PRINCIPLES OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

2.1 Concepts of Child Development :

Child development involves the scientific study of the patterns of growth , change and stability that occurs from conception through adolescence .

There are many concepts of child . Some of them are as follows :

1. Child is Unique and Special Child is very unique as there are no two children that are completely same . Even though , if a twin have same physical features but they are different in terms of development characteristic , personality , behaviour etc.

2. Childhood This is a very important stage as it is the time At the same time , his cognitive development also takes when the child builds up his foundation for his life later on . place , where his memory , understanding , experience and knowledge gets accumulated .

3. Measured Qualitatively Development is said to be a qualitative process that happens as progressive series in human beings from the day being conceived to baby , toddler children , teenager , adult and getting older and older until we die .

2.2 Principles of Child Development :

There is a set of principles that characterises the pattern and process of growth and development . These principles describe typical development as a predictable and orderly process .

Following are the principles of child development –

1. Development Follows a Pattern or a sequence each child has a different rate of development . However , development of all human beings follows a similar pattern similar sequence or direction . Sequential pattern development can be seen in two directions .

Cephalocaudal Sequence According to this principle , the child first gains control of the head , then the arms , then the legs . Infant gains control of head and face movements within the first two months after birth . the In the next few month , they are able to lift themselves up using their arms . By 6 to 12 months of age , infants start to gain leg control and may be able to crawl , stand or walk .

2. Development Involves Change Human being is never static . From the moment of conception to the time of death, the person undergoes changes . The major changes include changes in size and proportions , acquisition of new mental , motor and behavioural skills . e.g. a child shows language development and better ability to reason and remember .

3. Development Proceeds from General to Specific In all the phases of pre – natal development and post – natal life , the child’s response are from general to specific . General activity proceeds to specific activity means the infant is able to grasp an object with the whole hand just after the birth before using only the thumb and forefinger . The infant’s motor movements are very generalised , undirected and reflexive , waving arms or kicking before being able to reach or creep towards an object .

4. Development is Correlated or Integrated All types of development i.e. physical , mental , social and emotional is related to one another . e.g. child who is physically healthy is likely to have superior sociability and emotional stability . The child develops as a unified whole . Each area of development is dependent on the other and thus , influences the other developments .

5. Development is a Continuous Process Development does not occur in spurts , it continues from the moments of conception until the individual reaches maturity . It takes place at a slow regular pace rather than by leaps and bounds . Although , development is a continuous process yet the tempo of growth is not even , during infancy and early years growth moves swiftly and later it slackens .

6 . Development of Individuality Interaction between heredity and environment influences lead to individual differences in the social and mental development of a child . These differences are caused by the genes one inherits and the environmental conditions like food , medical facilities , psychological conditions and learning opportunities .

7. Development Occurs at Different Rates for Different Parts of the Body The development of different physical and mental traits is continuous but all parts of the body do not grow at the same time rate . In some parts of body , growth may be rapid while in others , growth will be slow . e.g. brain attains its full maturity around the age of 6 to 8 years ; feet , hands and nose reach their maximum size in early adolescence , whereas heart , liver and digestive system grow during adolescence also .

8. Development Proceeds Stage by Stage The development of the child occurs in different stage . Each stage has certain unique characteristics , which are as follows There are individual differences in the rate of growth and development . Therefore , the age limit for different stages should be regarded as inan just approximate . All children pass through these stages of development at or around the age levels suggested for them . Speech gradually develops from , babbling , monosyllabic sounds to complete sentence formation .

9. Early Development is More Important than Later Development Early childhood experience , have more impact on the development of child . It includes nutritional emotional , social and cultural experience .

10. Development is Predictable It is possible for us to predict at an early age the range within which the mature development of the child is likely to fall . However , mental development cannot be predicted with the same degree of accuracy .

11. Social Learning Theory / Fractional Reinforcement Theory This theory formulated by NE Miller and J Dollard is given in 1941. According to this theory , people learn by watching what others do . By initiating the observed actions , the individual learns the action . Positive reinforcement is provided to children so that they repeat the expected behaviour . Reinforcement and punishment have effects on both behaviour and learning .

12. Development do not Proceeds at the Same Pace for all ( Theory of Maturation ) This theory was formed by Gesell . According to this theory , children go through similar stages of growth , although each child may move through these stages at their own rate . e.g. all children learn to walk around the same age but some may learn faster than the others .

2.3 Educational Importance of Principles of Child Development :

* Children can fully demonstrate their abilities and their possibilities for development becomes the biggest when they do it voluntarily . Good educational aims will be achieved more easily if they are based on clear principles and area linked to children’s daily activities .

Educational importance of principles of child development are as follows –

One of the educational aims is to develop independence and self – reliance . In this context , independence refers to the ability to think without the need of following instructions

—The task of teacher is to see whether children can achieve self – realisation .

