Cognitive And Social Development Essay

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Comparative Essay on Cognitive and Social Development in Early Childhood Crucial to child development is a child’s wellbeing. The concept of wellbeing is a complex one which can be divided into several aspects (Waters, 2014) and which occurs across several domains, namely, physical, mental, emotional, social, and cognitive wellbeing (Thompson & Fauth, 2009). However, wellbeing is generally considered as ‘the quality of people’s lives’ (Rees, et al., 2009, p. 8). If a child is fit and healthy, free from harm, mentally engaged, and their physical and emotional needs are met they are likely to possess a high level of wellbeing, and therefore, more likely to be successful and fulfil their full potential (Smith & Hart, 2014). The importance …show more content…

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2012) recommends that all EYFS settings provide high-quality services to children, developing their social and emotional wellbeing and increasing their capability to learn. Additionally, the guidelines state that EYFS settings should ‘promote the development of positive, interactive relationships between staff and children’, by ensuring that, ‘...individual staff get to know, and develop an understanding of, particular children 's needs’, and finally, settings must, ‘focus on social and emotional, as well as educational, development’ (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2012, p. 13). The EYFS Statutory Framework (2014) recognises the importance of positive relationships and places them as one of the four overarching principles, teaching children to be resilient and autonomous. Furthermore, the EYFS includes personal, social, and emotional development as one of its seven areas of learning and development. This helps to increase a child’s emotional wellbeing by developing ‘a positive sense of themselves, and others’, forming ‘positive relationships’, developing ‘respect for others’, allowing them ‘to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings’, in order to ‘understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities’ (Department of Education,

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