The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles focuses on child and

adolescent learners development with emphasis on current research and theory on

biological, linguistic, cognitive, social, and emotional dimensions of development.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Refers to the biological and psychological

development of the human being throughout the lifespan. It consists of the
development from infancy,childhood, and adolescence to adulthood.

Growth refers to increase in size and number.

Development refers to progress and improvement.

Growth stops at maturation.

Development continues throughout the life.

Growth Can be measured directly.

Development is subjective/qualitative

++++
PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

1. Development it continuous
- The process of growth and development continues from conception
till the individual reaches maturity. Development of both physical and
mental traits continues gradually until these traits reach their
maximum growth. It goes on continuously throughout life. Even after
maturity has been attained, development does not end.
2. Development is gradual
- It does not come all of a sudden. It is also cumulative in nature.
3. Development is sequential.
- Every species, whether animal or human, follows a pattern of development
peculiar to it. This pattern in general is the same for all individuals. The
child crawls before he creeps, stands before he walks and babbles before he
talks.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT PATTERN

● 7 MONTHS - The child learns how to crawl

● 10 MONTHS - 1 YEAR- The child learns how to walk.
● 15 years - The child learns how escape the house to join barkada outings.

4. RATE OF DEVELOPMENT VARIES PERSON TO PERSON

- Rate of development is not uniform. Individuals differ in the rate of growth
and development. Boys and girls have different development rates. Each part
of the body has its own particular rate of growth.
5. Development proceeds from general to specific
- In all areas of development, general activity always precedes specific
activity. For example, the fetus moves its whole body but is incapable
of making specific responses. With respect to emotional behaviour
infants approach strange and unusual objects with some sort of
general fear response.

CEPHALOCAUDAL VS PROXIMODISTAL
CEPHALOCAUDAL
- refers to growth and development that occurs from the head down. It
consists of development starting at the top of the body and working its way
down
PROXIMODISTAL
- the progression of motor development radiating from the center of an
organism to the periphery. The classic example is a child learning to move
her shoulders before learning to control fine finger movement.

6. Most traits are correlated in development.

- Generally, it is seen that the child whose mental development is above
average, is also superior in so many other aspects like health,
sociability and special aptitudes.
 7. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IS A PRODUCT OF BOTH
HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT.
- Development is influenced by both heredity and environment. Both
are responsible for human growth and development.
8. DEVELOPMENT IS PREDICTABLE
- The difference in physiological and psychological potentialities can ‘
be predicated by observation and psychological tests.
9. DEVELOPMENT BRINGS ABOUT BOTH STRUCTURAL AND
FUNCTIONAL CHANGES.

TWO APPROACHES TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

TRADITIONAL- Extensive changes in childhood, no changes in adulthood, and

decline during old age.
LIFE-SPAN -Extensive development also occurs during adulthood.
THREE PROCESSES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
● BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES: Changes in an individual’s physical nature.
● COGNITIVE PROCESSES: Changes in an individual’s thoughts, intelligence,
and language.
● SOCIO-EMOTIONAL PROCESSES: Changes in an individual’s interaction and
personality

NATURE AND NURTURE

NATURE - Pre-wiring and is influenced by genetic inheritance and other

biological factors.

HEREDITARY TRAITS:
● Hair and skin color
● Height
● Eye Color
● Sexuality

NURTURE -Influence of external factors after birth such as family, neighborhood,

and friends.

TRAITS AFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENT:

● Academic Achievements
● Hobbies and Activities
● Worldview
● How you treat other people.

The words “nature” and “nurture” themselves can be misleading. Today,

“genetics” and “environment” are frequently used in their place—with one’s
environment including a broader range of experiences than just the nurturing
received from parents or caregivers.
Further, nature and nurture (or genetics and environment) do not simply compete
to influence a person, but often interact with each other; “nature and nurture” work
together. Finally, individual differences do not entirely come down to a person’s
genetic code or developmental environment—to some extent, they emerge due to
messiness in the process of development as well.

NATIVIST -Certain traits are inborn and occur naturally because of your genes,
regardless of your environment.

EXAMPLES OF NATIVIST PHILOSOPHIES:

LANGUAGE ACQUISITION DEVICE- All children are born with mental

capacity that gives them the ability to learn and produce a language.

EMPIRICIST We are what we are because of our experiences. The mind is a blank
states (Tabula Rasa)
EXAMPLES OF EMPIRICIST PHILOSOPHIES:

BEHAVIORISM - Behaviorism is a theory of learning that suggests that all

behaviors are acquired through conditioning processes.

JOHN WATSON AND THE LITTLE ALBERT EXPERIMENT John Watson is

known as the “Father of Behaviorism” and often used orphans in his various
experiments.
Watson used a nine-month old orphan known as Little Albert. At first, Little Albert
was exposed to a variety of sights and sounds, including rabbits, monkeys, burning
newspaper, and masks of all sorts. In the experiment’s second phase, Watson
introduced Little Albert to a white rat. As with the other things, Little Albert didn’t
show any fear of the rat. That is, until Watson began making loud noises with a
steel bar anytime Albert touched the animal. Not surprisingly, the presence of the
rat turned distressing. Soon, Little Albert expressed fear over anything fluffy
and/or white

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY- Albert Bandura suggested that people learn by

observing others.

CONTINUITY AND DISCONTIUITY

STABILITY AND CHANGE

PERIODS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT TASKS