— Teachers have to discuss and drop hints to help children when they are stuck or lose interest in their play .

* Education aims to respect the pace of development of each child . fundamental that teachers prepare for a variety of possible activities so that children can get started on what they are most interested in doing and can develop that activity .

* Education evaluates the development level of each child and decides how to aid and understand what he / she desires or think immediately

* Education helps children widen their activities and their ideas to think and also provides a physical and psychological environment appropriate for child development .

2.4 Factors Influencing Child Development :

Child development is an ongoing process from birth until reaching adulthood and typically follows a pattern and a sequence which means that each step takes place at certain age and in a usual order that is similar in most cases . There are two broad factors that influencing the development of children . They are as follows –

2.4.1 Internal Factor :

Internal factors influencing child development include heredity physical , intelligence and emotional .

1. Heredity Factor The height , weight or body – build of a child largely depends on the genetical factor ( Heredity ) . It means that the genetic materials operate throughout entire period of growth . Heredity influences the growth rate of early matures or matures . The genetic factors probably play the leading part in the differences between male and female patterns of growth .

2. Physical Factor Physical factors can influence different aspects of child development in different ways . Sometimes physical influences on child development are easy to control .

Good nutrition helps child’s development in more adequate manner because it affects the bones , muscles and internal organs . Consistent physical activities can do more for minimising the risk for obesity and enhances muscle growth .

3. Intelligence It has been seen that intelligence affects the physical development . Children who are intelligent grow fast physically and children with low intelligence achieve their development tasks at a slow speed .

Intelligence affects the thought process , creative thinking and retention of information thereby affecting the academic achievement of a child .

4. Emotional Factors The emotional factors affect the child’s social , mental , physical and moral level of development . It also affects the language development . Balanced emotional development in a child helps to reciprocate feelings that are appropriate for one’s age . Children having more easy going nature tend to have an easier time learning to regulate their emotions as well as respond to other people’s emotions more positively .

2.4.2 External Factors :

The external factors influencing child development include , family , physical environment and socio – economic conditions .

1. Family It plays a very important role in shaping up a child . An affectionate bond between the parents and child helps in proper development .

A bigger family tends to give moral values and education as well as support to the child . While a small family makes the child independent .

Children going through stressful family environment and broken families experience learning disabilities . Their emotional and social development is also affected negatively .

2. Physical Environment The environment in which a child grows up , affects his mental , emotional and physical development. Physical environment such as pollution ,noise level , overcrowding , housing and neighbourhood quality are significant in children’s development .

Pollution affects the health of the children . Parents in crowded homes are less responsive to the needs of the children . Housing quality and the neighbourhoods in which a child grows up , shapes the behaviour of a child .

3. Socio – Economic Conditions This is the social and economic condition in which the child grows up . A well to do family is able to send their children to private schools inculcate hobbies and go to vacation where the children gather new experiences . This further increases their cognitive , physical and social skills .

Children coming from less fortunate backgrounds ill – health , depression , stress lack of motivation leading to improper physical cognitive and social development .

2.5 Child Psychology :

Child psychology is a broad area that covers how children grow up from birth to adolescence . It attempts to make sense of every aspect of child development including how children learn , think , interact , respond to people around them , make friends and understand emotions .

According to Mosby’s medical dictionary , ” child psychology is the study of mental , emotional and behavioural development of infants and children ” . It focuses on the cognitive and intellectual development of a child .

Child psychologists focuses on understanding the mind and behaviour of children from pre – natal development through adolescence . Therefore , child psychology deals not only with how children grow physically , but also their mental , emotional and social development as well .

2.5.1 Importance of Child Psychology :

As a parent , teacher or a care giver , it is very important to understand a child’s behaviour in order to help him adapt to various situations in life . Child psychology is important for various reasons .

* To understand the child better and to understand the development of a child .

* To know and understand the problems faced by a child that has a psychological origin and to establish an effective communication with the child

* To gain confidence of the child and the parents so that the environment in which the child is growing , can be understood .

* To help teachers recognise how to deliver the contents to students in a way that identifies individual learning differences .

* Through understanding child psychology , one can provide right direction so as to develop proper skills in the child .

* Child psychology tells about the specific behaviour of the children and its particular causes when they help to deal with the conditions accordingly .

* Child psychology is the study of child’s personality traits , This helps in understanding what the child is likely to be in future and helps the child in moulding .

CHAPTER EXERCISE

1. Which of the following is not related to principles of growth and development ?

( 1 ) Principle of continuity

( 2 ) Principle of classification

( 3 ) Principle of integration

( 4 ) Principle of individuality

2. Scope of child psychology is –

( 1 ) study the characteristics of infancy stage only

( 2 ) study the characteristics of conception period only

( 3 ) study the characteristics of childhood only

( 4 ) study the characteristics from conception to adolescence

3. In child development

( 1 ) emphasis is on process

( 2 ) emphasis is on the role of environment and experience

( 3 ) it is study from conception to adolescence

( 4 ) All of the above

4. Which of the following is a principle of development

( 1 ) It is a discontinuous process

( 2 ) All processes of development are not inter – connected

( 3 ) It does not proceed at the same pace for all

( 4 ) Development is always linear

5. Naresh and Mukesh have same age group . They show difference in social and mental development . It is due to the following principle of development .

