Solomon Dixon.

Reading notes chapter 1

0/8/23/2022. 11 am

Ch.1 Reading Notes

Introduction: Dimensions of Development

What is Child Development?

 What is Child Development?
o refers to patterns of growth and change that occur in human
beings (or animals) between conception and death.
o Development rate grows in complexity with age
The Science of Child Development
 Most studies focus on the age range of 0 to 20
 Impossible to disconnect adult development from child development
 Studies of child development began in 1800 and 1900s with “baby
biographies”
Periods of Development
 Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence
 Each time period associated with different environments and social
expectations
What develops?
 Physical Development
 Cognitive development
 Emotional/Social Devlopment
o Having problems in one of these areas can affect separate
areas of development
o Such as having bad hearing can affect speech development
Changes in Child Development views over time
 Children in medieval times were seen as miniature adults
o Expected to act and be treated as adults by the age of 9
 In the 1500’s children we believed to be innate evil and had to be
taught to be good
 1600s, it was believed children were born as blank slates, being
molded by their parents
 1700s, children were believed to be born as innate good

Contexts for development

 Contextual effects for child development is both external and internal 
 “These contexts may include family, neighborhood, school, economic
conditions, cultural tools and traditions, social norms and processes,
timing issues, architectural and environmental structures, emotional
and physical climate, and historical factors”
Solomon Dixon. Reading notes chapter 1
0/8/23/2022. 11 am

Other context factors

 Family
 Family Structure
 Parenting Styles
 Peers: Friends and Others
 Culture and Community
 Ethnicity and Race
 Society and Policy
 Historical Context (time and place)

Reflection

Clearly, it is important for me as a future teacher to take my students'

developmental stage and context into consideration. When dealing with
classes, not everyone will have the same background. During my time as a
student, I remember both good examples and bad examples of my
teachers doing this. One such example is my band teacher allowing
students to join marching band even if they didn’t have money to pay the
fees. It will be a goal of mine as I teach to be like that.