Unit 2

• Nature


  When children are learning by themselves. The ability to learn is something they are born with and develop through their own actions.
• Intrinsic


  Referring to nature - something that is inside of us and not part of the environment around us
• Innate


  Referring to nature - something that is inside of us and not part of the environment around us
• Nurture


  When children's learning is being supported by others
• Extrinsic


  Referring to nurture - something that belongs to the environment around us
• Unique child


  • All children are unique so they may meet all the expected milestones or they could be delayed or exceeded, depending on the child's individual circumstances
• Milestones


  • Delayed: The child has not yet achieved all the milestones by the expected age range
  • Met: The child has achieved the milestones within the expected age range
  • Exceeded: The child has achieved the milestones before the expected age, or the child has achieved all the milestones by the expected age range but has also achieved some of the milestones from the following age range
• Factors that affect development

  • Biological: Things we are born with that are intrinsic
  • Environmental: Things that are around us and are extrinsic
• Innate


  Something that is inside of us and not part of the environment around us
• Intrinsic


  Something that is inside of us and not part of the environment around us
• Biological factors


  • Biological influences - Mental health, health conditions such as cystic fibrosis, obesity, aggression, impulsiveness
  • Genetics - Metabolism, gender, sexual orientation, skills such as being good at drawing, genetic disorders e.g., Down's syndrome
  • Inherited characteristics - Eye colour, left handedness, neuroticism, extrovert, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness
  • Hormones - Growth hormones, hormonal conditions such as hyperthyroidism/hypothyroidism
• Biological theorists


  • Believed that children developed innately - They did not need adult support to learn things
• Arnold Gesell's theory


  1. Children learn through predictable sequences, but they do this at their own rate. E.g., they learn to crawl before they walk

  2. The rate that children develop at is dependent on genetic factors that they inherited
• Criticisms of Arnold Gesell's theory

  Children's rate of development is sometimes affected by external factors such as the resources and experiences they have access to
• Noam Chomsky's theory


  1. Children are born with an internal Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that enables them to learn language

  2. Babies make sounds to communicate as soon as they are born
• Criticisms of Noam Chomsky's theory

  If language development was all innate then we would all speak the same language
• Eleanor Gibson's theory


  1. Our senses are something we are born with. They are innate abilities that we got through the evolution of humans

  2. We use our senses to make sense of the world around us

  3. These senses help us to perceive physical things and understand what they are
• Criticisms of Eleanor Gibson's theory

  Senses might give us initial experiences, but we then need cognitive skills such as thinking and remembering to develop the information gained through senses
• Short term effects of biological factors

  • Will only affect the child's development for a short time and the child will most likely catch up with their development
• Long term effects of biological factors

  • Can affect the child's development for many years or even permanently and may prevent the child from meeting their expected milestones
• How biological factors can affect child development

  • Short term effects: Limited learning opportunities, Limited concentration, Withdrawn social behaviour, Insecure or secure parental attachment
  • Long term effects: Reduced educational attainment, Limited range of career choices, Declining growth, Mental ill health, Poor self-regulation, Achieving or not achieving expected milestones
• Mental health


  • Positive mental health will increase self-concept which will make children more likely to try new things and therefore expand their potential for learning. They will also be more likely to try again if they fail so they will practice something until they can do it. Poor mental health will have the opposite effect.
• Metabolism


  • Slow metabolism could lead to weight gain which could affect the child's self-concept and make them less confident to try new things which will limit their learning opportunities. It could also lead to bullying, and this can lead to poor mental health.
• Gender


  • This can lead to children being stereotyped in the opportunities they are offered. E.g. Boys may be discouraged from playing with dolls and this can restrict their learning opportunities.
• Left handedness


  • This could limit the child's development if appropriate resources are not available. E.g. If there are no left-handed scissors it may be hard for a child to learn cutting skills.
• Down's syndrome


  • This may cause a delay to the child reaching their expected milestones as it may take them longer to learn new skills and knowledge.
• Growth hormones


  • If a child has low growth hormones they may not be as physically strong as other children and therefore may take longer to develop skills such as walking.
• Factors that may make the effects of biological factors more severe

