Child_Development

Child Development The early years in a child’s life is critical for their development; the first five years are vital and will help shape the child’s future. The role of the child’s primary carer is therefore central to aiding all aspects of their development. Children learn quickly during their early years, they need love and nurturing to develop a sense of trust and security that turns into confidence as they grow. A routine within the early years setting ensures that the child feels safe and secure; many settings work with the child’s parents and try to follow the same routine as used at home. To illustrate the importance of the primary carer I am going to explore examples of theory from cognitive, social and emotional aspects of development. This will allow me to conclude that the primary carer is crucial in a young child’s holistic development. “Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in it’s own right, and provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow.” EYFS.2008.DCSF This is why the primary carer plays a crucial role in a child’s development. Piaget, Bruner and Vygotsky all believed that the most critical factor in a child’s cognitive development is the adult that they are with. It is therefore essential that the primary carer is skilled and experienced in child development and knows how to observe and at what point they need to intercept and support the child. Bruner’s theories identify the environment as an important factor in a child’s development, he believed that children wanted to explore difficult tasks with the help of knowledgeable and supportive carers. He believed that children had the ability to learn and grow and that there was no limit to their potential. Bruner often refers to the term “scaffolding” , meaning an adult helping the child develop in ways they would not be able to do initially without help. Piaget believed that children needed to be involved in their own learning and that there are four stages of cognitive development linked to a child’s age. Many early years settings work within Piaget’s framework for development, ensuring that activities and equipment are appropriate to the child’s age and provide the necessary stimuli to encourage the child to explore and question things. Activities such as treasure baskets, visits to farms, outdoor activities, physical games and stimulating toys are widely used with children aged from birth to two years; Piaget called this the Sensori – motor stage when a child develops by using their senses. Piaget believed that all children form plans or schemas in their brain about something they have experienced. This process enables the child to develop and change their views, ideas and thoughts of the world around them. A schema is a mental structure that allows the child to classify their own experiences, initially without words and then as language develops with labels. The building of a schema is a process of learning and understanding. The adult supports and extends this through experiences they provide and questioning, this is crucial for cognitive development. This again highlights the important role the primary carer plays and also the need for them to have an understanding of the stages of child development to ensure that the child reaches its full potential. Attachment is an emotional bond to another person. John Bowlby was the first attachment theorist, he believed that the mother played a critical role in a child’s social development, the mother being the main adult in a child’s life at the time he undertook his research. He studied a group of young people who did not fit into societies expectations and found that many of them had experienced disruption in their early family attachments. He therefore believed in the mother being central in the child’s life as the earliest bonds formed with a child and their primary carer has a huge impact on the child’s future development. Through his research he discovered that there are four stages of attachment linked to the child’s age, Pre-attachment at 0– 2 months, Attachment in the making at 2 – 7 months, Clear- cut attachment at 7 - 24 months and Goal corrected partnership from 24 months onwards. Through his studies Bowlby noted that attachment could be categorised into four categories and that children began to miss their first formed attachment at the age of seven to eight months, at the same time as clear cut attachment is formed. Bowlby’s research has helped to shape practice and policies within the early years, the principle being the allocation of a Key worker to each child.This person is the child’s main carer and the link between the setting and home, this is often the first trusting relationship a child will make outside the family. “Each child in a group setting must be assigned a key person – in childminding settings the childminer is the key person. A key person has special responsibilities for working with a small number of children, giving them reassurance to feel safe and cared for and building relationships with their parents. A key person will help the baby or child to become familiar with the setting and to feel confident and safe within it. They will also talk to the parents to make sure that the needs of the child are being met appropriately, and that records of development and progress are shared with parents and other professionals as necessary.” EYFS.2008.DCSF Albert Bandura’s research led him to believe that children learn new behaviour from observing other people, called “social learning theory”. At the heart of this theory are three concepts, the first being that people learn through observation, followed by internal mental thought – pride, a sense of doing something well or good and finally the acknowledgement that even if someone has learnt something it may not automatically change their behaviour. The experiment he used to prove this theory was called “bobo doll”. His research concluded that by watching the actions of others, children develop new skills and acquire information. His research has influenced education and early years, as people working in the sectors are taught the importance of modelling appropriate behaviour and encouragement. "Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action." 
-Albert Bandura, Social Learning Theory, 1977 Harry Harlow’s “The wire mother experiment” confirms Bowlby’s findings about the need for comfort and love and dispute Maslow’s theory that the primary need is food and water. The monkeys in the experiment all showed signs of distress at separation and all choose the wire ”mother” covered in fur instead of the bare wire one with food. The role of the child’s primary carer is to nurture, support and teach a child to enable them to grow and develop to their full potential. This is done through creating an environment in which the child feels safe and also encourages them to explore. Activities and equipment provided by the carer should stimulate a child’s physical, emotional, intellectual, language and social development and also promote independence and encourage self esteem. I have explored many theorist approaches to child development and often there are big differences in their thoughts and opinions however, the main judgment running through their findings is the pivotal role the main carer plays in a child’s development and the central role they play in ensuring that a child develops to their full potential. Department for work, schools and families. (2008) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Nottingham, DCSF Publications Department for work, schools and families. (2008) Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Nottingham, DCSF Publications Maureen Daly, Elisabeth Byers, Wendy Taylor. (2006) Understanding Early Years Theory in Practice, Oxford, Heinemann Jennie Lindon. (2010) Understanding Child Development 2nd Edition, Linking Theory and Practice, Oxford, Hodder Education Ian Macleod-Brundell & Janet Kay. (2008) Advanced Early Years for Foundation Degrees & Levels 4/5 2nd Edition, Essex, Heinemann Carolyn Meggit. (2006) Child Development an illustrated guide Birth to 16 years 2nd Edition, Oxford , Heinemann Mary.D.Sheridan. (2006) From Birth to Five Years Children’s Developmental Progress Third Edition, Oxon, Routledge Linda Pound. (2006) How children learn From Montessori to Vygotsky- educational theories and approaches made easy, London, Practical Pre school Linda Pound. (2006) How Children learn 3 Contemporary thinking and theorists – An overview of contemporary educational and psychological theorists, London, Practical Pre school Tina Bruce. (2010) Early Childhood. A guide for students, London, Sage Publications