Gesell's Theory Of Child Development

Introduction

The course Developmental Theories of Young Children has been a beneficial, interesting, and insightful learning experience. I have learned several new topics throughout the course. In this course, I have enhanced my techniques on analyzing and recognizing factors that may affect students’ in developmental domains and their physical growth. I have learned that child development comes with maturation, as well as, the different stages of development. As a future educator, I now know the different theories that influence child development and how I can make decisions to care for my students.

Explain the principles of growth and development There are some principles that characterize the process of the growth and development.

Some of the theories include maturational, psychoanalytical, cognitive-development, sociocultural, and hierarchy of needs. Gesell’s theory was one of the oldest called the Maturational theory. Essentially, this theory maintains that children mature as they grow older and personalities will be discovered with slight influence from the surrounding environment. One of his studies ' involved twin girls. They were given training for motor skills, but one twin was given a longer time. Gesell believed a child learns best to whether or not an adult teaches him or her. Gesell came up with the “milestones of development.” Freud proposed the Psychoanalytical theory. He proposed that development is governed by unconscious processes. He believed that individuals went through five stages in childhood. The stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Freud regarded the development of personality as being the balance between the ID, Ego, and Superego. Erikson’s theory focuses entirely on personality formation. Erikson did expand on Freud’s theories. In contrast to Freud, Erikson concentrated less on aggressive impulses and more on temperament development. He believed that the environment in which a child lived was crucial to provide growth, adjustment, and self-awareness. He suggested eight stages that individuals progress through from birth to adulthood so they can feel self-fulfilled. Skinner’s theory was the Learning theory. He suggests that adults critically shape a child 's learning through positive reinforcement. He did a lot of research on animals and came up with the “Skinner Box”. Children learning can be broken down into smaller tasks and that offering rewards for accomplishments would further learning. Piaget’s theory was the Cognitive-developmental theory. His theory focuses on mental growth as being the most important element in a child