Ong 1 Michelle Ong September 13, 2012 Professor Purnell Developmental Theories Every day I walk into my preschool

classroom, I make intentional choices in the activities and interactions I provide. Knowing the purpose of play and social interactions, the cause of particular behaviors, and how a child is developing, is vital in my role as a preschool teacher. Why is play so important? Why is social interactions and how we behave so crucial in a childs development? We have the developmental theorists to thank for that. Because of their research we know why things happen or dont happen. We know the role we play in the lives of children. Most important, we can understand the different approaches and how they can come together to understand the whole child. We use the theorists concepts as a fundamental guide of child rearing, early childhood education, well child care, and for developmental testing for specialized services. As parents, we may not be cognizant of it nor do we know how to define it, but we have seen the effects of these theories. How often have we been in a debate over how to raise children? Even adults who dont have children have their opinions firmly in place because of the way they were raised. We discuss how kids are spoiled or that in my day they would have never got away with that. We often compare our childhood to those of children today, especially as it relates to behavior. The shift of how we discipline can be directly related to Pavlov and B.F. Skinners conditioning theories. They used conditioning as a means to teach and draw out a desired behavior. Skinners theory of reinforcement which is a consequence following a behavior is a more common practice today. We are becoming more aware that spanking actually becomes a reinforcement to a child if that is the only interaction they get. The reinforcement doesnt have to be a pleasant response. It is further theorized that the more we spank, the more a child tends to respond aggressively because that is what we are modeling as normal and acceptable behavior. That has caused society to think about how we discipline. It was as early as 30 years ago that spanking was a norm. Now, when we joke that we brought them into this world, we will take them out, we have to be very careful. Spanking is now considered harsh and can be construed as abusive. What we see today is how to prevent the behaviors rather than reacting with punishment. For the health and well-being of children, this has been a very positive influence. If studies show that children are more aggressive when spanked, then we can say that the theories have validity and should be used as a means of educating ourselves as parents and caregivers on positive approaches to guiding young children. As we seek preschool experiences for our children, we can see the influence of the Grand and Emergent theories in many early childhood centers. Many preschool programs and Head Start programs follow many of the theories, especially those of Piaget and Vygotsky. While Piaget believed in a childs own cognitive abilities and how our own thoughts shape us, Vygotsky believed that children can help each other. As I walk into my own program, I see that both work together in a meaningful way. Early Childhood Programs often refer to the theories as we explain to parents why a child goes through certain developmental milestones. We reference Piaget that it is important not to push a child pass

Ong 2 their abilities just to make them smarter and in turn reference Vygotsky in how we teach by using scaffolding while a child is in the zone of proximal development. According to NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, it is critical that Early Childhood Centers teach to what is Developmentally Appropriate. That leads to another point of how the theories have been influential in society today. They have been used to establish guidelines for early childhood centers and educating those who are entering the early childhood field. The works of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson are often modeled in how to teach and care for the children. For example, in NAEYCs book, Developmentally Appropriate Practice (2009) it is the responsibility of the teacher to establish trust and a nurturing environment. That means to include family and understand a childs needs. This correlates directly to Eriksons first stage of his psychosocial theory of trust vs. mistrust. Further, we must also allow the child to attain independence and a sense of accomplishment which is part of autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage. In many textbooks for early childhood courses, these theorists are often quoted and used as a means of teaching those entering the Early Childhood field. These theories have also played an integral part in inclusion and integrated programs. The author gave an example of her nephew, David, regarding plasticity in that given the right programs and providing an individual with a multidisciplinary approach, a child can learn new habits and be molded by the influences around them. A huge reform occurred back in the eighties when President Ronald Reagan closed the State Developmental Centers to integrate the Developmentally Disabled into the community. The concept of integration and inclusion was so new. In fact, many people were scared that these individuals would become burdens to neighborhoods and it would bring down property values. Parents didnt want the individuals in the classrooms with their children for fear that it would affect the outcome of their childs learning. Today it is a vastly different mentality. Children of today dont know differences like they did before the turn of the century. Actually, children today find it rare if a peer isnt called for resources, specialized instruction, or gifted programs. In our text, The Developing Person (2009) Watson was quoted about being able to train a perfectly healthy infant to become any type of person, he would be able to mold a child to do just that. The same can be done with individuals who may not start out within normal development. Without the knowledge gained from these theorists, we might not have had the gains in differentiated teaching as we have now. I would say that is a huge influence of these theorists. If we arent taking college courses for Early Childhood Development, Pediatric medicine, or other professional courses dealing with development, how do we gain this knowledge? We are fortunate that there are many texts and websites that provide the information of these theorists. They are widely used in many guide books and research materials. For example, Vygotskys theories played an integral part in the book Tools of the Mind: The Vygotskian Approach to Early Childhood Educationby Elena Bordrova. It was his theory that was used as the basis of the concept and is used in many early childhood classrooms. In fact, there is an entire curriculum based on this approach. Also, Mind in the Making by Ellen Gallinsky, follows the Vygotskian approach. It is geared toward parents but used as a tool for those in the early childhood field. High Scope, Montessori, Reggio Emelia, and Creative Curriculum all use the Grand and Emergent Theories as a conceptual framework of their programs. As a parent, the information on these types of programs is now at our fingertips and much easier to research than 15 years ago.

