Does the Environment of a Child Impact Their Development?

Human development perspective examines the biological, psychological and social development of individuals pertaining to behavior (Hutchison, 2015). The ecological system is a theoretical perspective that examines the individual within the environment that it lives (Garbarino, 1992). There are five subsystems to consider when examining this the individual subject within this perspective; microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. According to Garbarino (1992) the ecological perspective tries to explain how the environment effects the development of the individual. The ecological perspective also explores the risks and opportunities in the social environment that affect the subject within each sub-systems (Garbarino, 1992). Risk can be described as any thing that threatens development of the individual, while opportunities support and assist in the development. This paper will review the effects of the environment on an individual by applying the ecological perspective to the life and experiences main character in the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

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.

If a child is in poor health then this will have an impact on their development. For example, a child with uncontrolled asthma or cystic fibrosis may not be able to run around and be as active as their peers. Therefore, this would mean that his physical development might not be the same. Not being able to play outside would almost certainly affect the social development, as children make many friendships on the playground and at after school clubs.

2. It is also important for parents establish a routine of physical fitness into the child’s life. You could go for walk, go hiking, bike riding, or got them involved in sports at your local YMCA. If physical activity is not a part of the family’s life, it may be difficult for the child to pick up these habits and could be just an ongoing issue that gets passed on through generations.

Environment: Socialisation is important for children. Parents who offer their children varied opportunities in which to meet new people and experience new things give their children an invaluable gift. When they are babies, children need no more than the attentive, loving care given by their parents, but as they grow, it is beneficial for children to expand their worlds by making friends with other people and learning about different cultures. Children who gain a sense of confidence in their ability to interact with people will take them into adulthood making both their personal and professional lives

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

The external factors influencing a child’s development include their immediate environment, i.e. their family and their circumstances at home, their socioeconomic background and the education they receive from institutions or their family.

Schools are required to have at least an hour of physical activity daily. This is enough time as long as the children are actually doing something that is going to help burn some calories. If they don’t do anything that will make them break a little sweat then the whole physical education class is useless. The PE classes don’t only make the children run but they also teach them what they need to do to stay in some kind of shape for later on in their life. Less than 10% of public schools and private schools provide daily PE (Boyse). Another thing that schools can do to promote physical activity is having the children walk or bike to school. The way they would bike would be monitored by the local government and school programs. The parents of the children could walk them to school so not only do the children get exercise but the parents can also workout. By doing this the parents won’t have to sit in traffic and can save gas. After a time the child will get use to walking and will want to walk instead of taking a car. To start this the child needs someone to walk them and keep them doing it.

The environment inside the mother’s womb can indeed have a dramatic influence on the development of a child but environment influences such as where the child is raised can have a huge affect on a child development as well. Children of a low income tend to live in more polluted areas, where the air and the water are polluted, pollution can cause brain development in children as well lung diseases that can be development in childhood or can affect them later in life. One the factors that can have a huge impact on a child’s life is housing. Those on a low income are more likely to be living in poor housing conditions experiencing stress from overcrowding including noise, lack of privacy, having to wait to use facilities such as the toilets, poor heating and ventilation in winter, poor washing and cooking facilities, the house can have many hazards for a child due to architectural features, dampness, as well the neighbourhood cannot be safe or have poor facilities such as shops and parking. Poor housing is associated with poor health this is due of poor facilities and opportunities, children that grow up within poor housing are more

Physical activity is an integral part of health and well being in children.Our bodies also require physical activity in order to be healthy.Understanding and supporting physical activity, will help children have the right foundation for a healthy and happy life.Positive experiences with physical activity at a young age promotes the growth if strong bones and muscles, help to develop good posture and balance, obesity risk and chronic disease risk infection are reduced.

Physical activity is important to the short term and long term health and well being of children. In the short term physical activity helps children to build muscle, develops the skeletal frame, develops the heart and lung function and helps to prevent obesity. If children have enough physical activity a day which is said to be up to an hour it can help the children get to sleep easier and for longer periods of time, this can then lead onto long term benefits as if the activity is in the garden it will also help the child to build up a good immune system so they will be less likely to fall ill to the common cold or the flu. This outdoor environment helps the over all wellbeing of the children as the outdoors makes them

You should be providing the opportunities, time, space, facilities and equipment and encourage them to be physically active. You could encourage them to join a football/rugby team or take up other hobbies such as running athletics etc. According to the nice guidelines through physical activity a child/young person will challenge themselves and learn to take risks. Other ways to support development is provide a structuring and learning environment and ensure the child/ young person goes to school as children learn by being with others and encourage them to think for themselves, it is also recognised that getting adequate sleep as sleep is essential to the body which uses the time to rest muscles, repair cells and refresh itself. For children

The environment that a child is exposed to is very influential, as a high-quality living environment has been positively linked to cognitive development (Guo & Harris, 2000). Therefore those children living in poverty are at a further disadvantage due to their low-quality living environment.

In the other hand, behaviorists view language as complex and leaned skill, much like playing piano and dancing. B.F. Skinner argued that language represents nothing more than chains of responses acquired through reinforcement. Putting differently, children learn though process of reinforcement. For example, baby babbles “mama” the mother happily reward the baby with a hug and kisses and eventually will push the baby to say “mama” more and more; due to these reward children are motivated to repeat the behavior, thereby shaping their language and ensuring their development. Children’s language is being built up, this describe a way in which children environmental experiences influence and improve their language skills. Also that’s why parents

This paper will discuss how a child’s development is influenced by environmental and cultural influences as well as parenting styles and education. This will be argued through four topics including