Tag Archives : Child Development

Development may also occur in guided participation, in which adults guide and the children participate. But in western cultures, context independent learning also takes place. In this case, a child himself/herself makes an effort to learn new things. However, this again boils down to ‘western culture’ and hence everything is related to culture. Thus [...]

Speech is something that gradually develops in a growing child. Parents must know what the mechanisms behind speech and learning are. Vygotsky gives a very good concept about how speech might occur and take shape in a growing child. Socio-cultural theory states that cognitive development varies across cultures. Secondly, it states that cognitive development [...]

The ecological systems theory has much strength. However, it also has many shortcomings and weaknesses. It only considers children’s development and not adulthood and old age. Though it says it is a bioecological theory, there is very little about the actual biology, which influences a person’s development. He does not talk about the normative patterns [...]

Chronosystem is the final stage in which changes that takes place either in the individual or the environment influence one another. Cognitive and biological changes that occur during puberty can affect the child’s development and the chronological age of the child also decisively affects a child’s development. Younger children feel guiltier than [...]

Exosystem consists of social systems, which children and adolescents don’t interact, or experience directly but will somehow influence their development. This may include a parent’s job, friends of the family, mass media, school board, legal services, neighbors, extended families etc. For Example: If a child is temperamentally affected, parents [...]

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory has many systems within the environment and they interact with each other and how it shapes the individual’s development. One of them and the most basic is the Microsystem. Microsystem is the innermost environmental layer and this refers to the activities and immediate surroundings of a child. This would [...]

Sometimes, it is not clear enough to explain how environmental and contextual interactions take place and what is the context in which the interaction takes place and shapes the development of an individual. Urie Bronfenbrenner provided a detailed analysis of how environmental influences work. Bronfenbrenner is known for his ‘Ecological Systems Viewpoint’, [...]