Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood.

In this Chapter, we take up three perspectives on early cognitive development: "Piaget's cognitive developmental theory, information processing, and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. This chapter is when we look at the beginnings  of language. This stage is see how toddlers first words build on cognitive achievements and how, very soon, new words and expressions greatly increase the speed and flexibility of thinking. 

1. One significant learning I wanted to mention for this chapter is the social issues of education. This  issue tells the us that the first two years of a child's life, they already have a video deficit effect. This effect is when babies have a difficult time distinguishing whether or not they are watching a movie/video or if they are looking at something in real life. Children first become TV and video viewers in early infancy, as they are exposed to programs watched by parents and older siblings or to shows aimed at baby viewers such as Barney, Baby Einstein or Dora. Initially, infants respond to videos of people as if viewing people directly - smiling, moving their arms and legs, and (by 6 months) imitating actions of a televised adult. Toddlers continue to have difficulty applying what they see on video to real situations. Responds to videos of people as if viewing people directly- smiling moving their arms and legs. Discount information on video because people do not look for converse with them directly as caregivers do. The best way to teach as a tool when it is rich in social cues, close-ups and who is directly at the camera. 

2. The concepts that apply to the learner is that without address this problem it will definitely be a huge issue. One of the things I am afraid of when I become a teacher is I don't want my students to be confused with communicating in real life and communicating through movies or videos. I know that technology has been evolving drastically, and of course many teachers today and future teachers will be using sites like "Youtube" to incorporate in their lessons with teaching. I don't want students to be relying on movies and videos too much because students might lack social interaction. I want my students to learn that communicating face-to-face with other kids is more important than watching and interacting with Barney or Dora. I want my students to interact with one another because this will build their future confidence and as social as they can be.  

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood. This chapter traces physical growth during the first two years - one of the most remarkable and busiest times of development. We will see how rapid changes in the infant's body and brain support learning, motor skills, and perceptual capacities.

1. One significant learning I wanted to point out for this chapter is the Influences on Early Physical Growth. Physical growth, like other aspects of development, results from the continuous and complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Heredity, nutrition, and emotional well-being all affect early physical growth. First factor is Heredity. The example I wanted to give for this is having poor diet and health. I believe that when a baby is in the mothers womb, the baby is affected to what the mother is eating and not eating. For instance, a friend of mine was not eating the right kind of foods while she was pregnant. Instead of having a nine month pregnancy, she had a six month pregnancy. Her baby became premature because of the lack of nutrition she was consuming. Note: genetic makeup also affects body weight: The weights of adopted children correlate more strongly with those of their biological than their adoptive parents. The second factor is Nutrition. It is especially crucial for development in the first two years because the baby's brain and body are growing so rapidly. The book says that babies need extra calories to keep rapidly developing organs functioning properly. (Trahms & Pipes, 1997). An example of this is breastfeeding, it is something that all mothers look forward to after giving birth because this is the first time their babies will receive the correct nutrition. Breastfeeding has many benefits, babies in poverty stricken regions are much less likely to be malnourished and 6 to 14 times more to survive the first year of life. Breastfeeding is better than the formula milk because the milk is coming directly straight to the mother herself. Lastly, emotional well-being. We may not think of affection and stimulation as necessary for healthy physical growth, but they are just as vital as food. "Nonorganic failure to thrive, a growth disorder resulting from lack of parental love, is usually present by 18 months of age." (Black, 2005). I believe that the mother should be hands on to their new born babies. More hands on than ever because even though babies are not well developed, they can/need to warmth of their mothers or even fathers. 

2. These concepts are important and will apply to the learner because physical growth, like other aspects of development, results from the continuous and complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. I believe that without knowing these high risk factors as an incoming parent(s), a child might be affected undeveloped conditions. Even just eating healthy during pregnancy so that the baby will come out of the mother's womb healthy. Without the proper nutrition during pregnancy and even after pregnancy,  a child might not have proper cognitive development. I wanted to share my experience with one of my close friends. One of my closest friends was pregnant during the time of senior year of High School. I mentioned a little of her in the first paragraph. She had no idea that she was pregnancy and with all the upcoming events during senior year, she was also stressed. Her other half was not being supportive so this made her stressed even more. During her sixth month of pregnancy, she gave birth at 6 months which was of course unhealthy for the baby. The baby turned out to be only 2 pounds and was very tiny. The baby almost didn't make it.. It was not a pleasant experience. I believed this caused her pregnancy to be short, because she was super stressed by school and her other half. I also forgot to mention, the place she was residing in was not a good environment. In conclusion, when the mother is not taking care of her body, she will likely have a miscarriage and the baby will not be developed fully. 

