Caregiving 101: Early
Childhood Development
Copyright
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Basic Needs of Young Children:
The Theories
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What are theories?
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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs
Selfactualization
• Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving,
lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts
Esteem
Love/Belonging
Safety
Physiological
• Self-esteem, confidence, achievement,
respect of others, respect by others
•Friendship and family
•Security of: body, employment,
resources, morality, the family,
health and property
•Breathing, food, water,
sleep, homeostasis and
excretion
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Maslow
◦ Basic physiological needs
◦ Air, food, water, shelter, clothing, rest and
sleep
◦ Safety
◦ Feelings of safety, ease and freedom from
anxiety
◦ Love and belonging
◦ Friendships, family and intimate relationships
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Maslow
◦ Esteem
◦ Self-worth, confidence, achievement
and respect of others
◦ Self-actualization
◦ Achieving who we can be; creativity,
aesthetic needs and fulfilling potential
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Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs
Maslow's Online Game
(click on link)
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Kohlberg’s Levels of Morality
◦ Level I – Pre-conventional (4 – 10 years)
◦ Stage 1: Punishment and obedience. Children
obey to avoid being caught and punished
◦ Stage 2: Naive instrumental behaviorism. Children
obey rules but only for pure self-interest. “You
scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
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Kohlberg’s Levels of Morality
◦ Level II: Conventional (10 – 13 years)
◦ Stage 3: Mutual interpersonal expectations.
Children seek approval of others and adopt the
“good boy-good girl” mentality. They base moral
judgments on whether or not someone meant to
do well.
◦ Stage 4: Law-and-order mentality. Children are
concerned with authority and maintaining the
social order. Correct behavior is “doing one’s
duty.”
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Kohlberg’s Levels of Morality
◦ Level III: Post-conventional (13 years and older)
◦ Stage 5: Social contract. Laws are obeyed
because they have been accepted by society
as a whole
◦ Stage 6: Universal ethical principles. Individuals
follow their own conscience about what is right.
Behavior is the same no matter who is present.
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Kohlberg's Theory of
Moral Development
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
(click on link)
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Erikson’s Theories
Infant
(birth to 1 ½ years)
Toddler
(2 to 3 years)
Trust versus Mistrust
Autonomy versus
Shame and Doubt
Needs maximum
comfort with minimal
uncertainty to trust
himself/herself, others
and the environment
Works to master
physical environment
while maintaining selfesteem
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Erikson’s Theories
Preschooler
School-Age Child
(4 – 5 years)
(6 – 11 years)
Initiative versus Guilt
Industry versus
Inferiority
Begins to initiate, not
imitate, activities;
develops
conscience and sexual
identity
Tries to develop a
sense of self-worth by
refining skills
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The Science of Early
Childhood Development
Harvard Education
(click on link)
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Social/Emotional, Cognitive
and Physical Needs of Children
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What contributes to healthy
child development?
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Piaget’s Social/Emotional Needs
of Children
Piaget believed that children learn in a distinctly
different manner from older people. He believed
that they move through a series of developmental
stages of cognition in the same way that they
move through stages of physical development.
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Piaget’s Stages of Development
(click on picture)
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Cognitive Needs of Young Children
Language and literacy
◦ Listen
◦ Read
◦ Really communicate
one-on-one
◦ Talk
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Vygotsky’s Cognitive Needs of
Young Children
◦ Able to use and appreciate help from
others, calling help from adults “scaffolding”
◦ Children are seen as active partners in their own
learning
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Cognitive Needs of Young Children
◦ Children must have
time to explore real
objects—hands-on
activities, NOT just
worksheets
◦ Adults must observe
and determine when it
is appropriate to offer
help (scaffolding)
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Social/Emotional Needs
Attachment and Bonding
◦ Continuity of care: children need to be
with the same caregivers for as long as
possible during their time in care
◦ Consistency of care: children can
expect the same from the adults in their
lives day after day - - at home and in
school
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Physical Needs of Young Children
Arnold Gesell believed growth and development
occur in orderly stages and sequences that are
predictable - “milestone timetables.”
