Stages of Child and Adolescent Development
Purpose
A child goes through different stages of development. Childhood development is the foundation of learning, behaviour, and overall health. There are different stages of child and adolescent development. The purpose of this paper is to inform readers of how understanding aspects of development guide a teacher’s engagement in order to meet the academic abilities of a diverse classroom. It is also to inform different developmental stages and how I would use the information for my future teaching. Lastly, this paper will go over how the matrix can be used as a guide to identifying student strengths as a basis for growth and their misconceptions as opportunities for learning.
Unique Aspects of Development and Engagement
Being able to understand the unique aspects of development can provide some guidance to a teacher. It can provide some kind of blueprint for each student. It helps the teacher guide their instruction and be able to engage students to meet their academic abilities. The different aspects of development will also guide a teacher in creating lessons that are geared at the student’s level. To keep a classroom engaged, an educator must be able to read their classroom. Understanding where your kids are developmentally will help with that. By being aware of the development, “educators can understand what types of environments children need” (Snipes). Fostering an environment that is right for students can help a child develop their self-esteem.
Stages of Development and Using the Matrix as a Guide
Childhood development differs from Kindergarten to the Eighth Grade. This also includes differences in learning activities a teacher may do in their classroom. Cognitively, children in Kindergarten through the second grade are able to understand different concepts ranging from space and time to understanding the concept of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Children at this stage are able to add and subtract simple Math equations and differentiate between fantasy and reality. Linguistically, these students are developing their oral language skills, learning new vocabulary and sentence structures. They are able to compose simple sentences and are learning to read and write simple words. Socially, these students are able to understand other children’s perspectives and how their behaviour may affect others. They can take turns when sharing and prefer to work with others. Emotionally, students at this stage are developing a sense of self-confidence, are able to understand their own feelings and express that to others. Physically, these students are developing their motor skills, have high levels of energy and have difficulty when inactive.
Children from third to fifth grade will develop differently from the children who are in grades kindergarten through second grade. Cognitively, these students will understand how to take things into perspective and consider others’ perspectives. They think more hypothetically, logically, and more abstractly. They are able to solve more difficult Math problems, such as fractions. Linguistically, these students are able to understand what they are reading more and are able to produce and decode better. Socially, they care about fairness and become more competitive with one another. They are also more curious at this stage and may even question authority. These students value friendships and talking with their friends. However, emotionally these students begin to deal with peer pressure, may be sensitive to what others may think of them and are critical of themselves. Physically these students are physically stronger, and puberty may begin.
Children from sixth grade to eighth grade differ from the stages above. Cognitively, these students demonstrate more abstract thinking and are able to form their own values. Linguistically, they are able to look beyond literal meaning. Socially, these students are able to make their own choice of words, are able to understand concrete and abstract themes and express themselves in written form. Socially, these students are able to make appropriate decisions to resolve conflicts, believe that other people are attentive to the way they look and understand that there are consequences to their actions.
The matrix can be used as a guide in developing ways to meet the needs of different students. The matrix can also help an educator understand child development as a whole. “Knowledge of how children within a given age span typically develop and learn provides a general framework to guide teachers in preparing the learning environment, considering curriculum, designing learning experiences, and teaching and interacting with children” (Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children Birth to Age 8, NAEYC Position Statement 2009).
Taking a Look at Two Different Grade Levels
Two grade levels that I would like to have a chance to teach are the second grade and the sixth grade. Children at this age will be in the Preoperational Stage and the Formal Operational Stage, according to Piaget. At the Preoperational Stage, children are able to conceptualize their environment and are developing language. Children are curious, and it is a time of play, a time to draw, and a time to be curious. Children at the Formal Operational Stage are thinking more abstractly. They think less of play time and how their actions have consequences now. Incorporating this information can help guide my instruction. This information provides guidance in engaging my students and meeting their needs in order to be successful in the classroom.
How can Different Stages of Child and Adolescent Development be Utilized to Identify Strengths as Growth and Misconceptions as Learning
Understanding the information at different stages of development can be utilized to identify student strengths as a basis for growth and their misconceptions as opportunities for learning. Knowing this information can guide my instruction because I am able to see the student as a whole and how they are progressing. This helps me to speak to my students in concrete terms so that they do not internalize what I am saying negatively. This also helps me to find different strategies to help improve my students’ learning and the skills they are developing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a child must go through different stages of development. It is the foundation of learning, behaviour, and overall health. Each experience a child goes through will have an effect on the child’s capacity to learn, how they get along with others or manage their behaviour and how they respond to challenges. An educator must understand the different stages of child and adolescent development in order to use the aspects to guide, engage and meet the different academic needs of each student with various learning abilities.
