Theories Of Early Childhood

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During childhood, children go through many changes and begin to better understand the world around them. It is a time of expansion upon former concepts, deeper comprehension of themselves and others, and it holds great potential for connection. Childhood is a time of great socioemotional development which can be seen in a child's new understanding of self, family and peer influence, and the impact of play.
Childhood brings about a new understanding of one's self; it is during this time that a child's personality really starts to take shape. Erikson's theory refers to this period of time as the Initiative versus Guilt stage. It is during this stage that children exhibit a wealth of new perceptual, motor, and cognitive skills which are used to accomplish tasks. Accomplishment of such tasks is an example of initiative, but failure to successfully complete the tasks can result in feelings of guilt (Santrock, 2017, pg. 238). Erikson's theory describes the children having a sense of self, in that they judge themselves based on performance of tasks; another way that children recognize themselves during early childhood is through physical characteristics, material …show more content…

Furthermore, it helps children to ease and resolve their anxieties and conflicts; it also helps children further develop their language and communication skills (Santrock, 2017, pg. 263).
Just as important as play itself are the types of play that children participate in. A few examples of various types of play include: practice play, symbolic play, social play, constructive play, and games. The most influential type of play is symbolic play, in which children essentially play pretend; they transform the world around them into symbols. This type of play encourages self-regulation, and it showcases the child's cognitive skills (Santrock, 2017, pg.

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