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Physical Needs of Young Children
Patterns of physical growth:
◦ Proximal-distal: from the center out
◦ Cepha-locaudal: from the top down
◦ Important how they influence teacher
expectations and need for exercise
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Physical Needs of Children
◦ To support appropriate gross motor
development, children must have time to move--run, play, skip, jump, hop, throw or climb
◦ Not all gross motor play should be teacher
directed--let them outside to play
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Physical Needs of Children
◦ Clothing
◦ Food
◦ Safety
◦ Shelter
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Limit Screen Time
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Physical Needs of Children
To support fine motor development, children need
to draw with chunky crayons, small crayons and
pencils, use play dough, stack small and large
blocks, paint, cut, put on dress-up clothes or
button their coats.
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Physical Development of
Young Children
◦ Self-help skills
◦ Dressing/grooming
◦ Feeding
◦ Potty training
◦ Value of play
◦ Indoor
◦ Outdoor
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Physical Development of
Young Children
Tummy time is critical
to the development of
head/neck support,
rolling over, sitting up,
crawling and some fine
motor skills in infants.
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Responsible Child Care:
Ensuring a Safe,
Healthy Environment
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Major Responsibilities of Child
Care Providers
◦ To ensure the health and safety of all
children at all times
◦ To provide children with developmentally
appropriate environments and activities
to encourage their growth and
development
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Responsibilities of Child Care Providers
◦ Abiding by state
laws and regulations
◦ Providing nutritional
needs
◦ Providing an
adequate
educational
program
◦ Providing shelter
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Promoting Positive Behaviors
Positive behaviors
include:
◦ Getting along with
others
◦ Prosocial skills
◦ Self-control
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Head Start/Early Head Start
(click on picture)
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Health and Safety
National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC)
(click on picture)
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Texas Department of Family and
Protective Services
(click on picture)
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Six Core Strengths for Healthy Child
Development: An Overview
Dr. Bruce Perry
Six Core Strengths for Healthy Child Development: An Overview
(click on link)
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Career Opportunities in Early
Childhood Services
◦ Counseling
◦ Educational
opportunities
◦ Service positions
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Questions?
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References and Resources
Images:
◦ Microsoft Clip Art: Used with permission from Microsoft.
Textbook:
◦ Decker, C. (2011). Child development: Early stages through age 12. (5th ed.). Tinley Park: Goodheart-Willcox
Company.
Websites:
◦ Administration for Children and Families
Office of Head Start.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs
◦ California Department of Education
Cognitive development domain.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/itf09cogdev.asp
◦ Head Start
An overview of policies and regulations regarding child health and safety.
http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/hspps/1304/1304.22%20Child%20health%20and%20safety.htm
◦ Maslow’s Online Game
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
http://www.purposegames.com/game/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-quiz
◦ National Association for the Education of Young Children
Promoting excellence in early childhood education.
http://www.naeyc.org/content/about-naeyc
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References and Resources
◦ Rhode Island Adult Education Professional Development Center
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
http://www.riaepdc.org/Documents/Hierarcy%20of%20Needs-Definition.pdf
◦ Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers.
https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/documents/Child_Care/Child_Care_Standards_and_Regulati
ons/746_Centers.pdf
◦ Texas Workforce Commission
Texas Cares Online
http://www.texascaresonline.com/wowmenu.asp
◦ Zero to Three
This Brain Quiz was created to introduce some of the basic concepts concerning early
brain research in a way that challenges us to think critically and creatively about what we
have heard about the research.
http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/brain-development/brain-quiz.html
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References and Resources
YouTube™:
◦ Kohlberg’s Theory
Theory of Moral Development
http://youtu.be/svDYaQUVWfI
◦ Piaget’s Stages of Development
This is a collection of clips demonstrating Piaget’s stages of development.
http://youtu.be/TRF27F2bn-A?list=PLyJcqMAI9Y-mSueAA938U-UzNsVHkq1Ob
◦ Six Core Strengths for Healthy Child Development: An Overview
This brief overview provides an introduction to the Six Core Strengths program
developed by Dr. Bruce Perry and The Child Trauma Academy.
http://youtu.be/skaYWKC6iD4
◦ The Science of Early Childhood Development
This video is from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University features
Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., professor at the Harvard Graduate School of
Education.
http://youtu.be/tLiP4b-TPCA
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