Educ
Educ
What are the effects of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine on the developing embryo/
Lesson 1 : Pre-Natal Period fetus?
In unit, module 1 you met Naschille and Kenn. You were asked what they were before they
have become what and who they are at present. This is the concern of this lesson pre- Human life begins at conception
natal or antenatal development. An unborn baby of 8 weeks is not essentially different form one of 18 weeks or 28 weeks.
From conception the zygote, the embryo and fetus are undeniably human life.
Life Before Birth Human life begins form the moment of conception. All that we have and all that we are
The development of the unborn child have been there at the moment of conception@ The fact that you have brown eyes and
Abortion advocates try to dehumanize the developing baby in the womb by speaking black, straight or curly hair and the fact that you will turn bald at age 50 have been there
of the child as “a blob of tissue” or “uterine contents.” But ultra-sound images, prenatal already at the moment of conception. What were added in the process of development is
surgery and other advance in obstetrics are shattering the blob-of-tissue myth. nutrition.
Dr. Paul Rockwell, a New York physician, made these profound observations after his “The Silent Scream.” The mother submitted herself to a medical doctor for abortion in her
profound encounter with a tiny unborn baby boy: “Eleven years ago while I was giving an third month of pregnancy. When the abortionist inserted his scalpel Into the woman’s womb
anesthetic for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy (at two months gestation), I was handled what to crush the head of the fetus, very clearly in that film, the fetus had his/her mouth open
I believe was the smallest living human ever seen. The embryo sac was a tiny human male like he was screaming for help as he evaded the deadly scalpel of the abortionist. That’s
swimming extremely vigorously in the amniotic fluid, while attached to the wall by the why the film was given the title “The Silent Scream”. This only means that the developing
umbilical cord. being in the womb is a human being not just a conglomeration of cells or tissues.
This tiny human was perfectly developed, with long, tapering fingers, feet and toes. It Based on these facts, it is wrong to do abortion. The womb is supposed to be safest of
was transparent, as regards the skin, and the delicate arteries and veins were prominent to all places for human development. Unfortunately, however, with the scourge of abortion, it
the ends of the Fingers. “The baby was extremely alive and swam about the sac has become a tomb!
approximately on time per second, with a natural swimmer’s stroke. This tiny human did
not look all like the photos and drawings and models of ‘embryos’ which I have seen, nor The development that takes place 3 stages proves that the developing embryo in a
did it look like a few embryos I have been able to observe since then, obviously because mother’s womb is truly a human being.
this one was alive.
“When the sac was opened, the tiny human immediately lost its life and took on the The Stages of Pre-natal Development
appearance of what is accepted as the appearance of an embryo at this stage (blunt It may be good to watch the on High Tech Photographs of Fatal development/ Pro-life
extremities, etc.) Anti-abortion at YouTube before you read these notes on stages of pre-natal development.
It is my opinion that if the lawmakers and people realize that this very vigorous life is 1) Germinal Period (First 2 week after conception) –
present, it is possible that abortion would be found more objectionable than euthanasia.” a) creation of the zygote
The point at which Dr. Rockwell witnessed this unborn baby- eight weeks after b) continued cell division and
conception- is during the period that a majority of abortionists describe as most as c) the attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall.
desirable for performing an abortion. The following are the details of development during this period:
a. 24 to 30 hours after fertilization – the male (sperm) and female (egg)
Analysis
chromosome unite
1. Is it more reasonable to believe that which is developing in the mother’s womb is b. 36 hours-the fertilized ovum, zygote, divides into two (2); 2 cells
human being?
c. 48 hours (2days) – 2 cell become 4 cells
2. What are proofs that which is developing in the mother’s womb is a living human
being?
