Developmental Report

Josie Morrow
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ABSTRACT
EED109 Development Report assessing cognitive,
physical, linguistic, social and emotional and motivational
development in early childhood.

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Contents
Introduction
.. 3
Contextual
information.. 3
Cognitive
development...... 4
Physical
development.....
5
Language
development.. 6
Social and emotional
development. 8
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Motivational
development... 9
Conclusion
... 10
References
... 11
Appendices
.. 12

Introduction
This developmental report was complied by studying and assessing
two individual children in regards to their cognitive, physical,
linguistic, social and emotional and motivational development as
well recognising and considering the context and environment in
which they operate. In order to gain insight into the childrens

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development it was essential to achieve a greater understanding of
their ecological system as identified by Urie Bronfenbrenner.

Contextual information
Bronfenbrenner developed the ecological systems theory. Within this
theory he emphasised a balance between nature (heredity) and
nurture (environment) (Department of Education and Training,
2006, pg 9). The ecological systems theory illustrates every child as
being surrounded by four concentric circles, each identifying a
different series of aspects that influence the childs development
(Department of Education and Training, 2006). The major system
influencing my targeted children is the microsystem. This system
represents the childs immediate family, peers, school and
surroundings.
Child A is a 6 year old boy who is currently in kindergarten. He has
an older sister who is 8 years old (see appendix 2). Child A has a
supportive family who have a direct influence on his social and
physical development as they encourage and prioritise peer
relationships and regular exercise. As seen in appendix 2, Child As
parents provide him with the opportunity to be involved in a variety
of sporting activities, ranging from football, to soccer and
basketball. This has positive effects on his ability to build new social
connections and work collaboratively. Child A has a strong
relationship with his Grandparents as they live nearby and regularly
look after him and his sister after school (see appendix 2).
Child B is a 6 year old girl who is in kindergarten. She has a younger
brother who is 3 years old, an older sister who is 9 years old and an
older brother who is 11 years old (see appendix 3). Child B is very
family orientated and supported as she spending time with her
family of a weekend (see appendix 3). Child B is provided with many

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opportunities to be active and social within her environment. She
participates in gymnastics, swimming, netball and tennis, all of
which offer her another social and physical aspect outside of school
(see appendix 3).
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development is defined by our ability to construct mental
representations of the world around them. As highlighted by Jean
Piaget, learning is an active process as children develop as thinkers
and learners, exploring and acting on their environment. Cognitive
development is greatly influenced by biological maturation and
environmental experience (McLeod, 2012, para. 7). For the benefit
of this developmental report the preoperational and concrete
operational stages are the major focus within Piagets stages of
cognitive development. The preoperational stage (2- 7 years) is
classified by egocentrism. Children within this stage solely focus on
oneself as they have difficulty distinguishing between ones own
point of view and that of another person (Hoffnung, Hoffnung,
Seifert, Burton Smith & Hine, 2010, p. G-3). As children develop they
transition from the pre operational stage into the concrete
operational stage (7 12 years) where they demonstrate more
logical thought processes and reasoning. During this stage children
are now capable of seeing things from a different perspective and in
turn understand the concept of conservation, seriation and
classification. Discovery learning is critical for cognitive
development as children best learn by actively exploring their
environment.
When conducting three of Piagets tests (see appendix 4) child A
worked actively, exploring and interacting with his environment.
Throughout the testing he chose to physically manipulate the
objects as a means of discovery learning (see appendix 4). When
engaged in the testing, child A showed signs of pre operational

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thought as he focussed on one aspect at a time (see appendix 4).
Child A was able to establish the process of conservation after
reversibility was demonstrated, this can be seen in appendix 4 as he
could apply what he had readily learned to other scenarios. Child A
successfully completed the seriation and classification tests as he
used self-correction as a means of monitoring his own thought
processes and behaviour, this can be seen in the data collected (see
appendix 4) where he engaged in private speech.
Child B worked methodically as she attempted both the seriation
and classification tasks. She showed signs of higher order thinking
and reasoning as this reflected the time it took to successfully
accomplish each test (see appendix 5). Child B could grasp the
concept of each task, however she needed to physically manipulate
the play dough in order to understand conservation and reversibility
(see appendix 5). Child B transitioned between pre operational
thought in terms of conservation, she could only distinguish
between one perspective (egocentrism), and concrete operational
thought as she identified appropriate strategies and used these to
address the tasks (see appendix 5). This supports her advance in
cognitive development as she used logical thought processes and
reasoning.
Physical Development
Inclusive of studying mental growth, Arnold Gesell approached
physical growth and development amongst children with a
maturationist perspective. Gesell described physical development
as a natural process as childrens nervous system grows, their
minds develop and their behaviours change (Understanding your
child: a developmental point of view, n.d., para. 2). As children
grow and develop they undergo neural and physical advances.
Neural advances such as, enhanced myelination of neurons, and
physical advances such as, changing body proportions, assist

