Assessment 1: Child Development Research and Practice Essay

This essay delves into the critical aspects of early childhood education and care, specifically focusing on cognitive development. It examines the challenges of parenting in the modern era, highlighting the increasing complexity and intensity of the role. The essay explores the cognitive development of a child, defining it as the gradual development of information processing, perceptual skills, and language learning. It references research by Cook (2017) on the impact of complex trauma on children and adolescents, and Harrison (2019) on the importance of reducing parental pressure. The essay emphasizes the need for supportive parenting styles that foster gradual growth and a love for learning, rather than a focus on competition. The provided solution is a student's response to an assignment requiring an analysis of child development research and its implications for professional practice, with a focus on discipline and the use of time-out techniques.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE

Parenting has always been one of the toughest and the most critical act to be performed by
humans and along with the gradual improvements and the advanced technologies, the act has
been increasing its intensity of difficulty. The cognitive development of a child means the
development of the child in terms of information processing, perceptual skills, language
learning, conceptual resources, and some other developed aspect of brains and cognitive
psychology. In simple and raw language it could be said that cognitive development is the
gradual development of the child’s brain in the initial stages of the childhood where his
capability of co relating the information’s and other skills reveals the actual development of
his brain.
Multiple research and explorations has been made in concern of this vital aspect of child
growth and development which has been demanded by the parents as well as by the teachers
as the growing generation has been identified with number of issues in both physical and
mental developments. The cognitive development deals with the neuroscience study and the
psychology that prevails in the children, and the changes that has been observed in the last
few years in this aspect has been of great concern. As stated in the research by Cook (2017),
the cognitive developments has revealed that complex trauma in Children and adolescents has
been the main cause of the need that cognitive development has been taken up as one of the
serious issues in the current generation. The surrounding of the current generation children
has been unsecured which has popped up many issues and actions around the children which
has provided them with some or the other trauma in their childhood or adolescents. The
research has revealed that children go through various abuses, exploitation, mental stress and
other competitive approaches which creates a traumatic impact on the children. The
increasing stress or traumatic impact on the children has been due to the increasing
competitive attitude in the children which they observe around them in some or the other
way. Even the parents, few knowingly and few unknowingly are inculcating this dangerous

ingredient of competition in the children which creates intense stress and pressure on their
child which impacts their cognitive development.
It has been suggested in the study by Harrison (2019), that parents are required to reduce the
pressure on their children through providing them with a friendly and relaxing parenting. The
check on the child’s every action is mandatory but it is not necessary that the child should
notice this action. The parents should provide their children in their initial stage with a
perspective of gradual growth and not run into the race of competition in order to be ahead of
all. The benefits of being excellent in one work should be provided to the children so that
they could concentrate on their goal and do not try to compete in each and every action that
takes place around them. The importance of loving and enjoying what he does should be
revealed to the child instead of providing him with the plans of how he could stay ahead of
other children.

References
Cook, A., Spinazzola, J., Ford, J., Lanktree, C., Blaustein, M., Cloitre, M., ... & Mallah, K.
(2017). Complex trauma in children and adolescents. Psychiatric annals, 35(5), 390-398.
Harrison, D. (2019). 5 Reasons Why Competition is Good (and bad) for your Child - AUT
Millennium News. Retrieved from https://news.autmillennium.org.nz/athlete-development/5-
reasons-competition/