Ong 3 As we continue the research and include both Grand and Emergent theories, we open up a whole new approach and understanding of the developing child. It takes us to a more holistic approach and allows us to understand the whole child. That includes genetic make-up, cultural, religious and environmental influences. Each plays a vital role in how it impacts development. I had a 3 year old in my preschool program who was not talking and when he did, he displayed some articulation challenges. When I approached the mom to discuss a speech assessment, the conversation led to her mentioning that her child is still using a bottle and pacifier throughout the day. She was raised with the belief that a child should take a bottle and pacifier until they were willing to give it up. It was a comfort item for the child. As I learned from Speech Therapists, this was more than likely the cause for the delay. Culturally, this was a normal behavior. Once she stopped using the pacifier, her son thrived in speech and was talking up a storm. We had another child who engaged in aggressive behavior and it affected his relationship with his peers. His mom was devastated but the father and grandmother felt at his age he should be allowed to do what he wanted and that there shouldnt be any means of redirection or discipline. I discovered that in their homeland, the boys in the household were highly worshipped and it was normal to allow them to freely engage in behaviors we find unacceptable. So, it is important to understand that cultural beliefs can highly influence developmental growth. This is in line with Bergers suggestions relating to gaps in the Grand Theories. You have to take into account a persons epigenetic systems and their socio-culture in order to understand their whole development. This goes with a person throughout their life. It doesnt stop once they hit adulthood. As a society, we can make a lot of sense of why adults handle themselves the way they do by looking at their parents and how they were raised. My aid and I have looked at the behaviors of a child and wondered where they picked it up. Well, when the parent enters the room, we can see how some of those characteristics are genetic or picked up because the parent exhibited the same traits. We had a student who constantly kicked the table and rocked in his chair. When I met with the parents at conference time, the dad was constantly moving his leg and making rocking motions. Is it genetic or is the child modeling after his father? I am inclined to think the child inherited it. We are hearing more and more about children with ADHD who has a parent who had the same tendencies. Though the parent was not diagnosed as a kid, it validates the findings that favor a genetic link. This makes it even more important to consider genetic and environmental influences that affect people. Because of the Emergent Theories and how we have evolved as a society, the Grand Theories will always play an important role in development, but, by itself, it will not stand up to the test of time. For example, we are a much more diverse society from the time of Piaget. While it is his theory that we focus on how kids play and learn on their own, it has been shown that children learning English as a second language learn to assimilate the new language by means of watching other students and modeling their behavior. Thus being able to tie together the words and behavior to learn what is being asked of them. So, it is important that children help each other and they can be the ones providing the scaffolding to their peers. I think Piaget would have re-visited his studies and reshaped his theory to be more aligned with Vygotsky. They were similar in that they understood that development has to go through stages. They both understood the process of learning and that a child must have some current knowledge of a skill and not teach beyond the abilities of a child. I think that Erikson would have included socio-culture in his theories if he were studying his theory in this time period. He already understood the social impact. Bringing in society as it relates to culture is just a step beyond.

Ong 4 The Developing Person (2009) references an eclectic approach and taking pieces from each theory being commonly used. There are flaws with each theory so, taking that approach is more beneficial. It is vital that we continue to evolve and take on new meaning to old ideas. The foundation is there and we can assimilate and accommodation just as Piaget theorized. I think the main concept to walk away with is that they provided a background and understanding of development. Though not always agreed upon, it allows professionals to seek answers and further knowledge. That in and of itself is a benefit and has made a great impact on society today. With the internet, it has brought these theories and information right into our homes. Parents and professionals in the field can research any of these theorist and concepts and become more knowledgeable. Since people are so different and have a wide range of capabilities, it is important to understand that we shouldnt dump development into one category. Foundation is vital and building on that foundation means to make progress, study new trends, and make adjustments as needed.

Ong 5 Works Cited

Copple, Carol and Sue Bredekamp. Developmentally Appropriate Practice, 3rd ed. Washington, DC: The National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2009. Print Berger, Kathleen Stassen. The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 8th ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2009. Print