John Locke
suggested that children come in to the world with nothing but a clean slate to
create and navigate their own life experiences. We learn from the environment
around us and have an unlimited potential for success. Children are in the
process of a continual developmental growth. By establishing a system of
rewards, and giving effective instructions and examples from parents, children
are able to be shaped through good role models and proper life experiences.
Children’s intelligence will gradually amount to that of a well-functioning
adult. Locke’s philosophy was nurture rather than nature. He believed
biological influences were not as prevalent in a child’s development as
exploration of the world around them. First-hand experiences are what frame a
child’s understanding of their environment. Locke theorized that this type of
growth in children leads to their ability to better adapt to their surroundings
as an adult. Also, this approach to development allows for children to enter
the world and be prepared to mold to any setting, culture, or disabilities they
may encounter. Children act out and explore in the way that they do simply
because they are curious about their surroundings. Locke’s theory of a child’s
passive development is
A child is
inherently good, in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s opinion. The changes a child goes
through are all based on the notion that they entered this world with a strong
knowledge of right and wrong. Parents, teachers, and guardians only tamper with
a child’s built-in sense of morals. A child has a unique, pure way of thinking
that stand only to be tarnished by disciplinary interactions with adults. There
are certain milestones that children reach that are symbols of their
developmental progression, theorized Rousseau. Along with this, Rousseau
believed that a child’s maturation was “naturally unfolding,” yet genetically
decisive; a balance of both nature and nurture.
He argued children are not set up to be successful or disastrous, rather
they choose their own destiny or path in life.
Piaget’s
Cognitive-Developmental Theory acknowledges that their ever-changing brain
limits a child’s understanding of the world around them. The developments that
take place years after birth are crucial in shaping the child’s future and view
on people, objects, and places. Due to Piaget’s beginnings in the biology
field, he was able to better understand that the mind is always adapting and
learning. He made the case that one’s initial view of the world is only
temporary until we are able to accommodate for the aspects of the world we
don’t understand. This is a cycle of learning and realization that occurs well
into young adulthood. Each stage of Piaget’s theory is a new level of
competence. He argued that these stages are biologically based however require
the correct environment to foster such growth. A child is not born naturally
good or empty, said Piaget; he simply is born with the capabilities needed to
learn fundamental facets of life.
The behaviors of
newborns, toddlers, and young adults are merely an expression of his or her
cognitive development. Piaget was able to separate the developmental turning
points into four main stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete
operational, and formal operational. At each stage we acquire new pieces of
knowledge such as object permanence, class-systems, and mental representation,
which allow us to navigate the world to the best of our ability. Through this, Piaget
was able to make sense of the timeline that is child development. Our capability
to process new information as we get older is important for us to be able to
reason, problem solve, speak, write, and interact with all of the people,
situations, and environments we encounter.
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