Melanie Denford

Childhood Development and Education

Learning Journal

Week one - Topic 1: Factors that influence development

Week two - Topic 2: Family culture and community.

Teachers require an in depth knowledge of the various influences on an individual child’s developmental experiences to assist in maximising a

child’s potential. Children experience and react to a huge diversity of family structures, parenting styles, cultures and communities, all of which

impact on their development and any potential talents or areas for development (Lindon, 2012; McDevitt, Ormrod, Cupit, Chandler & Aloa,

2013). The four identified parenting styles impact on the development of the child, for example children whose parents are neglectful may have

a greater tendency to lower self esteem, which can lead to aggression, antisocial behaviour or delinquency (Hoeve, Dubas, Gerris, van der

Laan, & Smeenk,2011), whereas a child who experiences an authoritative style of parenting, where parents are affectionate with some control,

may have a higher self esteem and more socially acceptable behaviours (Hoeve, et al,2011; McDevitt et al, 2013; Donellan, Trzesniewski,

Robins, Moffitt, & Caspi, 2005). Educators need to understand that children will think and act differently depending on the diverse range of

experiences accumulated outside of school (Marsh, Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). Understanding why a child may be behaving in a less socially

acceptable way can help educators connect with the child, and determine any support that could assist them, for example using appropriate

discipline when needed, but also providing positive support and guidance on appropriate behaviours (Rogers, 2004).

In addition to parenting style, a child’s development is also influenced by their socio-economic status, their culture, community and its values,

behaviours and the child’s cognitive abilities will have been influenced by their experiences (Lindon, 2012; McDevitt et al, 2013). Vygotsky

noted that children learn from the community and social experiences, for example a command of language (as cited in Marsh et al, 2014).

Educators can create classes that help children to understand diverse cultures and life experiences, for example celebrating holidays from

different cultures or reading stories about different communities or family structures to a primary class can help them understand the similarities

and the differences they share (Marsh et al, 2014; McDevitt et al, 2013). Educators can adopt a student centred approach, that is plan their

lessons to engage students who possess a diversity of perceptions and values, and draw on a variety of their experiences as part of the class

(Hudson, 2013; McDevitt et al, 2013). Educators need to also identify any gaps in a child’s development, and supplement these with additional

support, for example a child who’s parents do not speak fluent English may require more support with language and literacy, or a child from a

low socio-economic background may come to school hungry and be less motivated by learning than by meeting their physical needs (Marsh et

al, 2014; McDevitt et al, 2013). Teachers must respect the complexity of different families, different environmental experiences, and the

different cultural requirements of each child and ensure their needs are catered for as an individual, in order to maximise their potential

(McDevitt, et al, 2013).

References

Hudson, P. (Ed) (2013). Learning to teach in the primary school. Port Melbourne, VIC: Cambridge University Press.

Hoeve, M., Dubas, J., Gerris, J., van der Laan, P. & Smeenk, W.,(2011) Maternal and paternal parenting styles: Unique and combined links to adolescent and early adult delinquency.Journal of Adolescence 34 813 – 827.

Lindon, J. (2012). Understanding child development: 0 – 8 years linking theory and practice. Oxon, UK: Hodder Education

Marsh, C., Clarke, M. & Pittaway, S. (2014), Marsh’s Becoming a Teacher. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Mc Devitt,T., Ormrod, J., Cupit, G., Chandler, M. & Aloa, V (2013). Child Development and Education. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Rogers, B. (Ed.). (2004). How to Manage Children's Challenging Behaviour. London, GBR: SAGE Publications, Incorporated. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.

Week three Topic 3: Biological factors of development.

References

Australian Curriculum (2013). Health and Physical Education. Retrieved from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/health-and-physical-education/curriculum/f-10?layout=1

Doherty, J & Brennan, P (2008). Physical education and development 3 – 11: a guide for teachers. Routledge.

