Child Development
The first two years of life, known as infancy, is universally recognized as an extremely important stage of human development, and is therefore distinguished from the later stages. Infancy witnesses the rapid growth of the child's cognitive, psychosocial, and biosocial development, and the infant's increasing responsiveness to the environment and the people within that environment.
Infants grow at a very rapid rate during the first one and a half years of life, developing not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and socially. The infant's brain is immature at birth, and the child's early behavior therefore involves the display of a set of reflexes: some that occur in response to the infant's adjustment to its new environment and stimuli and others that are present because the cerebral cortex is not yet mature enough to control them. Infants appear particularly attentive to visual stimuli, such as movement, contrast, color, and symmetry. During the first year, maturation of the brain occurs at a rapid rate and, when combined with innate perceptual biases and post-natal experiences, the infant develops two important psychological structures: perceptual schemata and conditioned responses. As the brain develops, a child responds more and more to sight and sound, which prepares them for further development.
Cognitive development relates to the reasoning and logic of an infant. Jean Piaget suggested the existence of a mental structure - sensorimotor coordination - that combines a schema with action. According to Piaget, infants acquire knowledge about objects through their actions with them, and that this occurs through a series of stages that make up the sensorimotor period. Early in the first year infants progress from automatic reflex responses to primary circular reactions, in which they repeat actions that initially occurred accidentally. Later they develop secondary circular reactions, in which they repeat actions that create interesting sights and sounds. After about twelve months they form tertiary circular reactions, in which they vary their actions rather than...
Child Development Humans are born with basic capabilities and distinct temperaments, however, everyone goes through dramatic changes along the way to adulthood, and while growing old (Erikson's pp). According to psychologist Erik H. Erikson, every individual passes through eight developmental stages, called psychosocial stages, and each stage is characterized by a different psychological 'crisis,' which must be resolved by the individual before he or she can move on to the next
Another theory, posited by Erik Erikson, also focuses on the psychological elements of development. According to Eriksson, all children go through the same psychological stages, and so development occurs the same everywhere. Vygotsky believed development to occur differently within different cultures, dependent on the characteristics of the individuals' children are cared for. Finally, a third theory of attachment, is actually quite similar in that it depends on healthy social
Child Development According to McGrath (2003), "In almost every case of significant adult depression, some form of abuse was experienced in childhood, either physical, sexual, emotional or, often, a combination." Child abuse can cause a wide range of deleterious effects in adulthood, impacting the ability to form healthy relationships or develop a sense of self-efficacy (Rivers, 2011). The link between child abuse and clinical problems like depression, addiction, and anxiety can
Instead of being frustrated and depressed because they are not succeeding, these children feel good about themselves and what they have accomplished. They also have the added benefit of doing something they enjoy and that will give them personal pleasure. These are the children who have the self-confidence to try something new on their own. Understanding child development can also help caregivers and educators recognize when a children are not
In order to provide an age appropriate program with activities that enhance the numerous stages of growth and development in children, the adult should have a good understanding of where the child is developmentally coming from, where the child is currently, and where he or she is heading to into the near future. APPENDIX Checklist Middle Childhood a. Gross Motor Skills - with a list of specific skills and what those might look
Child Development "The quality of the relationship between parents and young children is one of the most powerful factors in a child's growth and development," (Brotherson, 2005, p. 1). Research unequivocally supports the notion that a young's child's social and emotional well-being is enhanced through the development of positive attachments, especially in the first three years of life. It is important to research and understand the issue of attachment in early
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now