Premium Essay

Infancy and Early Childhood Development

In:

Submitted By cmmiranda71
Words 1415
Pages 6
Infancy and Early Childhood Development
Cynthia Miranda
PSY 375
July 2, 2012
Dr. Aneta Bhojwani

Infancy and Early Childhood Development Every human being begins developing in one way or another, from the moment they come into this world. Development and all its aspects begin in infancy and continue throughout one’s entire lifetime. It is a common belief that infants and young children are influenced by the environment that surrounds them. Cognitive and social aspects of development are shaped and molded at an early age, as well as language, speech, perception, and motor skills. A young child’s life is influenced by parents and family members, which is why they have a significant impact on the child’s development. When a child is old enough to attend school, he or she will also begin to adapt to the atmosphere of the school they are attending and to educational environment in that school; this will in turn affect the child’s cognitive development and social skills.
Family Influences When a baby is first born, his or her brain begins to go through developmental changes. During the early stages of childhood, experiences can be split into two categories, experience-expectant and experience-dependent. Expectant experiences are those experiences that are common and somewhat universal experiences, and that most infants go through. Some of these experiences can be, but are not limited to, love from parents or families, perception of surrounding objects, and recognizing facial expressions (Berger, 2008). Dependent experiences are less universal and are more individualized, and depend mostly on the infant’s environment and surroundings. Different cultures and family belief systems come into play in dependent experiences. The experience-dependent aspects of development are the experiences that create diversity among infants and young children.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Infancy and Early Childhood Development

...Infancy and Early Childhood Development In: Philosophy and Psychology Infancy and Early Childhood Development Infancy and Early Childhood Development Cynthia Miranda PSY 375 July 2, 2012 Dr. Aneta Bhojwani Infancy and Early Childhood Development Every human being begins developing in one way or another, from the moment they come into this world. Development and all its aspects begin in infancy and continue throughout one’s entire lifetime. It is a common belief that infants and young children are influenced by the environment that surrounds them. Cognitive and social aspects of development are shaped and molded at an early age, as well as language, speech, perception, and motor skills. A young child’s life is influenced by parents and family members, which is why they have a significant impact on the child’s development. When a child is old enough to attend school, he or she will also begin to adapt to the atmosphere of the school they are attending and to educational environment in that school; this will in turn affect the child’s cognitive development and social skills. Family Influences When a baby is first born, his or her brain begins to go through developmental changes. During the early stages of childhood, experiences can be split into two categories, experience-expectant and experience-dependent. Expectant experiences are those experiences that are common and somewhat universal experiences, and that most infants go through. Some of these...

Words: 323 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Infancy and Early Childhood Development

...University of Phoenix PSY/375 Kamika York May 11, 2015 All human lives are based on what happens from infancy throughout early childhood. There are different levels of teaching and experiences that are built upon as development occurs. Infancy and early childhood development is a part of a crucial production of their lives. The development that forms their foundation for the absorbing of information and the security of a child. There are positive and negative attributes that can affect the key functions one could endure or be subjected to pre-delivery and post-delivery. The negative influence can call a halt in the progression of development. Family dynamics, and parenting styles are direct key influences over the child’s life. The parenting styles will contribute greatly in support in areas like socially, culturally, physically, and mentally. Understanding what parenting style you depict, will cause you to be aware of the effectiveness of the style toward the promotion of among criteria and cognitive development of a child Effect of Families on Development           The family’s role on the effects of a child’s growth has more influence on a child’s development from the very early stages of life. Children develop better in a more supportive environment where the families are consistent, observant, and sensitive. Families are in charge of providing critical factors during infancy, such as a supportive comfort, love, facial cueing, interaction, and communication skills, which will...

Words: 1248 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Infancy and Early Childhood Development

...Infancy and Early Childhood Development The brain of infants and early childhood development is empty and absorbable like a sponge throughout adulthood. At infancy stage, the brain develops according to exposure to verbal expression exposure and visual physical observation exposure. The human being brain will utilize the exposures throughout the developing stages in life (Feldman, 2010). Parenting interaction with an infant and environmental condition affects the way infants develop. Hence, it is fundamental to set positive structure from the beginning because the exposure cannot be undone when raising a child. It is significantly important to provide a nurturing environment. The Affect Families Have On Infants and Childhood Development From infancy, the brain instantaneously goes through developmental change. The progress is an effect of genes and the environment the infant is exposing to and as an outcome of experiences (Feldman, 2010). Early childhood experiences have two categories; experience-dependent and experience-expectant. Experience-expectant refers to the development of the nervous system and it is predictable to develop in a certain way. Standard cognitive growth is reliant of the positive type of environmental exposure. With the exception of any type of fetal damage to the brain, in order for the experience-expectant to be within usual range of development; when an infant is exposed to a loving gesture (as an example), it should respond cognitively. Experience-dependent...

