Preview

Miss

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2681 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Miss
Demonstrate your understanding of average child development using detailed knowledge of one child development theory and making links to two of your observations.

You are expected to demonstrate the usefulness of child development theory for social workers including relevant legal and policy context (e.g. Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004).

You must include how you reflected on anti-oppressive practice in relation to your observation.

I will discuss my understanding of child development using knowledge from the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky and link them to my observation. I will also explain why it is important for social workers to grasp the range of theories used to explain child development. Adults are obviously more powerful than children, when observing a child in their own environment it is important to be aware of the imbalance of power. I will discuss how I reflected on anti-oppressive practice in relation to my observation.

Child development is the study of changes in children from birth to adulthood. These changes can be represented either in age related phases or by referring to domains of development-physical, cognitive or social/emotional. (Doherty & Hughes: 28). Cognitive development is the changes in a person’s mental abilities throughout the life span. Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget spent many years researching children’s cognitive development using observations and small scale experiments. Piaget developed a model of cognitive structure. In Piaget’s theory, cognitive development is represented as unfolding in four stages, sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years), pre-operational stage (2 to 7 years), Concrete operational stage (7 to 11 years) and formal operation stage (12 years upwards).( Doherty & Hughes 2009: 261). Piaget’s structures are sets of mental operations known as schemas. Piaget used the term organization to refer to the inborn capacity to coordinate existing schemas and combine them into more complex



References: Fawcett, M. (2009). Learning Through Child Observation. London: Jessica Kingsley. 66-70. Smith, P. Cowie, H. Blades, M. (2003). Understanding Childrens Development. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 392. Mooney, C. (2000). An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky. St Pau, MN 5517: Readleaf Press. Smidt, Sandra (2009). Introducing Vygotsky, A guide for practioners and students in early years education. Oxon: Routledge. 21. Waring,P.(2006). Cognition & Development. Available: http:/psychology4a.com/Develop1.htm. Last accessed 14/01/2013

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Ncfe Swis Assignment 1

    • 5378 Words
    • 22 Pages

    In this assignment, I will discuss the expected pattern of development from 0-19 years, including examples of how development can be promoted in children and young people and how different aspects of development are interrelated and can affect one another.…

    • 5378 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There are many different theories of development which we use to understand children’s behaviour, reactions and the way in which they learn.…

    • 1685 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Miss

    • 2313 Words
    • 10 Pages

    There are many other drugs that can interact with digoxin. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.…

    • 2313 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Tma 02 E100

    • 2324 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Open University (2010) E100 ‘The early years: developing practice’, Study Topic 4, ‘Growth development and learning’, Milton Keynes, The Open University…

    • 2324 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    miss

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Your assessor will also support you in completing the workbook. He or she will visit you to discuss the workbook and what you need to do. The assessor will make sure that you fully understand what you will need to learn and record in your workbook.…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is relevant to working with young children because his theory provide ways of understanding and it’s guidelines meet the children on their development needs though ongoing interactions with adults that is surrounding among them their social and cultural wellbeing plays effect on the children social interactions and how they develop (Bjorklund, 2012, p. 77).…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Miss

    • 4847 Words
    • 20 Pages

    | This law has been put in place to protect everyone in the setting, not only in childcare settings but in every work place. It is crucial that practitioners put this legislation into place as it makes everyone in the setting safe and it ensures everyone’s safety. The act makes sure that the maintenance of the work place and the people in it are protected against risks to health and safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work. ‘An Act to make further provision for securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work, for protecting others against risks to health or safety’ http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37.In most childcare settings toys/products bought by them must have the BSI kitemark sign or the CE mark, this ensures that the toys/products the children are using are safe to play with and meet the legal requirements that are needed for them to be allowed to be used ‘Many products such as toys must meet legal requirements before they can be sold within the European Union and must carry a CE mark. This shows that the product meets European rules.’(Tassoni.P pg.140). When I go to my placements for the first time they always ask to see my CRB this shows them that I am safe to work with and be around children. In child care settings it is your employer who has a duty of care to look after you and others, as far as possible, your health, safety and welfare while you are at work. They should start with a risk assessment to spot possible health and safety hazards. But this is a team effort and if a risk arises you must report it immediately. These are done to help keep children safe from any possible harm.…

    • 4847 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Miss

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Searches Related to: did cultivating an equal opportunity society has helped countries such as south africa…

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    Discuss the transition faced by the children/young people in your setting. Explain how the children and their parents/ carers are affected by these changes and reflect on the most appropriate ways to respond with reference to workplace policies and procedures. Suggest relevant further sources of information and support for the children, young people and their parents/ carers.…

    • 1936 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Miss

    • 1330 Words
    • 6 Pages

    2.1 Equality is ensuring individuals are treated fairly and equally and no less favourably specific to their needs including areas of race, gender, disability, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation and age. Promoting equality should remove discrimination in all the affirmed areas.…

    • 1330 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Children and young people’s development is not just a single issue. It encompasses the whole range of interactions between adults and children and between peers and includes the social, cultural and family factors that may influence how a child’s development progress. Obviously young children will take time to develop their skills and there will be many errors along the way in their development. That is why it is important to know that child development is a complex range of aspects, factors and influences.…

    • 4517 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Reflective Analytic Study

    • 3317 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Jowitt, M., & O’Loughlin, S., 2006. Social Work with Children and Families. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd.…

    • 3317 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many theories of child development largely because many different people have studied the field for many years. Each theory has their different factors; biology, sociology, genetics, environment, and relationships are just a few of them. “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -- and how well I know it. ”! (Psalms 139:14). One might ask the question: "If theories are so useful, why do we need so many?" Having a multitude of theories allow us to see how children develop from a variety of different vantage points. This paper will illustrate the following (1) how I view the course of child development as continuous (2) how my own personal child development theory would be a blend between Piaget’s Cognitive-Developmental theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (3) how I feel environmental and cultural influences play a large role in a child’s development and (4) how I would incorporate my theories into the classroom.…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to Tassoni et al, play is considered to be “one of the primary needs of the child and is often said to be a child’s work”. (Tassoni, et al, 2005, p.3)…

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Miss

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Have you ever felt that lost? Have you ever felt that you know you must finish something quickly but do not know how to start with? Students always feel that when homework’s due day is coming in the next few hours. The teachers always make some dead line to request students to finish their assignments in time. But sometimes those students do not know what information they are studying, they just know that those are requirements for good grade. To a certain extent, students are becoming study machines. As John Taylor Gatto argued in the article “Against School”, “Schools are to establish fixed habits of reaction to authority, to make kids learn, and do, foolish and boring things (P.152).” Also, in the article “Idiot Nation”, Michael Moore criticized that Americans are sliding into idiots because of problem schooling. Those showed there are some problems exist in the American public school system. In order to improve the American public school system, students’ critical thinking skills must be improved. To do so, school administrators and teachers can do some changes for their curriculums, such as school should reduce the use of standardized testing, teachers can use case study method and cooperative learning strategy instead of boring lecture.…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays