Unit 22 – Understanding Child and Young Person Development 1.1/1.2 Explain the sequence and rate of development from birth-19yrs. Explain the difference between sequence and rate of development and why the difference is important. Children’s development is continuous, so it is important to look at the sequence and rate of each aspect of development as a way of monitoring their progress. Although children develop in many different ways and at many different rates, the sequence that they follow is understood to be roughly the same. The sequence that children will follow has quite an obvious pattern with the child learning to hold their head up before they can sit, to sit independently before they can stand, to stand independently before they can walk and to walk confidently before they can run.
A different child, in the same routine, may find it overwhelming and may grow up to avoid large groups, preferring a life path that is more secluded. We cannot determine how each child will react to cultural influences; it is critical that the most influential aspects of a culture be identified in order to give children the best opportunities to thrive. While culture is important to the development of a child, the debate of nature versus nurture has an even longer historical importance. I personally feel that culture and biological influences have equal influence on a child, meaning that nature and nurture go hand in hand. An example of this would be a child who has been adopted and shares the same environment (culture, household) with their sibling, but not the same genetic code.
The sequencing of development assists you to prepare and plan effectively and at the right time in anticipation of the next development stage to be reached. Rate of development is however, when individuals reach certain targets or milestones and at the speed of which they do so, and is also about recognising and identifying any concerns in development and how you can adapt and assist learning and development. 1.3 There may be many reasons why a child/ young person’s development may not follow a typical pattern of development. Some of these reasons could be disabilities, resources available, cultures, facilities and equipment. There could be many possible restrictions on development due to disability, such as, physical disability and not being able to use certain parts of the body to aid mobility and therefore restricting access to facilities, resources and hands on approach learning.
It is important that the boundaries are appropriate for the age and stage of their development. To enable children and young people to understand why there are boundaries and rules in place staff will need to explain the consequences if
This also helps children take responsibility for their actions and also they are part of the process. Settings must have fair boundaries for different ages as 1-2 year olds wont understand some of the rules/boundaries while 6-7 years olds will know the different between right and wrong, most 6-7 year olds understand the rules and what behaviour is acceptable where as 1-2 year olds wont understand about boundaries or rules are. You will have to take the appropriate boundaries and rules for different ages to help them understand what behaviour is acceptable and what behavior
If these factors (with the exception of special needs) are not included in the children’s or young person’s environment there may be a negative impact on their individual rate of development and so, the inclusion or exclusion of these factors can influence the rate at which a child develops and acquires skills e.g. lack of social interaction could inhibit (slow the rate of) a child’s communication development opportunities and so the child would be less likely to be at the same stage or milestone as its peers. In conclusion, children’s and young person’s development does follow a sequential pattern however each
• Accommodation = occurs when a child adapts existing schemas in order to understand new info that doesn’t fit • Equilibration= According to P cognitive development is driven by the need for equilibrium in cognitive structures. When a child is aware of a shortcoming in existing thinking they experience an imbalance between what is understood and what is encountered. They try to reduce this imbalance by developing/adapting schemas until an equilibrium is restored. This process=equilibration A01/Piaget’s stages • 4 stages in cognitive development • Stage 1= Sensorimotor stage (0-2 y) - children able to coordinate sensory input with motor actions. Key development = objects permanence-8 months they realise that objects that our out of sight still exists.
You must think about this when planning activities, for example when they involve physical play, or if more consideration must be given to the needs of a child who has just become mobile than to an older child, when planning room layouts. • Some children have specific needs such as sensory impairments: for example think about the challenges to a child with limited hearing understanding explanations about safety. • The different needs of families and carers must be considered. • Always be clear about why you are using the environment in question, the activities a child encounters and what sorts of services are offered. • The duty of care of a setting to children, parents and carers is a legal obligation.
Skilled observation is important to correctly determine what is behind a child’s classroom behavior. Misinterpretation leads to difficulties for both teacher and child stemming from the teacher thinking that one cause has led to the child’s behavior, while the truth may be quite different (MacDonald, 2006). Children communicate through their bodies. Their physical actions reveal as much about them as the things they say. A major accomplishment during the early years is the development of social skills.
If it’s listening or talking, some children and young people find it very difficult to communicate. It’s very important to a child’s development that they are encouraged to find ways of communicating with other children or adults. Obviously the sooner a child is found to have speech or language problem the better, as they can then get the help and support they need to develop their communication skills. Every child a talker is a suitable approach which promotes the importance of a stimulating and interesting environment in which children and young people are encouraged to develop their communication and language skills. It also supports the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.