The Theories Of Child Development

Piaget was the first psychologist to make a systematic study of cognitive development. Piaget’s work includes a detailed observational study of cognition in children. Piaget showed that young children think in different ways to adults. According to Piaget, children are born with a very basic mental structure (genetically inherited and evolved) on which all subsequent knowledge is based.

In order to apply theories and models of child development to support children’s development we must get to know each individual child by building a good relationship with the children through play, communication and answering to their personal needs. Observation and assessment is also key so that we know what each child is capable of and what they are working towards/could be encouraged towards. Good communication with parents is also beneficial as it helps the carer to see what the child is doing at home and to identify if there are things they do or don’t do at nursery that is different from home. It also helps to work out ways of encouraging development at home and at nursery.

B) our ability to modify our behavior based on the prospect of rewards or punishment.

This assignment will discuss the main theories of child development and discuss the main principles across all area of development. The assignment will also evaluate an observation conducted on a child and link their behaviour to relevant child development theories. The assignment will firstly highlight some child development theories from behaviourists such as Bandura, humanists such as Maslow and constructivists such as Piaget. Secondly the child’s observation will be discussed and evaluated here relevant link to development theories will be made. Lastly the assignment will finish off with a reflection. Jennie Lindon defines development as” the sequence of physical and psychological changes experienced by human beings, which start with conception and continue throughout life.”(Jennie Lindon 2012:5) the early year’s foundation stage (EYTS) framework states that there are seven areas of learning and development however they view some are more important these are called the prime areas of development. There are three prime areas of development these are: communication and language, physical development, personal social and emotional development. The EYFS also states that “children develop in different ways at different times” (Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage 2014) which is why the development matters promote the message that every child is unique and has their own way of learning. (Development matters in the Early years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2012)

I would consider myself as developing with practicing child development theories. However, now that I have spent a couple of weeks with students, making the connection to the literature is easier. After reading the student’s paragraph during an assessment, I observed that most students in the class did not know how to write in cursive script. My mentor and I are in the beginning stages of planning a lesson that I could teach on typography; using type as art to include their signatures on the back of their artwork.

The life span theories is about four different theories; the psychoanalytic, behaviourism, cognitive and humanistic. Erikson has some similarities with Freud however it is extremely different in other ways. Rather than Erikson focusing on sexual interest as a driving force in development, he believed that social interaction and experience played a decisive role. Erikson has an eight stage theory of human development which describes the process from birth to death and the crisis of each stage brings. His life span stages follow as infancy which crisis is autonomy vs shame and doubt and trust vs mistrust. This is when the world seems a safe place or it can be a place that can have unstable events. During this stage of infancy it is unsure about the world that the live in. to overcome these feelings of uncertainty the infant looks towards their primary caregiver for stability care. If this care is constant the sense of trust will be developed which will carry on in other relationships. If there is success in this stage it will lead to the virtue of hope, furthermore the person will have hope if a new crisis and therefore a failing attain virtue of hope will lead to fear when a crisis occurs. Also if there is mistrust at the infancy stage this will carry on into other relationships.

Theories of Development: Guidance in Helping Claudia Most theorists believe that an affirmative family dynamic plays a vital role to the way a child is shaped for his or her future. A child who experiences a secure attachment with their parents, will also be successful in seeking out positive experiences in social circles (Benoit, 2004 October). In the same respect, a child who does not get to experience a real attachment, will struggle as they grow (Benoit, 2004 October). Either way, from as early as infancy, the way a child is raised, will shape their behaviors for the rest of their lives (Benoit, 2004 October). So what happens to a child who doesn 't get the chance to bond to a caregiver? Many cognitive and social issues arise, and the child struggles not only within themselves, but also within their societal group.