McDevitt, T., Ormrod, J., Cupit, G., Chandler, M., Aloa, V. (2013) Child development and education. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Women’s and Children’s Health Network (2014) Child development 0 – 3 months. Retrieved from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1963#2

Women’s and Children’s Health Network (2014) Child development 1 – 2 years. Retrieved from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1887

Women’s and Children’s Health Network (2014) Child development 2 – 3 years. Retrieved from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1886#3

Women’s and Children’s Health Network (2014) Child development 5 – 6 years. Retrieved from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1868#3

Women’s and Children’s Health Network (2014) Child development 10 – 12 years. Retrieved from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1865

Women’s and Children’s Health Network (2014) Child development 12 – 15 years. Retrieved from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1866

Week four - Topic 4a: Theories of cognitive development (Part A) Piaget

Week five -Topic 4b: Theories of cognitive development (Part B) Vygotsky

References

Lindon, J. (2012). Understanding child development: 0 – 8 years: linking theory and practice. Oxon, UK: Hodder Education

Malone, D. (n.d.). Jean Piaget vs Lev Vygotsky: differing views in cognitive development. Retrieved from http://www.oakton.edu/user/1/dmalone/PiagetVygot.pdf

Marsh, C ., Clarke, M. & Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a teacher. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

McDevitt, T., Ormrod, J., Cupit, G., Chandler, M. & Aloa, V. (2013) Child development and education. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Woolfolk, A. (2004). Educational Psychology. (9th ed). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Week six - Topic 4c: Theories of cognitive development (Part C) IPT

Teachers can play a significant role in a child’s cognitive development (Marsh, Clarke & Pittaway, 2014; McDevitt, Ormrod, Cupit,

Chandler & Aloa, 2013). One cognitive development theoretical perspective is Information Processing Theory (IPT) (McDevitt et al,

2013). IPT looks at the acquisition, interpretation and recall of knowledge (McDevitt et al, 2013). The activation of previous knowledge is

considered an important part of the creation of new knowledge (Marsh et al, 2014; McDevitt et al, 2013). A child will recall these previous

experiences between their working and long term memory, to determine what response is required in a new situation (Marsh et al, 2014;

McDevitt et al, 2013). Early years education can positively influence cognitive development and a child’s readiness for school (Burger,

2010). During the early years, a teacher can encourage vocabulary development and provide sensory experiences for the child such as

finger painting, nature/outdoor play, sandpits and clay or Play-doh, to help the child explore their world and create memories of

experiences (Hudson, 2013). These sensory experiences will travel from the short term memory to the working memory, and through

repetitive activities, a teacher can help a child commit new knowledge to their long term memory (Marsh et al, 2014).

As a child’s language develops, it has a significant impact on their cognitive development, and educators should use a combination of

communication methods with children, such as storytelling, play acting or role playing, flash cards or using images or digital technology to

engage the student in their lesson so that they are attentive (Howell, 2014; Marsh et al, 2014; Meadows, 1993). In addition, educators

can help children understand and organise new information and existing knowledge, for example, they can teach a child that an apple

and a banana, whilst they appear different objects, are both categorised as fruit (Marsh et al, 2014). As attention is required for learning,

educators can create a collaborative and participative culture in their classroom, which will help engage the student’s attention in the

subject for longer, and the repeated discussions and practice with a concept can create long term memories (Cremer & Arthur, 2014;

Marsh et al, 2014; McDevitt et al, 2014). In addition, teachers should encourage a variety of methods to express the child’s thinking and

thoughts, such as storytelling, music, drama, drawing and painting to engage the child with the voluntary committal of subject matter to

their memory (Cremin & Arthur, 2014). Primary school aged children can be distracted more easily and have a shorter attention span, so

an educator would plan shorter lessons using a combination of active and more sedentary activities (Marsh et al, 2014; McDevitt et al,

2013; Lindon, 2012). Secondary students have a longer attention span as they are cognitively more developed, thus they can undertake

longer and more abstract tasks before they require a change in activity (McDevitt et al, 2013).

There are implications for children with limited working memory, for example through an acquired brain injury or chromosomal

abnormalities, and those with an inability to be attentive in class, for example a child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Educators should provide a structured framework to meet these children’s individual needs or refer to specialist support (Cremer &

Arthur, 2014; Lindon, 2012).

References

Burger, K. (2010). How does early childhood care and education affect cognitive development? An international review of the effects of early interventions for children from different social backgrounds. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25, 140 – 165. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0885200609000921

Cremin, T. & Arthur, J. (2014). Learning to teach in the primary school. Oxon, UK: Routledge.

Howell, J. (2014). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration and creativity. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Hudson, P. (2013). Learning to teach in the primary school. Port Melbourne, VIC: Cambridge University Press.

Lindon, J. (2012). Understanding child development 0 – 8 years: linking theory and practice. Oxon, UK: Hodder Education.