d. 72 hours (3days) – 4 cells become a small compact ball of 16-32 cells
3. Has any realization for, today’s discussion changed your stand on abortion? e. 96 hours (4days) – hollow ball of 64-128 cells
Explain your answer. f. 4-5 days – inner cell mass (blastocyst) still free in the uterus
g. 6-7 days – blastocyst attaches to the wall of uterus 3) Fetal Period (2 months to 7 months after conception) – Growth and development
h. 11-15 days – blastocyst invades into uterine wall and becomes implanted continue dramatically during this period. The details of the developmental process
in it (implantation) are as follow (Santrock 2002):
a. 3 months after conception – fetus is about 3 inches long and weigh about
- the differentiation of cells already begins as inner and outer layers of the organism are 1 ounce; fetus has become active, moves its arms and legs, opens and
formed. closes its mouth, and moves its head; the face, forehead, eyelids, nose,
- blastocyst, the inner layer of cells that develops during the germinal period, develops chin can now be distinguished and also the upper arms lower arms,
later into the embryo. hands, and lower limbs; the genitals can now be identifies as male or
- trophoblast, the outer layer of cells that develops also during the germinal period, female.
later provides nutrition and support for the embryo (Nelson, Textbook of Paediatrics, b. 4 months after conception- fetus is about 6 inches long and weighs 4 to 7
17th ed., 2004). ounces; growth spurt occurs in the body’s lower parts; pre-natal reflexes
are stronger; mother feels arm and leg movements for the first time.
2) Embryonic Period (2-8 weeks after conception) – the name of the cells, zygote, c. 5 months after conception – fetus is about 12 inches long; weighs close to
become embryo. The following development take place: pound; structures of skin (fingernails, toenails) have formed; fetus is more
a. cell differentiation intensifies active.
b. life-support systems for the embryo develop and d. 6 months after conception – fetus is about 14 inches long and weighs one
c. organs appear and half pound; eyes and eyelids are completely formed; fine layer of
head covers the head; grasping reflex is present and irregular movements
occur.
As the zygote gets attached to the wall of the uterus, two layers of cell are formed.
e. 7 months after conception – fetus is about 16 inches long and weighs 3
The embryo’s endoderm - the inner layer of cells, develops into the digestive and
pounds
respiratory systems.
The outer layer of cells is divided into two parts: f. 8 and 9 months after conception – fetus grows longer and gains
substantial weight, about 4 ponds
1. ectoderm - is the outermost layer which becomes the nervous system, sensory
receptors (eyes, ears, nose) and skin parts (nails, hair).
2. Mesoderm - middle layer which becomes the circulatory, skeletal, muscular,
excretory and reproductive systems. This process of organ formation during the two Teratology and Hazards to Prenatal Development
months of pre-natal development is organogenesis. Teratology - field that investigates the causes of congenital (birth) defects. A teratogen is
that which courses birth defects. It comes from the Greek word “tera” which means
As the three layers of the embryo form, the support systems for the embryo develop “monster”.
rapidly. These life-support systems are the placenta, the umbilical cord and the amnion.
1. placenta - life-support systems that consist of a disk-shaped group of tissues in which Below are clusters of hazards to pre-natal development:
small blood vessels from the mother and the offspring intertwine nut do not join. 1. Prescription and non-prescription drugs- These include prescription as well as non-
2. umbilical cord contains two arteries and one vein that connect the baby to the prescription drugs. Antibiotic is an example of a prescription drug that can be harmful.
placenta. Examples of harmful non-prescription drugs are diet pills, aspirin, and coffee.
3. amnion is a bag or an envelope that contains a clear fluid in which the developing Remember the thalidomide tragedy in 1961? Many pregnant women took in, a
embryo floats. All these embryo life-support systems develop from the fertilized and not tranquilizer, to alleviate their morning sickness that gave rise to several deformed babies.
from the mother’s body. Cocaine exposure during pre-natal development is associated with reduced birth weight,
length and head circumference (Hurt, et al, 1999 cited by Santrock, 2002), impaired motor
development (Arendt, et al, 1999 cited by Santrock, 2002) impaired – information
processing (Singer et al, 1999 cited by Santrock, 2002) and poor attention skills This also applies in the first months after birth as shown in the earlier maturation of
(Bandstra, 2000 cited by Santrock, 2002) muscular control of the trunk and arms, followed by that of the hands and fingers. When
referring to motor skills from the center of the body outward.
