Unit 1 session 4

• Child Development
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Children's development

Unit 1 session 4

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Positive Mindset

A little reminder of how proud we are of you all.

For the last four weeks you have all shown dedication and motivation.

Although as the weeks go by and things may seem harder.

Keep on trooping - your progress will lead to amazing results. 

Learners will be able to:

• Recap and explain Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory.
  
• Recap and explain Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
  
• Assess the importance of cognitive development in Early Years.
  
• Explore Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
  

Learning Outcomes

Name the 5 systems within Bronfenbrenners ecological systems theory

Bio- Ecological systems theory

(how the systems are interconnected and that the environment may impact upon a childs learning and development)

5 systems:

(Micro system, Meso system, Exo system, Macro system, Chrono system)

He did not consider biological influences on development.

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1977)

• Bio- Ecological systems theory(how the systems are interconnected and that the environment may impact upon a childs learning and development)

• 5 systems:

(Micro system, Meso system, Exo system, Macro system, Chrono system)

• He did not consider biological influences on development

Bronfenbrenner (1917 – 2005) children’s development and experiences are influenced by the surrounding environment.

Bronfenbrenner stressed the importance of observing children in more than one environment.

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1977) 

Microsystem

The child’s home, family, nursery or school. A child will react to people in their micro system.

More nurturing and supportive relationships will improve the child’s development.

Mesosystems

Interaction of two or more microsystems. For example: when a child’s friends comes over for dinner they are potentially entering another microsystem environment.

Exosystem

Other people and places which will have affect on the child’s environment.

For example: Their parents work place, if they become redundant it will affect the child.

Macrosystem

It is a child’s cultural patterns and values, as well as political and economic systems.

For example:

Children who live in countries where there is constant war.

If a Government changes they could raise nursery fee’s therefore this will affect the parent and child.

Chronosystem

How ‘history’ of the society and child’s life could impact their development.

Change in family structure/ parents employment/family feuds.

 Awareness of different contexts can influence a child’s behaviour.

For example: Bullying at school.

What are the 5 stages in Maslows hierarchy of needs

Abraham Maslow (1943)

Maslow divided self – actualisation into:

1. Cognitive: Exploring, thinking and being stimulated.

2. Aesthetic: Enjoying beauty and creating patterns.

Without each stage children will not be able to achieve their full potential.

How can we link Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to development?

How can you support each stage of Maslow's hierarchy in Early Years?

• What is cognitive development?

• How can we support cognitive development in Early Years? 

Links to social and emotional development 

Cognitive development

Cognitive development can be referred to as intellectual development.

It relates to the way that children learn to think and to understand and process information.

It includes making connections between new and prior information.

Emotional development

Understanding our own feelings.

Developing those connections from experiences

Helping children to develop awareness of feelings and learn how to express and control them.

Healthy brain development supports the development of self-esteem, confidence and own self

Social development

Developing the ability to understand others through social activities is supported significantly by how much interaction and time children spend with each other.

In social groups children often engage in problem solving and imaginative play which extends their cognitive development.

Ways to enhance cognitive development

1. Counting / alphabet games

2. Identifying noises (knock on the door, sound of birds)

3. Giving choices

4. Point out shapes and colours

5. Predicting the next part of the story

6. Sing together

7. Board games / building blocks

In small groups or in pairs you will be allocated 1 of the 7 ways to enhance development.

I would like you to consider why these approaches can enhance cognitive development for each age/stage.

0 -1 years

1 -2 years

2 – 4 years

5 +

Cognitive development

Cognitive development is the way a child will begin to process information and construct knowledge to make decisions and problem solve.

For example

• Building skills such as pre-reading
  
• Language, vocabulary,
  
• Numeracy
  

Cortisol is a substance which is released when our stress levels rise.

Too much cortisol in young children and infants can cause cognitive impairments and behaviour related issues.

Development of Cognition 

Neural growth

(Neurons) Brain cells.

• We are born with approximately 100 billion neurons.
  
• Neurons connect together transmitting/receiving electrical signals.
  
• Signals are associated with our feelings, thoughts and actions.
  
• Every new experience a child has creates connections between neurons within the brain.
  

Myelination

So electrical pulses do not go astray the axons of the neurons need to be coated with a substance called myelin.

The process of myelination begins at birth but does not complete until early adulthood.

Why is this information important? 

Development of pathways

Repeated experiences allow the brain to create stronger and longer-lasting connections (Neural pathways)

Neural pathways allow signals to move faster through the brain.

Piaget’s Cognitive Theory

According to Piaget, children are born with a very basic mental structure. Children’s hands on experiences, upbringing and environment has a significant impact on how children’s brain forms healthy neurological connections.

He proposed, intelligence is something that grows and develops through a series of stages.

Any Thoughts?

Lets discuss his stages.

Piaget claims there are four stages of cognitive development.

Sensorimotor (Birth to age 2)

Building an understanding of themselves, differentiating between other objects.

The infant knows the world through their movements and sensations.

Children learn about the world through basic actions such as sucking, grasping, looking, and listening.

Infants learn that things continue to exist even though they cannot be seen (object permanence).

It is during the sensorimotor stage that children go through a period of dramatic growth and learning.

As children interact with their environment, they are continually making new discoveries about the world around them.

Piaget’s cognitive theory

Preoperational (Age 2 to age 7)

The child is learning to think abstractly and use more sophisticated language, they begin to use their imagination of things which may not exist. (A lizard with wings).

Children begin to think symbolically and learn to use words and pictures to represent objects.

Children at this stage tend to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspective of others.

Egocentrism occurs in the preoperational stage.

Children's' thoughts and communications are typically egocentric (i.e. about themselves).

Egocentrism refers to the child's inability to see a situation from another person's point of view.

Piaget’s cognitive theory

Concrete operational (Age 7 to 11)

Children are now able to understand more abstract concepts, such as : time, space and quantity.

During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how other people might think and feel.

Children in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else shares the same thoughts and opinions.

Formal operational (Age 11 +)

Children are now becoming more abstractly, they are able to use verbal explanations of concepts. Strategy – based games become more enjoyable

.

The ability to thinking about abstract ideas and situations is the key hallmark of the formal operational stage of cognitive development.

Piaget’s cognitive theory

Preoperational (Age 2 to age 7)

Animism

When a child believes objects have life like feelings.

Is your baby crying or happy?

Is your dinosaur hungry and grumpy?

Concrete operational (Age 7 to 11)

Conservation

Children may demonstrate the ability to identify two things that are the same but presented differently.

Group Task 

You will be allocated a theorist (one which we have covered).

I would like you to create a leaflet to demonstrate your knowledge about this theorist

 – most importantly considering their influence on child development.