Marsh, C., Clarke, M. & Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a teacher. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Meadows, S. (1993). Child as thinker : the development and acquisition of cognition in childhood. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

McDevitt, T., Ormrod, J., Cupit, G., Chandler, M. & Aloa, V. (2013) Child development and education. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Week seven - Topic 5a: Development of language and communication (Part A) 4 theories

   

References

MacArthur, C., Graham, S. & Fitzgerald, J. (2006) Handbook of Writing Research. New York: Guilford Press.

Lemetyinen, H. (2012). Language Acquisition. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/language.html

Lilly, E. & Green, C. (2004) Developing partnerships with families through children’s literature. Pearson Education Inc.

Lindon, J. (2012). Child Development from Birth to Eight : A Practical Focus. London, GBR: National Children's Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

McDevitt, T., Ormrod, J., Cupit, G., Chandler, M. & Aloa, V (2013) Child development and education. Frenchs Forrest, NSW:Pearson Australia.

McLeod, S. (2014) Lev Vygotsky Retrieved from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

Lutz, S. & Huitt, W. (2003). Information processing and memory: Theory and applications. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date], from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/papers/infoproc.pdf

Schraw, G. & McCrudden, M. (2013) Information Processing Theory. Retrieved from: http://www.education.com/reference/article/information-processing-theory/

Week Eight -Topic 5b: Development of language and communication (Part B) Diversity and exceptionalities.

4.         Explain how a teacher can support children’s development of language and communication

Educator’s play a supportive role in a child’s development of language and communication

skills (McDevitt, Ormrod, Cupit, Chandler & Aloa, 2013) and all teachers use language as a

medium for teaching (Hudson, 2013). While some theorists, such as Chomsky, posit that the

ability to learn language is biological, other theorists note that children want to be part of their

social world from birth (Lindon, 2012). In their first years of life, children learn to communicate

not only through spoken word, but through tone, expression and non-verbal communications

such as body language (Lindon, 2012). Based on the socio-cultural theory of Vygotsky, as

part of the child’s social world an educator can support the child to try new words or put

words to their activites as they begin to articulate their thoughts (Lindon, 2012; Marsh, Clarke

& Pittaway, 2014; McDevitt et al, 2013). Teachers can provide opportunities for language

development that are appropriate for their stage of development, for example, an early

learning years teacher can point at objects and name them whilst encouraging the child to do

the same, or sing nursery rhymes with the class; a primary teacher can set activities such as

group discussions and oral presentations so that the child can practice semantics, that is, the

language to express themselves clearly and with meaning (Children’s Speech and Language

Skills, 2015; Lindon, 2012; McDevitt et al, 2013).

With positive reinforcement and encouragement, gentle correction and providing support,

children can expand their language skills and experiment with new words and language

(Lindon, 2012; Marsh et al, 2014; McDevitt et al, 2013). As such, an educator is required to

have a knowledge of the syntax and semantics of the English language, so that they can

encourage correct use of language, as well as identify any gaps in development in the

language of a child (Cremin & Arthur, 2014; Hudson, 2013).

Educators also have an important role to play in literacy learning (Lindon, 2012). In the early

childhood setting, educators can encourage a love of books by reading stories to children

regularly, encouraging children to tell their own stories or playing word games such as silly

rhymes, or singing words (Department of Education and Training, 2009) As children reach

primary school age, children need to learn not only create characters, but meaningful content

(Lindon, 2012). In addition, educators need to be aware that English will be a second

language for some of their class, and so they should provide opportunities for children to

express ideas or work in their own language to acknowledge its importance and show they

value the child’s cultural and family heritage (Cremin & Arthur, 2014; Department of

Education and Training; 2009).

References

Children’s Speech and Language Skills (2015). Semantic Language .Retrieved from: http://cslstherapy.com/semantic-language/

Cremin, T., & Arthur, J. (2014). Learning to teach in the primary school. Oxon, UK: Routledge. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com

Department of Education and Training (2009). The early learning years framework of australia: belonging, being and becoming. Retrieved from: https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf

Lindon, J. (2012). Understanding child development 0 – 8 years, 3rd edition. London, UK: Hodder Education.

McDevitt, T., Ormrod, J., Cupit, G., Chandler, M., Aloa, V. (2013). Child development and education. Frenchs Forrest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Stubbs, M. (2014) Language and literacy(RLE linguistics C:applied linguistic: The sociolinguistics and reading and writing. Oxon: Routledge.

Wyse, D., Jones, R., Bradford, H. & Wolpert, M.A. (2007). Teaching English, language and literacy. Oxon: Routledge.

Week nine - Topic 6a: Emotional development (Erikson)

1. Explain the key ideas of attachment theory.