Importance of Childhood Development Assignment 2022

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PART ONE

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Introduction
This paper attempts to highlight certain features observed in child development process and centers
on social, emotional and cognitive advances. It adds to knowledge on the existing literature about notable
changes in the life of a child during the active childhood phase. Five theories have been put forward to
explain the various aspects of development, which normally affect the cognitive process of child growth. It
is therefore a step towards explaining the differences between children and adult during the early stages of
life, an aspect that has been taken for granted in the modern society.
Pre-observation information
Observation is the systematic method of watching, listening, enquiring, data mining and recording
of observed data and actions from kids as they intermingle with their environments. This study follows
three approaches that are a psychoanalytic development theories, cognitive child development theories, and
social learning theories of development with a focus on the unconscious behavior of individuals that
determine their ego. The report has followed an anecdotal and running records format.
Running record of observation for Teresa (age-3years and one month) observation one: Table 1
Time The observed trends Meaning of observed behavior
10minutes Observing the child assembling a
wooden house:
The child walk to the garage and
collects thirteen pieces of wood cut
from the timber used for constructing
the main living room.
The kid starts arranging the pieces of
wood as she sings the parents favorite
song- as I letter learnt.
The kid uses straws to join the pieces
together to form a simple building.
It shows the creativity extent of the kid
towards observable activities concerning
man’s daily activities.
This assists in describing the content
symbolic representation of phenomena.
Running record of observation for Teresa (age-3years and one month) observation two: Table 2
Time The observed trends Meaning of observed
behavior
10minutes Observing how the child draws and trims papers for making
paper craft
The kid writes alphabetical letters on a piece of paper and
begins to trace them to make them bold
She uses a pair of scissors to trim the paper to make a puppet.
She starts playing with the animation and laughs around the
study area.
It shows the training to
complement the normal
curriculum. The activity
helps in identifying the
part of curriculum that the
child finds interesting to
him or her.
Running record of observation for Teresa (age-3years and one month) observation 3: Table 3

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Time The observed trends Meaning of observed behavior
10mins Observing the children preparing a mock meal
The children walk around in the compound and picks
containers
They walk to the nearby flower bed and picks flowers
Modify some sticks to be used as cooking sticks
The kids place the leaves of flowers are in the container and
continuously stirred as though cooking is taking.
They remove the cooked food from the “oven” and begin
eating.
Social and emotional
development of skills to be
transferred to the next
generation.
Running record of observation for Teresa (age-3years and one month) observation 4: Table 4
Time The observed trends Meaning of observed behavior
10minutes Observing a child interacting with
peers
The child welcomes a friend and they
move towards the verandah
They exchange ideas about what they
ate the previous night and laugh loudly.
The kids pick used bottles from the box
where they usually keep them.
Importance of childhood development and
educational leadership
Pectoral presentation of the observed child in different scenarios showing different development skills

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After getting consent from the child’s parents and discussing the topic with the supervisor, a child
age d 3 years and 1 month.
1. Observing how the child is assembling a wooden house
2. Observing how the child draws and trims papers for making paper craft
The child writes letters in both cases, that is, upper case and lower cases.
The letters are traced to make the lines conspicuous
Using a pair of scissors, the traced lines are cut slowly to avoid destruction
3. Observing the children preparing a mock meal
The children walk around in the compound and picks containers

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They walk to the nearby flower bed and picks flowers
Modify some sticks to be used as cooking sticks
The kids place the leaves of flowers are in the container and continuously stirred as though cooking
is taking.
They remove the cooked food from the “oven” and begin eating.
Reasons for choosing the skills
The skills are easy to follow up as they are exhibited at the distinct stages of a child development. It
brings out the qualitative information such as the features of a child as her or she converses with friends.
The information is simple and requires little mental effort to recall hence the researcher is able to observe
and record the information at a later date to avoid instances that can make the child uneasy (Nkirote,
Muchiri, & Kombe, 2019).
A closer examination of children in this skill can enable adults to ascertain what children are able to
do. This information is necessary for determining the manner in which adult interact with the children and
what should be given to the children to carry out their daily activities.
Another significance of observing children as they carry out their activities is that it beefs up our
knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop at each stage of growth. In other words, a
detailed and careful evaluation of the children actions in their personal setups, followed by thorough
monitoring of their response to nature can enable us to understand how they are make meaning out of their
world.