Chapter 3

 Chapter 3 Prenatal Development, Birth and the Newborn Baby. This chapter talks about the beginning stages of the baby. This chapter talks about the stages of a mother being healthy, the safety precautions of the environment and the stages of birth.
1. One significant learning I wanted to point out are the early stages of pregnancy. I want to point out the period prenatal development. These development includes, Zygote which is 2 weeks in, the Embryo, 6 weeks in and lastly the Fetus which is about 30 weeks into the pregnancy. The embryo is the most critical stage in the stage of a woman's pregnancy because this is where the primitive brain and spinal cord appear. Heart, muscles, ribs, backbone, and digestive tract begin to develop. This stage has a higher risk of miscarriage. This is the most dangerous time for mother and baby because health needs to be #1 priority to keep both healthy. Another significant learning I wanted to share is "SIDS." SIDS also known as sudden infant death syndrome, the unexpected death, usually during the night, of an infant under 1 year of age that remains unexplained after thorough investigation. The article that we read on pg. 85. I found this article interesting because I've never heard of SIDS before, and it stares me that mothers have to go through this knowing that they carried their babies inside them for about 9 months long. This article also mentioned that one hypothesis about SIDS is that impaired brain functioning prevents these infants from learning how to respond when their survival is threatened. Things to not do to reduce SIDS are quit smoking, changing an infants sleeping position and removing a few clothes for more comfort. When SIDS occur, surviving family members require a great deal of help to overcome a sudden unexpected death. This is probably the worst crisis a family might ever go through.
2. I wanted to talk about the experience I had back in Elementary School. I still remember the time vividly. I remember having a teacher that was pregnant at the time. She was almost due for her baby so she will be going on leave soon. As time passed, we had a temporary teacher that was watching and teaching our class. One day, I remember our substitute teacher telling us that our main teacher might not be coming back. The reason being was that her baby was in critical condition and there were rumors that the baby wasn't going to make it. After hearing the news, the class prayed and hoped for the best for our teachers baby. A month passed and the students get another news that the baby survived is okay. I wanted to share that story because I know that if the baby is sick, a mothers first instincts is to tend to their children. I believe that sometimes having a new born baby is full term commitment. It might affect the mothers profession but anything that will help the baby be healthy beside the mother is the best job ever because you get to see how your baby will grow. And what many people say, "Mothers Know Best."

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Genetic and Environmental Foundation
This chapter takes a close look at the foundations of development: heredity and environment. Because nature has prepared us for survival, all humans have common features. Yet all of us are unique in our own ways.
1. One significant point I wanted to mention was the Chromosomal Abnormalities. Book states, "Abnormalities of the chromosomes are another major cause of serious developmental problems. Most chromosomal defects results from mistakes occurring during meiosis, when the ovum and sperm are formed. A chromosome pair does not separate properly, a part of a chromosome breaks off." In America, one of the most common abnormalities after birth is the Down Syndrome. Chromosomal disorder, occurring in 1 out of every 1,000 live births. In 95% of chromosomes to separate during meiosis, so the new individual inherits three of these chromosomes rather then the normal two. I have noticed as well that children who do have this disorder share a certain look, making them look all about the same. Physical features like, flat facial profile, an upward slant to the eyes, small ears, and a protruding tongue. There are also many types of other abnormalities.
2. Children with down syndrome have many effects. This include children usually learn and process more slowly than children who do not have this disorder. But, not all areas of development are equally affected. There is a specific pattern of cognitive and behavioral features that are observed among children with Down syndrome that differs from other children. For instance, children who are not familiar with other people often do not interact with them, they are usually scared of strangers and will automatically cry. Whereas, babies with down syndrome look at faces and smile only a week or two later. Babies who have this disorder enjoy communicating and making good use of non-verbal skills including babbling and gesture in social situations.