What Is My Personal Theory Of Child Development

Understanding Children and Adolescents: My Personal Theory of Child and Adolescent Behavior Child development is a subsection of developmental science. Developmental science seeks to study human growth and changes from conception until death. Child development however only seeks to study a period from conception to approximately 20. Child development is a cumulation of theories and data, a constant modification to improve knowledge and create new theories based that new knowledge. Some of those most noted theories are the factors in determining how a child will turn out, how a child’s mind grows, the roles of “nature” and “nurture”, and lastly will the challenges in early life cause difficulties later? I believe these factors are intertwined

I believe that a child’s mind is constantly changing, and they are at a continuous state of learning especially in their early years. As a parent you cannot control your child cognitive development, but you can control their environment and nourishment. They are often described as sponges because they assimilate to whatever they see around them, that is why I believe it is important to provide children with positive attention, caring and loving learning environments. These environments change how they learn, their desire to learn, and what they learn for the better. I agree with Piagets stages of cognitive development; sensorimotor-learning through sucking, throwing, pounding etc., preoperational-use of symbols and language, thinking relies on appearance, concrete operational-able to solve concrete problems logically, and formal operation-able to solve abstract problems logically, develop concerns about social issues and identity. I however believe that some children go through them at a different rate. Sensorimotor and a child’s ability to realize that something doesn’t disappear just because it’s out of sight to me doesn’t take until they are 2 years to realize. The idea that we don’t all learn at the same rate really applies

There is a constant debate on whether “Nature” or “Nurture” is more important. I however believe they are intertwined and affect one another. Nature (heredity, genes, biological processes, and maturation) is innately how a human develops, and that innate nature affects their environment in a since. An example listed in the textbook (Woolfolk and Perry, 2018) states a child born with a very easygoing, calm disposition will likely elicit different reactions from parents, playmates, and teachers compared to a child who is often upset and difficult to soothe, so individuals are active in constructing their own environments. But environments shape individuals as well- if not, what good would education be? (p.12)
Nurture the environment, education, and parenting we receive shapes development like stated above. I believe the opportunities we are afforded in life have a significant impact on how we develop into