“Child development specialists are advocating for children’s causes”. Why?

Justify this statement showing importance and meaning of child

development?

INTRODUCTION
Child development can be defined as the process by which a child changes over
time. It covers the whole period from conception to an individual becoming a
fully functioning adult. It’s a journey from total dependence to full independence.
Child development incorporates, physical growth as well as intellectual,
language, emotional and social development. Whilst these aspects are often
considered separately, in reality each influences all of the others. For example, as
the brain develops physically, so intellectual abilities increase. This in turn
allows a child to explore their social world more fully, develop their emotional
responses to it and the language needed to describe it, but in turn, this
exploration directly impacts on further physical brain development.
A child development specialist is an expert in identifying the traits, symptoms,
and patterns particular to children who suffer from various developmental and
psychological disorders. Working one-on-one to evaluate their educational needs
and issues, these childcare professionals serve as invaluable advisors to parents
and educators. As the Child development specialists spend a large amount of
time observing children, playing with them and getting to know each child before
making an assessment. They seek to advocate for the continuos improvement of
healthy development by means of legislative activism and community education.
Child specialist suggest to have a High quality child care which can have a
positive influence on children’s development and school readiness by providing
valuable educational and social experiences. High quality child care is
characterized as: 

 Having well-qualified, well-paid, stable staff, low child-adult ratios, and

efficient management. 

 Offering a program that covers all aspects of child development  (physical,

motor, emotional, social, language and cognitive development).
Historical aspects of child development:
Until around the twelfth century, society did not think of childhood as an
important period of development, in the manner that we do nowadays. Children
were not cherished as individuals. In the Middle Ages, children had no status in
society, and were considered as ‘miniature’ adults. Children were trained to
become the future productive members of the society or community. Moreover,
the young children were not expected to need any special treatment. This placid
attitude, reflected deeply in the lack of schools available. The possibility of
having proper education was remote, and considered to be an extravagant
luxury fit only for the boys coming from wealthy families. Children’s welfare and
rights were still not recognised or acknowledged. But society’s ideology towards
the conception of childhood changed gradually from time to time. Research
shows that eventually, children stopped being considered as an addition
contribution to their families’ financial economy.Thanks to the initiative efforts
and work of influential international figures, new concepts of childhood were
introduced. New systems and reforms were established to give status to the
child. Towards the twentieth century education replaced child-labour.
For our convenience let us divide the historical period into different stages:
1. Sixth through fifteenth centuries: Medieval times
During this time children were seen as separate than adults. Children under 7
or 8 were different than other people and treated as children. Even teenagers
were not fully grown. Religious writings sometimes talked about children as
evil and needing to be pure. They also sometimes talked about them as good
and angels.
2. Sixteenth century: Reformation stage
At the time of the Reformation, children were thought to be born evil. Adults
thought children needed to be taught to be a person. Children had to wear
tight and uncomfortable clothes. Raising a child was thought to be one of the
most important things. Adults wanted children to use reason in learning.
 3.The seventeenth century: Philosophical age (John Locke)
John Locke thought that children were born without any knowledge. He
thought the mind is tabula rasa, or blank slate. This means that the mind is like
a blank piece of paper when someone is born. Children get knowledge in life
and fill up the blank paper. Locke thought that the only way that children get
knowledge is from doing different things in life and getting experience from
those things. Locke’s ideas on how children get knowledge changed how
people thought about children.
4. Eighteenth century: Philosophical age (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Jean Jacques Rousseau had a different idea than Locke on children. He thought
that children are born knowing what is right and wrong. Rousseau did not think
that children are “blank slates” as Locke did. He thought that children are “noble
savages”. This is the idea that children are born good, but society can make them
bad. Rousseau felt that adults should pay attention to children’s needs during
their different stages of development.
5.Nineteenth Century: Scientific foundations emerged (Charles Darwin)
Darwin’s reflection on child language acquisition as a key to understanding
the mental development of the child,as well as the development of language in
mankind which was of vital importance of evolutionary theory. Darwin had
argued that language is not an 'impossible barrier' between animals and man.
He thought that infants between the ages of ten and twelve months were at
the same stage of language development as dogs with their well-attested
ability to understand certain words.
6.Twenitieth century :3 sub-period
1. Early period of scientific child study
a. One child study : babies biographics (William Preyer)
b. The normative period of child study (G. Stanley Hall and Arnold Gesell)
2. Mid period of scientific child study (Sigmund Freud)