( 1 ) Principle of modifiability

( 2 ) Principle of definite and predictable pattern

( 3 ) Principle of individuality

( 4 ) Principle of uniform pattern

6. Which one of the following principle is not giving importance to the related factors in the atmosphere of the child development ?

( 1 ) Principle of uniformity and pattern

( 2 ) Principle of social understanding

( 3 ) Principle of continuity

( 4 ) Principle of inter – relation

7. Understanding the principles of development of a child helps a teacher in

( 1 ) effectively catering to the different learning styles of learners

( 2 ) identifying the social status of learners

( 3 ) identifying the economic background of the learners

( 4 ) rationalising why the learners ought to be taught

8. Scope of study of child development is

( 1 ) study of different stages of child development

( 2 ) study of effects of environment on child development

( 3 ) study of individual differences

( 4 ) All of the above

9. Which of the following is an internal factor of child development ?

( 1 ) Intelligence

( 2 ) Physical ability

( 3 ) Heredity factor

( 4 ) All of these

10. Which one of the following is the true statement corresponding to Cephalocaudal Principle of child’s development ?

( 1 ) Development is from head to foot

( 2 ) Development is from foot to head

( 3 ) Development is from middle to periphery

( 4 ) None of the above

11. On the basis of child psychology , which statement is appropriate ?

( 1 ) All the children are homogeneous

( 2 ) Some children are homogeneous

( 3 ) Some children are unique

( 4 ) Every child is unique

12. The central focus of child psychology is

( 1 ) good teacher

( 2 ) child

( 3 ) teaching process

( 4 ) school

13. Which of the following is external factor of development ?

( 1 ) Economic condition

( 2 ) Social condition

( 3 ) Life experiences

( 4 ) All of the above

14. Why is it important for a teacher to know all the aspects of child development ?

( 1 ) To understand and solve the problems of students

( 2 ) To apply appropriate teaching methodology

( 3 ) To develop proper learning environment for the students

( 4 ) All of the above

15. ” Development is a sequential and slow process ” , which among the following thinkers is associated with this thought ?

( 1 ) Maslow

( 2 ) Skinner

( 3 ) Aristotle

( 4 ) Lovosky

16. ” Development is a never ending process ” with which principle of child development can this thought be associated ?

( 1 ) Development is corelated

( 2 ) Development is continuous

( 3 ) Development follows a pattern

( 4 ) Development involves change

17. A mother observes that one of her twins has learnt to walk faster than the other . This difference in learning is related to which principle of development ?

( 1 ) Development proceeds from head to toe

( 2 ) Development proceeds stage by stage

( 3 ) Development proceeds at different pace for people

( 4 ) Development proceeds from general to specific

18. Sita has learned to eat rice and dal with her hand by seeing another girl doing the same . Which principle of development is it associated with ?

( 1 ) Development takes place by learning

( 2 ) Early development is more important than later development

( 3 ) Development follows a pattern

( 4 ) Development of individuality

19. Why is it important for the teachers to know about the various stages of child development ?

A. To produce a comfortable environment for teaching and learning process .

B. To know and understand the problems faced by a child .

C. To establish an effective communication with the child

( 1 ) Only A

( 2 ) Only B

( 3 ) Both A and C

( 4 ) All of the above

Previous Years Questions

20. At lower classes , play – way method of teaching is based on

( 1 ) theory of physical education programmes

( 2 ) principles of methods of teaching

( 3 ) psychological principles of development and growth

( 4 ) sociological principles of teaching

21. Which of the following is a principle of development ?

( 1 ) All process of development are not inter – connected

( 2 ) It does not proceed at the same pace for all

( 3 ) Development is always linear

( 4 ) It is a discontinuous process

22. A child coming to pre – school for the first time cries profusely . After 2 years when the same child goes to the primary school for the first time , he does not express his tension by crying rather his shoulder and neck muscles become tense . This chage in his behaviour can be explained on the basis of which of the following principle ?

( 1 ) Development proceeds in a sequential manner

( 2 ) Development is gradual

( 3 ) Development is different , in different people

( 4 ) Development is characterised by differentiation and integration

23. Which one of the following is not the principle of child development ?

( 1 ) All areas of development are important

( 2 ) All development results from an interaction of maturation and experience

( 3 ) All development and learning proceed at an equal rate

( 4 ) All development follows a sequence

24. Development proceeds from……… to ……….

( 1 ) complex , hard

( 2 ) specific , general