindergarten screenings are often in question. Educators discuss if preschool students are capable of accurately sharing what they know with individuals they have just met in a school setting that may cause anxiety in some children. Early Childhood educators may disagree with some of the developmental areas on the screening tools. Teachers may assume that children come to kindergarten with the prerequisite fine motor and perceptual skills to practice letter formation. Kindergarten screening tools may not pick up on the subtle needs experienced by some children that will make letter formation difficult. Assessing and addressing visual–motor skills is an essential predictor of academic achievement. As stated by Conoyer (2016), early identification of students at risk in mathematics is limited in value if educators are unable to evaluate and adjust their instructional programs to effect improved mathematics achievement.Further research to explore how the information gathered during kindergarten screeners should be examined and compared to future student assessments. Academic predictors could be evaluated in more detail and more data should be gathered in order to follow student progress Running head: BENEFITS OF SCREENING INCOMING KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS 8throughout the elementary years. Continuing to check in with classroom teachers to find out if the classes ended up being successfully ‘balanced’ would be of interest to my research of kindergarten screening usefulness. Each year students enter kindergarten with varying levels of maturity, attention, and exposure to academic concepts. Acknowledging this and proceeding without biases when examining the data collected is essential to the child’s future school career. How to cite Child Development, Papers Child Development Free Essays string(261) " work focused strongly on the child’s development as a lone journey which they, themselves could only reach, Vygotsky believed that when teachers or dults place children in settings that challenge their competence, children can learn through instruction\." The cognitive process of child development and learning has influenced theorists such as Piaget, Vygtosky, Montessori, Bruner and Dewey to develop learning theories which highlight how the cognitive operation of learning occurs and how it is best achieved. The work of these theorists has become the foundation for much research and insight into how children develop on their journey towards learning. To understand how and when children begin to learn, it is important to look at why we value the process of learning, as Peller (1946) expresses, â€Å"The function of early education is to initiate, support and accelerate developmental processes, leading from child to adulthood. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now † It is also important to consider the environment that learning takes place in. This has been reflected in the work of such theorists as Maslow and Montessori. Maslow observed a hierarchy of needs; within this hierarchy he observed that by attempting to understand the needs of children, more children were able to achieve their full learning potential. He suggests only when basic physiological needs such as food and water are satisfied, then cognitive development can occur and the higher needs which he categorizes as ‘Self-Actualization’, such as remembering, understanding and problem solving can then be achieved. Although Maslow documented this Hierarchy of Needs in 1934, it is fair to comment that its principles are still applied to modern education today. For example, Government legislation now provides for free school meals for disadvantaged children of an income support background, enabling these basic physiological needs such as food and water to be met, highlighting the direct relationship between children’s needs, and their learning. This was observed on SBW in two primary schools. Theorist Maria Montessori, whose work provided the foundation for later theorists as Piaget and Vygotsky, also agreed children have an inherent desire to learn and that they would learn through self-instigated actions in an appropriate environment in which they are placed (Horn et al, 2006). Montessori believed a child friendly environment which is accessible and understandable to children, is the best setting for cognitive development and the learning process to begin. The two main psychological theories which we can observe to study the process of learning are Cognitive Development theories, and Social Constructivism theories. Cognitive development theory refers to knowledge generated through learner’s active exploration of the world and environment. It focuses on developmental stages children pass through, and how learning expands with maturity. This psychological theory is most commonly associated with the work of epistemologist, Jean Piaget. The basis of Piaget’s theory underpinned how children arrive at what they know (Mooney, 2000). The two main stages associated with early year’s education are the Sensorimotor and Preoperational stages. Piaget proposed children arrive at rational thought when they pass through these two cognitive developmental stages. From infancy, babies show signs of a strong urge to adapt to their environment. Piaget noted that children’s thought journey was a process of adaptation, assimilation and accommodation (Morse et al, 1962). He observed this adaptation as a child adjusting their behavior to cope with the demands of the environment they find themselves in. For example, a baby will cry because of hunger, once presented with food, the hunger will go away. Through this adaptation, comes assimilation, the baby will take in from this experience that food combats hunger, and to aid hunger pains, they must eat. As Wood (1988) states, â€Å"The complementary process of accommodation enables the child to deal with new information or new experiences by adapting their experiences. For example, the baby may recognize the banana in its yellow skin, but when the banana presented out of the skin, a child can connect the concrete object to the abstract taste. Piaget stated the