1. Learning About Children
Ch.1 DC/CEY

2. Chapter 1 Outline: 1-1: Beginning Your Study of Children
1-2: Understanding Childhood
1-3: Observing Young Children

3. Two Content Layout with Table
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Group 1
Group 2
Class 1 82 95
Class 2 76 88
Class 3 84 90

4. Two Content Layout with SmartArt
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Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
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5. Picture with Caption Layout

10. Section 1-1 Objectives:
Explain why childhood is an important time of development.
Identify ways that play benefits children.
Describe reasons for studying children.

11. What is Child Development?
It is the gradual process through which babies become adults
Development begins at conception and continues until death
The study of how children master new skills.
The scientific study of children from conception to adolescence.

12. Why Is Childhood Crucial?
Childhood is a time for preparation.
The brain develops connections between nerve cells that allow it to think and control the body in certain ways.
Links in brain help promote mental and physical skills.
Links are also formed through play.

13. Brain Development The command center of the body is the brain
50 trillion synapses are present at birth
When stimulated, the brain produces more synapses (connections).
Pruning begins in the very first year and is almost completed by age 10 years.

14. Rich sensory experiences strengthen and refine the brain’s wiring.
A lack of stimulation can prevent some connections from forming and cause others to be pruned away.
Window of opportunity – a prime period in a child’s life or developing a particular skill if given the chance to do so
Brain plasticity - the ability of the brain to be shaped and reshaped, which is greatest early in life
Brain Development

15. Areas of Development Physical Change in the body and its abilities.
Large Muscles (back, arms, and legs) – running, climbing, jumping rope
Small Muscles (hands) – jigsaw puzzles, finger painting and stringing beads

16. Areas of Development Social Learning to relate to others
Children first play alone; gradually, they learn to play together

17. Areas of Development Emotional
Learning to express and handle feelings.
Acting out the role of a parent, firefighter, or jungle explorer can lessen the frustrations of being a small person in this world.

18. Areas of Development Moral Knowing what’s right from wrong.
Learning how to follow rules and act fairly toward others.

19. Areas of Development Intellectual
Progress in the mind and thinking abilities.
Singing nursery rhymes, stacking blocks, and sorting through a box of buttons can help a child learn language, balance, and how to organize objects.

20. Teamwork Activity
Each group should agree on a play activity that they enjoyed as children or that children they care for enjoy.
Discuss how this play benefits children in at least 3 of the 5 areas described in the text and note the age of the child.
Each group will illustrate the type of play chosen and the benefits on a poster.

21. Why Study Children?
Before studying how adults can help children develop and learn, you must understand why you should study them.

22. Child Development is a new discipline.
Until the 1900’s society was relatively unconcerned. Specialists in education, medicine, nutrition, nursing, psychology and social work worked together to learn the common problems of the developing child.
Did you know?

23. To Understand Children
You will better understand why children act, feel, and think as they do.
Behaviors – ways of acting or responding
Set of typical behaviors for each stage of childhood

24. To Understand Children
To understand the importance of caregivers.
Caregiver – parents and others who take care of children

25. To Be a Responsible Parent
Parents know their children’s needs at each stage of development and the best ways to respond to those needs,
Helps parents have reasonable expectations about their abilities

26. To Be a Responsible Parent
Parents must be responsible for meeting all of their children’s needs, which include the following:
Physical needs
Intellectual needs
Social needs
Trust needs
Being able to trust their parents helps children gain confidence.
Love/Guidance needs

27. Gained knowledge and skills = confidence
To Gain Skills
You learn what children need at each stage of development and how to meet those needs.
Gained knowledge and skills = confidence

28. To Understand Yourself
Learn what makes you the person you are.
Who you are has developed from the child you were.
Experience, education, and life situations help you mature.

29. To Build for the Future
Help you make decisions about your future career
Prepare for parenthood and its responsibilities

30. How can you make a difference in a child’s life?

31. Look At Yourself…
You can still remember what it is like to be a child, but are close enough to adulthood to be able to reason and think.

32. William Wordsworth said, "The child is the father to the man.”
Childhood is a vital and significant time.
Foundations are laid for the person to become an adult.
Knowing about childhood can help you help children build a strong foundation
It can give you insight into the foundation you built for yourself.

33. Application Skills
Think about parents, teachers, and caregivers who stand out as role models. Choose one of those people.

34. Application Skills
Write a one page paper describing what qualities make the person a role model and how that person helps guide your own behavior with children.
Share your answers
Discuss the desirability of the characteristics identified.

