39 Chapter 1 Learning About Children
Havighurst, a well-known
educator and behavioral scientist,
believed achieving developmental
tasks leads to happiness and success
with later tasks. Failure to achieve
tasks leads to unhappiness and
problems with later tasks.
Havighurst identified the
developmental tasks of children
as coming from the following
three sources:
physical growth. A baby comes
into the world as a helpless
being. As his or her body
matures, the child is able to
learn many new skills, such as
walking and reading.
social pressures. Through
rewards and penalties, society
pressures the child to master
the tasks seen as important.
Developmental tasks differ
from culture to culture, because
each group may value different
skills. For instance, playing
to win has no value to Hopi
Indian children. However, most
other American children feel
winning is important. Tasks
differ from region to region, too.
Over time, tasks also change to
refl ect changes in society.
inner pressures. The actual push
to achieve comes from within
children. In the end, it is the child
who is responsible for mastering
each task. Children work harder
to learn tasks they like, 1-10.
Developmental Tasks
Area: Motor task
Task for middle childhood: Learning physical skills needed for common games
Example of task: Learning skills needed to play ball
Source: Physical growth
Child needs bone and muscle growth. The child’s eyes and hands must work smoothly together.
Source: Social pressures
Other children reward skillful players (praise or accept them as friends) and punish failures (tease
or reject them as friends). Parents and coaches may also expect children to master the skills.
Source: Inner pressures
Child desires to be admired by other children, parents, and coaches.
Source: Must see new possibilities for behavior
Child sees older children playing ball.
Source: Must form new concept of self
Child thinks, “I can be a player.”
Source: Must cope with conflicting demands
Child thinks, “I can get hit with a ball or be teased for striking out. But if I do not play, the
other kids will make fun of me, and my parents and coaches will not consider me grown-up.”
Source: Wants to achieve the next step in development enough to work for it
Child now spends hours in practice.
1-10
Children master developmental tasks when their bodies are ready, when
others place pressure on them, and when they want to learn a new skill.