2. Psychoactive drugs – These include nicotine, caffeine and illegal drugs such as
marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Height and Weight
Researchers found that pregnant women who drank more caffeinated coffee were more • It’s normal for newborn babies to drop 5 to 10 percent of their body weight within a
likely to have preterm deliveries and new-borns with lower birthweight compared to their couple of weeks of birth. That is due to the baby’s adjustment to neonatal feeding.
counter-parts who did not drink caffeinated coffee (Eskanazi, et al, 1999 quoted by Once they adjust to sucking, swallowing and digesting, they grow rapidly.
Santrock, 20020). • Breastfed babies are typically heavier than bottle-fed babies through the first six
months. After six months, breastfed babies usually weigh less than bottle-fed
3. Environmental hazards – These include radiation in jobsites and X-rays, babies.
environmental pollutants, toxic wastes, and prolonged exposure to heat in saunas and • In general, an infant’s increases by about 30 percent in the first five months.
bath tubs. • A baby’s weight usually triples during the first year but slows down in the second
Research found that chromosomal abnormalities are higher among the offspring of year of life.
fathers exposed to high levels of radiation in their occupations (Schrag and Dixon, 1985
• Low percentages are not a cause for alarm as long as infants progress along a
cited by Santrock, 2002). Radiation from X-rays also affect the developing embryo and
natural curve of steady development.
fetus, with the most dangerous time being the first several weeks after conception when
women do not yet know that they are (Santrock, 2002)
Brain Development
Among the most dramatic changes in the brain in the first two years of life are the
4. Other maternal factors such as Rubella (German Measles), syphilis, genital helpers,
spreading connections of dendrites to each other. Remember the neurons,
AIDS, nutrition, high anxiety and stress, age, (too early or too late, beyond 30)
dendrites, axon, and synapses? You discussed them in your General Psychology
A rubella (German measles) in 1964-65 resulted in 30,000 pre-natal and neonatal class. (You may wish to review on them.)
(newborn) deaths and more than 20,000 affected infants were born with malformations,
including mental retardation, Blindness, deafness, and heart problems (Santrock, 2002).
Myelination or myelinization, the process by which the axons are covered and
insulted by layers of fat cells, begins prenatally and continues after birth. The
process of myelination or myelinization increase the speed at which information
Lesson 2 : Infancy and Toddlerhood travels the nervous system.
We shall continue to trace the developmental process by following the infant or the At birth, the newborn’s brain is about 25 percent of its adult weight. By the
baby who is just born up to when he reaches age 2. The period that comes after pre-natal second birthday, the brain is about 75% of its adult weight.
or antenatal stage is infancy which, in turn, is followed by toddlerhood. Infancy and
Shortly after birth, a baby’s brain produces trillions more connections
toddlerhood span the first two years of life.
between neurons than it can possibly use. The brain eliminates
connections that are seldom or never used (Santrock, 2002). The infants’
Cephalocaudal and Proximodistal Patterns brain is literally waiting for experiences to determine how connections are
Cephalocaudal trend - the postnatal growth from conception to 5 months when the head made.
grows more than the body. This Cephalocaudal trend of growth that applies to the A study on rats conducted by Mark Rosenweig in 1960 revealed that the
development of the fetus also applies in the first months after birth. The same pattern brains of rats that grew u in the enriched environment developed better
occurs in the head area because the top parts such as the jaw. than the brains of animals reared in standard or isolated conditions. The
The Proximodistal trend is the pre-natal growth from 5 months to birth when the fetus brains of the ‘enriched’ animals weighed more, had thicker layers, had
grown from the inside of the body outwards. more neuronal connections and had higher levels of neurochemical
activity. Such finding implies that enriching the lives of infants who lives in
impoverished environments can produce positive changes in their
development (Santrock, 2002). Tonic Neck Reflex: The tonic neck reflex is demonstrated in infants who are
Depressed brain activity has been found in children who grew up in a depresses placed on their abdomens. whichever side the child’s head is facing, the limbs on
environment (Circhetti, 2001, cited by Santrock, 2002). that side will straighten, while the opposite limbs will curl .
Reflexes It is always a source of excitement for parents to witness dramatic changes in the infants
• The newborn has some basic reflexes which are, of course automatic, and serve first year of life. This dramatic motor development is shown in babies unable to even lift
as survival mechanisms before they have the opportunity to learn. Many reflexes dramatic motor development is shown in babies unable to even lift their heads to being
which are present at birth will generally subside within a few months as the baby able to grab things off the cabinet, to chase the ball and to walk away from parent.
grows and matures.
