1. Unit 1: The Study of Children
Child Development
Unit 1:
The Study of Children

2. Objectives State characteristics of development (1.2)
Name reasons for studying child development (1.3)
Identify 5 basic areas of child development (1.4)
Match stages of the individual life cycle with the correct age ranges (1.5)
Describe influences of heredity and environment (1.6)
Designate guidelines for observing children (1.7)
Describe theories related to child development (1.8)

3. What is Childhood? Period of life separate from adulthood
Development is rapid
When babies are born, they are totally dependent on caregivers
When childhood ends, people prepare to be independent
Childhood has a profound influence on later life

4. Why is Childhood Crucial?
Early childhood may be the most important stage of life
In the first few years, the brain develops connections between nerve cells that allow it to think and control the body in certain ways

5. Characteristics of Development
Development is similar for everyone.
Development builds on earlier learning.
Development proceeds at an individual rate.
The different areas of development are interrelated.
Development is continuous throughout life.

6. Development is similar for everyone
Children go through the same stages in about the same order.
What are some examples of this characteristic?
Babies life their head before they lift their body
Babies stand before they can walk

7. Development builds on earlier learning
Development follows a step-by-step pattern, or a sequence
What are some examples of this characteristic?
Before a child can learn to run, he/she must learn to walk
Before a child can form sentences, he/she must learn to speak single words

8. Development proceeds at an individual rate
The rate of growth differs from one child to another.
What is an example of this characteristic?
Sally might learn to walk before Johnny

9. The different areas of development are interrelated
Changes in many areas are taking place at the same time.
What is an example of this characteristic?
A child is developing physically and intellectually at the same time

10. Development is continuous throughout life
Sometimes it is more rapid and sometimes it is slower but it never stops.
What is an example of this characteristic?
Everyone goes through the human life cycle

11. Why study child development?
You can benefit from studying children in many ways. You can improve your understanding of how children grow and change. Studying children can also improve your understanding of yourself- and help you think about your future.

12. 4 reasons for studying child development
To Understand Children
To Gain Skills
To Understand Yourself
To Build for the Future

13. To Understand Children
You will better understand why children act, feel and think as they do
You will understand the importance of caregivers

14. To Gain Skills
You’ll learn what children need at each stage of development and how to meet those needs
The skills you gain as a caregiver will make you a more effective one, as a babysitter or in your own family
Children feel more comfortable with people who care for them with confidence

15. To Understand Yourself
As you learn to understand children better, you’ll also come to know yourself better
You will learn more about what makes you the person you are
Who you are right now has developed from you as a child and you will continue to develop into your adult self

16. To Build for the Future
Today, your understanding of children may help you become a better babysitter, teacher’s aide or playground supervisor
In the future, your knowledge may help you as a parent or in a career related to children
Studying children could help you make career decisions

17. Five basic areas of Child Development
Physical development
Social development
Emotional development
Moral development
Intellectual development

18. Physical development
Definition: A development process that refers to the physical growth of a person’s body.
This growth affects height, weight, and internal body systems
Activities such as running, climbing, jumping rope, and riding a bicycle help the large muscles of the back, arms, and legs develop
working jigsaw puzzles, finger painting, and stringing beads all help a child learn to control the small muscles of the hands

19. Social Development
Definition: The process of learning to interact with others and to express oneself to others.
At first children play alone
Gradually, they learn to play together
Then, they learn how to take turns, work together toward a common goal, lead and follow

20. Emotional Development
Definition: the process of learning to recognize and express one’s feelings, control emotions and to establish one’s identity as a unique person
Play can help children work through life’s challenges and problems

21. Moral Development
Definition: the process of gradually learning to base one’s behavior on personal beliefs of right and wrong.
Through play, children learn to follow rules and act fairly toward others
They learn to share and encourage the efforts of others

22. Intellectual Development
Definition: a development process that refers to the growth of the brain and the use of mental skills
Simple activities such as singing nursery rhymes, stacking blocks, and sorting through a box of buttons help a child learn language, balance, and how to organize objects.