35. Section 1-2 Objectives: Compare childhood in the past and present.
Outline the leading ideas about how children develop
Describe five principles of development
Explain influences on development
Explain the role of self-esteem in development

36. What is childhood? It is a period of life separate from adulthood.
It is a time when development occurs very rapidly.
It is a time that ends and people become independent from their parents.

37. Childhood : Past & Present
Until the 20th century, few people believed that there was anything unusual or important about the early years of life.
Some of the differences between children in the past and today result from changing attitudes.
Others grew out of advances in technology or social changes.

38. Differences between the past and the present include:
Work
Children were expected to work at an early age.
The “job” of young children is to simply grow, learn, and play.

39. Play Differences… Kids had fewer toys
Until 1800s, toys were homemade and common games like baseball were played
1970s video games became available

40. Education Differences…
Public education for all didn’t become available until the early 1800’s.
Schools were small and included children of all ages and abilities.
Today, schools are larger than the one-room schools and use modern technology, such as computers for learning.

41. Differences…
Health
Before the 20th century, diseases caused the deaths of children.
Today, many have been controlled, so children grow and thrive as never before.

42. Parental Love Differences… This is the only thing that hasn’t changed.
Parent’s have always worked hard to build lives for their children and to raise them as moral, responsible people.

43. What do YOU think?
What are the important elements for a happy childhood?
What can caregivers do to provide the necessary environment?

44. Parenting in Action… Be warm, loving, and responsive.
Talk, read, and sing to your child.
Establish routines and rituals.
Encourage safe exploration and play
Limit television watching.
Use discipline as an opportunity to teach.
Recognize that each child is unique.
Choose quality child care and stay involved
Parenting in Action…

45. Principles of Growth & Development
Development is similar for everyone
Children go through the same stages in about the same order.
Development builds on earlier learning
SEQUENCE - Development follows a step-by-step pattern
Development proceeds at an individual rate
– Each child grows at an individual rate.

46. Principles of Growth & Development
The different areas of development are interrelated
Changes in many areas are taking place at the same time.
Development continues throughout life
The rate changes, sometimes it slow and at others, it is fast, but it never stops.

47. Describing Development
Identify the character of development described in each situation.
Sarah lives in a home with her parents, a brother and sister, and her grandparents. Her grandparents are now retired from working They help watch the younger children while Sarah parents are at work.
Development Continues Throughout Life

48. Describing Development
Josh and Nicole are cousins. Although Josh is two months older, Nicole began to sit and stand at about the same time he did.
Development proceeds at an individual rate

49. Describing Development
Jessica is an active three-year-old. Lately, she has started choosing her clothes each morning. Her parents are amazed at her eagerness to learn new things – it seems she never stops wanting to learn.
Development continues throughout life

50. Describing Development
4. Luke is helping his younger brother Andy learn the alphabet. Andy seems to be catching on very quickly. Yesterday, he called out some of the letter on a store sign as he and Luke walked down the street. Luke knows that soon Andy will be able to point out a few words and not long after that he’ll be reading sentences.
Development builds on earlier learning.

51. Describing Development
In school, Michael did poorly on tests and was seldom able to answer the teacher’s questions. Other children teased him and called him names. As a result, he was shy and had a little self-confidence. Since he has started wearing glasses, he has been seeing the chalkboard better and doing better in school. He feels better about himself and is now getting along better with the other children.
Areas are interrelated

52. Two major influences on development are:
Heredity – the passing on of certain characteristics from earlier generations (i.e. blood type, hair color, body build)
Environment – the people, places, and things that surround and influence a person (i.e. family, friends and community)

53. Some scientists say that nature or heredity, is the most important factor, while other say that the environment or nurture is the most important. What do you think?

54. Human Life Cycle People pass through various stages throughout life
Each stage of life has particular challenges called Developmental Tasks.
Which stage are you in?

55. Adolescence – stage of life between childhood and adulthood.
You have three developmental tasks to achieve:
Finding your identity
Becoming independent
Planning for your life’s work

56. Stages of the life cycle:
Adulthood – person in their 20’s preparing for a career and/or marriage.
Middle life – forming a family, establishing roots – settling down.
Reevaluating life – those in their 40’s may question the choices they have made.
Finding stability and peace – 50’s

57. Final Stage of Adulthood:
Late life: you have a new sense of freedom and they come to terms with life.

58. The Role of Self-Esteem
A positive self-esteem can help you meet these developmental tasks.
Self-esteem - is how you value yourself.
Tool to push yourself to achieve new goals
Gives you energy to go on and boosts your confidence