• There are many different reflexes. Some of the most common reflexes that babies
have are:
Sucking Reflex: The sucking reflex is initiated when something touches the roof of
an infant’s mouth. Infants have a strong sucking reflex which helps to ensure they
can latch unto a bottle or breast. They sucking reflex is very strong in some infants
and they may need to suck on a pacifier for comfort.
Rooting Reflex: The rooting reflex is most evident when an infant’s cheek is
Age Developmental milestones
stroked. The baby responds by turning his or her head in the direction of the touch
and opening their mouth for feeding.
Gripping Reflex: Babies will grasp anything that is placed in their palm. The
strength of this grip is strong, and most babies can support their entire weight in • Rolls over front to back and back to front
0-6 months
their grip. • Sits with support and then independently
Curling Reflex: When the inner sole of a baby’s foot is stroked, the infant respond
by curling his or her toes. When the outer sole of a baby’s foot is stroked, the infant
will respond by spreading out their toes.
6-12 months • Crawls forwards on belly
Startle/ Moro Reflex: Infants will respond to sudden sounds or movements by • Assumes a seated position unaided
throwing their arms and legs out, and throwing their heads back. Most infants will • Creeps on hands and knees
usually cry startled and proceed to pull their limbs into their bodies. • Transitions into different positions: sitting, all fours, lying on tummy
• Pulls self to stand
Galant Reflex: The gallant reflex is shown when an infant’s middle or lower back is • Walks while holding onto furniture
stroked next to the spinal cord. The baby will respond by curving this or her body • Takes 2-3 steps without support
toward the side which is being stroked.
• Rolls a ball in imitation of an adult
3-year-olds
a. Encourage development of hand-eye coordination by providing large buttons or old Preschoolers’ Symbolic and Intuitive Thinking
beads to string on a shoe lace.
The next sub-stage in Piaget's Preoperational cognitive development stage is the Intuitive
b. Play ball. Show children how to throw, catch, and kick balls of different sizes. Thought sub-stage, which spans ages 4-7 years. Children in this substage of development
c. Show children how to hop like a rabbit, tiptoe like a bird, waddle like a duck, slither learn by asking questions such as, "Why?" and "How come?" Piaget labeled this "intuitive
like a snake, and run like a deer. thought" because he believed that children at this stage tend to be so certain of their
knowledge and understanding that they are unaware of how they gained this knowledge in
4 year-olds the first place (i.e., knowing by intuition).
a. Encourage physical development. Play follows the leader. Pretend to walk like
various animals. Piaget also suggested that Intuitive Thinking children show a style of thinking he called
b. Set up an obstacle course indoors with challenges such as crawling, climbing, "Centration". These children typically hone in on one characteristic of someone or
leaping, balancing and running across stepping stones. something, and base their decisions or judgment on that one characteristic (rather than
c. Encourage walking with a beanbag on the head considering multiple characteristics). For example, a 4 yr. old who was asked to put blocks
into groups might focus his or her attention on the color of the blocks instead of the shape
or the material from which they are constructed. De-centering, combined with the concept
5 year-olds
of conservation (described above) are prerequisites to more sophisticated logical thinking
a. Encourage body coordination and sense of balance by playing “Follow the Leader” abilities.
with skipping, galloping and hopping. Skip or jump rope to music, teach folk Children in the Intuitive Thought substage also show many advances in cognitive skills.
dances and games, provide a balance beam, a tree for climbing, and a knotted For example, young children shift from depending on magical beliefs to using rational
rope suspended from a sturdy frame. beliefs to explain situations or events that they haven't encountered before. Very young
b. Teach sack-walking and “twist-em” “statue,” or “freeze” games to provide an outlet children may explain that a new house "grew out of the ground," while older children
for their drive for physical activity. understand that human beings put boards, bricks, and other materials together to build it.
c. Play games that can teach right and left directions, like ‘Hokey-Pokey,” and
“Looby-Loo” and “Simon Says”. According to Piaget, young children go through two distinct phases or sub-stages in
cognitive development during this stage. First, they develop Symbolic Function between
the ages of 2 and 4. During the Symbolic Function sub-stage, children master the ability to
picture, remember, understand, and replicate objects in their minds that are not
Lesson 6 : Cognitive Development of Preschoolers immediately in front of them. In other words, children can create mental images of objects
and store them in their minds for later use.
