Regulating Child Development

As part of a young child’s social and emotional development, he or she must be capable of regulating their emotions and behaviors. A child’s behaviors and tendencies may change drastically over the course of development. As noted by several theorists, many of these changes are not necessarily due to sudden shifts in the child’s biological make–up and are instead caused by shifts in the child’s environment. Gallagher (2005) discusses how such changes can affect a child’s behavior and emotions in the article Brain research and early childhood development - A primer for developmentally appropriate practice. A small excerpt within this article references a young boy whose family has recently undergone a series of stressful life changes such as

unemployment, moving and the birth of a new sibling. The teachers reasoned that the emotions and behaviors the young boy began exhibiting were likely tied to these new transitions and life changes.

The author indicates that “child or family circumstances may put children at risk for not receiving enough help regulating their emotion” (Gallagher, 2005). Developmentally appropriate practices can help children work through complicated and difficult life circumstances. In many cases assisting children in regulating their emotional behavior may be crucial for the child’s development. Much of this article supports the notion that the way a child’s brain develops is positively influenced by supportive, loving and healthy relationships developed in early childhood (Gallagher, 2005). Nature and nurture play significant roles in a child’s development, however I believe that the way a child is raised, cared for and ultimately nurtured, may have more important and lasting effects on a child’s development than that of nature

alone.
Early childhood is marked by a significant change in one’s moral development. There are several developmental theories that suggest the emergence of a child’s ability to differentiate between what is right and wrong occurs in early childhood. As children begin to recognize right from wrong they also gain a sense of self-regulation. Vygotsky believes that make believe play can help lead to a child’s ability to self regulate (Lightfoot, et al., 2013; Singer, Golinkoff, Kirsh-Pasek, 2009). Vygotsky suggests that through the imitation of real life scenarios, children familiarize themselves with the importance of self-regulation. In addition to the emergence of self-regulation, children in early childhood also develop prosocial behaviors. Hoffman indicates that babies possess empathy even in early infancy, as indicated by an infants’ tendency to cry when they hear another infant crying. However, a child’s capacity for prosocial behaviors, such as empathy and sympathy, broaden in early childhood to include individuals who are not physically present (Lightfoot, et al., 2013).
I have often witnessed acts of compassion with students as young as three and four years of age. I believe that positively reinforcing acts of compassion and empathy can greatly enhance the frequency in which a child exhibits behaviors of compassion. Literature suggests that in order for young children to develop compassion they often need to be cared for in a compassionate and nurturing way (Zeece, 2009). When children are nurtured by others, they will then learn how to nurture and care for themselves. Once children realize the importance of caring for oneself they will eventually be able to care for others (Zeece, 2009). As stated by Zeece (2009) “Learning to display kindness and compassion for others is a critical and ongoing developmental process and an important part of young children’s evolving social competence” (p.447).
Prosocial behaviors are crucial to young children’s well being. It allows a child to interact with adults and children in a successful and appropriate manner. Prosocial behaviors are categorized by the ability to be kind, helpful, showing sympathy, empathy, giving, sharing and cooperating with others. Children, who learn to engage in prosocial behaviors such as playing well with others, recognizing others feelings, sharing and respecting the rights of others and use their thinking skills to resolve conflicts, will likely become nurturing and considerate adults. It is important to guide young children towards their learning outcome and structure through their understanding of the rules, in order to create a classroom environment that supports children’s positive behaviors. A developmentally appropriate curriculum encourages and allows children to express their feelings. Children should be supported to practice thinking about the feelings of others, use words to describe their feelings, opportunities to make choices and to teach them strategies for self-regulation.
I have always believed that children benefit from an early childhood experience. Preschool is the fastest growing area of education spending in the United States with a hefty yearly tuition. There are federally funded programs available to low-income families, such as Head Start; others are state financed programs, such as Child-Parent Centers. There are also private preschools and Laboratory Schools. Children from lower income families have felt the brunt of the educational inequality. It is quite shocking to learn of the vast difference in their language experience. The “30 million deficit” refers to the huge gap in scores between children of disadvantage families and those children from wealthy families. Children from lower income families are much less likely to be able to recognize of letters, numbers and words at the start of preschool. A landmark study has found that children from poor families will have heard more than 30 million fewer words than children from professional households, and ultimately would enter preschool well behind their peers, do poorly in readiness exams and thus forgotten by legislatures. These are the children that should be given the most assistance; thus universal preschool should be a right and not a privilege. Children in a quality preschool setting are assessed early, allowing opportunities for early interventions in an effort to close the achievement gap. As educators in preparing our future generation we must focus on teaching preschoolers independence and this can be done by creating an environment that meets a child’s specific needs.
Technology in preschool classrooms, when used appropriately, provides effective learning opportunities and supports development in all areas. For example, as children use computers they work on fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination as they manipulate the keyboard. Children work together and engage in conversations as they maneuver their way through programs. While using technology students are also practicing language and cognitive skills as they learn new vocabulary and solve problems.
In my classroom I will continue to support children’s creativity by providing a variety of materials. I will use age appropriate techniques and activities to help children accomplish their goal in basic mathematical concept through the use of manipulative such as pattern blocks and bottle caps. Encourage them to express themselves, feelings, ideas and experiences and provide different genre of books to promote their love for reading. Children will be provided with opportunities to move and use their bodies. This is a means to combine all their new experience into their developing minds, emotions and social skills. Brain research supports this idea, stressing that children learn best through an integrated approach combining physical, emotional, cognitive, and social growth (Shore, 1997).
The advice I would give a new early childhood educator is to get to know each child as a unique individual. Know their interests, likes and dislikes. Use intentional teaching strategies to help children understand material, to promote their development and to enhance their learning. Partner with families, practice child-initiated and teacher directed learning. Be responsive, respectful, caring and nurturing. Use various techniques to present a concept and build children self confidence. Use age appropriate materials that aid in the development of the child’s basic academic skills, self help skills, and cooperative group work skills. Assessments of children should be used for decision making, identifying those that require learning support and for curriculum planning.

To be developmentally appropriate, teachers must think about children as individuals and design programs that meet their individual needs.

Educators have to meet children where they are. D.A.P and intentional teaching have greatly influenced the way in which I approach early childhood education. Educators often take on varying roles throughout their day. As an educator I have acted as a doctor, lawyer, parent, chef, comfort seeker, custodian, social worker, friend and more. It is imperative that I provide an atmosphere whereby my students and their families feel welcomed and valued as members of the classroom community. It is important to maintain structure through rules, routines and procedures for safety and to develop trust and secure relationships with students and their families. Through observation, documentation and communication I am able to plan for children’s interests, strengths and challenges. Age appropriate activities are provided and facilitated to meet the developmental and learning needs of individuals in hands on, interactive and explorative

ways.