Words: 1106 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Infancy and Early Childhood Development Paper

...Infancy and Early Childhood Development Paper DeAnna Buckley Psy 375 November 17, 2014 Linda O'Connor Infancy and Early Childhood Development Paper Introduction Parents get excited to hear their baby’s first words and wonder will it be mama or da da? To see their first steps to experience the moment when they use the potty for the first time to when they go for their first day of preschool. All of these brief experiences are unforgettable precious moments. There are so many important aspects as an infant grows and develops into early childhood. There are several essential aspects that affect how a child develops such as how families affect development. In addition, this paper will discuss in further detail how specific parenting styles such as authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved can affect childhood development. Furthermore, another influential factor can be early childhood education and its influence on cognitive development. Families Affect Development Families can help aide in the development of children but can hinder learning and development also. Families possess more influence on a child’s development than any other person or situation at that current time or any other period of life. “Nurturing relationships in a family are critical for the healthy development of a child. If a child feels safe, secure, and loved in their family, it helps with the formation of their self-esteem and well-being. It can also lead to a child who is more socially...

Words: 1445 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Infancy and Child Development

...Infancy and Early Childhood Development Terrence O. Roberts PSY/375 March 30, 2015 11:59 pm Linda O'Connor Infancy and Early Childhood Development One’s early childhood and infancy are some of the most advanced periods of their lives. This development is beneficial to the child’s productive abilities in life. These developmental stages form a foundation for the child’s future learning and well-being. Elements that effect a child during their infancy and early childhood can hinder a child’s development. Particular elements such as one’s family as well as their parenting styles. Some parent’s style of raising children are more effective than other parents’ methods. There are also certain programs that have been developed to influence cognitive development. Family’s effect on Development One’s family and their influences affect them during infancy and early childhood more than any other period in their lives. If a child’s family is attentive, sensitive and responsive the child tends to develop better. Family’s show this during the child’s infancy and early childhood in manners such as a gentle reassuring touch, overheard conversation, and facial expressions which improves the speech of young children (Berger, 2011). Families are the first teachers for infants and young children. It’s this relationship between young children and their families that determine how they development. “Early relationships help infants developing...

Words: 833 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Life Span Develpoment Paper

...Life span Development paper LiveDream Susan Cohen PSY/375 06/22/15 Introduction The development of Infancy and Early Childhood is a combination of biological, psychological and emotional changes that are developed in an individual between the time of birth and to the end of adolescence. During this span of birth and early childhood the most critical stages of development are at work laying down the foundation that will affect the learning skills and social, cognitive and emotional development. Aspects that surround an individual during this very important time will either nurture or hinder their progress of development. The aspects that are detrimental to infancy and early childhood development are the environment of one’s family, cognitive development through early childhood education and parenting styles. Families Affect The Development of Infants And Young Children. “Families are the first to teach infants and young children, which fosters development during infancy and early childhood. Early relationships help infants develop a working model, a set of assumptions that become a frame of reference for later life” (Berger, 2011, p. 189). During infancy and early childhood the effects of the family environment is the most influential part of an individual’s development. The culture and environment of the family bring the infant experiences that that either nurture or set back their development. An infant that lives in an environment where he or she receives expectations...

Words: 611 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Early Child Development

...Early Child Development Infancy and Early Childhood Development The brain of infants and early childhood development is empty and absorbable like a sponge throughout adulthood. At infancy stage, the brain develops according to exposure to verbal expression exposure and visual physical observation exposure. The human being brain will utilize the exposures throughout the developing stages in life (Feldman, 2010). Parenting interaction with an infant and environmental condition affects the way infants develop. Hence, it is fundamental to set positive structure from the beginning because the exposure cannot be undone when raising a child. It is significantly important to provide a nurturing environment. The Affect Families Have On Infants and Childhood Development From infancy, the brain instantaneously goes through developmental change. The progress is an effect of genes and the environment the infant is exposing to and as an outcome of experiences. Early childhood experiences have two categories; experience-dependent and experience-expectant. Experience-expectant refers to the development of the nervous system and it is predictable to develop in a certain way. Standard cognitive growth is reliant of the positive type of environmental exposure. With the exception of any type of fetal damage to the brain, in order for the experience-expectant to be within usual range of development; when an infant is exposed to a loving gesture (as an example), it should respond...

