Developmental psychology focuses on the way human beings grow and develop across their lifespan and include social, cognitive, emotional and personality growth. The study of how human beings develop is essential to understanding how humans learn, mature and adapt at various stages of life. There is a strong correlation between human development and learning, and this makes it necessary for educators to understand how children learn at various stages of their lives. Every child goes through various development stages which involve learning and mastering new skills. Learning and development of skills take place in a certain order because a child will have to learn and master certain skills before others. Educators, therefore, need to understand the way children develop and how they learn by focusing on areas such as cognitive, emotional, and social and personality development because areas play a significant role in the learning of the children.
The target audience for this presentation is early childhood teachers. Early childhood educators deal with the task of teaching and mentoring young children who are still undergoing a lot of growth and development. To better provide a good learning experience and advocate for early childhood education, educators need to have a thorough understanding of the way children grow and develop at various stages. Learning in children is determined by the age, and through the acquisition of the knowledge on human development as well as cognitive development, early childhood educators are better placed to make an informed decision about the right teaching approach to use while mentoring children. This plan and presentation will, therefore, help early childhood educators get to understand both human and cognitive development as well as the theories involved so that they can apply it in their daily teaching and learning of the children.
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Cognitive Theory
Cognition refers to the process of thinking and memory processes that occur as people grow and develop at different stages of life. Throughout the lifespan of a person from a child to adulthood, memory and thinking process changes with each stage of development. Cognitive development is, therefore, the long-term changes in the thinking and memory processes as a person undergoes through various developmental stages. At a young age, children have less memory and thinking, but as they grow, cognitive development occurs leading to increased thinking and memory ( Bjorklund & Causey, 2017 ). Because learning involves memory, thinking, and interpretation, it is necessary that the early childhood educators understand the way cognitive development takes place throughout the lifespan of an individual because this affects the way children learn and master new skills and knowledge. Integrating the cognitive theory of development with practice is therefore essential in ensuring that early childhood educators can understand the leaning requirements of the children and implement it to boost the way they learn.
The major known theory of cognitive development is the Piaget’s theory which was developed by Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist. The theory focuses on the way children and young people grow and become able to develop strong memory while also thinking logically. While other theorists viewed intelligence as a fixed trait, Piaget disagreed with this idea and instead regarded cognitive development as a process that takes place as a result of growth, maturation, and interaction with the surrounding ( Edwards & Mercer, 2013 ). Learning takes place as a child interact with the environment and adjusting to the new experiences. As a child grows to adulthood, he/she undergoes cognitive changes which involve both short term and long term thinking abilities as well as increased memory. Cognition develops through various stages which starts all the way from birth to adulthood.
Piaget became the first psychologist to make a study on the cognitive development among children. Touching on areas such as stage theory of child cognitive development and detailed observational studies, Piaget made a series of tests to identify how cognitive abilities change amongst children. According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, children are born with a certain mental structure which is genetically inherited and on which learning and skills are based ( Lefmann & Combs-Orme , 2013). The theory emphasizes the processes and mechanisms through which children develop from infants to the stage where they can think and reason. The basic idea of the theory is that learning varies at different stages of cognitive development and as the children become more reasonable, there cognitive abilities and learning increases. Early childhood educators can use this to identify the best way to maximize the learning and mastery skills of the children as they grow and undergo different cognitive abilities.
Piaget’s theory of human development identified various stages that children go through as they grow and develop thinking abilities and learning capabilities. The first stage is the sensorimotor stage, the time at which a child is between zero and two years old. At this age, the infants understand the world around them through movements and sensations. They have less developed cognitive abilities and can rarely learn and master specific skills. At this early stage of cognitive development, children can learn and acquire knowledge through sensory experience and the manipulation of objects ( Cohen & Salapatek, 2013 ). Children at this early age undergo through a lot of growth and learning. The cognitive development during this phase occurs for a short period as the children learn to perform certain physical actions such as scrawling and walking.
The second stage of cognitive development described by Piaget is the preoperational stage. This is a stage that takes place between the ages 2 and 7 of the growth of a child. Children start to develop a strong cognitive ability as they can think symbolically and learn how to use pictures and even identify objects. Even though the children at this stage learn through pretend play, they still struggle to understand the logic of things around them ( Edwards& Mercer , 2017). While they undergo rapid learning, the thinking capabilities are not yet fully developed as they cannot still hold the memory of specific objects. The early childhood teachers can focus on this stage of the child to enhance their learning by identifying the right learning requirement and appropriate strategy to help the children increase their mastery and learning abilities.