References
Brozo, W. G., & Flynt, E. S. (2008). Motivating students to read in the content classroom: six evidence-based principles. The Reading Teacher, 62(2), 172
Cherry, K. (2022, May 2). What is Piaget’s theory of cognitive development? Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-development-2795457#toc-th e-sensorimotor-stage
Early childhood development milestones. GCU. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gcu.edu/blog/teaching-school-administration/early-childhood-development- milestones
Malvik, C. (2020, September 28). Early childhood development milestones: What you should know. Rasmussen University. Retrieved from https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/early-childhood-development/
Why learn about child development? (better kid care). Better Kid Care (Penn State Extension). (2015, October 7). Retrieved from https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/news/2015/why-learn-about-child- development
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Question 
Like human development, every course you take at Walden University is a journey. You likely start out with some excitement about the material, and you look forward to exploring a variety of topics. By the end of the course, you have engaged with readings, media pieces, Discussions, and Assignments that have transformed your thinking in some way.
Stages of Child and Adolescent Development
Think back to each week of this course. As you read the introductions and looked over the Learning Resources, did you find concepts that you could relate to in your own developmental path or in the development of others? If you are a parent, perhaps you considered changing some of the ways you discipline your child or received confirmation that you were making good choices in your parenting. Perhaps understanding that all children come into this world with their own unique disposition made you feel better if you know a shy child who often needs to be coaxed to play with others. Or perhaps, you were confused as you read about the complicated patterns of genetic inheritance and wished you could skip that material!
For your final Discussion assignment in this course, you will reflect on the nature of human development from conception through adolescence and apply concepts and/or findings to recent historical events.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this Discussion.
Required Readings
Required Media
To prepare:
Review the required media and required Week 6 readings.
Think about the concepts (e.g., temperament, attachment) and various research findings (e.g., the outcomes of risk-taking sexual behavior) related to child and adolescent development you have learned in each week of this course.
Select a recent historical or current event of your choosing (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, racial equality movements, etc.) that you could apply course concepts and/or research findings.
Apply two aspects of child and adolescent development to the recent current or historical event. For instance, you may apply either two concepts, two research findings, or one concept and one research finding to the recent historical event. If you are unable to apply both concepts and/or research findings to the same historical event, you may choose to discuss an additional historical event.
For either option, you are not required to search for research findings outside of the classroom Learning Resources. Rather, you can draw upon any of the Learning Resources over the past 6 weeks.
BY DAY 3
With these thoughts in mind:
Post an analysis of two aspects: either two concepts (e.g., temperament, attachment), or two research findings (e.g., outcomes of risk-taking in sexual behavior), or one concept and one research finding, applied to the recent historical or current event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the racial equality movements on children, adolescents, or parents. If you are unable to apply both concepts or research findings to the same historical event, you may choose to discuss an additional historical event. Specifically, your response should include the following:
Begin by briefly explaining the concepts and/or research findings that you have chosen for this Discussion. You must explain two aspects: either two concepts, or two research findings, or one research finding and one concept.
Then, for each concept and/or research finding, describe how this new knowledge will help to guide you as a parent or professional.
End your post by discussing the impact of the historical event you chose in terms of the concepts and/or research finding(s) you selected. You may include personal experiences as to how these events impacted you and your family.
resources
Articles
Gladwell, M. (1998, August 17). Do parents matter? Judith Rich Harris and child development Download Do parents matter? Judith Rich Harris and child development. The New Yorker. http://croker.harpethhall.org/Must%20Know/Psychology/ParentsGladwell.pdf
Credit Line: Do Parents Matter? by Malcolm Gladwell. Copyright 1998 by CONDE NAST PUBLICATIONS, INC. Reprinted by permission of CONDE NAST PUBLICATIONS, INC. via the Copyright Clearance Center. Licensed in 2022.
The author discusses the work of Judith Rich Harris who posited that children, in their attempt to contrast rather than mimic their parents, learn more from their peers.
García, J. D. (2021). Nature versus nurture debateLinks to an external site.. In Salem Press Encyclopedia.
Tomlinson, M., Richter, L., Slemming, W. (2021). What the science of child and adolescent development contributes to understanding the impacts of COVID-19Links to an external site.. South African Journal of Science, 117 (1/2). https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2021/8876
Rogers, O. (2020, December 17). “Black Lives Matter” matters for children’s developmentLinks to an external site..Links to an external site. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/who-am-i-who-are-we/202012/black-lives-matter-matters-children-s-development
Writing Resources: Refer to the Writing Resources section found in the Start Here section of your classroom for help with APA 7.
Glass, I. (Host). (2008, July 25). Switched at birth (No. 360) [Audio podcast episode]Links to an external site.. In This American Life. WBEZ Chicago. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/360/switched-at-birth
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 58 minutes.
Transcript Links to an external site.is available at https://www.thisamericanlife.org/360/transcript.
I am a black woman whos family has experienced racial inequalities