Words: 1122 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Scenario Summary

...socioemotional development. Summarize your findings here. Incorporate relevant details from the text to support your ideas, and include page numbers where these details are in the text. Include an APA-formatted reference page to identify the source of your information. |Physical development | |Prenatal, infancy, and |Example: Prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause a number of physical and neurological deficits (p. | |toddlerhood (pre-birth to 2 |89). | |years) |An expecting mother that drinks heavily can put her unborn child at risk for FAS (Fetal Alcohol | | |Syndrome). | |In early childhood (3 to 6 |Some children that are born after being exposed to stress and alcohol may have difficulty with basic | |years) |motor skills, such as walking down stairs, standing on one foot, and getting dressed with little help| | |from an adult. | |Cognitive development | |In infancy and toddlerhood...

Words: 322 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Lifespan Development

...During infancy and early childhood development there is rapid growth in a three developmental domains; biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial. A wide range of rapid growth and development occur together in all three domains often overlapping each other, from body changes to growth patterns, to brain development and the five senses, to language and information processing to emotional development. These different stages set the foundation for proper development and well being throughout the progression of a child's life. There are certain aspects in each domain that can affect proper development during infancy and young children, such as the roles of families, parenting styles, and education; each of which can have a profound influence on a child's development in all three domains. The Effects of Families During Infancy and Early Childhood Families play a very important crucial role during infancy and early childhood. Starting with the biosocial domain development during infancy, an infant's brain development is rapid and highly dependent on experience. For instance, during the first two years in which the brain is rapidly developing experience begins to shape the brain through postnatal rise and fall of synapses (Berger, 2011). In particular, right after exuberant expansion of the brain, if no experience is taking place, some dendrites will fade away because of the lack of being used. In the first two years, a child relies heavily on his or her family to involve and introduce...

Words: 1361 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Infancy

...Infancy Anna Parks PSY/375 7-21-14 Dr. Luster Infancy Every human being begins developing in one way or another, from the moment they come into this world. Development and all its aspects begin in infancy and continue throughout one’s entire lifetime. It is a common belief that infants and young children are influenced by the environment that surrounds them. Cognitive and social aspects of development are shaped and molded at an early age, as well as language, speech, perception, and motor skills. A young child’s life is influenced by parents and family members, which is why they have a significant impact on the child’s development. When a child is old enough to attend school, he or she will also begin to adapt to the atmosphere of the school they are attending and to educational environment in that school; this will in turn affect the child’s cognitive development and social skills. When a baby is first born, his or her brain begins to go through developmental changes. During the early stages of childhood, experiences can be split into two categories, experience-expectant and experience-dependent. Expectant experiences are those experiences that are common and somewhat universal experiences, and that most infants go through. Some of these experiences can be, but are not limited to, love from parents or families, perception of surrounding objects, and recognizing facial expressions (Berger, 2008). Dependent experiences are less universal and are more individualized, and...

Words: 1305 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Lifespan

...progresses from infancy to young childhood, his or her environment expands to include the child’s ecosystem (community, schools, church, and neighbors). Slowly through life, new influences add to the child’s history, but the most influential during these two stages are the family and early education. The main contextual influences in infancy and early childhood include parents, siblings, grandparents, and often surrogates (nannies, foster parents, adopted parents, and routine caretakers). These individual’s influence language, socialization, emotional development, temperament, attachments, and they provide the first cultural context. The family is the foundation for psychosocial, cognitive, and biosocial development. An infant is completely dependent on the parent, caretaker, or surrogate. Early experiences that mold psychosocial and cognitive development are dependent on socialization within the child’s family. A newborn quickly learns to associate a mother’s smell to comfort and nourishment. A few months later, a child delights in the faces of his or her family. Gradually, the child will begin to sort through the speech stream and learn the language spoken by his or her parents. Arranz, Oliva, De Miguel, Olabarrieta, and Richards (2010) propose that the continuation of positive parental expectations, scaffolding, attachment style, attachment quality, and authoritative parenting throughout infancy and early childhood results in more advanced cognitive development. In early...