  • The child has got a limited support network of people to help them
  • The child has serious health issues that are complex to treat
  • The child has a poor self-concept
  • The child is not provided with appropriate resources to support them
  • Children are stereotyped by their characteristics and provided with limited opportunities because of this
• Factors that may make the effects of biological factors less severe

  • The child has support from lots of people at home and in early years settings
  • The child's health issues are easily treated
  • The child has a positive self-concept
  • The child is given resources that will make learning easier to access. E.g., left-handed scissors or wheelchair access to the sand tray
  • Children are provided with equal opportunities to participate in activities and are not restricted due to any of the protected characteristics from the Equality Act 2010
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)


  • It is the most commonly diagnosed children's developmental disorder
  • It is usually believed to be an inherited condition, but some say it can be environmental as well
  • It usually develops during the early years
  • It can be mild or severe
  • Symptoms can include - Impaired social interaction (avoid eye contact, do not like to be touched, do not interact with others), repetitive behaviour, obsessive behaviour
  • There is no cure, but behaviour therapy can help to minimise some of the symptoms
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

  • It can be an inherited condition, caused by abnormal brain development or a brain injury around the time of birth
  • Most children are diagnosed in the early years, but it can be later
  • It is a neurological condition which means it affects the brain
  • Symptoms can include - Being impulsive, hyperactivity, lack of concentration, mood swings, difficulty with memory and organisation, difficulty controlling emotions
  • There is no cure, but most children improve as they get older. They can also be supported with behavioural therapy to minimise some symptoms
• Cystic fibrosis (CF)


  • This is caused by a mutation in one of the genes and there are no environmental factors linked to this condition
  • It can only be inherited by the child if both their parents are carriers of the mutated gene
  • It is usually diagnosed at birth through the "heel prick test"
  • Symptoms can include - Being underweight, recurring chest infections, shortness of breath
  • There is no cure for it, but it can be treated with medication to reduce the symptoms
• Down's syndrome


  • It is caused by an extra chromosome in the body called Trisomy 21 and there are no environmental factors linked to this condition
  • This is not considered to be an inherited condition. It is a random biological event
  • It is usually diagnosed soon after birth
  • Symptoms can include - Low muscle tone, distinct facial features, learning difficulties
  • There is no cure but support such as physical therapy for muscle tone can reduce the impact of the symptoms
• Environmental factors


  Things that can affect a child's development through interaction with the environment around them
• Classifying environmental factors


  • Socio-economic: Related to money, poverty, wealth, standard of housing
  • Family lifestyle: Related to day-to-day activities, drug/alcohol abuse, diet, exercise, abuse, neglect
  • Stimulation: Related to input, opportunities for interaction, opportunities for play
  • Relationships: Related to people the child comes into contact with, adults, children
  • Experiences: Related to places the child goes and experiences they have, location of home, excursions
• Effects of poverty


  • Lack of additional activities such as gymnastics or music lessons so learning opportunities will be limited
  • Restricted diet which might prevent healthy growth or cause lack of concentration
  • May have close bond with the family as they support each other
  • Limited experiences of the wider world if they do not go on day trips or holidays or eat in restaurants
• Effects of poor diet

  • Could cause lack of concentration if the child is hungry
  • Tiredness if they are lacking vitamins
  • Obesity if they are being given an unbalanced diet with lots of fats and sugars
• Effects of good relationship with parents

  • The child is likely to have good self-concept as they will have a good support network
  • Good communication and language skills if they interact well
  • The child is likely to be able to build good relationships with others which will expand their social experiences
• Effects of witnessing domestic violence

  • May cause low self-concept as the child may blame themselves
  • Isolation as the child avoids anyone asking them what is wrong
  • Lack of concentration due to worry about their home life
• Effects of going on lots of holidays

  • The child will have a wide range of experiences to learn new skills and knowledge
  • The child is likely to develop good social skills due to a wide range of interactions with other people
  • Develop a wide support network of people
  • Could become unsettled due to lack of consistency in their life