CHILD DEVELOPMENT STAGES AND PIAGET'S THEORY
- 1. Concept of development Development : Development is the process of quantitative and qualitative growth of the child and the emergence and differentiation of capabilities over time. It is the function of maturity as well as interaction with the environment. As an individual develops, old features like baby fat, hair and teeth, etc., disappear and new features like facial hair etc. are acquired. When maturity comes, the second set of teeth, primary and secondary sex characteristics, etc., appear. Similar changes occur in all aspects of the personality. It may be defined as a progressive series of orderly, coherent changes. The term progressive signifies that changes are directional, that they lead forward rather than backward. Orderly and coherent suggest that there is a definite relationship between the changes taking place and those that precede or will follow them. Development represents changes in an organism from its origin to its death, but more particularly the progressive changes which take place from origin to maturity. DEVELOPMENT – FROM DEPENDENCY TO AUTONOMY CERTAIN CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN HUMAN BEINGS FROM CONCEPTION TO DEATH. NOT LIMITED WITH RANDOM CHANGES BUT TO THOSE WHICH ARE PERMANENT IN NATURE (QUALITATIVE CHANGES).
- 2. Principles of Growth and Development Growth and development are inseparable but they differ from each other. The growth represents the physical changes of an individual and development represents the overall changes, structure and shape of an individual. Knowledge of the growth and development at the various stage is very essential for the teacher. The teacher has to stimulate the growth and development of a child. He can do it only if he has proper knowledge of the growth and development at various stages. Principles of Growth and Development 1. Principle of Continuity The development follows the principle of continuity which means that development is a continuous process. It starts with pre-natal and ends with death. 2. Principle of Integration Development thus involves a movement from the whole to parts and from parts to the whole and this way it is the integration of the whole and its parts as well as the specific and general responses. It enables a child to develop satisfactorily concerning various aspects or dimensions of his personality. Example: Child first starts to learn hand movement then finger movement and then learn the movement of both hand and finger together this is called integration. 3. Principle of lack of uniformity in the developmental rate
- 3. Development through the continuous process, but does not exhibit steadiness and uniformity in terms of the rate of development in various development of personality or the developmental periods and stage of life. Example: A person may have a high rate of growth and development in terms of height and weight but may not have the same pace of mental and social development. 4. Principle of individual difference Every organism is a distinct creation in itself. One of the most important principles of development is that involves individual differences. There is no fixed rate of development. That all children will learn to walk is universal, but the time at which each child takes his her first step may vary. 5. Principle of uniformity pattern Although development does not proceed at a uniform rate and shows marked individual differences concerning the process and outcome of various stages of development, it follows a definite pattern in one or the other dimension which is uniform and universal concerning the individual of a species. 6. Principe of proceeding from general to specific While developing to any aspect of personality. The child first pickup or exhibit a general response and learn how to show specific and goal-directed responses afterwards. 7. Principle of interaction between Heredity and Environment The development of a child is a process that cannot be defined wholly based on either heredity or environment. Both have to play an important role in development. There are arguments in favour of both. However, most psychologists agree that an interplay o these two factors leads to development. Where heredity decides or set some limits on development ( mostly physical), environmental influences complete the developmental process ( qualitative). Environmental influences provide space for multidimensional development through interaction with family, peers, society and so on. Growth and development is a joint product of heredity and environment.
- 4. 8. Principle of interrelation Various aspects or dimensions of one’s growth and development are interrelated. What is achieved or not achieved in one or other dimensions in the course of the gradual and continuous process of the development surely affects the development of other dimensions? A healthy body tends to develop a healthy mind and an emotionally stable, physically strong and socially conscious personality. Inadequate physical or mental development may, on the other hand, result in a socially or emotionally maladjusted personality. 9. Principle of Cephalocaudal Development proceeds in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Development from head to foot or toe. That is why, before it becomes able to stand, the child first gains control over his head and arms and then on his legs. 10. Principle of Proximodistal Development of motor skills to start at central body parts to outwards. That is why, in the beginning, the child is seen to exercise control over the large fundamental muscles of the arm and then hand and only afterwards over the smaller muscles of the fingers.
- 5. 11. Principle of predictability Development is predictable, which means that with the help of the uniformity of pattern and sequence of development. We can go to a great extent, forecast the general nature and behaviour of a child in one or more aspects or dimensions at any particular stage of its growth and development. We can know the particular age at which children will learn to walk, speak and so on. 12. Principle of Spiral versus Linear advancement The child doesn’t proceed straight or linear on the path of development at any stage never takes place at a constant or steady pace. After the child had developed to a certain level, there is likely to be a period of rest for consolidation of the developmental progress achieved till then. In advancing further, therefore, the development turn back and then moves forward again in a spiral pattern.
