Introduction
The textbook “Child Development in your classroom, Chronological Approach” is based on the chronological approach to child development, which means that it discusses development in terms of milestones that children reach at different ages. This approach is helpful in understanding child development, but it is important to remember that not all children develop at the same pace or in the same way. Furthermore, it is important for educators to be familiar with different research methods and to be able to critically evaluate research in order to determine whether or not it is applicable to their own practice.
Key Ideas in Child Development
The key ideas in the chapter are the different stages in which children develop, and how we can create effective, mental developing and appropriate classrooms that are involved in all the stages of a child’s development. The main stages of a child development include:
- Sensorimotor development stage (birth to 2 years)
- Preoperational development stage (2 years to 7 years)
- Concrete operational development stage (7 years to 11 years)
- Formal operational development stage (11 years and up)
Each stage has different characteristics, and it is important to create a classroom that is appropriate for each stage. For example, in the sensorimotor stage, children explore their environments and learn through their senses. They need a safe environment with lots of opportunities to explore. In the preoperational stage, children begin to use symbols and languages and they need opportunities to practice using them. In the concrete operational stage, children begin to think logically and they need opportunities to practice problem solving skills. In the formal operational stage, children are able to think abstractly, they need opportunities to practice thinking about complex concepts (Bergin & Bergin, 2019).
Significant Learning Issues
One significant learning issue is how to create a developmentally appropriate classroom. This is important because it can help children learn more effectively and retain more information. Developmentally appropriate classrooms are designed specifically for the developmental stage of the children in the class. This means that the activities, materials, and environment are all appropriate for the stage of development that the children are in. For example, in a sensorimotor classroom, the activities would be designed to help children in using their senses to learn. In a preoperational classroom, the activities would help children make good use of different symbols and languages. In concrete operational classrooms, activities would help children in practicing different ways to solve problems. In formal operational classrooms, activities would be directed in helping children think in an abstract way.
Middle childhood emotional development is characterized by increasing self-control and a more developed ability to control feelings (Zembar & Blume, 2019). Although children get more adept at controlling their emotions when they grow older, children still feel a broad spectrum of emotions, both positive and negative. However, parents and other adults can help children develop emotionally by offering support and guidance as well as modeling proper emotional reactions. Moreover, children’s emotional growth is inextricably tied to their cognitive growth, and as children’s reasoning becomes much more sophisticated, so does their ability to comprehend and regulate their emotions.
On the other hand, another important learning issue addressed in Chapter 12 is the need to give children a chance to explore and express their emotions in healthy ways. According to the author, children who do not have these opportunities may suffer from regulating emotions later in life (Shaffer & Bjorklund, 2020). Furthermore, the chapter emphasizes the necessity of assisting youngsters in developing an awareness of themselves and empathy.
Principles from the Readings that Relates to these Issues
The principles from the readings that relate to this issue are the different ways in which children grow and develop. This is important because it helps to understand how children learn and what they need in order to learn effectively. It is also important to understand the different stages of child development in order to create a developmentally appropriate classroom for the respective development stages. It is also critical to provide a supportive and safe environment for children to explore and try different emotional and social reactions. For example, we should let them explore different ways in which they can do things like playing, interaction with others, reaction to feelings or incidences among others things.
References
Bergin, C.C., & Bergin, A.D. (2019). Child Development in your classroom, chronological Approach. Cengage Learning.
Shaffer, E., & Bjorklund, A. (2020). Middle childhood development. Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Zembar, M. J., & Blume, L. B. (2019). Middle childhood development: A contextual approach. Prentice Hall.