Child Development, Learning Styles Task 1

Child development indicates the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional
changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood. Although this
processes a child advance from dependence on their parents/guardians to increasing
independence.
A child’s development can be strongly influenced by genetic factors such as genes that are
passed on from parents and likewise events during prenatal life. Child development can
similarly be influenced by environmental facts and the child’s learning capacity (Paris,
Ricardo and Rymond, 2019).

There are different types of development which are often divided into four areas:
 Physical development: This signifies the body increasing in skill and performance
and this includes gross motor development (using large muscles), for example, legs
and arms and fine motor development (precise use of muscles), for example, hands
and fingers.
 Social and emotional development: This involves a child’s identity and self-image,
the development of relationships and feelings about him or herself and learning the
skills to live in a society with other people.
 Intellectual development: intellectual development is learning the skills of memory,
understanding and concentration.
 Communication and speech development: This development is learning to
communicate with friends, family, and others (Decker, 2020).

v The Importance of Studying Child Development

Understanding, observing, and monitoring a child’s development is an important tool to

ensure that children meet their required ‘developmental milestones. Below is some
importance in having knowledge about child development:

 Having knowledge of child development provides the best foundation for planning for
children, for example, plans based on typical child development and meeting the
needs of most children, however, the teacher or guardian then makes changes to
accommodate individual children who may be ahead or behind.
  Understanding child development provides the best starting point for planning for a
new child when joining the class. It is the best starting point when new students join
the class, and the teacher has little knowledge about the student. Until the teacher can
observe and evaluate the child, it is useful to start by supposing the child will benefit
from experiences and environments planned for typically developing children of his
or her age.

 Understanding child development helps to plan next steps for supporting the
children’s progress along the way and to know a child’s needs, interests, skills,
problems, and feelings much better.

 Gaining awareness of the sequence or skills of development in child development

helps teachers and guardians to set achievable, appropriate learning goals for children
and students. The knowledge of child development also assists teachers in planning
activities and skills that challenge the children just enough to progress without
overwhelming them with challenges that are beyond their abilities.

 Having an essential knowledge of child development facilitates teachers to create a

curriculum and environment that aligns with the state standards/guidelines for early
childhood programs.

 Understanding child development helps teachers feel confident that their professional
practice has a solid basis that aligns with the larger educational community. When
teachers or guardians continually magnify their knowledge of child development and
apply that knowledge when they design and make decisions in their program,
curriculum, lessons and method of teaching, teachers can feel confident about their
practice. Additionally, the teachers will have a solid foundation when communicating
their decisions and practices to parents and colleagues (Mincemoyer, 2016).

“With the above importance of studying child development, I recalled volunteering for a
Special Needs Children Nursery school. With little prior knowledge about child development,
I was able to observe that some of the children in my class were beginning to start getting up
on their hands, knees and crawling and different emotions display and their level of
intellectual development. From this prior knowledge, I knew the progression of skills they are
at, subsequently, I also knew the next skill to prepare and set to achieve the required
progression. By this, I was able to encourage the development in a variety of ways to move
forward”.
 v Difference Between Growth and Development.

Growth Development

Growth indicates physiological changes. The development signifies overall changes in the individual. It
includes changes in an orderly and coherent type regarding the
goal of maturity.

Growth involves changes in the quantitative. Development changes involve the quality and quantitative aspects.

Growth does not continue all through life. Development continues throughout life.

Growth discontinues after maturation. Development is progressive form.

Growth arises due to the multiplication of Development arises because of both maturation and interaction
cells. with the environment.

Growth is cellular. Development is organisational.

Growth is part of the developmental process. Development is a broader and comprehensive term.

Growth explains the changes in certain aspects Development explains the changes in the organism as a complete
of the body and the behaviour of the organism. form.

The growth changes are subjects of The development brings qualitative changes which can be difficult
measurements. They can be quantified and to measure directly. Development is assessed through keen
observable in nature. observation of behaviour in distinctive situations.

Growth can sometimes bring or not bring Development can be possible without growth.
development.

Similarities

 Both growth and development are interrelated and interdependent aspects of psychology, both influence
each other.
 Both growth and development are a whole process that includes growth of the body as well as the growth of
various aspects of the child’s personality, e.g., physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.

(Paris, Ricardo and Rymond, 2019).

v Stages of Child Development

 Child development is a systematic process that comprises critical stages which defines the
child’s capacity to respond to the external environment, understand and react to various
stimulus and encourage relationships with their peers and adults. It is from these stages that
the child learns important skills that prepare and define them into adulthood.

 The five stages of development are:

 Infancy--birth to 12 months.
 Toddler--12 months to 3 years.
 Preschool--3 years to 6 years.
 School age--6 years to 12 years.
 Adolescents--13 years to 18 years.

