Explain How Child Development Influence Current Practice

Child development theories have greatly affected current practices in education settings.

Social and emotional development are divided into

• Biological theories: which state child’s personality, intelligence and reactions comes from biological parents.

• Learning theories: which state how social environment impacts child’s behaviour and they learn from their good or bad experiences.

• Psychoanalytic theories: These combine both above theories. Which means that a child develops with pre-set personality and builds it further with observations and experiences. Albert Bandura’s theory of social learning suggests that children learn by observing people around. Parents are child’s first teachers and role models. Child’s cultural views and belief system is generally identical with his/her parents/carers.

In school settings Teachers become role models for children. It is important for teachers and supporting staff to always demonstrate best practices as children observe and learn from them. In current practices we ensure teachers and supporting staff dress properly, do not use rough language or display rude behaviour. In situations of disruption they act calmly and fairly with children.

At home children having strong bonds with primary carers makes them confident and helps their self-esteem. In school

F. Skinner’s behaviour theory states Children learn from their experience. For e.g. if a child gets told-off for tearing pages from a book, he/she does not repeat the same act. In school teachers appreciate good behaviour by praise, smileys or stickers which encourages them to continue behaving well. Teachers give timeout or detentions in case child displays wrong behaviour. For e.g. pushing peers, hitting/kicking other children or throwing classroom equipment at peers, speaking rudely, disrupting the session, etc. Both positive and negative rewards become part of child’s experience and they learn about acceptable social behaviour and develop their own