The difference between
sequence of development and rate of development and why the difference is
important
It
has to be clear for a teaching assistant how children and young people from
birth to 19 years develop so that they can recognise if a pupil has differences
in development and can take the necessary actions to ensure equal opportunities
in learning for these children.
The
pattern or rate of development is the usual time frame in which each particular
phase of development takes place, while the sequence of development is the
typical order in which the phases of development occur. For example, the
typical time frame for children to start verbalising, trying to create sounds is
as early as in their infant years between age 0 and 3 if they receive adequate
stimulation from their environment, i.e. their parents are talking to them. Creating
real words, then sentences, and being able to express their thoughts and
experiences can naturally only come after this because it is the usual sequence
of these phases of development.
We
have to be aware of the fact, however, that each child is unique in their
development; therefore phases of development can overlap or occur in a slightly
different time frame. It is advisable to implement a holistic approach, to
regard the whole person when observing children’s development. In the meantime
teaching assistants have to watch out for signs of delayed development and
their potential reasons. For example, if a pupil cannot use correct sentences
to express their needs or thoughts it is advisable to find out if the parents
are talking enough to the child because a lack of interaction in the family
might result in delays of the communication development.
|
STAGE
|
PHYSICAL
|
INTELLECTUAL
(Cognitive and Communication)
|
EMOTIONAL
(Social and Behavioural)
|
|
0-1
YEAR
|
Fast development: sitting up then standing up. Learning
how to get what they need: by using piercing cry.
|
Repeating
sounds, forming first words. Concentrating on interesting toys, games,
activities for longer and longer periods.
|
9-month-old:
afraid of strangers, starting to cry when a stranger picks them up.
1-year-old:
co-operating in dressing. (Girlinterrupted, 25/03/2012)
|
|
1-3 YEARS
|
Learning
to walk, and to run, playing with toys independently.
|
Identifying
who is talking to them. Experimenting to learn about the world e.g. dropping
the spoon over and over again to see the effect. (Girlinterrupted, 22/03/2012)
|
Beginning
to play next to other children but still “has little concept of others as
people”. Imitates adults, acting out activities. (Girlinterrupted, 26/03/12).
|
|
4-7 YEARS
|
Learning
to co-ordinate themselves, and becoming more and more confident in physical
activities e.g. riding the bike, kicking the football into the desired
direction.
|
Learning
to read and write. Describing words, describing experiences.
|
Starting
to socialise more, talking to peers, expressing themselves. Still need the
boundaries provided by the people they know.
|
|
8-12 YEARS
|
Finding
their own hobbies and refining their skills e.g. can be sitting for hours
with a video game while getting to higher and higher levels
|
Starting
to have own ideas and preferences. Making choices what activities they enjoy.
Create opinion about the world and peoples.
|
Gaining
more self-awareness, pushing the social boundaries that kept them safe so
far. Refining their language skills, picking up more difficult words.
|
|
13-19 YEARS
|
Puberty
changes the body immensely. Significant growth and becoming stronger.
Hormones mix up the teenagers feelings.
|
Becoming
more selfish: thinking about themselves more than about others. Abstract
thinking starts: are able to think about what the future might hold for them
rather than living for the present.
|
Becoming
more independent, gaining self-esteem, knowing what they like.
16-19-year-olds are starting to become adults but depends on individual rate
of development.
|
Theories of development and frameworks to support development that influence
current practice
There
are a number of different views on child and young person development although
they all agree that stages of development take place at a certain order and a
certain pace that is similar in most cases. Theories of development help us
understand children’s behaviour in everyday situations, and identify reasons of
a given developmental delay. They also highlight that development is driven by
internal and external factors therefore each child has to be regarded
holistically as an individual person when their progress is being observed.
Jean
Piaget (1896-1980) created a constructivist or cognitive theory about
children’s development. According to his view learning is age dependant and
each child develops in a natural order, based on the experiences they have. The
four stages of development in Piaget’s theory (sensorimotor, pre-operational,
concrete operational and formal operational) cover the phases through which
children learn how to manipulate things and to explore their surroundings. It
is important that a child grows up in a stimulating environment where their
skills are constantly challenged and their confidence and self-esteem are
boosted.
Honey
and Mumford’s diagram of learning cycle and learning styles helps us to
understand the different stages and different ways of learning in everyday practice.
The four learning styles mean different characteristics in learning. Activists
are those people who learn by doing something, while Theorists need to
understand the concept behind the activity. Pragmatists always put the new
ideas into practice in order to understand them, and the Reflector type learns
by observing other people and events. (Mobbs, n.d.) These four learning types
occur in the process of learning as well. When a child has an experience, he or
she is an Activist. In the second stage, the child reviews what happened,
acting a Reflector. It is followed by an analysis, drawing a conclusion, as
Theorists do, deciding if they liked this activity or not. Finally, in stage
four the child will be planning the next step, putting the concept into
practice. They either do the activity again or go and find something else to do
instead.
The
Early Years Statutory Framework provides a practical guidance in the required “standards
for learning, development and care for children” in the Early Years Foundation
Stage (Statutory Framework, 2012). This document is based on the principle that
each child is unique and needs individualised attention. Furthermore whatever
their personal characteristics and family circumstances are, each “child
deserves the best possible start in life” so that they can “fulfil their
potential” (Statutory Framework, 2012).
The
section about learning and development requirements details the three prime
areas (communication and language, physical, and personal, social and emotional
development) and the four specific areas (literacy, mathematics, understanding
the world and expressive arts and design) where children have to be prepared
before entering Year 1 in elementary school. In section two, guidance is given
about the assessments and reviews that have to be carried out by the
practitioners so that the child’s progress can be monitored, possible
developmental delays can be recognised as early as possible and parents, carers
and other practitioners can be informed about the child’s strengths and
weaknesses. The third section details the necessary policies and procedures to
ensure safety and welfare of the children. It includes protection against
abuse, requirements and necessary qualifications for the staff, the safe
administration of medicines, and rules of food and drink supply on the
premises, the procedure to be followed in case of an accident, injury or fire
and policies on risk assessment. The framework also prescribes the importance
of equal opportunities for all children with disabilities and special
educational needs, how confidential information is to be stored securely and
the way complaints are to be handled.
The
guidance provided by the Statutory Framework can be used to manage everyday
practices in early years’ childcare as it covers all areas from intended
learning outcomes to all practical issues on the premises.
External sources
Cognitive
development: toddlers (1-3 years), Girlinterrupted Blog
Social
development - Newborn to Infant (birth to one year),
Girlinterrupted Blog
Social
development, Girlinterrupted Blog
Mobbs, Dr Richard n.d.,
Honey and Mumford, University of
Leicester
Statutory
Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2012,
Department for Education
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