CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT 1
Child’s Development
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CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT 2
Child’s Development
Ecological systems theory was founded on assumption that individuals interact with
environmental systems of five different types which affect their lives, their relations with the
community, and with global cultures. The five components of a person’s environment are
microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem (Gale Encyclopedia of
Psychology, 2016, p. 346). It was developed based on the theory that the development of a child
is not only determined by her/his biology makeup, but also environmental influences. They
influence a child’s emotional like empathy and cognitive development such as brain
development. Empathy refers to the ability to sense the emotions of other people coupled with
the capability of imagining what the other individual could be feeling or thinking (Bow Valley
College PowerPoint Presentation, slide 12). Cognitive empathy, also known as perspective-
taking is the ability to understand and take other individual’s emotions.
Throughout the childhood phase and adolescence, it is a work-in-progress that is shaped
by a variety of factors such as environment, context, temperament, and genetics. In children,
empathy does not modestly unfold automatically. It requires practice and experience for a child
to develop empathy (DeMeulenaere, 2015, pg. 8). As they learn how to create relationships, they
get to feel a sense of security and the feeling that someone cares for them, and they get to care
for others hence develop empathy. Developing empathy is essential for relationship
establishment and compassionate behaviors. It comprises of experiencing other people’s
perspectives rather than a personal point of view and facilitates prosocial or forming behaviors
that emerge from within and not forced ones. Empathy enables individuals to cooperate, make
moral choices, create friendships, and intervene in situations when others are getting bullied.
CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT 3
When a child develops empathy, it builds their self-esteem and they develop a comprehension of
their roles in society (Bow Valley College PowerPoint Presentation, slide 13).
Humans start to express empathy while as infants and this trait develops throughout
childhood and puberty stage. Most individuals are likely to show empathy to people such as
themselves and show less to outsiders from their race, community, ethnicity, and family.
Therefore, it is crucial to teach children empathy to enable them to show empathy to others in
society which helps in creating positive relationships. Enabling them to take other people’s
perspective and assuming their cognitive state can further create a stronger connection between
individuals. Emotional experiences at an early stage between caregivers and babies are essential
to empathy development. As caregivers care and nurture the infants, babies make significant
correlations between positive interactions among humans, feelings of safety, and calm and
reward systems (DeMeulenaere, 2015 p. 9). Quality attachment between children and their
caregivers enables them to feel secure, loved, and safe and grow to be more sensitive to other
individuals’ emotional requirements.
Several strategies can be employed in classrooms to enable children to learn empathy. As
empathy thrives well in environs which prioritize connections that are face-to-face and therefore,
an early educator needs to create classrooms that nurture meaningful engagement and interaction
(Bow Valley College PowerPoint Presentation, slide 14). For instance, a teacher can help a child
flourish in a trusting, positive environment through ensuring the classroom is arranged in an
orderly manner (DeMeulenaere, 2015 p. 8). Also, trying to identify if the children are learning
how to read and identify their emotions and identifying practices that can be used to enable the
students to identify their emotions towards others. Such initiatives help to nurture caring
relations and acquire emotional literacy. Helping students learn moral identity can help inspire
CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT 4
empathy. When the early educator instructs, model and expect the kids to care for others, they
learn on their moral identity (DeMeulenaere, 2015 p. 10). Teaching students on perspective-
taking helps them to learn cognitive empathy. Teaching children either cognitively or literally on
how to step into another person’s shoes helps them understand others and learn to empathize
with others.
A child’s brain is built in segments through experiences one haves inclusive of the social
experiences he/she receive from interactions with the adults. A baby’s brain lays the groundwork
for word-formation long before they can speak. In early learning, social interactions are highly
significant (Bow Valley College PowerPoint Presentation, slide 3). From birth, the human being
is primed to search and respond to surrounding social partners. Rapid learning among infants
occurs in the social interactions’ context. The social interactions prepare a child for school from
early learning to be ready for school.
Serve and return relations shape the architecture of the brain. When a young child or an
infant gesture, cries, or babbles and the adult responds suitably with a hug, words, or eye contact,
it builds neural connections and is strengthened in the brain of the child which supports the
development of social and communication skills (Bow Valley College PowerPoint Presentation,
slide 5). When the child’s caregiver is responsive and sensitive to an infant’s needs and signals,
he/she offers the child an environment affluent in return and serve proficiencies (Bow Valley
College PowerPoint Presentation, slide 4). However, since responsive interrelations are both
essential and expected, their absence would be a serious threat to the well-being and
development of the child (Bow Valley College PowerPoint Presentation, slide 5). The healthy
architecture of the brain is depedent on a secure basis that is made by apposite involvement from
the senses of a child and receptive and stable relations with caring adults.
CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT 5
References
Bow Valley College. ELCC1313: Module 1: Review the PowerPoint Presentation,
and watch the Serve and Return video embedded in the [PowerPoint slide].
Retrieved from https://d2l.bowvalleycollege.ca/content/enforced/197824-
C500201_ELCC1313_19MAYMNOT61_SPRING2019/web/content/001/vp/index.html?
ou=197824
Cengage.com. 2016. Gale Encyclopedia Of Psychology, 3Rd Edition - Gale - 978-1410317810.
[online] Available at: <https://www.cengage.com/search/productOverview.do?
Ntt=20783651971580185895318050914785173069&N=197+4294916915&Ntk=P_EPI>
[Accessed 12 September 2020].
DeMeulenaere, M., 2015. Promoting Social And Emotional Learning In Preschool.. [online]
Eric.ed.gov. Available at: <https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1060261> [Accessed 12 September
2020].
