Learning About Children Ch.1 DC/CEY Chapter 1 Outline: • 1-1: Beginning Your Study of Children • 1-2: Understanding Childhood • 1-3: Observing Young Children Section 1-1 Objectives: • Explain why childhood is an important time of development. • Identify ways that play benefits children. • Describe reasons for studying children. What is Child Development? Development Child Development • Development begins at conception and continues until death • The scientific study of children from conception to adolescence. • It is the gradual process through which babies become adults • The study of how children master new skills. Why Is Childhood Crucial? • Childhood is a time for preparation. • The brain develops connections between nerve cells that allow it to think and control the body in certain ways. • Links in brain help promote mental and physical skills. • Links are also formed through play. Brain Development • The command center of the body is the brain • 50 trillion synapses are present at birth • When stimulated, the brain produces more synapses (connections). • Pruning begins in the very first year and is almost completed by age 10 years. • Rich sensory experiences strengthen and refine the brain’s wiring. • A lack of stimulation can prevent Brain some connections from forming and cause others to be pruned away. Development • Window of opportunity – a prime period in a child’s life or developing a particular skill if given the chance to do so • Brain plasticity - the ability of the brain to be shaped and reshaped, which is greatest early in life Areas of Development Physical • Change in the body and its abilities. •Large Muscles (back, arms, and legs) – running, climbing, jumping rope •Small Muscles (hands) – jigsaw puzzles, finger painting and stringing beads Areas of Development Social • Learning to relate to others •Children first play alone; gradually, they learn to play together Areas of Development Emotional •Learning to express and handle feelings. • Acting out the role of a parent, firefighter, or jungle explorer can lessen the frustrations of being a small person in this world. Areas of Development Moral • Knowing what’s right from wrong. • Learning how to follow rules and act fairly toward others. Areas of Development Intellectual •Progress in the mind and thinking abilities. •Singing nursery rhymes, stacking blocks, and sorting through a box of buttons can help a child learn language, balance, and how to organize objects. • Each group should agree on a play activity that they enjoyed as children or that children they care for enjoy. • Discuss how this play benefits children in at least 3 of the 5 areas described in the text and note the age of the child. • Each group will illustrate the type of play chosen and the benefits on a poster. Why Study Children? Before studying how adults can help children develop and learn, you must understand why you should study them. Child Development is a new discipline. Until the 1900’s society was relatively unconcerned. Specialists in education, medicine, nutrition, nursing, psychology and social work worked together to learn the common problems of the developing child. To Understand Children • You will better understand why children act, feel, and think as they do. • Behaviors – ways of acting or responding • Set of typical behaviors for each stage of childhood To Understand Children • To understand the importance of caregivers. • Caregiver – parents and others who take care of children To Be a Responsible Parent • Parents know their children’s needs at each stage of development and the best ways to respond to those needs, • Helps parents have reasonable expectations about their abilities To Be a Responsible Parent Parents must be responsible for meeting all of their children’s needs, which include the following: • Being able to trust their parents helps children gain confidence. • Love/Guidance needs To Gain Skills • You learn what children need at each stage of development and how to meet those needs. • Gained knowledge and skills = confidence To Understand Yourself • Learn what makes you the person you are. • Who you are has developed from the child you were. • Experience, education, and life situations help you mature. To Build for the Future • Help you make decisions about your future career • Prepare for parenthood and its responsibilities You can still remember what it is like to be a child, but are close enough to adulthood to be able to reason and think. William Wordsworth said, "The child is the father to the man.” • Childhood is a vital and significant time. • Foundations are laid for the person to become an adult. • Knowing about childhood can help you help children build a strong foundation • It can give you insight into the foundation you built for yourself. •Think about parents, teachers, and caregivers who stand out as • Write a one page paper describing what qualities make the person a role model and how that person helps guide your own behavior with children. • Share your answers • Discuss the desirability of Section 1-2 Objectives: • Compare childhood in the past and present. • Outline the leading ideas about how children develop • Describe five principles of development • Explain influences on development • Explain the role of self-esteem in development What is childhood? • It is a period of life separate from adulthood. • It is a time when development occurs very rapidly. • It is a time that ends and people become independent from their parents. Childhood : Past & Present • Until the 20th century, few people believed that there was anything unusual or important about the early years of life. • Some of the differences between children in the past and today result from changing attitudes. • Others grew out of advances in technology or social changes. Differences between the past and the present include: • Work • Children were expected to work at an early age. • The “job” of young children is to simply grow, learn, and play. Differences… • Kids had fewer toys • Until 1800s, toys were homemade and common games like baseball were played • 1970s video games became available Differences… • Education • Public education for all didn’t become available until the early 1800’s. • Schools were small and included children of all ages and abilities. • Today, schools are larger than the one-room schools and use modern technology, such as computers for learning. Differences… • Health • Before the 20th century, diseases caused the deaths of children. • Today, many have been controlled, so children grow and thrive as never before. Differences… • Parental Love • This is the only thing that hasn’t changed. • Parent’s have always worked hard to build lives for their children and to raise them as moral, responsible people. What are the important elements for a happy childhood? What can caregivers do to provide the necessary environment? • Be warm, loving, and responsive. • Talk, read, and sing to your child. • Establish routines and rituals. • Encourage safe exploration and play • Limit television watching. • Use discipline as an opportunity to teach. • Recognize that each child is unique. • Choose quality child care and stay involved Principles of Growth & Development • Development is similar for everyone • Children go through the same stages in about the same order. • Development builds on earlier learning • SEQUENCE - Development follows a step-by-step pattern • Development proceeds at an individual rate Principles of Growth & Development • The different areas of development are interrelated • Changes in many areas are taking place at the same time. • Development continues throughout life • The rate changes, sometimes it slow and at others, it is fast, but it never stops. Identify the character of development described in each situation. Sarah lives in a home with her parents, a brother and sister, and her grandparents. Her grandparents are now retired from working They help watch the younger children while Sarah parents are at work. Josh and Nicole are cousins. Although Josh is two months older, Nicole began to sit and stand at about the same time he did. Development proceeds at an individual rate Jessica is an active three-year-old. Lately, she has started choosing her clothes each morning. Her parents are amazed at her eagerness to learn new things – it seems she never stops wanting to learn. In school, Michael did poorly on tests and was seldom able to answer the teacher’s questions. Other children teased him and called him names. As a result, he was shy and had a little self-confidence. Since he has started wearing glasses, he has been seeing the chalkboard better and doing better in school. He feels better about Two major influences on development are: • Heredity – the passing on of certain characteristics from earlier generations (i.e. blood type, hair color, body build) • Environment – the people, places, and things that surround and influence a person (i.e. family, friends and community) Some scientists say that nature or heredity, is the most important factor, while other say that the environment or nurture is the most important. What do you think? Human Life Cycle • People pass through various stages throughout life • Each stage of life has particular challenges called • Which stage are you in? Adolescence – stage of life between childhood and adulthood. You have three developmental tasks to achieve: • Finding your identity • Becoming independent • Planning for your life’s work Stages of the life cycle: • Adulthood – person in their 20’s preparing for a career and/or marriage. • Middle life – forming a family, establishing roots – settling down. • Reevaluating life – those in their 40’s may question the choices they have made. • Finding stability and peace – 50’s Final Stage of Adulthood: • Late life: you have a new sense of freedom and they come to terms with life. The Role of Self-Esteem • A positive self-esteem can help you meet these developmental tasks. •Self-esteem - is how you value yourself. – Tool to push yourself to achieve new goals – Gives you energy to go on and boosts your confidence