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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
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