Abstract
The development of children is a very essential aspect because it creates an understanding about effective handling of children. The emotional development of children is one bit of developmental stages children go through. In fact, this development aspect continues throughout the lives of children. As they go through varied experiences, children pile them and that gives them points of creating mental understanding of situations. It is important for caregivers and parents to understand the delicacy of emotional development in children so they can be treated with the best care they deserve. It is the way, which children find someone loving them and they can build their trust around for the fostering of emotional productivity. Child educators have a role in contributing to the emotional development of children. This understanding creates the skills for recognizing cognitive abilities that keep them the capabilities of effective development of memory capacities, language competencies, reasoning skills, academic concepts and much more.
Introduction
Understanding the different stages of child development is very essential for anyone interested in working closely with children. Many complex things influence the development of children, as they get older. The stages of development take the form of developing gross motor, fine motor, language, cognitive capacities and social skills (Podd’iakov, 2012). The developmental stages such as language development, physical development, cognitive development and are age specific and children can accomplish them within a given age range. In consideration to social and emotional development stage, it is worth noting that it takes place during childhood. Emotional development occurs in a simultaneous concurrence to other forms of development. The development of emotional adaptations in children has a direct linkage in development of relationships in children. The development of emotional and social qualities of children face a direct influence form their surroundings and environment (Rumford, 2008).
The responsiveness degree and quality they receive from their caregivers affect their acquisition of these skills. Therefore, there is the importance of creation of an environment that can facilitate healthy emotional and social development in children. This takes the capacity of adults to be in a position for reading and effectively responding to the needs of children so it can enhance their development at these stages. Emotional development of children at the toddler stage focuses on development of integrative and innovative emotional patterns. Children face various phenomena, which they have varying emotional interpretation and response to differently such as fear and pleasure. It is a point of self-awareness and they attempt for creating sense in their ways of existence in relationships with those close to them. Children become aware that the adults around them are not equal and they develop interests for particular individuals. There may be incapability for articulation of experiences but their awareness can be very acute.
The concepts learnt are similar to the concepts of McDevitt in that these influences affect the learning of students because they become aware of their surroundings and through natural curiosity; they experiment with the things they encounter. They manipulate the objects and observe the reactions through intrinsic motivation. In the minds of children, there is organization of the learnt aspects following the experiences they have with them. They pull such experiences together helping them into constructing basic understanding of facts. As they interact with peers, family, visit zoos and pets, they develop an understanding regarding animals. It is more of a constructive process than an absorption process during this stage of acquisition of world knowledge. As children develop, they start behaviorally, then advance into mentality and eventually they become abstract and they can use any acquired schemes severally in both novel and familiar occasions. In respect to cognitive development, it is found that eventually children learn to integrate thoughts in sophisticated ways (Podd’iakov, 2012).
The learning objective covered in this topic deal with a full understanding of the different development stages that influence the acquisition of emotional and social capacities in children. It focuses on the manner in, which children interact with the things they meet in their lives in ordinary and novel days and how they react to different aspects. The topic further creates an insight in the adaptation to the environment through assimilative and adoptive processes. Children are capable of adapting to their environments through assimilation in a physical or mental process. Through the accumulated experiences, they face in life; children become capable of creating adjustments necessary for responding to any new events and circumstances through the formation of accommodation. This requires modification of existing schemes to fit into the new events they face (McDevitt, & Ormrod, 2013).
The learning objective of this study is for the understanding of how children interact with the physical environment and its importance for cognitive development. Children enjoy the learning of nature and the physical environment and they keep a revision of existing schemes to fit into new introductions. It is also apparent that children receive influences from their interaction with people. For example, in initial stages, they want to see the world in their own perspectives instead of adopting anyone’s opinions. Through conversations, arguments and exchange of ideas, they become open to other peoples perspectives (McDevitt, & Ormrod, 2013).
I chose this topic of social and emotional development in children because I would love to have a better understanding of the emotional development of children for the possibility of understanding them better within the classroom. It is a topic keen on the possible identification of causes of the nuances during the development period. That opens my capacity of being capable of learning countering tactics come the time when I am required to put my knowledge into practice. This topic is also rich in building my capacity of applying concepts into practice when handling students in the classroom as it improves my understanding of child development concepts. I chose topic so I could learn more teaching skills so it acts as a practical preparation for my work with children and adolescents through effective application of this concept (Hyson & Taylor, 2011). I am sure that at the end of this study, I have a better understanding of the mental and social capacities children adopt because of the different interactions, events and experiences they have had in their lives.
References
Hyson, M., & Taylor, J. L. (2011). Caring about Caring: What Adults Can Do to Promote Young Children’s Prosocial Skills. YC: Young Children, 66(4), 74-83.
McDevitt, T., M. & Ormrod, J., E. (2013). Applying Concepts in Child Development. Child Development and Education. Pearson Education, Inc.
Podd’iakov, N. (2012). Features of Mental Development and Self-Development in the Preschool Child. Journal Of Russian & East European Psychology, 50(2), 54-63.
Rumford, C. (2008). Social policy beyond fear: The globalization of strangeness, the War on Terror‟, and „Spaces of Wonder‟. Social Policy & Administration, 42, 630-644.