sensorimotor stage occurred between birth and eighteen months. In this stage of the cognitive development process Piaget observed babies actions as moving from reflexive, simply without thought, to purposeful actions. For example, a newborn baby w ill often latch onto the fingers of its carers, for no purpose. However, toddlers from twelve months of age will grab their mothers hand as they know it will receive attention. Piaget labeled this stage as ‘sensorimotor’ as children learn through their senses, manipulating materials. Montessori also believed children learn through sensory experiences, however, unlike Piaget she believed that this could pass through all stages of cognitive development, not simply from birth to 18 months. Piaget believed another key aspect of the sensorimotor stage was children’s ability to manipulate materials. Montessori was of the same agreement, so much so that when she opened her schools, she became involved in making her own child sized materials, tools and furnishings. Mooney, 2000) Piaget defined a progression of the sensorimotor stage as ‘object permanence. ‘ He believed this is when children begin to realize that objects exist when they are not in their direct line of sight. For example, Mooney (2000) illustrates, â€Å"before eight or nine months, they drop things from the high chair tray without making a fuss. This is because [for infants] if things are out of sight, they are literally out of mind. Then suddenly at eight of nine months when that spoon drops, they are fussing and wanting it back. This agrees with Piaget’s theory of children as egocentric individuals at the sensorimotor stage, who only see the world relative to themselves. This egocentrism is also illustrated in the Preoperational stage from eighteen months to six years. Piaget believed children could only focus on one thing at a time, and only gathered information that was relevant to them. This is where Piaget used his reasoning of adaptation, assimilation and accommodation, but specifically here, accommodation, to enable children to develop to the concrete operational stage. While Piaget’s work has influenced early childhood education, many have criticized his work. Piaget believed children could not show reasoning behind higher level ability tasks until they were at the appropriate maturity level and developmental stage. However, Vygotsky believed children could be stretched mentally, and still perform successfully. While Piaget’s work focused strongly on the child’s development as a lone journey which they, themselves could only reach, Vygotsky believed that when teachers or dults place children in settings that challenge their competence, children can learn through instruction. You read "Child Development" in category "Essay examples" This is classified by Vygotsky as the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Vygotsky used this term ZPD to refer to the gap that exists between the intellectual competence of a child on their own, and what they can achieve working with the help of an adult. Vygotsky developed his idea of ZPD to focus o n the theory of social constructivism, studying how knowledge acquisition occurs in children first through experiences and secondly through social interaction with peers and adults. While Vygotsky and Piaget both agreed activities and learning experiences for children need to be purposeful, they disagreed on the instruction of these activities. (Wood, 1988: 84) Much of work of Vygotsky and Dewey has become known as Social Constructivism Theory and builds on Piaget’s foundations. They argue the level of learning that derives from experience, is determined by the quality of the experience. They suggest practical and purposeful activities that relate to every day life and social settings should be presented to children. Where Piaget believes learning is only effective when children construct their own understanding, Vygotsky believes the attainment of knowledge comes from mastering new social situations where learning is shared with others. Vygotsky argues that there are children on the edge of progression, who may not be able to develop cognitively without the help of others in this social interaction. Vygotsky firmly believed experiences should be shared in social settings, and placed a large emphasis on the quality of group work within the cognitive development process. Within group work, children’s language is encouraged to develop, through questioning, talking and sharing ideas with their peers. This is still valued in classrooms today, as it was observed in SBW in many children will have ‘talk partners. ‘ Many theorists have argued that Piaget’s theory disregards the importance of language development as a learning tool for children, however, Vygotsky values language development as an extension of the learning process. However, it is fair to comment that Piaget’s theory of developmental stages can be linked to language development also, for example at birth babies will only hear noises, by six weeks, their voice box engages, by age three they can construct complex sentences of 4 words and more, illustrating the relationship between language development and maturity. Bruner also considered language to be directly linked to cognitive development, believing in a structured environment of learning where the adult can facilitate learning by method of Scaffolding. This metaphor by Bruner is used to explain, much of what Vygotsky argued with his ZPD theory, adults may provide framework and foundations for learning, and by modeling appropriate behavior, children can progress to reason for themselves in Piaget’s preferred solitary experience, but the adult is present to provide hints and prompts. Dewey (1897) stated â€Å"Education comes through the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself. My Pedagogic Creed (Washington, DC: The Progressive Education Association, 1897) by this, Dewey agreed with Vygotsky’s theory that education must involve the social world of children (Mooney 2000), but he took a neutral stance by arguing the principles of both theorists, that children can work both alone, like Piaget suggest, as well as in co-operation with adults, as Vygotsky states. Within Social Constructivism theories, many theorists have pondered the importance of the role of the teacher in the learning process. Many explore the role of the adult aiding the cognitive development process in a social setting, such as the home, but it is also useful to consider how teachers aid children’s development in the classroom. Vygotsky, Piaget, Bruner and Montessori have explored this. Theorists such as Skinner and Pavlov have also concentrated on how teachers can enforce behavioral learning theories to aid learning. Skinner (1968) argued in his book that Classical conditioning lay ultimately in the hands of teachers to reinforce learning. He believed it was the role of the teacher to encourage positive attitudes towards learning and this could be established through rewards. By using rewards such as praise it is positive reinforcement that the children are adhering to the desired response. Skinner’s work has proven effective in the teaching of SEN pupils as, when rewarded, they are more likely to repeat positive behavior, or positive attitudes towards learning. Skinner also argued that many teachers use examinations to reveal what pupils don’t know and cannot do, rather than expose and build on what they do know and are able to learn (Wood 1988). He agreed with Montessori ( ) who stated, â€Å"If teachers aren’t knowledgeable about students, authentic learning will not occur. † Dewey believed that evidence gathered through observations, would enable teachers to provide a more individualized curriculum for students. (Mooney 2000) For teachers to be able to build on what children know, and are able to learn, these theorists have noted the importance of the teacher as an observer. Piaget observed children were egocentric individuals, therefore he suggested that for learning to be effective and authentic as Montessori desired, the teacher themselves must de-centre and become child-centred. It is agreeable that in the learning process, frustrated teachers often find themselves complaining children do not understand. However, it is often not considered that Piaget’s idea of egocentrism behavior can be applied to teachers. If teachers placed as much focus on observing children to understand how their educational needs can be met, as they do reflecting on their own position in the cognitive development process, learning would become individualized as Dewey hoped. Piaget, like Montessori also believed that uninterrupted periods of play in early childhood classrooms were beneficial. With the teacher taking a backward step and respecting children’s absorption from work (Mooney 2000) Piaget believed children could construct their own learning. However, like Dewey, Vygotsky believed that teachers observations were crucial in curriculum planning. By observing children’s ZPD, Vygotsky felt you could clearly see where children were in the cognitive development process. By monitoring the level of adult interaction required, teachers could assess easily where children were struggling, and plan purposeful activities, like Piaget agreed were necessary. Dewey in (1938 – Exp and education) further agreed with this role of teacher, he believed that by focusing on the concept of ZPD, teachers could determine a more suitable curriculum for the children of their class, based on knowledge and ability they currently possess. Horn et al (2007) recorded Montessori’s belief of observation as critical to understanding children’s needs. She realized the importance of observation to observe children and their ‘individual development levels’, Horn et al (2007) and how observations may highlight children who are not at the ‘sequence of development’ recommended for them, as Piaget outlined. It was also observed on SBW that observations are a huge part of the role of a teacher, with strict demands of 2 observations per day for a single child. Arguably, if observations are carried out early enough, on supposed struggling children, this allows recommendations to be made to SENCO, Special Schools or Speech therapists to aid children before their cognitive development is further hindered. To conclude, the contrasting but significant work of these theorists illustrate how learning theories developed over a century ago are still highly influential in behavior towards early childhood education. While there may be differences of opinion between theorists, on which provides the most effective learning method, many of the insights provided by Piaget and Vygotsky all have substantial elements of reasoning. The work of Piaget, Vygotsky, Montessori, Dewey and Bruner undoubtedly still determines the practice of classrooms all over the world today, they have influenced government legislation in the modern world today, and will continue to bear significance on the studies of childhood cognitive development for years to come. How to cite Child Development, Essay examples Child Development Free Essays There are many different aspects that Influence and shape human development. One major factor that Influences personal development Is the social environment. A lot of people don’t realize how many different aspects go Into shaping how a person develops while growing up. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Rule Frontbencher, there are 5 mall systems that Influence human development: the Microsystems, Microsystems, ecosystem, Microsystems and chronometers. One system that influences the person directly is the Microsystems. According to Earnest (20111 â€Å"The Microsystems is Brotherliness’s term for the immediate environment, the settings where people experience their daily lives † (p. 23). The Microsystems includes: family, school, peers, neighborhood, church group and health services. My family has one of the largest impacts on my development. When I was six years old, my parents got a divorce. Even though I was only six, it profoundly affected me, even to this day. While growing up, it took an emotional toll on me, from not being able to celebrate holidays together, to switching from house to house on the weekends. My dad moved on very fast and married when I was 8 years old; to this day I resent my stepmother for that very reason, therefore, becoming much closer to my mother. My mom Is a very Independent person and has never relied on a guy for anything. I look up to her for everything, and since she is my role model, I am now a very independent person by not relying on other people, being able to get stuff done on my own and being strong in difficult situations. The peers I grew up with also had a vast impact on my life and decisions. When I was in elementary school, some of the boys would make fun of my SSE by sticking pencils at the end of their nose and saying it looked like mine. I would cry myself to sleep and started to hate my nose. When I was in Junior high, I still got negative comments regarding my nose. I became embarrassed to meet new people, thinking they would Judge me and think I was ugly so I didn’t go out as much. Just last year, I got a royalists procedure done to reduce the size of my nose. If I had never gotten correlated for the nose I was given, I don’t think I would have gotten the procedure done. Another system In Frontbenchers ecological theory Is the crossest. Unlike the Microsystems, the Microsystems influences the person indirectly. According to Earnest (2011 â€Å"The Microsystems is the broad system of cultural beliefs and values, and the economic and governmental systems that are built on those beliefs and values† (p. 23). The Microsystems is the largest system and includes: the government, cultural values, customs, religion, and the economy. One aspect of the Microsystems, which influenced my development significantly, was the socio-economic status of my family. I was raised by two parents who each went to allege and got a bachelors degree. My mother completed her associates degree, had her first child and then went to night school to complete her bachelor’s degree. That showed me how crucial getting an education was. The socio-economic status of my family Instilled In me a great respect for education, which Is why I am striving to get a masters degree In psychology. After my mother achieved her bachelor’s degree, she advanced in her job to become a human resources manager earning over grow up, therefore, leading me to pursue the field of psychology. The culture of the Unites States has an enormous impact on me as I grew up. Ever since I was a young girl, the United States has given me a strong exposure to the value of independence. Personal freedom, independence, and responsibility are what our society strives for in individuals. Since that was instilled in me as a child, growing up, I always took the initiative to try and figure out answers before asking someone, getting all of my work done promptly and on time, and leading a life deciding on what my future was going to be. Kids are constantly asked what they want to be when they grow up; that shows he value of independence and how anyone can choose what life they want to live. It is then up to the child, to obtain that goal by having responsibilities and going for what they believe in. Since children are raised to have responsibilities, if a 6th grader came home with a poor report card, actions would be taken place. My family would set up tutoring in the subject they are struggling in, since academics are so important for succeeding in life. If the 6th graders academics never improved, he might flunk out of school, therefore, not being able to get a degree. If he never got a degree he would not get a well paying Job, therefore, not being able to support himself/family. Since culture has such a big impact on development, depending on where one lives, there would be traditions and practices around the birth of a baby. If I were to have a child, my family would throw me a baby shower and give me gifts to help me raise the baby. On the day I go into labor, my family would also come to the hospital to help support me and be there to witness the birth of my baby. I would have my husband and mother in the room to support me and share the experience with me. How to cite Child Development, Papers Child Development Free Essays string(48) " bad they would feel if someone took their toy\." Child development is the process of how your child is able to do complex things as he gets older. Development involves learning skills such as tying shoes, skipping, kicking a ball and walking. Children develop their skills in five main areas: * Physical Development * Intellectual/Cognitive Development * Language Development * Emotional Development * Social Development Physical Development Physical development is the way in which children’s bodies increase in skills. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now The acquisition of skills such as sitting, throwing and running, picking up objects and feeding describes the physical development of your child. Developmental norms are patterns of growth that a child is expected to follow when growing. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) Physical development is grouped in two main areas: Gross Motor Skill are his/her ability to use their large muscles, Gross Motor Skills starts with head control and works down their body such as learning to sit, crawl, pull up and walk. They use their large muscles to acquire these skills. Fine Motor Skills are his/her ability to use their small muscles. During the first year of your child’s life, he/she will start to practice handling and manipulating small objects. This develops their ability to use their small muscles, specifically their hands and fingers to pick up and hold objects such as pencil and spoon. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) Intellectual/cognitive development Cognitive development is the way in which your child manages their thinking, and talent to create sense of the world and what is occurring around them. When your child is able to deal with difficulties, telling about it in advance are examples of skills associated with cognitive child development. (Robinson, M et al, 1998) Language development: Children’s language develops through using visual and sound stimuli, especially in the acquisition of language, also in the exchange of thoughts and feelings. There are two identifiable stages; the first stage of development in the process of children learning to use language is the pre-linguistic stage. Babies use this stage to learn how to communicate with others. During the first stage of life, babies rapidly learn how to communicate with their carers, so that by the age of 12 months, most babies understand what is being said to them and are starting to communicate their needs by pointing or by showing their carer objects. Then there is the Linguistic Stage – 15 Months to 8 Years, Children starts to use words around twelve months and by fifteen months they have developed their own word for an object or person and use it consistently. They then go on to use holophrases – using a single word to express several meanings by changing the sound and using gestures. As they grow children gradually put two words together to form a mini-sentence if your child is exposed to a rich language environment, this will be reflected in his speech development. (Robinson, M et al, 1998) Emotional development: Emotional development is the growth of a child’s ability to feel and express an increasing range of emotions appropriately. Children’s emotional capabilities expand, allowing them to develop a variety of skills that they will need in their adult lives. Emotional development encompasses the feelings that we have about ourselves and others, as well as our capabilities to function well in the world from a social standpoint. (Robinson, M et al, 1998) Social development: Social development is the growth of a child’s ability to relate to others and become independent. As they develop and perceive their own individuality within their community, they also gain skills to communicate with other people and process their actions. Social development most often refers to how a child develops friendships and other relationships, also how well a child handles conflict with peers. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) This is not fixed or written in stone it is simply a guide to child development, It is dangerous to assume that children are abnormal if they do not all progress in exactly the same manner. Variations will always exist, since each child is an individual developing in their own unique way. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) The significance of social and emotional development is seen in every area of a child’s life. A child will have a strong foundation for later development if he/she can manage personal feelings, understand others’ feelings and needs, and interact positively with others. Differences in social and emotional development result from a child’s inborn temperament, cultural influences, disabilities, behaviours modelled by adults, the level of security felt in a child’s relationships with adults, and the opportunities provided for social interaction. (raisingchildren. net. u/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006) Social and emotional development for a four year old: Your four-year-old should be able to learn lots about the world and how it works, about people and relationships, makes friends (often short-term) and plays group games. They are now more likely to, share toys, taking turns with assistance and initiate or join in play with other children and make up games. (/raisingchildren. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006) At this age, children are more aware of themselves as individuals. They should show some understanding of moral reasoning (exploring ideas about fairness and good or bad behaviour). Children become more interested in relationships with other children and start to compare themselves with others. Children should start to develop friendships, express more awareness of other people’s feelings, show interest in exploring sex differences and most children enjoy imaginative play with other children, like dress up or house, they bring dramatic play closer to reality by paying attention to detail, time, and space. (raisingchildren. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006) Children know a bit more about the idea of sharing. But they might not be keen to put the idea of sharing into action, it would be great if children always played nicely together and never had fights over toys or over whose turn it is to lick the bowl after the cake has been baked. If a child is not sharing you can encourage them to share with other children, by reminding them how bad they would feel if someone took their toy. You read "Child Development" in category "Essay examples" Talking to children about other children’s feelings, helps build their sense of empathy. Children need structures and routines to feel safe, and  when their behaviour is ‘over the top’, they need you to set limits and bring them back to earth without making them feel bad. Raising children. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006). Factors affecting child development There are various factors that may impact upon the development of the child, learning difficulties such as Autism, ADD/ ADHD disorder are a condition where children have difficulty concentrating and paying attention and may cause slowness in development in many areas. Children with learning difficulties or special needs will require additional help such as extra support at school/home, to resolve development problem and may or may not catch up. These children may even go through a process called statementing before they receive help. Some children with learning problems do not get statemented as the parents may not want to admit that their child has a problem as they feel ashamed. Children with special needs can benefit greatly if attending a mainstream school that has the resources and funding to help them. (Browne. K. 2008. P. 360) Factors such as extreme poverty and emotional stress can have a devastating effect on children’s development. Poverty can have a profound effect on a child’s development; children who come from poor backgrounds will lack resources, live in over-crowded houses with lack of study space. Their poor diet and ill health can lead to