After reading chapters 6 and 7, I learned that both Early and Middle Childhood development focused on physical, social, cognitive, language, and gender development of a child. Also, that both used the repercussions of social interactions as a sort of base to define what the correct behavioral patterns should be. A few specific examples would be Vygotsky's theory in which he believed that a child constructs their overall knowledge through these particular social interactions and Kohlberg's theory on how moral thinking and cultural beliefs as well as gender, family values and society as a whole play their parts in shaping a child's moral views.
As humans, we form bonds with other people that foster these social interactions whether they be positive or negative such as a teacher, peer, or parent. I think we need them to play roles in healthy (or unhealthy as the case may be) developmental milestones. We watch and learn from others need them to teach us how to speak (language), how to behave (social). Without having interactions between humans, we couldn't learn what the acceptable behaviors would be and that would lead us to develop poorly.
An example of early childhood development would be that my children in the classroom are always learning how to communicate, gauge others reactions to a specific event or occurrence or to even learn how to use proper intensive while eating. All these things are being modeled to them by myself and other teachers at my center. We try to pair with parents so that the kids aren't getting conflicting messages on the correct way to develop a skill or behavior but it's hard. I can attest to this by some of the things my own daughter says when she comes home that I know I would never teach her. "YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE TALKING ABOUT!" complete with finger wag is her newest thing. I think someone at school may have told her that, perhaps in jest? And she just picked it up and ran with it. That's not a social behavior that I would like and trying to break her of that is maddening. Especially if it is being enforced elsewhere.
As humans, we form bonds with other people that foster these social interactions whether they be positive or negative such as a teacher, peer, or parent. I think we need them to play roles in healthy (or unhealthy as the case may be) developmental milestones. We watch and learn from others need them to teach us how to speak (language), how to behave (social). Without having interactions between humans, we couldn't learn what the acceptable behaviors would be and that would lead us to develop poorly.
An example of early childhood development would be that my children in the classroom are always learning how to communicate, gauge others reactions to a specific event or occurrence or to even learn how to use proper intensive while eating. All these things are being modeled to them by myself and other teachers at my center. We try to pair with parents so that the kids aren't getting conflicting messages on the correct way to develop a skill or behavior but it's hard. I can attest to this by some of the things my own daughter says when she comes home that I know I would never teach her. "YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE TALKING ABOUT!" complete with finger wag is her newest thing. I think someone at school may have told her that, perhaps in jest? And she just picked it up and ran with it. That's not a social behavior that I would like and trying to break her of that is maddening. Especially if it is being enforced elsewhere.
Not only do I teach this on a daily basis and believe it is extremely important in your early years, I also believe that it doesn't stop there. I am constantly learning how to correctly interact with people on a social level, especially as I travel and interact with different cultures, and I am also developing cognitively (as I feel we all are) by expanding my horizons and coming to college. Without a doubt these skills are developed in early/ middle childhood but are honed throughout life.