Each developmental theory has many differences but they share common ground in areas such as lacking the capacity of being indepdent alongside taking on responsibilities. Becoming psychologically, emotionally, dependant and vulnerable together with being ‘needy’ for new oppportunies and experiences which if not provided will undermine proper development for the child (Stainton Rogers, 2009). In the findings childhood is viewed as a voyage towards adulthood, being criticised for representing children as incompetent with attention on experiences which have been viewed as insignificant such as the importance of play (Smith, 2013). Psychologoists such as Piaget, Freud and Erickson viewed children as ‘human becoming ‘ rather than ‘human beings’

Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget are quite similar in their theories. Jean Piaget’s cognitive theory is only slightly different than Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory. Both theorists use the idea of developmental stages. Although the stages vary in what they entail, the carry the same idea of progressive development. Jean Piaget was born September 16, 1980, in Switzerland. His research found “that the growth of knowledge is a progressive construction of logically embedded structures superseding one another by a process of inclusion of lower less powerful logical means into higher and more powerful ones up to adulthood. Therefore, children 's logic and modes of thinking are initially entirely different from those of adults” (Smith, 2000). On the other hand, there’s the theory of Erikson, born in Germany in 1902. His theory saying, “Developmental progression — from trust to autonomy, initiative, industry, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity — was conceived as the sequential reorganization of ego and character structures. Each phase was the potential root of later health and pathology. By focusing on the social as well as the psychological, Erikson’s stages represented a quantum leap in Freudian thought, which had emphasized the psychosexual nature of development” (EI, 2013). Both theories are equally interesting. Although only slightly different, they both advocate for the nurture side of nature versus nurture debate.

The way we work with children and current practice is affected by theories of development which are written by many physcologists who have studied children and ways in which they develop. They have many varied ideas about how children learn. The physcologists have proposed different theories that they claim to explain children’s learning and how important the nature versus nurture argument is. Some of the physcologists and their theories are outlined in this essay.

The main theorist that worked on and studied cognitive development was Piaget. Piaget was a Swiss developmental psychologist and Philosopher, and was well known for his studies encompassing children. His theory focuses on the ways children think, reason, and solve problems, as well how they then adapt

Developmental psychology is viewed as different types of approaches which aim to look at how people develop. Theories such as Bowlby 's attachment theory can explain how a child 's development can be altered by their attachment, thus leading to the ideology of the nature vs nurture debate, nature referring to the process of biological maturation while nurture is referring to the influence of the environment or surroundings, which involves the idea that a person learns through experiences.(McLeod, S. A, 2012)

The majority of research conducted in the fields of biology and ecology, as they relate to child development, has occurred in the years following the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (1994) conducted by the CDC in conjunction with several academic partners. This study established the standard of “adverse childhood experiences” (ACEs) upon which subsequent studies have relied for measurement. ACEs include “psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; violence against mother; or living with household members who were substance abusers, mentally ill or suicidal, or ever imprisoned.” The incidence of these experiences, gathered from a sample of 18,000 respondents, was then compared to the incidence of certain measures of adult risk behaviors, diseases, and health conditions. The results of the study indicate that the frequency and diversity among ACEs correlate positively with several of the leading causes of death and disease. The scope of this study, particularly as it relates to mental health, is quite narrow. However, it remains significant, establishing a platform for future research concerning the impact of stress and trauma on human development.

According to Freud, the needs of a child during the first 18 months of her life are basically oral. The ability of a child to progress into the next developmental stage in his/her life is dependent on the type of care he/she receives during the early childhood stage. If the child receives consistent care and his/her individual experiences promote safety and security, he/she progresses to the next stage without a remainder of unsatisfied needs. However, if the individual does not receive this type of care, he/she becomes fixated at early childhood and develops oral fixated behaviors.

Different theorists have different ideas about the development of children. Two of these include Urie Brofenbrenner and Mason Durie. The western theorist, Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) was born in Russia however was relocated to the United States in his early years, where his father worked as a clinical pathologist. This is likely to have impacted on Bronfenbrenners future career path of psychology (Moffitt, n.d.). Bronfenbrenner explores the ideas around ecological theory. A Maori perspective is Durie, born in New Zealand in 1938. He studied medicine and surgery at University of Otago, and continued on to do a postgraduate diploma in psychiatry (Massey University, 2010). Durie explores ideas around Maori wellbeing. Both of these theorists have implications on teaching.