3. Recent perspectives
a. Information processing
b. Ethology, ecological system theory and cross cultural view.
The basic issue of child development:
1. Continuity vs. discontinuity
Continuous development views development as a cumulative process, gradually
improving on existing skills. With this type of development, there is gradual
change. Consider, for example, a child’s physical growth: adding inches to her
height year by year. In contrast, theorists who view development as
discontinuous believe that development takes place in unique stages: It occurs at
specific times or ages. With this type of development, the change is more sudden,
such as an infant’s ability to conceive object permanence.
2. Mechanistic vs. organismic
According to mechanistic children’s development is compared to the workings of
a machine. Change is stimulated by the environment which shape the behavior of
the child. Children are passive reactor and learn with observation.
In the other hand, according to organismic child initiat acts, change is inherent
part of life which is internal rather than external, there is no environment
influence in development. Children are viewed as active, purposeful being who
make sense of their world and determine their own learning.
3. Nature vs. nurture
The nature versus nurture controversy seeks to understand whether our
personalities and traits are the product of our genetic makeup and biological
factors, or whether they are shaped by our environment, which includes such
things as our parents, peers, and culture. Today, psychologists agree that both
nature and nurture interact to shape who we become, but the debate over the
relative contributions of each continues. An example would be a child learning to
walk: Nature influences when the physical ability occurs, but culture can
influence when a child masters this skill.
IMPORTANCE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT:
By understanding child development you understand what your child is capable
of and what they are not capable of given their age. Not all children develop at
exactly the same time, but they do tend to within a range of the same age, so you
need to get to know your child, try new strategies, and if it isn’t working then
wait awhile and try again.
Another advantage of knowing child development is to know if your child is
missing some milestones and not developing in the way a child at that age would.
That way you can then visit a specialist to see if perhaps they have some
developmental delays. Then you can implement early intervention strategies to
try and help them.
Another thing could be that they are developing much quicker and so are
advanced in their development. Again, knowing this you can implement
strategies to help them even more.
The emotional, social and physical development of young children has a direct
effect on their overall development and on the adult they will become. That is
why understanding the need to invest in very young children is so important, so
as to maximize their future well-being.
1: Knowledge of child development and learning provides the best
foundation for planning for a group of children.
Knowledge of child development is the first of three types of knowledge child
care providers need in their work with children. The other two are: knowledge of
individual children; and knowledge of family, community, and culture from
which the child comes. Knowing what is typical at a certain age is the best place
to start when experiences and environments are planned for that age of children.
Plans based on typical child development and learning meet the needs of the
majority of children, but the provider then makes changes to accommodate
individual children who may be ahead or behind.
2: Knowledge of child development and learning provides the best starting
point for planning for a new child.
It’s also the best place to start when a provider enrolls a new child about whom
little is known. Until the provider can observe and assess the child herself, it’s
helpful to start by assuming the child will benefit from experiences and
environments planned for typically developing children of his or her age.
3: Knowledge of child development and learning helps to plan next steps
for supporting children’s progress.
Knowledge of the sequence of knowledge or skill development in any given area
helps providers set achievable, appropriate learning goals for children. It also
helps providers plan activities and experiences that challenge children just
enough to progress without frustrating them with a challenge that is too far
beyond their abilities.
For example, the provider observes that a baby is getting up on his hands and
knees and rocking. If she knows the progression of skills, the provider knows
that the next skill the baby will try is crawling. This means the provider can
encourage the baby in a variety of ways to move forward when the baby is on all
fours.
4: Knowledge of child development and learning enables providers to
create curriculum and environment that aligns to state
standards/guidelines for early childhood programs.
Many child care programs must base their curriculum and practice on state
standards or guidelines for early childhood learning and development.
Regardless of the specific standards developed by a state or organization, all are
