Child Development

Sethileen Nutter-Shaw

ECE 332

Allyson Randall

August 2012

Infants and toddlers develop at a phenomenal rate between birth and the age two; they begin as helpless beings and proceed to develop into running, screaming, investigators of the world around them. Utilizing appropriate activities, parents and caregivers can enhance a child's cognitive, motor, social, emotional, and language development along the way. Enriching a child's environment through interaction, guidance, and encouragement is crucial for the infant to realize the most growth through each stage of development.
When working with children, it is best to use developmentally appropriate practices (DAP), because this brings the activity into the realm of the where the child is able to work and receive the most benefit of learning for their effort. There may be little purpose in trying to train children to enhance motor skills before they are ready. Once they are ready, however, teaching and practice make a difference (Rathus 01/2010). An infant needs to be given ample time to practice his gross motor skills in order to gain control of his body. Supporting a new baby's head while they learn to control their neck is important so that they don't receive injuries to their neck or head. Once they have gained control of their neck, they need time to practice lifting their head, this can be accomplished by allowing them 'tummy time,' where they are placed on a firm surface and allowed to move on their own. As a child grows, they rapidly progress through the stages of development; they learn to hold up their head, roll over, sit up, crawl, walk and then run all of this usually by their second year of life.
As the child gains confidence in his gross motor skills, he begins to focus on developing his fine motor skills. An infant starts out with a grasp reflex called the ulnar grasp which means 'holding objects between the fingers and the palm (Rathus 01/2010)' where they involuntarily hold onto anything placed in their hand. As they learn to gain control of the large muscles in their arms, they begin to reach or swipe for objects that catch their interest. Soon a child will be able to clasp their hands together in front of themselves, followed quickly by the ability to transfer objects from hand to hand. Between nine to twelve months the oppositional thumb comes into play, enabling the infant to use the 'pincher grasp' as he gains control of his small muscle groups. He will use this forefinger and thumb grasp to pick up small things like cheerios and place them in small containers. When he has mastered this skill, he will be able to scribble with a crayon and begin building towers of blocks.
There are sensitive times during a baby's perceptual development where specific senses come online. Failure to receive adequate sensory stimulation during these periods can result in permanent sensory deficits (Rathus 01/2010). Once the critical period has passed, the danger of loss of perception due lack of stimulation will not be present. Vision is one of the senses where proper stimulation during the sensitive time is critical.
Jean Piaget (1946/1962) identified several kinds of play, each characterized by increasing cognitive complexity: functional, symbolic (pretend play), and constructive play followed by formal games. He believed that 'play contributes to and expresses milestones in cognitive development (Rathus 01/2010).' In the first months of life, infants don't recognize that objects have permanence, then they discover their hands soon they are happily banging cubes together. They discover that the object mom tried to hide, is still there under the blanket. They begin to pretend to drink from play cups and feeding their 'babies' with play bottles. As they continue to develop, they quickly move on to problem solving and how to get along with friends.
When considering the social development of children, Greenspan et al. identified the following milestones: shows interest in faces, recognition, show emotion, responds to smiles, sounds, and gestures, plays social games, and identifies familiar people. As young children continue to develop they begin to make friends, and recognize gender behaviors.
Babies begin the development of language with their first cry at birth. Infants cry for their various needs to be met. As the adults meet the needs they are soothed, and each time a need is met the infant learns to trust that their needs will continue to be met. As they grow, infants begin to respond to the people around them, cooing and gooing their way into adult hearts. Like everything else which is developing, the vocal cords are getting bigger and more able to vocalize. A child's ability to speak comes in incremental steps, at first only a sound, then part of a word, followed by the child learning the correct word and shortly there after several words which they begin to pair up. As vocabulary grows, children add words to their sentences, until they are speaking in complete sentences. The charting of milestones, like growth charts, provides the baseline for evaluating the developmental delays or even possible regression of already achieved skills (Chats ).
To enhance a child's cognitive, motor, social, emotional, and language development, parents and caregivers need to engage with their babies. Darling et al. came up with the following list of ways to promote social and emotional health in children from infancy on:
Gently hold and cuddle children often.
Enrich children's daily routines such as meal, bath, and nap times, by sharing looks, smiles, conversations, and stories.
Attentively respond to children's attempts to communicate with you through facial expressions, gestures, cooing, babbling, and words. Gently mirror their sounds and expressions.
Take time to follow a child's lead. Join them in floor-time play, and talk with them about their activities whenever possible.
Gently guide children through social situations: Babies love to look at other babies. Toddlers and preschoolers learn to socialize through practice and experiences that are supported by caring adults.
Be a positive role model: Offer children opportunities to observe you being a kind and caring person.
Help children learn a variety of words to fully express their feelings.
Comment on the positive things that children do.

