Child Development Notes PDF

**PED 1** **UNIT 1: BASIC CONCEPTS** A. **DEFINITIONS OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNER** - A **child** is any person under the age of 18, and that all children have all these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what language they speak, what their religion is, what they thi...

**PED 1** **UNIT 1: BASIC CONCEPTS** A. **DEFINITIONS OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNER** - A **child** is any person under the age of 18, and that all children have all these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what language they speak, what their religion is, what they think, what they look like, if they are a boy or girl, if they have a disability, if they are rich or poor, and no matter who their parents or families are or what their parents or families believe or do. - **Adolescence** is a defining time in the development of a child that is characterized by rapid physical growth and neurological sculpting, the onset of puberty and sexual maturity. - A **child** is defined as every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier. - **Adolescence** is a distinct stage that marks the transition between childhood and adulthood. - A **child** is a person under the age of 18 years. - **Adolescents** are those people between 10 and 19 years of age. Adolescence is a period of life with specific health and developmental needs and rights. B. **GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT: NATURE OR NURTURE?** - - **DEBATE:** Some philosophers, such as Plato and Descartes, suggested that certain factors are inborn or occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Other well-known thinkers, such as John Locke, believed in what is known as *tabula rasa* which suggests that the mind begins as a [blank slate](https://www.verywellmind.com/blank-slate-definition-2671563). According to this notion, everything that we are is determined by our experiences. Both nature and nurture are linked to the philosophical concepts of empiricism and rationalism. - - **EXAMPLES:** 1. **Nature: Genetic and Hereditary Influences** A study of fraternal and identical twins found that babies' sleeping patterns are determined primarily by genetics. Similarly, 60% of a baby's temperament is set by their genetic makeup; whether they are sociable or shy is also primarily driven by genes. Also controlled primarily by heredity are the foods a baby prefers and whether the baby is active or sedentary. 2. **Nurture: Environmental Influences** While genetics are key drivers of these and other aspects of a child's development, that development is also influenced by what babies experience. For example, babies with poor sleep patterns can benefit from being exposed to sunlight during the day and by parents establishing a bedtime routine that induces better sleep. Whether a baby is easy to calm and soothe when crying is determined by genes, but swaddling, rocking, swaying, and other activities help overcome this genetic predisposition. - - **INTERACTION:** - - -