Developmental Environment

A child’s environment, for example, their family or school play a huge part in their development. Some of the main factors that influence a child’s development are their family, where the child lives, and socio-economic status. These factors often cross over and blend as they are related.

There are different things that can affect a child’s development in their background these are just a few of them: -

Factors such as gender and income affect development in numerous ways. Biological and environmental influences are not limited to those discussed, however these influences are the most commonly seen. While these influences frequently affect development and can be directly related, they do not always result in a developmental delay or handicap. Infant and toddler development are influenced by a wide variety of things and can be affected by any number of those factors. Both biological and environmental factors interact frequently, sometimes directly linking one to

There are three main theories of development that I shall discuss in this assignment, 'Cognitive', the main theorist being, 'Piaget', (1896 - 1980), The, 'Psychosocial Theory', 'Erikson', (1902 - 1994), and, The 'Psychosexual', of, 'Freud', (1856 - 1939).

The area a child grows up in has an effect, for example if a child is brought up on a council estate in poor housing they are more likely to have health problems. If parents are not working or have low income jobs they are likely to buy cheaper food and usually this means lower quality which can lead to health problems. Children and their families may have lower expectations. They might settle for the life that id mapped out. If a child lives in high rise flats or appartments they have less oppportunities to play. In poor quality housing there may not be a garden or safe playing area. This is reducing the childs opportunities to develop their physical gross motor skills. This of course is not always the case

Children and young people often experience many things which have a direct impact on their development; things such as their family environment and structure, personality, hospital visits, childcare arrangements, and culture.

Both normative and nonnormative influences and nature and nurture influences both shed light on human development over childhood and adolescence. The nature and nurture debate refers to whether particular aspects of development are a result of inherited characteristics (nature) or obtained characteristics (nurture). The answer to what characteristics were obtained by which source is a difficult task as there is still much to learn about the way genetic markers work and how their patterning influence organisms. Instead nature and nurture should be looked at as a intricate ecology (Claiborne, Drewery, Paki, & Peters, 2014). This is where characteristics are not considered to have only a single source but can linked to a contribution of our genetic

On top of the expected pattern of children and young people’s development including “physical, communication & intellectual & social, emotional & behavioural development there are also “personal and external” factors which will affect how they develop.

To provide a developmentally appropriate learning environment that is safe, healthy, respectful and supportive of children and families. For the learning environment to be safe, I ensure that I always check identification, and have parents notify me whenever someone new to the list will be picking up. I always bring my roster with me to ensure I have all my children with me. I do a roll call every time we get to a new area after traveling anywhere away from our room, and before leaving the room. Another way that I make the learning environment safe is by covering all the outlets in the room, and making sure sharp or dangerous objects are put away, and out of the children’s reach. I put cleaning supplies and other chemicals in high locked cabinets.

Some people believe that parents have control over their child’s development. Genetics, the environment, education, health, diet, culture, as well as social influences do as well. Each child is going to develop differently due to these factors; not all children are going to have the same characteristic or upbringing. However, if children receive poor nutrient from their parents, it can affect them in the same way. Without the proper nutrition, children can lack the energy to

In general, one’s environment cannot directly affect one’s genetics within their lifetime. Even evolution, an example of nurture changing nature, often

As this period is considered to be the most integral developmental stage of life, the impact of social, environmental, and economic determinants can have long lasting, if not permanent effects (World Health Organization (WHO), 2015) . Children who in early life are subjected to adversities, such as poverty, inappropriate care, maltreatment, inadequate health care, or substandard education, are more likely to suffer difficulties later in life (Hertzman, 2013).

These show that people whom the child interact with and their mentality will have huge impact on their development. However, recent studies reveal that there are specific genes that are responsible for a child’s performance. A genetic researcher, Robert Plomin, mentioned that same genes were accountable for the excellent academic results observed across all the different subjects such as arts and mathematics (Devlin, 2015). Genes affects their performance but to what extent it affects depends on the situation (Tan, 2015). Both nature and nurture are true to one’s development. Genes are considered to be waiting for the right time for it to be expressed while the environment is the key for it being expressed (The Lost Lectures, 2013). For example, a Siamese cat has different shades of colour which is due to an error in the melanin, a black colour pigment, production pathway and the effect of DNA is influenced by the environment they are placed in (The Lost Lectures, 2013). The pathway is slightly damaged and depending on the environment they are placed in, it would result in the cat having different

Final ThoughtsClearly, genetics have an enormous influence on how a child develops. However, it is important to remember that genetics are just one piece of the intricate puzzle that makes up a child's life. Environmental variables, including parenting, culture, education and social relationships also play a vital role.

While the study of human genes is increasingly improving our understanding of human development, it is not solely our genetic makeup that determines how we will develop. Humans as a species share many universal traits, which make it easy to disregard the large influence the environment plays in development. Throughout the lifespan, the environment presents itself in many different positions that help determine and shape human development. By looking at the influence of the environment and genetics on human development we are able to create a more holistic view of this process and gain a better understanding of the complexities involved within it. Through this comprehensive lens, it is easy to see how probabilistic human development offers the greatest amount of explanation, unlike the predetermined views of genetic influence in the past, and that environmental influence has an extensive impact on human behavior.