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Methods of observation
The researcher is able to record the information hours or days after the observation. This method is
advisable because it allows the researchers to continue with their observation without missing any activity
by the child. The following methods can be used to explain how child observation takes place;
a. Anecdotal records- in this method, the researcher takes into account actual events which are
meant to answer the question, what, when, and where that come from the parents and guardians.
This is where the record of the child actions are recorded together with the words spoken during
in the process. Non-verbal cues like body movement and facial expression. It is worth to note
that, the activities by the children can be recorded alter after the research observation period.
Finally, the responses from the child are also recorded in this phase.
b. Running Records- in this circumstance, the researcher records every activity executed by the
child as soon as it is done. This is where information is recorded in the present tense because the
researcher records the data as he or she observes the child’s activities.
c. Learning Stories- in this scenario, one tells a story about a child or children concerning the
children’s decision and the implications of the decisions made by the child. Such stories are
either short or long, depending on the length of activity done by the child.
Part two
Sequence of development with a focus on observation purpose
It is believed that after birth and until adulthood, development takes place in the mental as well as
physical wellbeing of an individual. This growth and development follows a particular pattern as described
below;
1. The period of infancy: this is the first plane of development and covers the period between 0-6
years. During this phase, the child is highly dependent on the parent for his or her needs. They
can only express their concern through crying or laughing. By the third year, the child is capable
of carrying out physical activities on his or her own.
2. The age between 3-6. During this phase, the child is perfecting his or her coordination
capabilities. It is during this stage whereby the mind of the baby becomes very absorbent and
develops the ability to respond to most stimuli.

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Developmental Theories
Psychologists have postulated several theories to explain the process of child development (Bridges,
2017). Some of the theories are termed as grand theories, that is, they attempt to explain all the aspects of
change recorded in the early stages of child. The other set of theories termed as specific theories attempt to
outline narrow aspects of development in the life cycle of human beings. The following are some of the
conspicuous theories that are universally recognized to explain the concept of child growth and
development.
a. Psychoanalytic theories of development
These theories put more emphasis on factors that determine the child’s unconscious behavior and
self-esteem. Sigmud Freud’s and Erik Erikson put the two theories of development forward.
a. Freud’s Psychosexual Child Development Theory
The proposer of the theory,-Sigmond Feud, focused on the significance of childhood activities and
experience to explain the development of children with more emphasis on mental disorder rather than the
normal functioning of the mind. The theory is highlighted through a series of psychosexual stages. Each
phase of development explains the concept of libidinal desire satisfaction, which affect the life of
individuals in the adulthood (Freud, 2018, Fleer, 2019). The theory stresses that, in case a child skips any
stage of development, there is the tendency for the individual to develop some form of fixation mechanism
to bridge the missing link in adulthood. In other words, development in children takes place through as
series of psychosexual trends. Each phase is associated with allocation of libido in different area of the
body. These stages are summed up in, oral stage theory, anal stage theory, phallic stage theory, latent and
the latent theory. At each stage, the individual derive pleasure from a given erogenous zone. For instance,
during the oral stage, a toddler derives pleasure from activities touching on the mouth like munching or
sucking. Finally, to avoid the need for fixation in adulthood, there is need for harmonization of conflicts
between the stages of development.
b. Erikson/s Psychosocial Child Theory of Development

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This theory was put forward by Erikson who studied the work of Freud and differed from the social
point of view, in its effect on shaping the psychological growth of the child. In other words, the theory
explains the development process in an individual’s entire life until death, that is, people continuously grow
until adulthood. According to this theory, people encounter different challenges in the course of growth and
are therefore required to solve them in a timely manner. Furthermore, growth is the ability of an individual
to comprehend and master the challenges they encounter on a daily basis to develop a psychological virtue
(Winnicott, 2018, Bridges, 2017). Examples of such conflicts are observed in the adolescent stage where
individuals are struggling with the problem of ascertaining the sense of personal identity. Individuals who
succeed in finding their identity at each given stage normally solve their problems harmoniously and
exhibit high performance levels.
In the opinion of the Erikson, this theory can be applicable from the childbirth of the baby where
they develop trust or mistrust from the individuals within their environs.
b. Behavioral Child Development Theories
This theory focuses on child development as he or she is influenced by his or her interaction with
the environment. The theory was established on the fact that learning and development are born from
associations, response form activities and punishment. Proponents of this theory assumed that any behavior
can be learnt (Brothers, 2015). To these scholars, development is influenced by classical conditioning and
operant conditioning. Classical conditioning results from integration of neutral stimuli that have been
experienced in the past and those stimuli that automatically and naturally in the environment.
c. Cognitive Child Development Theories
This theory emphasizes on the transition in a child’s thought as he she goes through the process of
growth. The theory posits that children think differently from adults (Stern, 2017). In addition, children are
seen as ‘scientists” in the making- they can actively change the world around them.
Part three

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Development goals for the observations based on inferences from the ELECT and Santrock (2016)
Observation Development goal
Observing the child assembling a wooden house: It is meant to train children on tracking skills,
as they are required to use the information they
gathered in their school or as they observed the
building process when their houses were being
built.
Observing how the child draws and trims papers for
making paper craft
This helps children to record and present
information based on their experiences. The
information is obtained and recorded in the
mind, then recorded in books at a later date. It
can be seen from the photos taken by children
during their activities.
Observing the children preparing a meal This part is meant to ascertain a child’s
preferences and interest in the learning process.
It is possible to tell what makes the child tick,
based on the activities they are involved in. for
the children who like working on kitchenware,
their training should be tailored to take care of
such environments.
Observing a child interacting with peers This is meant to ascertain the child’s level of
development of the interactive features during
the early stages of development. The physical
development of the child can be seen in terms
of his or her ability to actively interact with the
peers. Children who are physically fit normally
take active roles whenever in the custody of
peers.
Rationale for the goals (the developmentally appropriateness of the goals for the child)

