Ch 1: Making a difference Overview

Question 1

What does the field of Child Development seek to do?

Answer 1

Identify and explain persistent, cumulative, and progressive changes in the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of children and adolescents.

Question 2

What are the three developmental domains

Answer 2

physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development

Question 3

What are the three key issues that theorist have grappled with?

Answer 3

1. how genetic factors and the environment combine to influence development (nature vs nurture)
2. what developmental paths are true for everyone and which are unique to individuals (Universality and diversity)
3. developmental changes as major transformations or series of gradual trends (qualitative and quantitative)

Question 4

What is stage theories

Answer 4

theory that believes individuals progress through a series of stages that are qualitatively different from one another.

Question 5

Who are two psychologists that proposed stage theories

Answer 5

Piaget-act with the world through trial and error as they develop analytical thinking-universal progression of children’s thinking
Erikson-develop through gaining greater understanding of their identity as they go through stages-people deal with and resolve social emotional dilemmas in distinctly individual ways.

Question 6

How do you apply basic lessons from child development

Answer 6

1. accept the powerful influences of both nature and nurture on growth
2. become familiar with general developmental trends and common variations
3. look for both quantitative and qualitative changes in children’s characteristics

Question 7

What are two key principles that practitioners can take away from biological theories?

Answer 7

1. children’s maturational levels impose limits on their interests.
2. children’s physical abilities serve valuable functions for them

Question 8

What are social learning theories?

Answer 8

idea that children’s beliefs and goals have crucial influences on their actions.

Question 9

What do psychodynamic theories focus on and how do they help educators?

Answer 9

They focus on the interaction between certain internal conflicts and the environment (Freud and Erikson) and highlight the significance of children’s social emotional needs reminding educators that children often have mixed and confusing emotions.

Question 10

Who was the earliest cognitive developmental theorist?

Answer 10

Piaget who focused primarily on children’s cognitive development by investigating their logical thinking.

Question 11

What is the most important principle to emerge from cognitive-developmental theories

Answer 11

teachers need to understand children as children. As adults appreciate children’s thinking they can then enhance it.

Question 12

What are cognitive process theories?

Answer 12

It focuses on basic thinking process and how people interpret and remember what they see and hear and how these processes change during childhood and adolescence.-more on the how and not the why of thinking

Question 13

Sociocultural theories

Answer 13

focus on the impact of systems and cultures. Vygotsky-how children’s minds are shaped by everyday experiences in social settings. children’s thoughts and behaviors develop in culturally specific ways

Question 14

Developmental systems theories

Answer 14

helps clarify how multiple factors combine to promote child development

Question 15

What is bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development

Answer 15

describes the influences that people institutions and prevailing cultural practices have on children.

Question 16

What is the power of developmental systems theories

Answer 16

they capture it all0nature and nurture, and the child’s own characteristics and activities. educators need to consider children’s own perceptions of experiences in their inter-related environments.

Question 17

What is the phsyical development of infancy

Answer 17

Motor skills include rolling over, sitting, crawiling, standing, walking, reaching, grabing, manipulating, self-feeding.

Question 18

What is the cognitive development of infancy?

Answer 18

distinguish among different faces, rapid growth in communication, imitate simple gestures with model present, increased ability to remember people and things out of sight

Question 19

What are the social emotional development in infancy?

Answer 19

close bonds with responsive and affectionate caregivers, using words to name needs, parallel play with peers, awareness of ownership, developing sense of power and will.

Question 20

What does physical development look like in early childhood (2-6 years)

Answer 20

increased motor skills like running, skipping, block towers and scissors and increased self-care and personal hygiene

Question 21

Cognitive development early childhood

Answer 21

dramatic play with peers, draw simple figures, knowledge of colors letters and numbers, recounting familiar stories and events

Question 22

Social emotional development early childhood

Answer 22

understanding of gender and ethnicity, ability to defer immediate gratification, share toys and take turns, demonstration of sympathy

Question 23

middle childhood (6-10 years) physical development

Answer 23

imitation of complex physical movements, ride bike, play organized sports

Question 24

middle childhood cognitive development

Answer 24

basic reading, writing, math and academic skills, reason logically about concrete objects and events

Question 25

middl childhood social emotional development

Answer 25

awareness of ones own abilities compared with peers, time with friends, increased responsibility for chores, adherence to rules of games, basic understanding of moral principles

Question 26

early adolescence (10-14 years) physical

Answer 26

onset of puberty, growth spurts, increased appetite

Question 27

early adolescence cognitive development

Answer 27

emerging capactity to think and reason about abstract ideas, exposure to advanced academic content

Question 28

early adolescence social emotional development

Answer 28

greater interest in peer relationships, self consciousness about appearance, emerging sexual interest, challenge to parents and teachers authorities, occasional moodiness

Question 29

Late adolescence (14-18 years) physical development

Answer 29

sexual maturity and adult height, develop exercise and eating patterns/habits

Question 30

late adolescence cognitive development

Answer 30

in-depth study of certain academic subject areas, consideration of career tracts and job prospects

Question 31

Late adolescence social emotional development

Answer 31

dating, increased independence, questioning of existing rules and norms, increased commitment to personal values and elements of identity like ethnicity.