The fourth stage described by Piaget in his cognitive theory of development is the concrete operational stage. It is at this that the children begin to develop logical thinking about concrete objects. The thinking at this stage is more logical, and the children can reason and interpret certain events in their surroundings ( Edwards& Mercer , 2017). Here, learning occurs more rapidly and involves active learning from the environment which comes with long-term memory and greater thinking capabilities. This is the stage where teachers can maximize the learning experience of the children and increase their ability to acquire and store knowledge. The final stage of Piaget’s cognitive development is the formal operational stage which involves an increase in the ability to use deductive reasoning, logic and make an understanding of abstract ideas. It begins at the age of 12 and children witness a change in their reasoning and thinking capabilities as they undergo further cognitive development.
Human Development Theory
One of the major theories of human development is the psychosexual theory of human development by Freud. According to human development theory, children pass through a series of stages as they develop to become adults. The theory is based on the idea that parents play a central role in managing the behavior of the children. According to Freud, human personality is made up of three major parts that work together to accomplish a certain goal ( Kline, 2014 ). These three parts include the id, the ego, and the superego. As a child develops into adolescence, several changes take place in complex networking of parts to achieve a set of desires. The id is the largest part of the mind and is made up of the desires as well as the impulses. It forms the basic biological needs which humans seek to satisfy. As children grow, the mind develops and desires which needs to be fulfilled come in. the ego, on the other hand, is related to reasoning and forms the conscious part of human personality. The ego monitors the behavior of an individual and seeks to satisfy the desires without being subjected to any negative consequences. The superego, on the other hand, develops through the interaction with others. In this theory of human development, Freud illustrates how people undergo a series of steps while they grow to reach the adulthood and realize their desires.
The experiences during childhood shape the personalities and behaviors at adulthood. Every person must pass through certain developmental stages. Between 0-1 year, children have not developed and are only seeking pleasure with a sucking reflex. At the age of 2-3, children begin to learn certain events and tend to master what they learn through parents or educators ( Fine, 2013 ). As they reach age 6, Freud argues that children start to struggle with a lot of desires in their minds. They start to have feelings, experiences and develop anxiety. At this stage, educators can maximize the learning abilities and shape the behavior of children by teaching them on the ways to control their emotions and feelings while also teaching them the moral values and respect.
Brain Development Research
Recent studies have focused on understanding brain development amongst children and how it affects their learning as well as growth into adulthood. The first years of a child play a key role in the brain development of a child into adulthood. Exposure to early stimulation can prepare the way for the future development of the child. The brain of a child goes throw periods of development especially during the early years of birth ( Luby et al., 2013 ). The development of the brain is influenced by various factors including the interaction with the environment, the relationship of the child with the parents and the educators and the early childhood experience. During the early days of a child, both the parents and teachers should provide a conducive and supportive environment that will enhance the development of the brain of the child. The rapid development of the brain occurs between the ages of 1-5, and unless the child is offered a supportive environment that can help promote the development of the brain, they may end up having an underdeveloped brain. At birth, the brain of a child is 25% developed and at the age of 3, the brain reaches 80% growth ( Luby et al., 2013 ). This means that a larger percentage of the development of the brain takes place at early childhood.
The parenting style and the way teachers handle children play a key role in the development of their brain. The building of extensive connections and creating a strong and conducive life experience for the children at the early stages can help them have a fully developed brain at adulthood. There is enough scientific evidence to show that the interaction with the environment tends to play a significant role in the development of the brain than the genetic factors ( Konrad, Firk & Uhlhaas , 2013). Even though nature versus nurture continue to remain a debate amongst psychologists and scientists, the way a child is brought up and the kind of environment, as well as the early life experience, plays a significant role in helping in brain development.
Implications to Maximize Learning
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development can be used by early childhood educators to maximize the learning outcome of children in various ways. In the preoperational stage when a child is between 2-7 years, they are learning the language and begin to recognize symbolic forms ( Lefmann &Combs-Orme, 2013 ). To maximize learning at this stage, the educators can use concrete props and visual aids to help the children learn and understand better. Because the children at this stage have not developed strong memory and learning skills, they tend to remain information briefly thus the need to break large pieces of information into smaller pieces and repeats the contents to increase memory. Children at the preoperational stage learn more through what they see thus the need to adopt a visual aid teaching method. Making the instructions short while also being sensitive to children who have slow learning abilities can help maximize learning.