Before this period, during the Sensorimotor stage, infants and toddlers understood their
Someone once wrote in his journal: “Childhood is a world of miracle and wonder; as if world as containing only what they were immediately experiencing and nothing else.
creation rose, bathed in light, out of darkness, utterly new, fresh and astonishing. The end According to Piaget, if a toddler was playing with a kitten and it left his line of vision, the
of childhood is when things cease to astonish us. When the world seems familiar, when child would be unable to create a mental picture of that kitten. To the toddler, the idea of
one has got used to existence, one has become an adult.” the kitten (and therefore the kitten itself) would no longer exist. Young children who have
developed Symbolic Function can draw a picture of or pretend to play with a kitten that is
no longer there.
These new cognitive abilities are helpful to young children's everyday experience. For Language and Social Interaction
example, children can talk about people who are traveling, or who live somewhere else,
like Grandma in Florida. They can also talk about or draw places they visited, as well as Vygotsky believed that young children use language both to communicate socially and
create new scenes and creatures from their imagination. Children can also use their to plan, guide and monitor their behavior in a self-regulatory fashion – called inner speech
mental images of things to "play school" or to "play house." or private speech (Santrock, 2002).
For Piaget, private speech is egocentric and immature, but for Vygotsky it is an
important tool of thought during early childhood. Full cognitive development requires social
Brain Connections in the Preschool Years interaction and language. Children must use language to communicate with others before
Because of fascinating developments in neuroscience, brain developments of young they can focus on their own thoughts (Santrock, 20020).
children have been of great interest to the field of early childhood. Brain research findings Vygotsky asserted that preschool children are unable to achieve their highest cognitive
point us to more effective ways to care for and teach preschoolers. From science lessons development (language development included) on their own and that they can improve
you had in high school or even elementary, you will remember that occur brain composed their cognitive development through use of scaffolding form more-skilled children and
of numerous cell called neurons that connect to each other to functions. cells connections adults. He introduced the term Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to refers to tasks
are what we call synapses, sometimes also referred to as synaptic connections. Did you too difficult for a child to master alone but can be mastered with the guidance and
know that? assistance of adults or more skilled children (Santrock, 2002).
• The human brain contains some 50 billion neurons at birth Closely linked to the idea of ZPD in cognitive and language development is the
concept of scaffolding, a term that refers to the “changing support over the course of
• By age 2, children have developed half of the brain cell connections that will be made teaching session, with the more skilled person adjusting guidance to fit child’s current
during one’s lifetime performance level” (Santrock, 2002). The more skilled person is also called More
Knowledgeable Other (MKO). Can you think of ways of scaffolding preschoolers to help
• Around 6 years of age the brain develops for more sophisticated thing pattern them reach optimum cognitive and language development development? Information
Processing Theory- attention and Memory
Language Development The information Processing model is another way of examining and understanding how
children develop cognitively. This model conceptualizes children’s mental processes
Young children’s understanding sometimes gets ahead of their speech. As children for through the metaphor of a computer processing, encoding, storing, and decoding data.
through early childhood, their grasp of the rules of language increases (morphology,
semantics, and pragmatics). The preschoolers’ attention span lasts longer than that of toddler. The child’s ability to pay
attention changes significantly during the preschooler years.
Symbolic thinking involves language, literacy and dramatic play. Children rapidly
conclude that sounds link together to make words and words represent ideas, people and The Young Children’s Theory of Mind
things. Throughout the preschool years, children’s language development becomes
increasingly complex in the four main areas: phonology (speech sounds, semantic (word Theory of mind refers to individuals’ thoughts about how mental processes work
meaning), syntax (sentence construction), and pragmatics (conversation or social uses of (Santrock, 2002).
language). A they advance in age and as they continuously interact with people, preschool By the age of 2 or 3, children become aware that the mind exists. They refer to needs,
children expand rapidly in their vocabulary through fast mapping, a process by which emotions, and mental states. When a preschool child says, “ I forgot my doll.” “I want my
children absorb the meaning of a new word after hearing it once or twice in conversation. ice cream” – these imply that he/she is aware that a mind exists. Cognitive terms such as
Preschool children combine syllables into words and words into sentences in an know, remember, and think usually appear after perceptual and emotional terms, but are
increasingly sophisticated manner. used by age 3 (Santrock, 2002).