Stages of Child Development Description

Infancy-birth to 12 months During the first month of life, new-borns exhibit automatic responses to
external stimuli. A new-born can see close-up objects, recognize certain
smells, smile or cry to indicate a need, and move her head from side to side.
Infants develop new abilities quickly in the first year of life. At three to six
months, an infant can control his head movements and bring his hands
together. By six to nine months old, an infant can sit without support,
babble, and respond to his or her name. Between nine and twelve months
old, a baby can pick up objects, crawl and even stand with support.

Toddler-12 months to 3 years. As children get to the ages between one and three years, toddlers learn to
walk without help, climb stairs and jump in place. They can hold a crayon,
draw a circle, stack one block on top of another, use short sentences and
even follow simple instructions.

Preschool-3 years to 6 years. Between the ages of three and five years, children refine their motor skills.
They can throw a ball overhand, skip and hop, stand on one foot for ten
seconds or longer, dress themselves, and draw a person with features.
the child is busy learning language, is gaining a sense of self and greater
independence, and is beginning to learn the workings of the physical world.

School age-6 years to 12 years. School age children are six to 12 years old. They are capable, confident,
independent, and responsible. Peer relationships, particularly relationships
with friends of the same gender, are important to school age children. The
older school age child begins to develop sexual characteristics.

Adolescents-13 years to 18 Adolescence is a period of dramatic physical change marked by an overall

years. physical growth spurt and sexual maturation, known as puberty. It is also a
time of cognitive change as the adolescent begins to think of new
possibilities and to consider abstract concepts such as love, fear, and
freedom.

(Decker, 2020).
 v Comparison Between the Child Development Theories

Below are some explanations of the Child development theories. Child development theories
focus on explaining how children change and grow over the course of childhood. Such
theories centre on various aspects of development including social, emotional, and cognitive
growth.

1. Sigmund Freud Psychosexual Stages.

Sigmund Freud specified with a view that personality develops through a series of five
psychosexual stages. According to Freud failure to resolve conflicts at a particular stage
might result in fixation. Freud proposed that experiences and difficulties during a particular
childhood stage might predict specific characteristics in the adult personality.

(Cherry and Morin, 2020).

Freud’s child development stages assume that personality forms during the first few years of
life and that the ways in which the parents or other caregivers interact with children have a
long-lasting impact on children’s emotional states.

Name of Stage Descriptions of Stage

Oral Stage The oral stage lasts from birth to around age 2. The infant is
all id. This stage, all stimulus and comfort are focused on the
mouth and is based on the reflex of sucking. Too much
indulgence or too little prompt may lead to fixation.

Anal Stage The anal stage concurs with potty training or learning to
manage biological needs. The character is beginning to
develop in this stage. Anal fixation may result in a person who
is instinctively clean and organized or one who is disordered
and lacks self-control.

Phallic Stage The phallic stage follows the early childhood and symbols the
development of the ego and a sense of masculinity or
 femininity directed by culture.

Latency Latency appears during middle childhood when a child’s urges

quiet down and friendships become the focus. The ego and
superego can be refined as the child learns how to co-operate
and negotiate with others.

Genital Stage The genital stage commences with puberty and continues
through adulthood. Now the fixation is that of sex and
reproduction.

Strength of Freud’s Theory

 Freud’s assumptions about the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping

our psychological selves have found their way into child development, education, and
parenting practices.
 Freud’s theory has experimental value in providing a framework from which to
elaborate and transform subsequent theories of development.

Weakness of Freud’s Theory

 Freud’s theory has been profoundly criticized for several reasons, one of this is that it
is very difficult to test the theory scientifically.
 Freud’s theory is also based upon case studies and not empirical research.

2. Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development

This theory was developed by an ego psychologist Erik Erikson. Erikson’s theory highlighted
on psychosocial development rather than the psychosexual development
Erikson divided the psychosocial development stages into eight stages. In each stage, there is
a key psychosocial task to accomplish or crisis to overcome. Erikson assumed that our
personality continues to take shape throughout our lifetime as we face these challenges in
living (Cherry and Morin, 2020).

The Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development

(Cherry and Morin, 2020).
Age Name of Stage Basic Virtue Description of Stage

(0-1 year) Trust vs. mistrust Hope The infant must have basic needs met in a
consistent way in order to feel that the world is
a trustworthy place or if needs are not met
consistently can lead to mistrust.

(1-2 years) Autonomy vs. shame Will Mobile toddlers have newfound freedom they
and doubt like to exercise and by being allowed to do so,
they learn some basic independence and if not
allowed they might exercise doubt.

(3-5 years) Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose Pre-schoolers like to initiate activities and
emphasise doing things by themselves. Those
who fail to acquire these skills are feels some
sense of guilt.

(6-11 years) Industry vs. inferiority Confident School aged youngsters focus on achievements
and start making comparisons between
themselves and their classmates. Failure in this
stage leads to inferiority.

(12- 18 years adolescence) Identity vs. role Fidelity Teenagers are trying to gain a sense of identity
confusion as they experiment with various roles, beliefs,
and ideas. Failure in this stage leads to role
confusion.

(Young adulthood 19-40 Intimacy vs. Isolation Love In our 20s and 30s we are making some of our
years) first long-term commitments in intimate
relationships. Succession of this stage leads to
love; however, lack of succession leads to
isolation.

(Middle adulthood 40-65 Generativity vs. Care The 40s through the early 60s we focus on
years) stagnation being productive at work and home and are
motivated by wanting to feel that we have
contributed to society. Those who fail that this
will feel uninvolved and stagnant.

(Late adulthood 65-death) Integrity vs. Despair Wisdom We look back on our lives and hope to like
what we see, for instance that we have lived
well and have a sense of integrity because we
lived according to our beliefs. However, those
who feel regrets will instead feel despair.
(Cherry and Morin, 2020).

These eight stages form a foundation for discussions on emotional and social development
during the lifetime. However, let keep in mind that these stages or crises can occur more than
once. For example, an individual may struggle with a lack of trust beyond infancy under
certain situations.

Strength of Erikson’s theory

  One of the strengths of psychosocial theory is that it provides a broad framework from
which to view development throughout the entire lifespan.

 It also allows us to emphasise the social nature of human beings and the important
influence that social relationships have on development (McLeod, 2013).

Weakness of Erikson’s theory

 Erikson’s theory has been criticized for focusing so profoundly on stages and
assuming that the completion of one stage is precondition for the next crisis of
development.
 Erikson’s theory also focuses on the social expectations that are found in certain
cultures, nevertheless found in all cultures.
 One major weakness of psychosocial theory is that the exact mechanisms for
resolving conflicts and moving from one stage to the next are not well described or
developed. The theory fails to point out precisely the type of experiences which are
necessary at each stage to effectively resolve the struggles and move to the next stage
(Cherry and Morin, 2020).

3. Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development implies that children move through four
different stages of mental development. This theory focuses on understanding how children
acquire knowledge likewise understanding the nature of intelligence. Piaget’s cognitive
development stages are:
(Cherry and Morin, 2020)

Name of Stage Description of Stage

Sensorimotor Stage During this stage children rely on utilising their senses and motor skills.
From birth until about age 2, the infant comprehends by tasting, smelling,
touching, hearing, and moving objects around.

Preoperational Stage In the preoperational stage, children from ages 2 to 7, can think about
the world using symbols. Their use of language, whether in the form of
words or gestures, simplifies understanding and communicating about the
world. This is the assurance of preoperational intelligence and occurs in
early childhood.

Concrete Operational This stage signifies, ages 7 to 11, developing the ability to think logically
about their physical world. This stage is a time of understanding concepts
such as distance, size, and constancy of matter, and cause and effect
relationships. A child knows that 2 kilos of water is still 2 kilos no matter
what shape of glass contains it.

Formal Operational The formal operational stage youngsters, at about age 12, develop the
ability to think logically about concrete and abstract events. The teenager
who has reached this stage is able to consider possibilities and to
anticipate ideas about situations that have never been directly
encountered.

Strength of Jean Piaget’s theory

 Understanding is motivated by trying to balance what we sense in the world and what
we know in our minds.
 Jean Piaget’s theory indicates that understanding is organised through creating
categories of knowledge. When individuals are presented with new knowledge, they
add new schema or transform the current ones.

Weakness of Jean Piaget’s theory

 Piaget has been criticized for overemphasizing the role that physical maturation plays
in cognitive development and in underestimating the role that culture and interaction
(or experience) plays in cognitive development.
 Piaget may have underestimated what children can give the right circumstances
(Cherry and Morin, 2020).

4. John Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment

 The psychological theory of attachment was first explained by John Bowlby, a
psychotherapist who examined the consequences of separation amongst infants and their
parents.
Attachment theory is concentrated on the interactions and connections between people,
specifically long-term relationships, involving a parent and child and between romantic
companions.

(Cherry and Gans, 2019).

Attachment is an emotional bond with another person. Bowlby believed that the initial bonds
formed by kids with their caregivers have an improbable impact that continues although life.
Bowlby suggested that attachment also serves to keep the infant close to the mother, therefore
improving the child’s chances of survival.

Stage Description

Pre-Attachment Stage From birth to 3 months, infants show no attachment to a specific caregiver. The infant’s
signals, by crying or fussing, to naturally attract the attention of the caregiver and the baby’s
positive responses encourage the caregiver to stay close.