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children in achieving the physical demands of daily activities and
functioning. Childrens growth and strength is relative to increased
muscular and skeletal development along with improved and refined
motor coordination as a result of enhanced neural development
(Hoffnung et al., 2010). During the early years of childhood fine and
gross motor skills are paramount to an individuals development.
Greater muscle strength and growth issues children with the
opportunity to effectively execute gross motor skills involving large
muscles of the body (e.g. walking, throwing, climbing, jumping) and
in turn coordinate fine motor skills that require smaller muscles of
the body (e.g. tying shoelaces, cutting with scissors, drawing).
Gesells research into physical development expresses that physical
growth follows an orderly pattern of development however it is a
natural process that varies between individuals.
Child A demonstrates stable and consistent use of gross motor skills.
He is skilled when using the larger muscle groups within his body to
execute particular movements, such as throwing, jumping and
running (see appendix 6). Child A is capable of using his fine motor
skills as he can draw and cut using scissors, however the amount of
control/coordination he exerts can be limited as he does like to finish
tasks quickly (see appendix 6). Child As height and mature
appearance supports Gesells theory that growth is a natural
process that differs between individuals and sexes, as his
appearance is a lot more prominent compared to his peers.
In comparison, Child B doesnt place great emphasis on her physical
ability as she too is developing at a different rate to her peers. Child
B demonstrates good use and understanding of her fine motor skills.
She is able to identify an uncommon shape (diamond) and then
accurately reproduce it (see appendix 7). This identifies that Child B
is able to make an accurate mental representation through the use
of neural and physical advances. Observations of her dancing

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demonstrated that she was able to execute a sequence of
movements that varied in direction, speed and quality (as seen in
appendix 7), this demonstrates that Child B has developed
coordination and balancing skills.
Language Development
During early childhood, children master the basic sounds,
phonology, that makes languages both meaningful and distinctive.
(Hoffnung et al., 2010, pg. 207). Language is seen to be an
instrumental, interactive and regulatory tool used on a daily basis.
Essential for communication, language is closely involved with the
development of cognitive skills as it not only requires the use of
expressive language (words, signs and gestures), children also need
to have an understanding of what is being communicated, receptive
language (Hoffnung et al., 2010, pg. 207). Development in
expressive language demonstrates the childs growth in semantics,
or receptive language. As a means of communication, language
involves an understanding of environmental and social conventions
associated with its everyday use. Pragmatics involves the
comprehension of when, how, and where to use different language
forms (Hoffnung et al., 2010, pg. 211) highlighting the relationship
between context and language in order for communication to be
effective. The process of language acquisition is believed to be
genetically predisposed as stated by Noam Chomsky, children are
born with an inherited ability to learn language (Child language
acquisition theory, 2011., para. 1).He believed that children have
an innate ability to learn language. Underlying language is a sole
system of grammar called the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). It
is this inborn device that involves specialised brain structures and
mechanisms that facilitate the accurate and rapid acquisition of
language (Hoffnung et al., 2010, pg. 214). Chomsky proposed that
children experience a critical period where language acquisition is

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most effective; this is during the first three years of life when the
LAD is most active.
Child A has mastered the basic sounds of language. He uses correct
enunciation demonstrating that he is phonemically aware of the
sound components within words and their contribution to making
language meaningful and distinctive (see appendix 8). Child A has
developed receptive language as he acknowledges and answers
questions appropriately with an understanding of what is being
asked (see appendix 8). Child A has an understanding of pragmatics
as he utilises suffixes and prefixes in the correct context (see
appendix 8). Child A was quite content listening to the conversation
between his peers choosing to occasionally join in however never
initiating conversation (see appendix 8). Child A uses language as
an interactive tool fostering communication and expression
(expressive language).
Child B on the other hand initiates conversation, demonstrating that
she is confident with her expressive language as an interactive tool
(see appendix 8). Child B would address the question being asked
and would continue to comment or provide further detail
acknowledging that she was capable of applying further meaning to
the conversation as well as display good receptive language (see
appendix 8). As seen in appendix 3, child B uses private speech as
means of self-monitoring this allows her to apply appropriate
pragmatics to her language as she can listen and assess to hear if it
sounds contextually correct.
Social Emotional Development
A childs social and emotional development is greatly influenced by
their environment. Albert Bandura found that behaviour is learned
from interacting with the environment as a means of observational
learning. B.F. Skinner proposes that, reinforcement is effective in

