Key Theoristsof Child

Development

Sigmund Freud

1856-1939Believed personality

develops through a series of stages

Experiences in childhood will affect adult life

Why are his findings important? Childhood is more

important than previously thought

Effects of childhood are long lasting

Arnold Gesell

1880-1961Psychologist and

PediatricianIdentified developmental

milestones for childrenChildren will reach

certain developmental milestones at certain ages

Studied and realized the importance of nature vs. nuture

Jean Piaget

1896-1980First to study children

scientificallyFocused on how

children learnChildren go through 4

stages of learningChildren must be

given learning tasks appropriate to their level of development

Maria Montessori

1870-1952Believed children should

be seen as individuals who will develop knowledge at their own pace

Child individualizes instruction based on what is developmentally appropriate for themselves

Founded the Montessori School

Lev Vygotsky

1896-1934Biological development

and cultural experience influence children’s ability to learn

Social contact is essential to intellectual development

Children should be given the opportunity for frequent social interaction

Erik Erikson

1902-1994Personality develops in

stagesEach stage includes a unique

psychological crisis. If the crisis is met in a positive way, the individual develops normally

Parents/caregivers need to be sensitive to children’s needs at each stage of development and support them through crises.

B. F. Skinner

1904-1990Argued that when a

child’s actions have positive results, they will be repeated

Negative results will make the actions stop

Parents and other caregivers can affect a child’s behavior through the use of positive and negative feedback

Albert Bandura

b. 1925Children learn by

imitating othersAlthough environment

shapes behavior, behavior also affects environment

Caregivers must provide good examples for children to follow

Urie Bronfenbrenner

1917-2005Outlined layers of

environment that affect a child’s development (such as biology, family, community, environment, and society)

Child’s primary relationship with caregiver needs to be stable, loving, and lasting