Indiscriminate Attachment Between 6 weeks of age to 7 months, infants begin to demonstrate preferences for primary
and secondary caregivers. Infants develop trust when the caregiver respond to their needs.
Although they are still accepting care from others, infants at this stage also start to
differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar individuals, giving more attention to the
primary caregiver.

Discriminate Attachment At this point, from about 7 to 11 months of age, infants indicate a strong attachment and
preference for a specific individual. Infants will insist when been separated from the primary
attachment figure (which is separation anxiety), and as well beginning to demonstrate anxiety
 around strangers (stranger anxiety).

Multiple Attachments After around 9 months of age, adolescents begin to form strong emotional bonds with other
guidance outside the primary attachment individual. This often includes other family
members.
(Cherry and Gans, 2019).

v Comparison Between the Child Development Theories

Theorist Description No. of Stages List of stages Significance

Sigmund Sigmund Freud (1856- Five stages of Oral (0-1 years of age), The indication that early
Freud’s 1939) believed development Anal (1-3 years of age), childhood experiences affect
Psychosexual personality and mental Phallic (3-6 years of adult life has profound
Theory health was decided by age), Latency (6-12 significance for anyone caring
how youngsters coped years of age), Genital for children.
with their physical drives. (12+ years of age)
Freud examined how
children control their
desires and combat social
standards.

Erik Erik Erikson (1902-994) Eight stages of Trust vs Mistrust (birth Parents and other caregivers
Erikson’s was concerned about development to 12 months), must be aware of a child’s
Psychosocial conflicts that occur Autonomy vs. needs at a particular stage and
Theory between a child’s needs Shame/Doubt (ages 1-3 be sensitive to the child’s
and social demands. He years), Initiative vs. needs at the stage.
believed that people who Guilt (ages 3-6 years),
can cope with each Industry vs. Inferiority
conflict develop a healthy (ages 6-12 years),
personality and vice Identity vs. Role
versa. confusion (ages 12-18
years), Intimacy vs.
Isolation (20s through
early 40s), Generativity
vs. Stagnation (40s-
mid-60s), Integrity vs.
Despair (From the mid-
60s to the end of life).

Jean Piaget’s Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Four stages of Sensorimotor (0-2 Children should be given
theory of believed children reason development years), Preoperational learning tasks that are suitable
cognitive differently at different (2-6 years), Concrete for their stage of thinking.
development ages. Piaget thought operational (7-12 years),
youngsters built their and Formal operational
knowledge through (12 years-adult).
experiences. As children
learned wide as, their
minds adapt.

John John Bowlby (1907-1990) Four stages of Pre attachment (Birth-3 The principal idea of
Bowlby’s Bowlby’s Attachment development months), Indiscriminate attachment theory is that main
Theory of theory emphasised that Attachment (6 weeks-7 caregivers who are available
Attachment much of child months), Discriminate and receptive to an infant’s
development is created on Attachment (7 -11 needs allow the adolescent to
the distinctive need of months), develop a feeling of security.
children to form Multiple Attachments (9 The infant is aware that the
attachments. These months) caregiver is reliable, which
attachments may involve builds a secure base for the
any number of infant to then discover the
individuals, world.
environments, or things
and eventually have a
considerable effect on
forward development
patterns throughout life.

Similarities Between the theories:

 The theories are all interested in the development of individual.
 Each theorist bases his developmental theory on different stages of a human’s life and growth, using same age
groups as the foundation. Both Freud and Erikson acknowledge the impact of the unconscious on a person’s
development.

(Cherry and Morin, 2020).

v Impact of Children’s Development on Their Learning

Infants are continuously actively learning from the instant they are born. Several of these
foundations of learning are critical to later academic success which are established in the first
few years of their life. For example, the development of secure attachment with supportive
parents or caregivers during the first years of life helps children to develop socially and
emotionally.

 Children advance in specific subject areas when their experiences are guided along a
learning trajectory through increasingly higher levels of conceptual understanding.

 The oral language and vocabulary young children learn through interactions with
parents and caregivers sets the stage for future academic success.

 Math skills are core components for thinking and learning, even before first grade,
children can learn the skills and concepts that support more complex mathematics
understanding later.

 The development of social and emotional skills, such as the ability to manage
emotions and behaviour and establish positive relationships with peers, are critical for
academic success at the school levels. The development of these skills can be
 encouraged by skilled educators who have developmentally appropriate expectations
for the self-control of students and provide predictable routines during the school day.

 Adequate amounts of nutrition and physical activity are also important for ensuring
successful early learning and academic achievement (Decker, 2020).

For example, as children progress from infancy to preschool and through their early
elementary years and adulthood, it is important for them to have continuous, consistent, high-
quality support for their development and learning. Certifying this continuity and quality
means that all specialists who work with youngsters need a mutual base of knowledge and
skills. Core knowledge of developmental science and content knowledge.

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