based on the same “body of knowledge”—the research foundation—of how
young children grow and learn.
Standards can be an excellent source of developmental progressions and
milestones for all areas of child development. When providers are required to
“align to the state standards,” it simply means that the experiences, activities and
environment that they plan are based on what is known about typical child
development.
5: Knowledge of child development and learning helps providers feel
confident that their professional practice has a solid basis that aligns with
the larger child care professional community.
The foundation of high quality caregiving and teaching is knowledge about how
most children grow and learn that has been gathered by many trained observers
(i.e., researchers) who have observed many children.
Child care providers who continually expand their own knowledge of child
development and learning, and apply that knowledge when they plan and make
decisions in their program, can feel confident about their practice. They also
have a solid foundation when they explain their decisions and practices to
parents and colleagues; a foundation that goes beyond personal opinion or
feelings. .
Children and young have limited say in decisions affecting their lives and
generally are unable to obtain redress when decisions are taken contrary to their
best interests. Adults very often make significant decisions about children
without consulting them or seeking to involve their participation in the decision
making process. They are rarely informed or consulted about new laws and
policies which will impact upon them. They are frequently denied rights and
opportunities which other members of the community take for granted. Many
laws treat children and young people not as people but as the property of their
parents or as objects of concern. Many protectionist laws and policies are based
on outdated paternalistic notions. There is a considerable imbalance between
children and young people and government agencies such as the police and
schools. Decisions are often made by professionals with children’s views not
being sought or, if ascertained being ignored or discounted. Children are the
passive recipients of decisions made on their behalf by powerful adults.
Advocacy is about speaking up for children and young people and ensuring their
views and wishes are heard and acted upon by decision-makers.”
Children need advocates, because they cannot look after their own interests.
Parents are supposed to do this for them: some don’t, or can’t. Children aren’t
heard by many of the adults who make the decisions that affect them most —
teachers and school administrators; governments who decide what resources
will and won’t be available to their families, or to the children themselves; by
welfare workers, magistrates and by the police.
The advocate’s role is to make sure that the child’s views and experiences are
considered when decisions are made about their future which is different from
representing the ‘best interests’ of the child as is the case with other
professionals. They takes time to develop a relationship with a child and does it
at a pace suited to each child. Research highlights that the quality of the
relationship between a young person and their advocate is the most significant
component in facilitating children’s participation in decision-making and
enabling young people to talk about things that they do not feel able to talk about
with other professionals. Young people see the independence of the advocate,
the respect for their views and their friendship as important characteristics of
this relationship. And because their relationship is on a more equal footing, it is
quite different from those with other professionals. In addition to empowering
children and young people to have a voice in decisions made about their lives,
advocates play an important role in securing young people’s access to needed
services where the services that young person receives are of poor quality or not
available.
Children are grossly disadvantaged in protecting their interests, rights and
freedoms. Our legal system denies them a voice — bullied into silence as
witnesses, lost in care, expelled without recourse from schools, exploited and
abused on the streets and in the systems designed to protect them. In principle
children, as people, have the legal right and interest in having a say in decisions
that are likely to affect them; children, as citizens, should have better access to
the processes of government that directly affect them; children, as human beings
with social rights, ought to have equal access to the law, and that the community
has a duty to take their rights, and children seriously. It is important to recognise
that not all children will be able to participate in decision making. Many of them
find formal decision making settings quite intimidating and many will need help
of a trusted adult to make sense of their feelings and to express these feeling to
the other adults making decisions about their lives.

Children development does not mean developing your child into the person they
should be, but helping them develop into the best person they are meant to be.

Submitted by
Rukmani shrestha
Roll no :72