Words: 1024 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Analyze the Dierse Nature of Psychology as a Discipline

...Infancy and Early Childhood Development PSY375 September 1, 2014 Lindsey Respress Infancy and Early Childhood Development Families can affect the development of infants and young children beginning at the moment they are born. Their height, weight and “head circumference that can tell if the brain is growing.(Berger 2011, p. 23),” could be affected by neglect of proper care and making doctor appointments regularly to be aware if there are problems in the growth of the child. Proper nutrition and sleep is important for their bodies and bodies. According to Berger (2011), A lack of either can affect the “brain maturation, learning, emotional regulation, and academic success (p. 125).”. Infants must sleep as much as possible and will gradually decrease as they get older. Doctor visits can catch any abnormalities that can occur because of the lack of food or sleep. A child’s brain is like a sponge and all stages of the childhood they are learning from their environment. During infancy the love that is shown to a child by holding, caressing, touching is giving them a positive response in the future but neglect can engage negative responses that can from difficulties in the future such as, social interaction and learning disabilities. Berger (2011) indicates that there could be “lifelong damage (p. 132).” Stimulation is very important in the brain growth of an infant and early childhood. Too much stimulation that is not age appropriate is not beneficial and it depends...

Words: 288 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Understanding the Person : Life Transaction

...take place throughout the development period. Human life begins with the birth; it goes through infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Development occurs in different perspectives of life. Some common developments are physical, psychological, cognitive and social-cultural. There are several theories by different theorist which define the human development and its stages, when human being comes up with different characteristics. To discuss on the essay whether or not ‘early life experiences and social development impact on adults and to explain ‘to what extent culture impacts on development OR a particular aspect of development’ three different theories by Erik Erikson (1902-1994), Robert Havighurst (1900-1991) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) are going to be highlighted. Question 1 As concerned to the first question, early life experiences and social development certainly impact on adults. Erikson’s psychosocial theory describes the development throughout the human life. He has categorized his theory in eight stages and they are infancy, early childhood, late childhood, school age, adolescence, young adulthood, adulthood and maturity. Each stage deals with different central tasks which are related to both positive and negative aspects of life. On the other side, Havighurst says development occurs through the learning. He has divided his theory into six stages and they are infancy and early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle age and later...

Words: 2682 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Cognitive Learning

...understand how the cognitive learning process changes throughout the human life span to fully comprehend the way we think and process information. Psychologist Jean Piaget, was the most influential theorist who described the cognitive development process. Piaget, “envisioned a child's knowledge as composed of schemes, basic units of knowledge used to organize past experiences and serve as a basis for understanding new ones” (Encyclopedia). Furthermore, in a human’s life span there are eight stages in which our cognitive learning changes: infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. This essay will take a look at the changes in cognitive learning over the human lifespan. The first stage we will look at is cognitive learning in infancy. The stage of infancy is considered birth through age two years old. Cognitive learning begins immediately after birth, infants learn to use their senses to explore their surroundings (Encyclopedia). Newborns are really good at identifying sounds and recognizing their mother’s voice. As the infant grows they begin to understand words; around the age of 18 months old the infant should be able to understand between 100 and 150 words. The next stage is early childhood; the age range is from two years old to six years old. At this stage in a child’s cognitive learning process they begin to use their memory and imagery skills (Encyclopedia). A child will develop skills and knowledge to assist...

Words: 813 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Childhood Development

...Childhood Development Raymond A. Nearey, III Dr. Matthew Warren PSY/375 May 26, 2013 Childhood development is something that we all go through; it starts from infancy. Infants have a natural ability to explore their surroundings this is how they learn who people are, they begin to get familiarized with their surroundings and they are such things like parents, grandparents, smells, and sounds like someone’s voice. As they begin to grow from infancy to adolescence they begin to pick up traits from parents, siblings, or even their friends. Some of these can be bad habits or they can lead to success in a child’s life. Families can affect the development of infants and adolescence, and depending on the circumstances they can be good or bad. Many young girls/boy usually look up to their older sister or older brother. Many of those children can be influences on how on many of their life choices. Relationships can be a very great tool for children, when you show children love and you teach them compassion, love, and mercy, they will typically grow up showing those same traits. They should allow their children to socialize with other children, adolescence, and adults; as infants begin to age they understand and they will question the feelings of how other children act in school, such as bullies, and love interests (a school crush.) Children would like to know the feelings and the expectations of others and as parents in order to help with their children’s development it is important...

Words: 1047 - Pages: 5