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1. Through understanding the processes and goals of early childhood development, one is able to
find out the extent and nature of his or her cognitive skills. This enables one to advise the child on the ideal
career choices to make based on their areas of preferences.
2. It enables the researcher to ascertain the different domains of cognitive transition in the life
cycle of the child. One can easily tell the various stages of a child development based on this information
therefore design the training based on the requirement of the specific phase of development.
3. It enables us to find out the correlation in quality of development between different children.
One may be able to ascertain the nature of training that every child is taking part in and therefore predict
the degree of compliance with requirements as far as quality is concerned. Children who are exposed to
modern equipment can be seen having no difficulty handling electronic devices even at the early stages of
development.
Examples of activities/learning experience.
This is normally experienced in learning institutions where teachers or instructors moderate learners
and encourage them to take active roles in physical activities depending on their ability. It is worth noting
that most scholars emphasize on what the learners do and not what the teachers do during the observation
process. A lot of focus is put on relevance and proper training so that the activities yield meaningful,
intentional and useful result. The following are some of the activities and learning experiences;
1. Forming of age groups. In this case, children are left to form their groups without the influence
of any adult. In this case, children are given an opportunity to play among themselves and
therefore choose their friends based on mutual trust. The teams so formed can be used by
instructors to reinforce training and also to enhance physical development of the kids.
2. Narrating stories about real-life events: trainers keep a record of children activities and
development programs. In this case, learning should be meaningful and avoid instances of
redundancy but enable children to practice their activities. Parents can use this information to
ascertain the schemas that their children are developing.
3. Making artwork on the topic trained in class: the children are offered materials such as
cardboards and soft boards to make animated items based on learnt concepts. It will possible to
tell the child’s capability in terms of creativity and inventiveness as he or she interacts with
natural phenomena.

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4. Physical activities like running and playing around. These help the instructors or parents to
tell whether the child is well or has developed any complications.
Inferences
Children in all stages of development require proper understanding from adults for them to participate in
gainful activities and respond to stimuli without any form of coercion. Based on this study, the following
inferences can be made:
1. Children require facilities and resources for them to actively participate in physical activities. It is a
requirement for instructors to find out information regarding the children so that they may make
thoughtful decisions regarding the settings and the content to which the children should be exposed.
This information is necessary in designing the equipment that may pose minimal harm on the children,
purchase equipment based on the children’s preferences and allocate children sufficient items for the
edutainment.
2. The best way for children to learn new things is to let them practice on their own. Early childhood
growth and development should therefore focus on motivating children to form groups based on their
preferences. However, Freud (2018) suggests that a little control is necessary for the children to engage
in gainful discussion and activities. This implies that policy makers acknowledge and appreciate the
need for strengthening and developing facilities for early childhood development. Finally, one thing
that comes out of this point is the fact that that children’s freedom should be upheld in all circumstances
as they freely mingle with adults. Simply stated, adults should be seen as agents of peace and not peace
breakers in children’s learning environment.
3. It is prudent at this stage to admit that there is conflicting opinion from scholars concerning the concept
of early childhood development. One school of thought (propagated by Piaget) postulates that children
have the capacity to explore and acquire knowledge on their own, and that they are motivated to
generate intrinsic motivation. Opponents of the opinion on the other hand take it that, children can only
get involved in gainful activities to attain optimal conceptual levels if adult guides them. The latter
recognizes the role played by adults in setting the environment where learning takes place by dictating
the conditions that make up an ample learning terrain.
4. It is not possible for one to learn in isolation. The findings in this paper reveal that knowledge is passed
from one generation to the next. For instance, in accordance with Stern’s (2017) opinion, children learn
the skills of solving their day-to-day problems based on guided principles passed on to them through

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social interactions with adults. In other words, one can only comprehend cognitive development
concepts through discerning the social aspects of the environment.
References
Bridges, K. M. B. (2017). The social and emotional development of the pre-school child. Routledge.

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Brothers, J. S. (2015). Exploring the Predictors of Psychological Distress in Children Following the Gulf
Coast Hurricanes of 2005.
Fleer, M. (2019). Children and Teachers Transitioning in Playworlds: The Contradictions Between Real
Relations and Play Relations as a Source of Children’s Development. Children's Transitions in
Everyday Life and Institutions, 185.
Freud, A. (2018). Normality and pathology in childhood: Assessments of development. Routledge.
Nkirote, L., Muchiri, E. M., & Kombe, Y. (2019). EFFECTS OF NUTRITION SUPPORT ON
ATTAINMENT OF MOTOR SKILLS MILESTONES IN CHILDREN RECEIVING
ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) IN SELECTED SLUMS OF NAIROBI, KENYA. Journal
of Health, Medicine and Nursing, 4(2), 30-49.
Stern, W. (2017). Psychology of early childhood: Up to the sixth year of age. Routledge.
Winnicott, D. W. (2018). The maturational processes and the facilitating environment: Studies in the
theory of emotional development. Routledge.