Principles Of Development (1950)

[music] [music] Look at these children. How alike they all are and yet how different. They do the same things and yet each one. They all start off pretty much the same way, but look how they end up. Grown up. Same number of arms and legs, but different colors and sizes and shapes and different feelings. How do they get that way? Well, they develop just grow. Development is growth and change. And this growth and change occur in almost the same way to every baby. By studying thousands of children, scientists have established aic principles which apply to normal child development. And knowing what is normal helps us to understand each child with his own individual variations. The first principle is that development follows a pattern from conception to maturity. Development is not half-hazard, but it's continuous, orderly, and progressive with each stage leading to the next. In the embryo, development occurs first in the region of the head. As the child grows, it proceeds to the extremities. And this is called the law of developmental direction. As the child matures, his body not only grows, it changes its proportions. Not only does the structure of the head develop first, but control appears first in the head and proceeds to the legs. He can raise his head before he can control his arms. He can grasp an object with his hands before his feet are coordinated. He can hold his back erect before his legs will support him. Because of this pattern, we can predict development. If he can grasp an object at a few months, we know that he will be able to catch a moving object at a few years. And a few years later still he will catch a smaller swifter object. The first principle then is obvious. Development follows a pattern and within the pattern there is correlation between the types of development. One phase of growth is affected to some extent by another. For example, if he's busy learning to walk, he may forget about learning to talk. He may not learn a new word for months. This is a plateau stage. He doesn't stop developing, but one type of development takes precedence over another. Another example, here is a child who is very large for 15 months. Mentally, very bright, but he doesn't walk yet. His motor development has been slowed down by rapid physical growth. Notice the difference. This little miss is 15 months old, too. Small, but fast. Both children are perfectly normal. It's just that each is developing in his own way. But the correlation of types of development can be detrimental. Emotional disturbances can affect growth. The child who is tense will not eat. And if this continues, physical growth will be affected. For within the pattern there is correlation between the types of development and development proceeds from general to specific responses. Here is general response. He wants something in his mouth. He responds with his whole body to one thing, food. Later, he realizes that some foods taste good in the mouth and some don't. He will like people in general before he knows that he really prefers mother. He will reach generally in the direction of an object with both hands before he can get it with one hand. Still later he can examine it in detail with one finger. He will run before he can race. He will understand what a river is before he knows where a particular river goes. As the child grows, his mind can grasp more details and his motor skills become more specialized. for development proceeds from general to specific responses and normally each child passes through each stage. They may express their stage of development in different ways. Some crawl, some creep, and some just move along, but most of them get there somehow. They sit before they stand and they stand before they walk. They pass through different stages of eating too, wasting a good deal at first and then eating up everything in sight when they learn how they all go through the same stages of play. First comes solitary enjoyment of the things around. Next, they enjoy playing beside another child, but they don't understand yet how to play with another child. And finally, they enter into a group of their equals. The pattern will vary for each individual according to the influences which have played a part in his own particular development. But normally each child passes through each stage and each stage has characteristic traits. For instance, their stage of development shows in the way children play. At first, mere motion is exciting. But with control comes play where speed and accuracy count. Many evidences of development might seem to be problem behavior. Here is motor development that needs exercise. Every mother thinks her child is impossible at some stage. That stage of being into everything is just an expression of rapid motor development coupled with growing curiosity about the world. Development may cause behavior that seems unconnected with growth. He may seem whiny for no reason when in reality he is troubled by teeth or there may be some hidden trouble in his personal world. During the second or third year, growth slows down. the child is not so hungry and at the same time brain and speech development are rapid. Talking often seems more important than eating and parents who don't know this is normal may think they have a feeding problem and by making an issue of it they may create a real one. Later, appetite swings the other way because the p-adolescent burns up energy with motor activity and he won't wash because he'll just get dirty again. If this is not recognized as a phase of development, parents may think they are bringing up a social outcast. How consoling to know he behaves this way because each stage has characteristic traits. Finally, development is caused by maturation and learning. The most inevitable cause is maturation. This is the unfolding of traits inherent in the child, potentialities that he is born with. No matter what his environment, he will grow, his bones will harden, and his muscles will develop. Later they will become coordinated so that he can direct his energy. His nervous system and brain will mature so that memory and imagination will guide his actions rather than primitive sensation. The extent of his development will depend to some degree on environment but the growth is intrinsic in the child himself. The second cause of development is learning. This brings new abilities either because of practice which the child does himself or training which is directed and purposeful. Maturation and learning are closely interwoven. The child will only acquire grown-up skills when his mind and body are sufficiently coordinated. Without learning, abilities may not be fully developed. Just growing up does not mean the child will swim. That requires learning. Understanding the relationship between these two is the key to training. It is to know at what age training will be most effective for each child. If mind and body are not sufficiently matured, learning can't take place. Too early training is a waste of time and it may develop a negative attitude that will be very difficult to overcome even when the right time comes. Many tests have been made to find out the relative importance of maturation and learning. All prove that in skills common to the whole human race, such as sitting or walking, training is of no real use and may even be harmful. The baby will learn when she is ready. In specific skills, practice and training are necessary, but success depends on maturation. There is a right time for learning everything. Self-feeding, when he first shows interest, he must practice, but it's no use until his mind and muscles are coordinated enough for him to get results. Self-dressing. Wait until she's ready to dress herself, but not until she loses interest. Mother shouldn't interfere with the learning process just because she can do it better. The trick is to catch her when she's interested and then give her plenty of time to practice. Later when you have to know how many ice cream cones you can buy for a quarter, abstract things like mathematics become suddenly important. Yes, development comes from maturation and learning. But if these principles are so fixed, why is every child different? What other factors influence this development? Sex. Girls reach maturity more quickly than boys, but they are usually smaller. Intelligence. Motor and physical development of the bright child is generally quicker than that of the dull child. Race. There are differences in the rate of development between children of different races. Glands. Proper balance in the functioning of certain glands of internal secretion is essential to normal growth. Nutritional value of the food regularly eaten by the child has great influence on physical development. Health. A serious illness or injury can affect not only the physical growth but mental and personality development as well. Fresh air and sunlight are of great importance during the years of growth. Position in the family. Whether a child is the oldest, a middle child or the baby has an influence on his personality. Incentive also plays an important role. Heredity. The child's development is dependent on the characteristics he has inherited. He can go no further than his own potential development and parental attitude is all important. But in spite of all the factors that vary with each individual, there is a normal pattern of human development. And within the pattern, there is correlation between the types of development. Development proceeds from general to specific responses. Each child passes through each stage and each stage has characteristic traits. And finally, development is caused by maturation and learning. Each child grows, he follows the pattern in his own way. And if he is loved and understood by those around him, all the influences will be brought into balance for the fullest development of his particular personality. [music] [music] [music] >> [music]