Engaging with children using these ideas parents and caregivers can increase the development of their children.
Reading aloud to children provides many benefits, they can hear the meter of the language, the natural way the words flow together to describe the events in the story, which is a precursor to learning to speak and read. This also allows cuddle time, which helps strengthens the bond between the reading adult and the listening child. Reading aloud provides a positive experience with reading, which encourages the child to become a reader in the future. The love of books can be seen in the excitement of the little ones as they dance when books appear. Reading increases a child's attention span and the ability to sit still for activities. Encouraging literacy helps infants and children as they learn, grow and develop to prepare for a lifetime of reading and learning. It is never to late to start reading to children,
Encouragement is praise for effort which will encourage children to try harder in the future. It can help a child who is struggling with a concept or challenge. Some children need more encouragement than others to try or continue learning a skill. 'Helping children feel safe and secure during infancy and later encouraging toddlers' exploration are important responsibilities for adults. Children who trust their caregivers are more likely to confidently explore their surroundings and establish a sense of healthy independence (Halliburton & Gable, 2004).' As babies explore their world they can be overwhelmed, an encouraging word can go along way to helping them over come a difficult challenge. As toddlers grow they need to gain independence by mastering each level of development building self esteem and confidence. Each new skill mastered brings with it a sense of accomplishment and pride. A parent or caretaker should be there to say “good job”, or “nice effort”, or even, “I see that this task is difficult but I know that you can do it, so try again.” By encouraging a child to attempt a difficult task, like walking or dressing them self, the parent or caregiver is showing trust in the child that they can do hard things and accomplish them. Playing games with an infant or a toddler can teach them about the world around them. It is important to play developmentally appropriate games so that the little one doesn't loose interest or become over stimulated. Choosing simple short games will encourage the baby to stay involved and engaged in the activity. Benjamin Franklin said “show me and I forget; teach me and I remember; involve me and I learn”. As long as developmentally appropriate practices are used, the child will usually find the activity engaging and fun. A DAP is an activity which allows children to participate at their own level, encourages active learning through participation, exploration and thinking. DAP play can allow a child to investigate different types of learning such as math, literacy and science. DAP activities also allow the development of emotions, social skills and self regulation. DAP physical activities encourages the development of gross and fine motor skills. Children learn best when they are actively involved in learning opportunities which are meaningful to them. A baby who is able to turn his head towards the sound of a voice has developed auditory tracking skills. The baby who plays peekaboo has developed object permanence. The toddler who plays house and feeds the baby doll with a bottle has developed the ability to represent objects or recreate them in their mind. A child's well being and success are based on the foundation of a healthy development in the early years of life. A good positive base of education and care in the areas of physical, cognitive, social, emotional and language areas, will better enable the child to explore their world. 'Choosing toys and activities that are suitable for infants and toddlers can challenge even the most experienced teacher. By being mindful of the basic principles of child development and the role of play, teachers can intentionally select toys to meet young children's unique needs and interests, supporting learning (Guyton, 2011)'. With DAP activities children can explore science and create their own works art, they can speak instead of listen passively, explore their own interests and make their own choices. Children taught by adults who understand DAP processes learn to solve their own problems rather than tell the person in charge and have them solve the problem for them. Learning through experience helps a child appreciate what they are doing. Being allowed to ask questions and then being allowed to figure out the answers helps children develop and grow. A child who is given the latitude to learn and use skills that are of interest and meaningful to them will learn more than the child whose questions are answered in vague ways or worse yet, told the answers.
Babies learn by moving, by repetition they explore their area of influence. They roll, kick, turn their bodies so that they can see and hear different things. They love the repetition of baby games where they come to know and anticipate a fun part of the rhyme or game. These young explorers work at opening and shutting, filling and emptying, picking up and dropping things over and over again particularly if they have a willing party to hand them things which drop out of reach. Learning in an environment which is safe and free from hazards allows these busy little bodies to grow and develop.
Toddlers engage adult partners as willing playmates in their adventures and as they learn more words they are better able to tell what is going to happen next in their activity. With the adults help, they can prolong and extend the play activities. Adults who ask leading questions can increase the development of the child's vocabulary and imagination. Asking a child what he is building with the blocks can be a castle one minute, a fort the next, and then turn into a wonderful race track a moment later. Peers can also add to the fun of an activity. Reading aloud to a baby is a wonderful shared activity which can continue for years to come — and it's an important form of stimulation. Reading aloud teaches a baby about communication, introducing concepts such as stories, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way. It also builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills and gives babies information about the world around them (Bailet, 2010). Telling stories can teach a child that they are valued, that they have worth in the eyes of another. This is an opportunity to teach about ones beliefs culture and family, building a rich heritage for the child to grow in and be apart of.
Early Childhood Educators and parents can utilize developmentally appropriate activities to enrich the lives of the children they are working with. Spending quality time with a child shows interest and care for the child. Reading aloud to a child from and early age can improve their development even before they can understand the words that you are reading. Encouraging a child to complete a task is beneficial to the child such that they will be more able to accomplish even hard things. Each time they are successful they improve their sense of self and their self image. As they grow and develop in a safe, supportive environment they will be more willing to take on bigger challenges.

References

Bailet, L. (2010, Feb). Reading books to babies. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/learning/reading_babies.html

Chats , R. (n.d.). Developmental milestones. Retrieved from http://www.childhealth- explanation.com/milestones.html

Darling, J. A., Mackrain, M., & Baltman, K. (2012).Building a healthy foundation: Social and emotional development in infants and toddlers. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-emotional-infant-toddler/

Greenspan, S. I., Prizant, B. M., & Wetherby, A. (2012, Jan 11). Hallmark developmental milestones. Retrieved from https://www.firstsigns.org/healthydev/milestones.htm

Guyton, G. (2011, Sept). Using toys to support infant-toddler learning and development. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201109/Using Toys_Guyton_Online_0911.pdf

Halliburton, A., & Gable, S. (2004, Aug). Infant and toddler basics: Development during the first three years. Retrieved from http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH6121

Rathus. (01/2010). CDEV. Wadsworth Publishing. Retrieved from .