 Why

do we study child development?
Write down your opinion.
 Definition:

Change in the child that occurs over time.
Changes follow an orderly pattern that moves
toward greater complexity and enhances survival.

What does this mean?
 Health
 Education
 Love
 Work
 Child
play
 Unschooling
is a generic term for a form of
homeschooling in which, loosely speaking,
education happens without the use of a
schedule, curriculum, testing and grades.
 Unschooling is child-led education, so if the
child chooses to go to school, they are still
unschooled, as they were not coerced or
persuaded to go there, but chose to do so of
their own free will. Unschooling is the
rejection of an imposed education.
http://unschooling.ca/
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhfhRL
wTB0
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuOyJ8C
6mZM&feature=related
 Theories
are ideas about development.
 6th
- 15th centuries
Medieval period
 Children were cared for until they could begin
caring for themselves, around 7 years old.
 Children treated as adults (e.g. their clothing,
worked at adult jobs, could be married, were
made into kings, were imprisoned or hanged
as adults.)
 Children
were born evil, and must be civilized.
 A goal emerged to raise children effectively.
 Special books were designed for children.
 Both
the environment and biology
influence the child's development.
 The environment affects the child and the
child influences the environment.
 Children
"construct" their understanding of
the world through their active involvement
and interactions
Albert Bandura
 Stressed how children learn by observation
and imitation.
 Believed that children gradually become more
selective in what they imitate.
Theories
are ideas about
development.

Which theories do you agree with?
 Heredity
– biological transfer of certain
characteristics
 Environment
- the people, places, and things
that surround and influence a person.
 Prenatal
period: from conception to birth
 Infancy and toddlerhood: birth to 2 years
 Early childhood: 2-6 years old
 Middle childhood: 6-12 years old
 Adolescence: 12-19 years old
 Development

is similar for each individual.
Babies lift their head before they lift their bodies.
 Development
builds upon earlier learning.
ex. Words than sentences
 Development
proceeds at an individual rate.
 The
different areas of development are
interrelated.

Body, mind, emotions
 Development
is a lifelong process.
Development is described in three domains, but growth
in one domain influences the other domains.
 Physical

Domain:
body size, body proportions, appearance, brain development, motor
development, perception capacities, physical health.
 Cognitive

Domain:
thought processes and intellectual abilities including attention, memory,
problem solving, imagination, creativity, academic and everyday
knowledge, metacognition, and language.
 Social/Emotional

Domain:
self-knowledge (self-esteem, metacognition, sexual identity, ethnic
identity), moral reasoning, understanding and expression of emotions,
self-regulation, temperament, understanding others, interpersonal
skills, and friendships.
 Do
children around the world develop the
same?
 Do
children around the world have the same
basic needs?
 What
are some things that could keep a child
from growing in the domains?
 List
5 significant events in the lives of
children that could be considered
environmental influences on children’s
development.
 What effect would each of these events have
on a child’s development?
 Why would the event be important to the
child?
 Why
do we study child development?
 What were some early theories about child
development?
 What are two things that affect child
development?