A Glimpse into Childhood Psychosocial development Moral development Physical development Gender development Friendships and play Empathy Prosocial reasoning

Infants and Toddlers: 0-2 years Trust vs. mistrust Sensorimotorskills such as eye-hand or eye foot coordination; weight quadruples; first word & first step by first birthday (+/-) Gender identity by 2 ½ Friendships and play become increasingly more interactive Brain is shaped by social experiences; lack object permanence at first Global empathy: strong emotions in others create similar emotion in self Egocentric empathy 1-2 or 3 years…child understands separateness of self, understands experience was not his/her own; tries to comfort by offering/doing what would make him/her feel better Baby emotions Tk Tk Twins talking to each other Bc Bc

Preschoolers: 3-5 years Autonomy vs. shame and doubt; initiative vs. guilt Punishment/obedience; individualism/exchange; being good…mutual expectations; social systems and conscience; social contract AND individual rights Gross motor coordination/fine motor refinement Gender: Boys more aggressive/assertive ; knowledge of gender stereotypes; increasing differences in play; understand gender stability & specific gender traits Empathy for another …child understands others’ feelings differ from his/her own and offers what other person finds helpful Symbolic and sociodramatic play emerges; friendships based on time together, sharing toys, enjoying same games Hedonistic reasoning; concerned with own needs and consequences for self

School Age: 6-12 years Industry vs. inferiority Social contract AND individual rights govern; may begin to develop universal ethical principles Large muscle development; energetic, become competitive Rigidity in gender stereotyped beliefs gives way to understanding cultural relativity and acceptance of cross gender behavior and appearance Logical rules, reality based play, physical skills and sports. Develop loyal and faithful friends Empathy for another…child understands others/ feelings differ from his/her own and others what other person finds helpful Concerned for needs of others even if in conflict with own needs; concerned with being accepted by others and gaining approval

Adolescence: 13 to ?? Identity vs. role confusion Puberty Social contract AND individual rights prevail; continue developing towards universal ethical principles Empathetic: sympathy for others, guilt for not helping, vague references to internalized values become increasingly stronger Intimate friends; leisure activities; affiliation Empathy for another’s life conditions …understand emotions can be due to life circumstances; feel empathy for a group

References Child Development: Principles and Perspectives Second Edition Cook and Cook 2009 Allyn and Bacon, Publishers Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14 Chip Wood 1997 NEFC, Publisher