tiredness, absences and missed lessons. Low income or unemployment may mean lack of educational resources or a home computer is not available. This could affect the child’s educational progress. It could also mean the hidden costs of education such as calculators, sports equipment, and school trips are out of reach of many poorer families. Although many government places are available many low income families in lesser paid jobs cannot afford to send their children to pre-school or nursery. Such starts to education are proven to aid a child’s development and can help with social skills. It can be argued that Material Deprivation also affects the working class. (Browne. K. 2008. P. 360) It can also be argued that although children lack educational resources at home such as computers and calculators they can still achieve developmental levels as many school are well equipped with these materials, also many schools now have breakfast/afterschool clubs and do lots of extra curriculum studies to help children. It can be said children will only benefit from these clubs and extra studies if parent are willing to encourage children to attend them. Many things can cause emotional trauma in children such as death, illness, unstable home life, abuse, neglect, bullying and accidents. Children suffering from emotional trauma can exhibit displays of aggression, withdrawal, show signs of anxiety and have complaints of aches, pains and tiredness. Emotional trauma can leave children feeling frightened and even ashamed or guilty. All these signs and symptoms can cause developmental problems and impact upon their emotional ability which is important to a Childs personal and social growth, a child suffering from trauma may also revert to bed wetting or baby talk. Children who are affected by extreme trauma can benefit greatly with the help of the Schools mentors/councilors who are trained to deal with traumatized children, a teacher with a heightened sense of awareness maybe able to pick up on any problems. (Marcus, M. Ducklin, A 1998) An inside school factor that can cause developmental progress is labeling, teachers’ judge and label pupils based on a number of different factors such as social class, gender, race, and behaviour rather than on ability and intelligence. Pupils who have reputations and labels because of their behaviour and attitudes are unlikely to be innocent victims; they may have been in trouble before. It can be argued that it is often the case pupils will contest their label and work doubly hard to prove that they can do what they are told they cannot, therefore rendering the label useless, (McNeill, Blundell et al, 2003 Methods to manage behaviour In the classroom environment a teacher who is applying a behaviourist view would typically stand at the front of the class and direct how the lesson takes place and how the class responds to the stimulus provided. It can be argued that the behaviourist approach does not allow for individuality or for spontaneity, it ignores people’s ability to have complex thought processes. It could be argued that the reward giver would need to know the learner to know what the correct reinforcement would be to ensure effective reinforcement. A negative factor would be too much adult involvement. (McNeill, Blundell et al, 2003) A positive classroom environment is one where the teacher adopts the cognitive style of learning. The teacher allows more class involvement and often sits amongst the class rather than standing at the front. The lessons would have a more adaptable framework which allows students to be more independent, the student would be able to set their own targets /goals thus creating independent learning and thinking. The lessons would include role play, presentation discussions, group work, research and working in pairs. The teacher would empower her students to self learn so rather than being a role model would become a facilitator. McNeill, Blundell et al, 2003) Other methods of managing behaviour are rewards and sanctions, teacher can rewards children for good behaviour or finishing their work with verbal praise, stars, certificates or table points. Teachers may also give children sanction such as a time out or losing five minutes of playtime. When dishing out sanctions/reward the teacher must be consistent and they have to be relevant and meaningful to the child, it could be argued tha t to ensure the effectiveness of reinforcers the teacher would need to know the learner. Word Count 1998 Bibliography BROWNE, K. (2008). Sociology. 3rd Ed, Cambridge: polity press. BRUCE, T, MEGGITT, C (2006) Childcare and Education, 3rd Ed, London: Hodder ; Stoughton. MARCUS, M, DUCKLIN, A. (1998) Success in Sociology London John Murray MCNEILL, P. BLUNDELL, J. GRIFFITHS, J. (2003). Sociology. The complete companion. 3rd Ed, Cheltenham: Nelson Thorne. ROBINSON, M. BEITH, K. PULLIN, L. (1998) Early Years Care and Education, 2nd Ed, Oxford: Heinemann. www. childdevelopmentinfo. com/ – updated 26th June 2007-accessed 5th June 2010 http://raisingchildren. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers. html | How to cite Child Development, Essay examples Child Development Free Essays string(48) " bad they would feel if someone took their toy\." Child development is the process of how your child is able to do complex things as he gets older. Development involves learning skills such as tying shoes, skipping, kicking a ball and walking. Children develop their skills in five main areas: * Physical Development * Intellectual/Cognitive Development * Language Development * Emotional Development * Social Development Physical Development Physical development is the way in which children’s bodies increase in skills. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now The acquisition of skills such as sitting, throwing and running, picking up objects and feeding describes the physical development of your child. Developmental norms are patterns of growth that a child is expected to follow when growing. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) Physical development is grouped in two main areas: Gross Motor Skill are his/her ability to use their large muscles, Gross Motor Skills starts with head control and works down their body such as learning to sit, crawl, pull up and walk. They use their large muscles to acquire these skills. Fine Motor Skills are his/her ability to use their small muscles. During the first year of your child’s life, he/she will start to practice handling and manipulating small objects. This develops their ability to use their small muscles, specifically their hands and fingers to pick up and hold objects such as pencil and spoon. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) Intellectual/cognitive development Cognitive development is the way in which your child manages their thinking, and talent to create sense of the world and what is occurring around them. When your child is able to deal with difficulties, telling about it in advance are examples of skills associated with cognitive child development. (Robinson, M et al, 1998) Language development: Children’s language develops through using visual and sound stimuli, especially in the acquisition of language, also in the exchange of thoughts and feelings. There are two identifiable stages; the first stage of development in the process of children learning to use language is the pre-linguistic stage. Babies use this stage to learn how to communicate with others. During the first stage of life, babies rapidly learn how to communicate with their carers, so that by the age of 12 months, most babies understand what is being said to them and are starting to communicate their needs by pointing or by showing their carer objects. Then there is the Linguistic Stage – 15 Months to 8 Years, Children starts to use words around twelve months and by fifteen months they have developed their own word for an object or person and use it consistently. They then go on to use holophrases – using a single word to express several meanings by changing the sound and using gestures. As they grow children gradually put two words together to form a mini-sentence if your child is exposed to a rich language environment, this will be reflected in his speech development. (Robinson, M et al, 1998) Emotional development: Emotional development is the growth of a child’s ability to feel and express an increasing range of emotions appropriately. Children’s emotional capabilities expand, allowing them to develop a variety of skills that they will need in their adult lives. Emotional development encompasses the feelings that we have about ourselves and others, as well as our capabilities to function well in the world from a social standpoint. (Robinson, M et al, 1998) Social development: Social development is the growth of a child’s ability to relate to others and become independent. As they develop and perceive their own individuality within their community, they also gain skills to communicate with other people and process their actions. Social development most often refers to how a child develops friendships and other relationships, also how well a child handles conflict with peers. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) This is not fixed or written in stone it is simply a guide to child development, It is dangerous to assume that children are abnormal if they do not all progress in exactly the same manner. Variations will always exist, since each child is an individual developing in their own unique way. (Bruce T. Meggitt, C 2004) The significance of social and emotional development is seen in every area of a child’s life. A child will have a strong foundation for later development if he/she can manage personal feelings, understand others’ feelings and needs, and interact positively with others. Differences in social and emotional development result from a child’s inborn temperament, cultural influences, disabilities, behaviours modelled by adults, the level of security felt in a child’s relationships with adults, and the opportunities provided for social interaction. (raisingchildren. net. u/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006) Social and emotional development for a four year old: Your four-year-old should be able to learn lots about the world and how it works, about people and relationships, makes friends (often short-term) and plays group games. They are now more likely to, share toys, taking turns with assistance and initiate or join in play with other children and make up games. (/raisingchildren. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006) At this age, children are more aware of themselves as individuals. They should show some understanding of moral reasoning (exploring ideas about fairness and good or bad behaviour). Children become more interested in relationships with other children and start to compare themselves with others. Children should start to develop friendships, express more awareness of other people’s feelings, show interest in exploring sex differences and most children enjoy imaginative play with other children, like dress up or house, they bring dramatic play closer to reality by paying attention to detail, time, and space. (raisingchildren. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006) Children know a bit more about the idea of sharing. But they might not be keen to put the idea of sharing into action, it would be great if children always played nicely together and never had fights over toys or over whose turn it is to lick the bowl after the cake has been baked. If a child is not sharing you can encourage them to share with other children, by reminding them how bad they would feel if someone took their toy. You read "Child Development" in category "Papers" Talking to children about other children’s feelings, helps build their sense of empathy. Children need structures and routines to feel safe, and  when their behaviour is ‘over the top’, they need you to set limits and bring them back to earth without making them feel bad. Raising children. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers, 2006). Factors affecting child development There are various factors that may impact upon the development of the child, learning difficulties such as Autism, ADD/ ADHD disorder are a condition where children have difficul ty concentrating and paying attention and may cause slowness in development in many areas. Children with learning difficulties or special needs will require additional help such as extra support at school/home, to resolve development problem and may or may not catch up. These children may even go through a process called statementing before they receive help. Some children with learning problems do not get statemented as the parents may not want to admit that their child has a problem as they feel ashamed. Children with special needs can benefit greatly if attending a mainstream school that has the resources and funding to help them. (Browne. K. 2008. P. 360) Factors such as extreme poverty and emotional stress can have a devastating effect on children’s development. Poverty can have a profound effect on a child’s development; children who come from poor backgrounds will lack resources, live in over-crowded houses with lack of study space. Their poor diet and ill health can lead to tiredness, absences and missed lessons. Low income or unemployment may mean lack of educational resources or a home computer is not available. This could affect the child’s educational progress. It could also mean the hidden costs of education such as calculators, sports equipment, and school trips are out of reach of many poorer families. Although many government places are available many low income families in lesser paid jobs cannot afford to send their children to pre-school or nursery. Such starts to education are proven to aid a child’s development and can help with social skills. It can be argued that Material Deprivation also affects the working class. (Browne. K. 2008. P. 360) It can also be argued that although children lack educational resources at home such as computers and calculators they can still achieve developmental levels as many school are well equipped with these materials, also many schools now have breakfast/afterschool clubs and do lots of extra curriculum studies to help children. It can be said children will only benefit from these clubs and extra studies if parent are willing to encourage children to attend them. Many things can cause emotional trauma in children such as death, illness, unstable home life, abuse, neglect, bullying and accidents. Children suffering from emotional trauma can exhibit displays of aggression, withdrawal, show signs of anxiety and have complaints of aches, pains and tiredness. Emotional trauma can leave children feeling frightened and even ashamed or guilty. All these signs and symptoms can cause developmental problems and impact upon their emotional ability which is important to a Childs personal and social growth, a child suffering from trauma may also revert to bed wetting or baby talk. Children who are affected by extreme trauma can benefit greatly with the help of the Schools mentors/councilors who are trained to deal with traumatized children, a teacher with a heightened sense of awareness maybe able to pick up on any problems. (Marcus, M. Ducklin, A 1998) An inside school factor that can cause developmental progress is labeling, teachers’ judge and label pupils based on a number of different factors such as social class, gender, race, and behaviour rather than on ability and intelligence. Pupils who have reputations and labels because of their behaviour and attitudes are unlikely to be innocent victims; they may have been in trouble before. It can be argued that it is often the case pupils will contest their label and work doubly hard to prove that they can do what they are told they cannot, therefore rendering the label useless, (McNeill, Blundell et al, 2003 Methods to manage behaviour In the classroom environment a teacher who is applying a behaviourist view would typically stand at the front of the class and direct how the lesson takes place and how the class responds to the stimulus provided. It can be argued that the behaviourist approach does not allow for individuality or for spontaneity, it ignores people’s ability to have complex thought processes. It could be argued that the reward giver would need to know the learner to know what the correct reinforcement would be to ensure effective reinforcement. A negative factor would be too much adult involvement. (McNeill, Blundell et al, 2003) A positive classroom environment is one where the teacher adopts the cognitive style of learning. The teacher allows more class involvement and often sits amongst the class rather than standing at the front. The lessons would have a more adaptable framework which allows students to be more independent, the student would be able to set their own targets /goals thus creating independent learning and thinking. The lessons would include role play, presentation discussions, group work, research and working in pairs. The teacher would empower her students to self learn so rather than being a role model would become a facilitator. McNeill, Blundell et al, 2003) Other methods of managing behaviour are rewards and sanctions, teacher can rewards children for good behaviour or finishing their work with verbal praise, stars, certificates or table points. Teachers may also give children sanction such as a time out or losing five minutes of playtime. When dishing out sanctions/reward the teacher must be consistent and they have to be relevant and meaningful to the child, it could be argued tha t to ensure the effectiveness of reinforcers the teacher would need to know the learner. Word Count 1998 Bibliography BROWNE, K. (2008). Sociology. 3rd Ed, Cambridge: polity press. BRUCE, T, MEGGITT, C (2006) Childcare and Education, 3rd Ed, London: Hodder ; Stoughton. MARCUS, M, DUCKLIN, A. (1998) Success in Sociology London John Murray MCNEILL, P. BLUNDELL, J. GRIFFITHS, J. (2003). Sociology. The complete companion. 3rd Ed, Cheltenham: Nelson Thorne. ROBINSON, M. BEITH, K. PULLIN, L. (1998) Early Years Care and Education, 2nd Ed, Oxford: Heinemann. www. childdevelopmentinfo. com/ – updated 26th June 2007-accessed 5th June 2010 http://raisingchildren. net. au/preschoolers/preschoolers. html | How to cite Child Development, Papers