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Score Point
Response to task
Organization
Focus
Word Usage/Style
Grammar and
Mechanics
4 – Superior
Develops an
effective and
thoughtful
response using
detailed
examples to
support the
position.
Develops a
response that
uses adequate
examples and
addresses the
task.
Coherent
organization that
shows a smooth
progression of
ideas
Clear focus
that
thoughtfully
and thoroughly
explores the
task
Skillful use of
language that is
marked by a fluent
style and clear
command of the
language
Generally free from
errors in grammar,
usage, and
mechanics
Generally well
organized and
developed with a
progression of
examples.
2–
Developing
Many places are
not clear
Uses appropriate
vocabulary, syntactic
variety, and facility in
the use of language
with only limited
numbers of poor
word choices.
Limited control of
vocabulary and/or
inappropriate word
choice
1 – Needs
Improvement
Suggests an
inability to
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task with little or
no evidence to
support position
Limited
organization with
simplistic examples
and generalizations
to support the
thesis
Disorganized and
incoherent
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simplistic or
repetitive at
times, but
shows some
depth of
thought.
Lacks focus,
confused
thinking
Unfocused and
illogical
Lacks control of
vocabulary,
demonstrating
fundamental errors
May have some
errors in grammar,
usage, and
mechanics but
these errors do not
obscure meaning
for the most part.
Accumulation of
errors in grammar,
usage, and
mechanics that may
interfere with
meaning
Numerous errors in
grammar, usage,
and mechanics that
frequently interfere
with meaning
3–
Satisfactory
The following text contains suggestions in Word Comment
format.
Deniesha Smith
Mrs. F. Nelson
AP English 11
29 October 2010
Environmental Effects on Child Development
Throughout generations, young children have grown and evolved based on their
developmental needs. The needs of a child are based on his or her surroundings, biological
influences, and well being. If these needs of the child are not sufficiently met, the child is
harmed because he or she may not be able to reach his or her full potential, which may lead to
developmental delays later in life. In order to reduce the risk of these complications, parents
should provide for their children and offer support. Depending on the level of stimulus in the
environment and the engagement with the people around him or her, a child’s development may
be positively or negatively affected.
Factors that control an environment greatly affect a child’s development depending on
certain interactions around that child and the condition of the environment. When the condition
of an environment is stimulating towards a child’s senses, he or she may prosper from the
benefits and develop positively. A caring, responsive environment will assist in the protection of
a child from any negative stimulations or behaviors (“Early Child Development”). On the
contrary, some types of inappropriate behaviors will leak through the defenses of a stimulating
environment, enforcing the role of a parent as a sentinel or last line of defense for a child. When
problems arise involving interactions between characters and aspects of an environment, a
guardian should feel compelled to enforce limitations in order to achieve a balance of discipline
and organization. Throughout the lifetime of a child, he or she will be faced with many setbacks
from the individuals around him or her and the community. The deprivation of stimulus in a
child’s environment is capable of hindering the social aspects of a child’s development,
depending on the extent of the loss. When an environment is perceived as being unpredictable or
unreliable by a child, he or she could experience difficulty when learning to trust other
individuals and creating stable relationships (Deiner 293). The result of this isolation could
induce the withdrawal of troubled adolescents from the adult community surrounding them, thus
driving them towards the grasping hands of their peers. In order to reverse the dreadful effects of
these negative occurrences, one should intervene as soon as possible and improve living
conditions in the environment in order to reestablish some aspects of a child’s development
(“Parenting”). Even though the probability of developing effectively in a stimulus deficient
environment is slim, many children have overcome the circumstances and became acceptable
adolescents in society.
Equivalent to maintaining a stimulating environment is the aspect of conserving a
consistent setting for the child in order for him or her to evolve and mature The application of
schedules and routines upholds the predictability of a child’s surroundings by identifying what to
do in a situation and applying that knowledge to similar situations, thus raising his or her selfconfidence (“Elements of Consistent Environment”). Unfortunately, grasping onto the concept
of promptness too tightly can restrict children’s room to develop and bind his or her efforts to
evolve on their own. Parents must allow for the flexibility of their children with the intention of
allowing them to adapt to small changes without an increase in anxiety (“Elements of Consistent
Environment”). Once flexibility is established, the temperament of the child will become
mellow and frustrations will be scarce, resulting in a peaceful environment where a child can
absorb knowledge. A key factor for establishing social development is the creation of
relationships and attachments between a child and other characters in his or her environment.
Beginning at birth, a child will form an attachment to individuals in his or her surroundings
based on primal emotions and instinctual actions. The type of environment a child lives in can
increase the chances of developing quality social relationships between parents and peers, thus
increasing social skills. Nevertheless, negative emotions and behaviors can be learned from the
association of peers, undermining the well being of a child and creating complications for the
future (“Parenting”). The adult’s role in a child’s life is to expose the child to the right type of
values and relationships in order to create a bond filled with trust and understanding (Deiner
214). These connections provide a child with the opportunity to discuss ideas and issues with
others, while obtaining developmental support.
As young children establish social relationships, they use the basis of playing with other
individuals in order to strengthen these bonds (Brazelton 434). Infants take part in solitary play
where they enjoy playing by themselves with toys and other inanimate objects. As they progress
into the toddler stage, they begin to become aware of another child playing near them; however,
the two children will not interact and make only slight eye contact. Once a child gains more selfesteem and confidence, he or she begins to form groups that take part in imaginary play.
Imaginary play occurs when children decide to invent fictitious scenarios in which each person
has a specific role. The children often transform imaginary play into group play by following a
leader of the group and obeying orders that the leader commands.