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helping to elicit changes in behaviour (Skinners theory of operant
conditioning, n.d., para. 3). As a means of modeling behaviour,
reinforcement and punishment are issued as a way of strengthening
desirable behaviour and/or weakening undesirable behaviour
(operant conditioning). Models in the childs environment consist of
peers, family members and adults. Through social influences and
operant conditioning children establish an understanding of
desirable behaviour within society. Early childhood is a crucial time
period where self-development is recognised and established. Selfdevelopment is closely related to emotional and social development,
children are faced with daily challenges that influence their growth
and development. Children are exposed to the challenge of
knowing/understanding who they are as an individual, the challenge
to achieve, the challenge of family relationships, the challenge of
peers and lastly the challenge of school (Hoffnung et al., 2010, pg.
300). Without these obstacles children wouldnt grow to develop a
sense of initiative and industry. Erik Erikson proposed that during
early childhood, children are faced with psychosocial stages that
introduce a crisis that demands resolution before progression to the
next stage of development.
Child A shows signs of positive social and emotional development as
he initiates social interaction and collaboration amongst his peers
(see appendix 9). Child A regularly offers support and empathy
toward his peers (see appendix 9). He demonstrates that he is
socially and emotionally aware of his environment. It is through the
process of observational learning and operant conditioning, that
child A has learnt the difference between good and bad behaviours
(see appendix 9). Child A is in a predominantly male peer group that
play cooperatively and collaboratively (see appendix 9). The type of
play consists of competitive games that require rules and
boundaries (see appendix 9).

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Child B shares similar social and emotional development qualities to
Child A. Child B also works well within her social environment as she
is aware of her fellow peers and their feelings demonstrating
support and compassion (see appendix 9). Amongst child As and
child Bs peer group there are no definitive male friendship groups
however there are for females (see appendix 9). Child B participates
in collaborative, imaginative play that encompasses role-playing and
imitation (see appendix 9). Child B takes initiative amongst her peer
group as she is often seen as a leader. Child B very rarely
misbehaves as she has learnt through observation and operant
conditioning to demonstrate appropriate behaviour.
Motivational Development
Motivation is a persons internal instigation and direction that
influences their behaviour (Churchill et al., 2011, p. 116).
Motivation is influenced by our physical, social, emotional and
environmental learning experiences playing a significant role in
student learning, enjoyment and interest (Churchill et al., 2011).
Motivation consists of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic
motivation develops from outside of the individual
(incentives/rewards) whereas intrinsic motivation comes from
within. The process of fostering motivation requires a lot of
scaffolding in order to support and promote learning. Two key
theorists within motivation are Skinner and Lev Vygotsky. Both
theories work interchangeably as rewards and punishments (operant
conditioning) nurture and support (scaffolding) motivation by
eliciting particular emotions and behaviours.
In terms of motivational development child A and child B are very
different with regard to their driving force behind motivation (see
appendix 10). Child A is greatly influenced by external incentives, as
he requires support from his peers and teacher in order to remain
engaged and successfully achieve tasks. When involved in tasks

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child A remains engaged if he is working collaboratively alongside
his peers as he relies on their ability to support task goals and
achievement. Child A loses interest easily as he has very little
confidence in his ability to complete tasks; this is noted when he
comments I cant do it (see appendix 10). Child A has low selfefficacy, as he doubts his ability this has great impact upon his
motivational levels. Child A needs to learn the relationship between
effort and success, and thereby success and recognition as this will
promote motivation from within and raise his levels of self-efficacy.
Alternatively, child B is motivated intrinsically as she approaches a
task with confidence and persistence with the goal to achieve each
task (see appendix 10). She has high levels of self-efficacy as she
believes in her ability to overcome challenges and in turn raise
motivation levels as the experiences of success brings recognition
(see appendix 10). In child Bs instance social models influence and
strengthen her confidence and enthusiasm, as she is extrinsically
motivated through recognition of her achievements.
Conclusion
Having observed and measured cognitive, physical, linguistic, social
and emotional and motivational development within the early years
of childhood, it is apparent that all children develop and grow at
varying rates and degrees. Development is influenced by
environmental experiences and biological maturation (Hoffnung et
al., 2010), through observation it is evident that the targeted
children interact with their environment in different ways. Both
children achieved similar cognitive and social and emotional
development however in terms of their physical and motivational
development they vary significantly. Analysis of these observations
reinforces the understanding that all children learn from their
conceptual understanding and develop in their own time and at their
own pace. This highlights to teacher the importance of a holistic

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learning approach to early years pedagogy, as it aims to help
children develop all of their skills and to build their strengths.
References
Child language acquisition theory. (2011). Retrieved September 6,
2013, from http://aggslanguage.wordpress.com/chomsky/
Churchill, R., Ferguson, P., Godhino, S., Johnson, N, F., Keddie, A., &
Letts, W. et al. (2011). Teaching: Making a difference.
Queensland: John Wiley & Sons.
Department of Education and Training. (2006) A basic introduction
to child development theories. In Centre for learning
innovation. Retrieved September 9, 2013,
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/7401/
documents/theories_outline.pdf
Hoffnung, M., Hoffnung, R. J., Seifert, K. L., Burton Smith, R., & Hine,
A. (2010). Childhood. Australia: John Wiley & Sons Australia,
Ltd.
McLeod, S. (2012). Jean Piaget. In Simply Psychology. Retrieved
September 9, 2013,
http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
Skinners theory of operant conditioning as seen through positive
behaviour support. n.d. Retrieved September 6, 2013, from
http://kristinhricko.weebly.com/reinforcement-andpunishment.html

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Understanding your child: a developmental point of view. (n.d.)
Retrieved September 7, 2013, from
http://www.gesellinstitute.org/pdf/DevelopmentalPOV.pdf

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