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Throughout much of history child development was ignored. children were often thought of as small adults and therefore expectations of behavior were unrealistic. Adults were not paying proper attention to the vast mental and physical growth that takes place during childhood and adolescents.
Luckily, people started showing some interest in the field of child development in the early 20th century. People were finally starting to appreciate the impressive growth and development that children go through from birth to early adulthood. This growth includes physical, educational, social, emotional and cognitive changes that are the base to every life. A few of the theories and researchers involved in child development will be discussed in the following paragraphs as well as the stages of childhood and the ages that certain markers should occur.
Sigmund Freud is one of the most well-known theorists of child development however; his ideas are still a bit controversial and focus more on mental abnormalities that can occur as a result of events in childhood. He believed that we each go through ‘psychosexual stages': oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. Each stage is based on the satisfaction of a sexual desire and failing to complete a stage, he believed, would result in a fixation in one's adult life leading to personality or behavioral disorders.
Another theorist who proposed a stage theory of development is Erik Erikson. His theory included development throughout the entire life, not only childhood. In his theory one must overcome a conflict in each stage of life, such as establishing a sense of personal identity during the adolescent period. Failing to accomplish the goal of each stage may lead to role confusion and overall instability as an adult.
Jean Piaget came up with a cognitive development theory suggesting that children think differently than adults. He referred to them as “little scientists” who actively suck up knowledge about the world, constructing this knowledge in their own way.
Behavioral child development theories were created by theorist such as John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, and Ivan Pavlov. These deal with observable behavior as opposed to thoughts or feelings. They believed development to be a reaction to rewards, stimuli, punishments, and reinforcements. They are based on childhood experiences shaping who we are as adults.
John Bowlby focused on the social development of children. He believed that the social involvement that one has with their early caregivers greatly influences our social behavior as adults. If over coddled one may become a needy adult on the other hand if one is neglected as a child, a serious lack of trust may form as an adult.
Albert Bandura was also focused on the social aspect of development and came up with the theory known as the social learning theory. He believed that children learn behaviors through their observation of adults and peers. In this theory learning is built upon central reinforcement instead of external reinforcements such as pride due to accomplishment.
Lev Vygotsky's seminal learning theory is one of the most popular among educators. He believed children learn best through hands-on experiences and that their higher order functions are largely due to the adults and culture that surround them.
Today's psychologists take a more rounded approach to child development pulling from a variety of these theories in order to understand how children blossom throughout their many stages of childhood.
From 3-6 years of age a child's frontal lobe networks are in their fastest growth period. The speed of processing, memory, and problem solving is increasing and imaginative, interactive play has begun.
From 6-9 years of age a child's synaptic connections in motor and sensory regions of the brain are established and the pruning of these areas has begun. This is when an increase in attention span and a better ability to inhibit impulses is seen. children should have the hang of basic dexterity, social, and language skills by this time.
From 9-14 years of age mental speed and efficiency increases, as does emotional control and problem solving skills. An ability to analyze and understand one's own thought process is developing and play now becomes more refined and competitive.
Responsibility for a child's development is one of the greatest obligations an adult can undertake. The necessary support must be provided to ensure the child's safety and productivity while they explore and learn from their environment.