The development of the brain is greatly influenced by the environment in which the child is brought up and the life experiences at an early age. By creating a supportive and conducive environment for the children, early childhood educators can help enhance the brain development and thus learning abilities amongst children. Understanding that children have the three parts of personality as proposed by Freud is necessary to promote learning. Children have an id, ego, and superego as they go through various stages in their lives. Therefore, understanding and paying attention to these aspects and desires of the children while also teaching them good behaviors can help shape their characters and make them increase their learning abilities.
Application to Population and Age Group
According to Piaget in his theory of cognitive development, children first construct the image of the world around them by knowing new things in their surroundings. It is then followed by various stages where the knowledge is implemented, and this involves discovering the discrepancies that exist. The application of this theory in the preschool children which falls in the age group of between 2 and seven years can involve teaching the children to learn language and symbols. At the preschool age, children begin to think symbolically and learn to use words as well as pictures. However, their thinking capability is still underdeveloped, and they are unable to form a reasonable logic. This stage requires teaching children using visual and concrete objects that to broaden their learning skills. As they get better with the language and thinking starts to develop, children tend to view things in concrete terms.
The application of the cognitive theory of development in the adult population is however based on the idea that adults already have a fully developed cognitive process and can form logical thinking and reason. While Piaget’s theory has traditionally focused on the cognitive development of children, recent studies have shown its application in adults ( Lefmann &Combs-Orme, 2013 ). Deductive logic and reasoning in adults have been studied with relations to the Piaget’s cognitive theory of development to understand how adults think and retain certain pieces of knowledge. Even as Piaget argues that children have little thinking and reasoning process and therefore unable to master or process certain pieces of information at various stages, adults tend to have a completely developed cognitive process capable of processing a variety of information and knowledge.
Strategies
One of the strategies that early childhood educators can use to increase the learning outcome and development of children is to use symbol labeling. Children learn better by using visual objects and signs than just relying on words ( Nix et al., 2013). Encouraging teachers to apply these techniques can help them promote their teaching and increase learning outcome amongst children. Encouraging early childhood education teachers to constantly refresh themselves by taking more lessons on the development of children will help them understand how best to manage the children and increase their learning capabilities can also promote teaching. Teaching and assisting teachers to understand the developmental psychology is essential in ensuring that they are well-equipped with knowledge and skills to effectively handle preschool children. Encouraging early childhood education teachers to use concrete objects and repetition while teaching preschool children can also promote the effectiveness of the learning and enhance learning abilities. Another strategy is to encourage the early childhood educators to switch out between activities because preschool children tend to have a short attention span and are more likely to lose concentration when the lesson goes on for too long.
Conclusion
Children tend to undergo through various developmental stages in their lifespan which affects the way they learn and reason. Thinking abilities and memory tend to increase with age. At very early years, children are less likely to remain or understand certain forms of information and as they develop, their thinking abilities increase. Early childhood teachers should, therefore, understand both the cognitive and human development theories while also paying attention to the development of the brain. Understanding the development of the children helps teachers know the right information to present to the children and how to manage them based on their cognitive development in a way that can enhance learning.
References
Bjorklund, D. F., & Causey, K. B. (2017). Children's thinking: Cognitive development and individual differences . Sage Publications.
Edwards, D., & Mercer, N. (2013). Common Knowledge (Routledge Revivals): The Development of Understanding in the Classroom . Routledge.
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Cohen, L. B., & Salapatek, P. (Eds.). (2013). Infant perception: From sensation to cognition: Basic visual processes (Vol. 1). Academic Press.
Kline, P. (2014). Psychology and Freudian theory: An introduction . Routledge.
Fine, R. (2013). Freud (RLE: Freud): A Critical Re-evaluation of his Theories . Routledge.
Luby, J., Belden, A., Botteron, K., Marrus, N., Harms, M. P., Babb, C., ... & Barch, D. (2013). The effects of poverty on childhood brain development: the mediating effect of caregiving and stressful life events. JAMA pediatrics , 167 (12), 1135-1142.
Konrad, K., Firk, C., & Uhlhaas, P. J. (2013). Brain development during adolescence: neuroscientific insights into this developmental period. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International , 110 (25), 425.
Nix, R. L., Bierman, K. L., Domitrovich, C. E., & Gill, S. (2013). Promoting children's social-emotional skills in preschool can enhance academic and behavioral functioning in kindergarten: Findings from Head Start REDI. Early Education & Development , 24 (7), 1000-1019.