How do children manage to develop a theory of mind at such a young age? Various • Matches identical lower letters 37-48 months: 3-4 years old
speculations and research findings suggest that social experience is very important. Social
experience includes 1) early forms of communication, 2) imitation, 3) make-believe play, 4) • Copies simple patterns with 2 or more attributes (e.g., color, shape, sequence)
language, and 5) social interaction. (Preschoolers cognitive Development, 2007). and continues this without guidance
31-36 months: 2-1/2 to 3 years old Learning about how preschoolers think and learn, one will realize that parents and
teachers can do a lot either to help preschoolers develop their cognitive skills or impede
• Matches identical objects with 2 attributes (e.g., color & shape) them.
• Matches identical upper case letters
Below are some appropriate practices that help develop the cognitive skills of 2 Ask 5-year-olds to tell you a story. Write it down and post it on the wall or
preschoolers. (adapted from a list of tips for caregivers and teachers by Lesia Oesterreich, refrigerator. You can also record the telling the story and let him listen to himself
M.S., Family Life Extension Specialist, Human development and family studies, lowa state later.
University)
3 Ask “what if” questions. What if there were 5 little pigs instead of 3? What if Little
Red Riding Good saw a rabbit instead of a wolf?
For three year-olds 4 Involve children in writing “thank you” notes, holiday greeting cards and letters. If
a 5-yer-old enjoys copying letters, let him dictate a short message to you and
1 Speak with children as often as possible. Use short sentences, ask questions, and copy it from your writing.
listen.
2 Add new information to your children’s sentences. “Yes that’s a flower- it a tall, red
flower and it smells so good”
3 Teach children to memorize first and last names. Lesson 7: Socio-Emotional Development of the Preschoolers
4 Provide books for children to read and read the same books to them. Rad poetry Socio-emotional development is crucial in the preschool years. We hear a lot of parents
and rhymes. Encourage a child to repeat a story and discuss the ideas and and teachers and preschool administrators say that attending preschool is more for
events. Read titles and point to important words on pages packages, and street “socialization” than for formal academic learning. There is wisdom in this. During the
signs. preschool years, children learn about their ever widening environment (Remember lesson
on Bronfenbrenner?) Preschoolers’ now discover their new roles outside their home. They
For four-year-olds become interested to assert themselves as they relate with other people. A lot very
important social skills they will learn during the preschool years will help them throughout
1 Read aloud each day and encourage children to look at books on their own.
life as adults. These skills can even determine the individual’s later social adjustment and
Provide alternative reading material with a collection of outdated coupons, junk
consequent quality of relationship in adult life.
mail, newspaper ads, and old cereal boxes.
2 Say nursery rhymes and fingerplays together. Encourage 4-year-olds to tell stories
to younger children. Abstraction/ Generalization
3 Encourage interest in writing and words. Provide children with paper and The observation you did provided you a glimpse of the worlds of preschoolers. You were
notebooks for writing. Print letters and numerals on art work, and label toy shelves once in that world of wonder and fascination. Read through this lesson and you will surely
with pictures and words that describe objects. understand more why they manifested the social behaviors that you have observed.
4 Teach important number and space concepts. Sort and count everything in sight, Big Ideas on Preschoolers’ Socio-emotional Development 1
like silverware, socks rocks, leaves, etc. Talk about things being in on, under,
The development of initiative is crucial to the preschooler.
behind, beside, before and after, larger than, to far, etc. For five-year-olds
1 Add drama to your reading sessions each day using different voices for different 2 A healthy self-concept is needed for preschoolers to interact with others.
characters. While reading a familiar story, stop before the end and ask children to 3 Environmental factors influence gender identity in young children.
add their own end to the story.