In addition to guiding a child on the right path and providing him or her with a proficient
role model, a parent’s most important task is to understand a child as an individual and accept the
fact that his or her characteristics may vary from those in the environment (Brazelton 13). To aid
in the comprehension of this concept, parents can actively engage in the life style of a child by
communicating or immersing him or her in a language rich environment (McBride).
Consequently, negative passions are inevitable as a child grows older and gains more knowledge
(Brazelton 434); thus, the use of limitations should be used as a counteraction or remedy for this
problem. Limiting a child’s actions and interactions will provide him or her with a stopping
point for when he or she feels out of control and needs guidance. When a child is properly
nurtured, he or she can absorb certain aspects of the environment and receive the foundation for
a life as a mature adult (Child Development and Behavior Branch).
When a child reaches a certain age, parents are exchanged by babysitters or nannies as
the primary caregivers of that child. Nannies and babysitters must learn to understand a baby’s
“language” and reactions in order to effectively provide for a child during the time that parents
are away from him or her (Geracimos). When caregivers begin to care for a child in the absence
of a parent, they must maintain consistent activities established by the parent. Once more, the
process of exchange occurs as the nannies of a child are substituted for child care facilities,
which impact social and emotional development. During the period of time spent in these
centers, a child will absorb many concepts of negative and positive behavior, such as rebellion or
pro-social behavior. Pro-social behavior can be described as sharing items, taking turns, and
learning the idea of ownership.
Although the development of a child is affected mainly by factors involving the
environment, there is still a small portion of progression that is controlled by genes or biological
factors. When newborns begin to interact with their environments, they have certain reflexes
that they are born with in order to survive, such as the rooting reflex where a child turns his or
her head toward a source of touch on the cheek or lip (“Influence of Genes and Environment”).
When children are born, they often inherit some characteristics from their parents which usually
involve initial reading skills and some forms of temperament (“Influence of Genes and
Environment”). The acquisition of genes enables an increase in the brain’s mental abilities,
which change during the lifetime of a child. The upper and lower limits of a child’s development
are established by the brain’s abilities, which in turn are controlled by the genotype of the child.
On the other hand, a parent or caregiver’s behavior can modify genetic influence on social
behavior by reacting a certain way to a child’s actions (Child Development and Behavior
Branch).
During the first years of a child’s life, biological development is affected by the
environment; meaning, the characteristics of a child are both genetically and environmentally
determined (“Influence of Genes and Environment”). Genetic and environmental influences
blend together to make the foundation or basis of a child’s development. When an environment
is distorted, the characteristics of a child could change, resulting in behavioral and mental
instability, depending on the genetic traits they have inherited. The best way to resolve
developmental instability caused by severe environmental shifts is to allow a child to remain
with his or her family in familiar settings, allowing him or her to recover from the trauma
(Fawcett). Children are more stable and comfortable when they are in a familiar environment
with familiar people to interact with.
As children progress, their most critical point in life is when they have to enroll in the
educational system. This can be a fearful time for both parents and children due to the new
settings and multiple factors that could change. There are multiple ways parents can engage with
a child’s educational process and they should take advantage of these opportunities (McBride).
One way is to encourage the child to explore different solutions to make parental participation
and educational experience thrive (Glenn) and make the most out of the experience. Teachers
help a child to become situated in the new environment and establish friendships which expand
social development. When a teacher knows how to successfully carry out this task and provide
educational knowledge, children benefit tremendously.
Children acquire certain concepts and actions from their environments including the
people situated in them. The individuals feed knowledge and skills to a child that remain for
most of his or her life and form the basis for development and growth. A small factor of
development is the idea of genetics influencing a child’s temperament and characteristics at the
beginning of his or her childhood. Once a child begins maturing at a steady pace, he or she
becomes a unique individual who creates his or her own lifestyle and behaviors. Parents step in
as guardians during a child’s lifetime, but maneuver into the background as he or she becomes
independent. They must learn to accept their child’s freedom, while at the same time creating
boundaries to allow stability. Stimulating concepts in a child’s environment will create a chain
reaction of positive developmental milestones that will impact a child as well as the individuals
that participate in his or her life.
Works Cited
Brazelton, T. Berry, and Joshua D Sparrow. Touchpoints Three to Six your Child’s Emotional
and Behavioral Development. Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2002. Print.
Child Development and Behavior Branch. Report to the NACHHD Council. Jan. 2009. Print.
Deiner, Penny Low. Infants and Toddlers: Development and Program Planning. Fort Worth:
Harcourt Brace College Publications, 1997. Print.
“Early Child Development”. World Health Organization. Aug. 2009. Web.
“Elements of Consistent Environment”. Better Brains for Babies. 2007. Web.
Fawcett, Amalia. “Even in a Disaster Children are Best Left with Their Families”. The Age.
21 Jan. 2010. Print.
Geracimos, Ann. “Nuture beats Nature”. The Washington Times. 8 May 2008. Print.
Glenn, H. Stephen. Raising Self-reliant Children in Self-Indulgent World. Rocklin: Prima
Publications and Communications, 1988. Print.
“Influence of Genes and Environment on Child Development”. Child Growth and
Development. 1 May 2008. Web.
McBride, Brent. Interview with Phil Ciciora. A Minute With…TM. 18 August 2009. Web.
“Parenting, the Social Environment and its Effects on Child Development”. Virtual Cancer
Centre. 15 Sept. 2010. Web.
Hope this helps. If you have additional questions, please
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