- 6. 13. Principle of Association of Maturation and Learning Biological growth and development are known as maturation. Biological changes involve changes in the brain and the nervous system, which provide new abilities to a child. Development proceeds from simple to complex. In the beginning, a child learns through concrete objects and gradually moves to abstract thinking. This transition happens because of the maturation Stages Of Development All children progress in a definite order through these stages and they all follow similar basic patterns. These stages along with the corresponding ages of the child have been identified by developmental psychologists as follows. Stage : Time frame prenatal before birth infancy Birth to 1 year early childhood 1-3 years preschool 3-6 years school childhood 6-12 years adolescence 12-20 years young adulthood 20-30 years adulthood 30-50 years mature adult 50-65 years aging adult 65+
- 7. 1. Prenatal Period (before birth) Life begins at the time of conception. When the child is in the mother’s womb the particular period spent there is known as prenatal period. All important external and internal feelings start to develop at this stage. 2. Infancy (Birth to 3 years) From birth up to the third year of life, the stage is known as infancy. Babies grow very rapidly in size during their first three years. The acquisition of motor skills like holding things, crawling, walking proceeds from simple to complex. 3. Pre-school childhood (3-6 years) The growth in height is not as rapid during this stage as it is in infancy. Children improve eye, hand and small muscle coordination. For example they can draw a circle, pour fluids into a bowl, button and unbutton clothes, and language development is rapid. 4. School childhood (6-12 years – Primary school years) School children between the age of 6 to 12 years look much taller and thinner. Children exhibit rapid gains in strength and swiftness. They achieve new motor skills and their competence becomes more pronounced in all areas of development. 5. Adolescence (12-20 years) It is the span of year between childhood and adulthood which begins at puberty. This is the period of rapid physiological growth. There are a number of psychological changes which also take place. Children jump rope, bicycle, ride horses, dance and indulge in all possible games. Cognitively they are more agile and social relationships become important. But the hallmark of this stage is the search for identity. A number of psychological changes also take place. Given sex-role expectations, girls attach greater importance to good interpersonal relationships and the family while boys emphasize the importance of their own social prestige and career.
- 8. 6. Adulthood (20-65+ years) For better understanding, adulthood can be divided into three stages. These are: (a) Young adulthood (20-50 years) (b) Mature adulthood or the Middle years (50-65 years) (c) Aging adulthood (65+ years) Strength and energy characterize this time of life from the middle twenties when most bodily functions are fully developed, until about the age of 50. Thereafter there is gradual decline in energy level. Areas Of Development There are five types of developments 1. Physical development 2. Emotional development 3. Cognitive (mental) development 4. Language Development 5. Moral Development
- 9. Piaget's Theory Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much like little scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world. As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information. His theory focuses not only on understanding how children acquire knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence. Piaget proposed that intelligence grows and develops through a series of stages. Older children do not just think more quickly than younger children. Instead, there are both qualitative and quantitative differences between the thinking of young children versus older children. In Piaget's view, early cognitive development involves processes based upon actions and later progresses to changes in mental operations.
- 10. Piaget's stages are: Sensorimotor stage: Birth to 2 years Preoperational stage: Ages 2 to 7 Concrete operational stage: Ages 7 to 11 Formal operational stage: Ages 12 and up The Sensorimotor Stage During this earliest stage of cognitive development, infants and toddlers acquire knowledge through sensory experiences and manipulating objects. A child's entire experience at the earliest period of this stage occurs through basic reflexes, senses, and motor responses. During the sensorimotor stage, children go through a period of dramatic growth and learning. As kids interact with their environment, they continually make new discoveries about how the world works. The cognitive development that occurs during this period takes place over a relatively short time and involves a great deal of growth. Children not only learn how to perform physical actions such as crawling and walking; they also learn a great deal about language from the people with whom they interact. Piaget also broke this stage down into substages. Early representational thought emerges during the final part of the sensorimotor stage. The Preoperational Stage The foundations of language development may have been laid during the previous stage, but the emergence of language is one of the major hallmarks of the preoperational stage of development. At this stage, kids learn through pretend play but still struggle with logic and taking the point of view of other people. They also often struggle with understanding the idea of constancy. For example,
- 11. a researcher might take a lump of clay, divide it into two equal pieces, and then give a child the choice between two pieces of clay to play with. One piece of clay is rolled into a compact ball while the other is smashed into a flat pancake shape. Because the flat shape looks larger, the preoperational child will likely choose that piece, even though the two pieces are exactly the same size. The Concrete Operational Stage While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this point in development, they become much more adept at using logic. The egocentrism of the previous stage begins to disappear as kids become better at thinking about how other people might view a situation. While thinking becomes much more logical during the concrete operational state, it can also be very rigid. Kids at this point in development tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical concepts. During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how other people might think and feel. Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else necessarily shares their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. The Formal Operational Stage The final stage of Piaget's theory involves an increase in logic, the ability to use deductive reasoning, and an understanding of abstract ideas. At this point, adolescents and young adults become capable of seeing multiple potential solutions to problems and think more scientifically about the world around them. The ability to thinking about abstract ideas and situations is the key hallmark of the formal operational stage of cognitive development. The ability to systematically plan for the future and reason about hypothetical situations are also critical abilities that emerge during this stage.
- 12. Important Concepts It is important to note that Piaget did not view children's intellectual development as a quantitative process. That is, kids do not just add more information and knowledge to their existing knowledge as they get older. Piaget suggested several factors that influence how children learn and grow. Schemas A schema describes both the mental and physical actions involved in understanding and knowing. Schemas are categories of knowledge that help us to interpret and understand the world. In Piaget's view, a schema includes both a category of knowledge and the process of obtaining that knowledge. For example, o A child may have a schema about a type of animal, such as a dog. o If the child's sole experience has been with small dogs, a child might believe that all dogs are small, furry, and have four legs. o Suppose then that the child encounters an enormous dog. o The child will take in this new information, modifying the previously existing schema to include these new observations. Assimilation The process of taking in new information into our already existing schemas is known as assimilation. The process is somewhat subjective because we tend to modify experiences and information slightly to fit in with our preexisting beliefs. In the example above, seeing a dog and labeling it "dog" is a case of assimilating the animal into the child's dog schema.
- 13. Accommodation Another part of adaptation is the ability to change existing schemas in light of new information; this process is known as accommodation. New schemas may also be developed during this process. Equilibration As children progress through the stages of cognitive development, it is important to maintain a balance between applying previous knowledge (assimilation) and changing behavior to account for new knowledge (accommodation). Piaget believed that all children try to strike a balance between assimilation and accommodation using a mechanism he called equilibration. Equilibration helps explain how children can move from one stage of thought to the next.