4 Preschoolers’ social development is shown through the stages of play.
5 The care-giving styles of parents and teachers affects the preschoolers’ socio- Self-concept refers to the way one sees himself, a general view about one’s abilities,
emotional development. strengths and weaknesses. The preschooler’s self-concept mainly focuses on observable
characteristics and his/her usual beliefs, emotions and attitudes. One will hear a
6 Preschoolers are interested in building friendships. preschooler say, “Kaya ko na! (I can do it) “ako lang nagsuot ng shoes ko.” (I wore my
shoes all by myself.) An important aspect of self-concept is self-esteem, which are
naturally positive. Usually they will tend to evaluate their skills high and underestimate the
Preschoolers’ Initiative task. They are confident to try again even if they don’t succeed with something.
Erikson’s view of initiative aptly portrays the emotional and social changes happen during
the preschool years. As discussed in lesson, Preschoolers deal with the psychological
Environmental Factors and Gender in the Preschoolers’ Socio-emotional
conflict of initiative versus guilt. Erikson believed that healthy preschoolers develop
initiative, the tendency of preschoolers to want to take action and assert themselves. They Development
will yearn to create, invent, pretend, take risks and engage in lively and imaginative A the preschooler’s ability to create schemas develop, they become capable of gender
activities with peers. When parents, teachers and other adults support these attempts and typing, the process of forming gender roles, gender-based preferences and behaviors
provide a stimulating environment, the preschoolers will develop guilt. accepted by society. They come to form gender stereotypes. Preschoolers begin to
As preschoolers to through the conflict of initiative vs. guilt, they show so much energy in associate certain things like toys, tools, games, clothes, jobs, colors, or even actions or
doing imaginative play activities. Every place becomes a playground to explore, every behaviors as being “only for boys” or “only for girls.” Consequently, they form their own
single thing an interesting piece to tinkers with. Adult sometimes get exasperated over this gender identity, the view of oneself as being masculine or feminine.
behavior and begin to see the preschoolers as naughty or “Makulit”. Some parents and Gender typing and gender identity are influenced by environmental factors such as the
teachers then become overly restrictive, resorting to threats, intimidation and other scary family, teachers, peers and the mass media. This is where Bronfenbrenner’s model comes
tactics that disrespect the preschooler just to establish “control”. Consequently, the child into play. Different spheres of influence determine the preschooler’s development of a
may develop excessive guilt. Although a good amount of guilt helps in making children gender schema.
take responsibility for their behavior, excessive guilt hampers motional growth.
Mass media and ICT which include television, movies, the internet, computer games also
Preschoolers who are always punished and criticized end up constructing a view of offer various images of what it means to be a boy or girl. In the US, there is growing debate
themselves as being “salbahe” (bad) “bobo” (dumb) or even “walang kwenta” (worthless). about Lesbian-Gay-Bi-Sexual-Transgender issues which is collectively known as LGBT
This is sad because childhood years should be happy years. One poster says, “You don’t issues. Schools are in a tight situation or have to do “Balancing act” on how to deal with
have to hit to hurt.” these issues with children so that schools are still able to be on the side of respect for
diversity without necessarily confusing children who are at a stage of forming their own
The key thing to remember is to apply “judicious permisssiveness.” This involves gender schemas.
settings realistic boundaries that keeps preschoolers safe and respectful of self and others,
while allowing them greater opportunity to explore, take ricks and to engage in creative Preschool teachers should think thoroughly on how to present notions of what boys and
processes. Preschoolers will develop a healthy sense of initiative in an affirming girls can do especially in the discussion about occupations or community helpers.
encouraging and stimulating environment.
Friendships in Preschool
Authoritarian Negligent
As they continue to grow, preschoolers become interested in having friends. This should
be encouraged in the preschool years as friendship benefit the preschoolers development high demandingness/ low demandingness/
by providing stimulation, assistance, companionship, social comparison and affection low responsiveness low responsiveness
(Kostelnik, 2010). Through friendship, preschooler are able to practice different social roles
like being a leader, a follower, someone who takes risks and someone who helps out and
comforts. Friendships are very important because they provide added sense of
belongingness and security. In the preschool years, parents and teachers must expose
children to experiences that help them learn skills in establishing friendship, maintaining
positive relationship and resolving conflicts. Parents and teachers, when seeing
preschoolers in a “fight”, should not just say “Tama na..ano bay an.. isa pa ha.. Tama na,
friends na kayo..Say sorry na.,” Responses like those do not foster social skills among
preschoolers. Parents and teachers need to take time and process with children how to
resolve conflicts.