23. Stages in the individual life cycle
Remember, development continues throughout life.
Each person passes through various stages after childhood. This is called the human life cycle

24. Individual life cycle Prenatal: conception to birth
Infant: birth to 12 months
Toddler: 1-3 years
Preschool: 3-6 years
School age: years
Adolescence: years
Young adulthood: years
Middle adulthood: years
Late adulthood: 65 years and older

25. Adolescence Three development tasks to achieve: Finding your identity
Becoming independent
Planning for your life’s work

26. Young adulthood
Finishes preparing for a career and begins working in it
Many marry
Establish roots
Starts family and settles down to live in a particular place

27. Middle adulthood Reevaluating life choices
Readjusting, and finding stability and peace
Children are grown and have moved out
New sense of freedom
Travel or spend time with friends
May take care of elderly parents

28. Late adulthood
The main developmental task for a person in this period is to come to terms with life
What this means:
People follow typical patterns of development through these stages, but people differ in how each individual experiences this pattern.

29. Writing assignment
Compare and contrast two stages of the individual life cycle. How are the stages similar? How are they different?
Write a paragraph
Use a main idea and give supporting details

30. Influences on Development
Each child develops as an individual because of unique combination of factors that he or she experiences. Those factors can be placed in two categories:
Heredity
Environment

31. Heredity (nature)
The passing on of certain characteristics from earlier generations
Physical characteristics:
Blood type
Eye color
Hair color

32. Why You Are Who You Are…
Heredity is the qualities passed from your parents to you at birth. By understanding the role of heredity, you can learn to understand yourself.
Chromosomes carry the hereditary information from each parent, creating the genetic “blueprint” for the child.
The gene (the basic unit of heredity) determines all inherited characteristics or traits a person has received from their parents.

33. Punnett Square
Dominant genes determine the nature of a certain trait in a person.
Recessive genes, determine the nature of the trait only when 2 of them are present (one from each parent).
Scientists use a Punnett square to determine what possible gene pairs may result from combining the genes of parents.

34. Inherited Traits Dominant Traits Recessive Traits Black/brown hair
Full lips
Free earlobes
Dimples in cheeks
High/narrow nose
Brown eyes
Curly hair
Freckles
Farsightedness
Recessive Traits
Blond hair
Thin lips
Attached earlobes
No dimples in cheeks
Broad nose
Blue eyes
Straight hair
No freckles
Normal vision

35. Hereditary Diseases
Certain diseases and disabilities are inherited, such as: Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle-Cell Anemia, and Down’s Syndrome.
Some people are a carrier of a disease, meaning they pass the disease to their children but never have it themselves.
These diseases and disabilities contribute to the Special Needs Population- a group of people identified as needing assistance to compensate for specific disabilities.

36. Environment (nurture)
The people, places, and things that surround and influence a person
Through the environment you learn certain attitudes and ways of doing things
You are constantly being shaped by the people around you and by your experiences

37. Your Environment
A person’s environment includes their surroundings and everything in them:
Family
Friends
Home
School
Community
Religion
Technology
Media
Society

38. Child Development Theorists
Create a flip chart with information about each of the following theorists and their significance:
Jean Piaget
Sigmund Freud
Maria Montessori
Lev Vygotsky
B.F. Skinner
Erik Erikson

39. Jean Piaget ( )
The first theorist to study children in a scientific way- he focused on how children learn
He said that children go through four stages of thinking that shape how they see and learn about the world
Significance: children should be given learning tasks that are suitable for their stage of thinking

40. Sigmund Freud ( )
Believed that personality develops through a series of stages.
Emotional experiences in childhood have profound effects on a person as an adult
Significance: idea about emotional experiences is very important for caregivers

41. Maria Montessori ( )
Her theory states that children learn by using their senses and best by pursuing their interests
Significance: children need to be given objects to play with so they can exercise their sensory learning

42. Abraham Maslow ( )
Believed that a child’s needs must be met in order for that child to reach their full potential.
Order of needs: physical, safety, love and belonging, and self esteem.

43. Section 1-3 Observing Young Children

44. Why is Observing Children Important?
To better understand their development
Helps you learn about individual children
Helps identify children with special needs or disabilities
Gives you important feedback about your own approach to parenting or teaching

45. Objective vs. Subjective Observations
Subjective uses personal opinions, rather than facts to judge or describe things
Objective uses facts, not personal feelings or prejudice.
We should strive to always be objective observers
Avoid using words like sad, happy, good, or bad

46. Types of Observation Records
Running record
Anecdotal record
Frequency count
Developmental checklist

47. How to Act While Observing
You don’t want to be noticed
Your presence might affect their behavior
Blend into the background
If a child talks to you, answer politely but briefly
If you see a child is hurt and no adult knows it, you should step in

48. Using Observations When recording, make every effort to be objective
Later, you must interpret the information and express your ideas and opinions about what has occurred
Must be confidential
Remember you observed a child for only a short time and it may not be an accurate representation