Caregiving Styles
Caregiving styles affect the socio-emotional development of the children. Caregivers here
after to both parents and teachers and even others adults that care for the Childs.
Baumrind gave a model that describes the different types of caregiving styles. This was
based on a longitudinal study that looked into the adult authority and the development of
children that Baumrind conducted which began in the 1960’s. Decades later she identified
varying degrees of demandingness and responsiveness as determinants of four styles of
caregiving. Marion (2007) expounded on these determining factors.
Responsiveness refers to caregiver behavior that pertain to expression of affection and
communication. It refers to how warm, caring and respectful the adults to the child. It
Caregiving Style Description Effect on the preschooler Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles
• Expresses what he/she dislikes • Can give reasons or justify why he/she acted the way he/she fid Forming
• Can talk about feeling (e.g., anger, sadness, worry) he/she experiences Self- Attachments
regulations of feelings/emotion • Shows preference for the company of significant adults and children (other than
the primary caregiver) over unfamiliar adults and children
• Willing to try something in order to learn more even if unsure of a successful
outcome Interactions with Other Children
• Preservers when faced with challenging or new tasks • Plays with 2 or 3 children using the same play equipment
• Accepts brief delays in gratification • Participates in games with other children but plays in his own way
• Accepts defeats well; is not a sore loser • Chat/converses with other children
• May have some fears but is not overly fearful, anxious or depressed. • Takes turns and shares toys with others
Display of Self-Appraisal Emotions (shame, pride, guilt0 • Actively participates in classroom and group routines
• Plays to learn a game • Plays organized Group games fairly
• Plays to gain mastery of a game
• Shows pleasure and enjoyment over his/her successful attempts or efforts Interaction with Adults 36
• Confidently joins small groups especially if situation is competitive Seeks - 48 months
assistance from an adult or child to solve a problem
• Verbalizes feelings related to event that arise in classroom, home and environment
in a positive way
Receptivity of Other’s Emotion Receptivity to emotions and having empathy 37-48 • Speaks respectfully with adults using “po” and “opo” and/or appropriate titles
months Recognizes the importance of adult’s ideas and experiences by listening and
asking questions when they share theses
• Feels others’ distress and acts appropriately (e.g., helps, comforts, gives,
suggestions, etc.) • Clarifies rules and routines before abiding by them
• Shares personal perspective when he/she does not agree with or see that value of 7 Help children understand and cope use to express how they feel. “I can see you
a rule or routine are SAD about your pet, ANGRY at your sister…”
• Can take on another person’s viewpoint 8 Use dolls, puppets or pictures to demonstrate to children how to express feelings
appropriately.
Pakiramdam (Sensitivity)
9 Acknowledge how the child feels. For example. One can say, “Nalulungkot ka dahil
• Knows when to stop asking questions or when he is being “makulit” hindi ka nakasama sa party.” (You seem sad that you did not go the party). When
• Cooperates to minimize conflict or tension Appreciating Diversity we do this, we are able to model to the preschoolers that is important to listen and
that having feelings, even negative ones, are okay.
• Asks questions that indicate he/she notices differences in socio-economic status
10 Catch children doing good. Affirm the efforts they make to accomplish something.
• Asks questions about new/different words (dialects) and practices in the community Be specific in your praise. Do not just sat, “Good job’ or “Very good”. Instead, say,
“When I saw you pack-away your toys, I felt really happy. Remember to always
• Talks about gender differences and roles pack-away.”
• Regards everyone respectfully, using proper titles/labels and does not resort to
11 Read Storybooks that deals about friendships
name-calling
12 For teachers, develop routines that encourage working together and getting along.
• Willing to make friends with other children and adults In different situations and
locations (e.g., schools, neighborhood)