Teaching, 1st Edition Page 65 (65 of 400)

Chapter 3 Understanding Human Development 65
The research continues, but the following include some of the basic prin-
ciples that explain what is already known:
• Development is relatively orderly.
• Development is a gradual, continuous process.
• Development is interrelated.
• Development varies among individuals.
Development Is Relatively Orderly
Development occurs in a predictable and orderly manner—a sequence of
steps that consistently follow one after another. Children learn sounds, then
words. Eventually, they learn the letters of the alphabet and that these can be
combined to represent words. Each of these steps must occur before children
can read. Teachers use their knowledge of how development progresses to
design effective learning strategies appropriate to the age of their students.
Development Is a Gradual, Continuous
Process
Most developmental changes happen gradually and are apparent over
time. A three-year-old may learn to ride a tricycle, while a six-year-old mas-
ters the more diffi cult skills needed to ride a bike. A teen refi nes these skills
and uses them, along with additional knowledge and judgment, to learn to
3-2
As teens encounter
new situations,
they rely on
social-emotional
developmental skills.

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Extracted Text (may have errors)

Chapter 3 Understanding Human Development 65
The research continues, but the following include some of the basic prin-
ciples that explain what is already known:
• Development is relatively orderly.
• Development is a gradual, continuous process.
• Development is interrelated.
• Development varies among individuals.
Development Is Relatively Orderly
Development occurs in a predictable and orderly manner—a sequence of
steps that consistently follow one after another. Children learn sounds, then
words. Eventually, they learn the letters of the alphabet and that these can be
combined to represent words. Each of these steps must occur before children
can read. Teachers use their knowledge of how development progresses to
design effective learning strategies appropriate to the age of their students.
Development Is a Gradual, Continuous
Process
Most developmental changes happen gradually and are apparent over
time. A three-year-old may learn to ride a tricycle, while a six-year-old mas-
ters the more diffi cult skills needed to ride a bike. A teen refi nes these skills
and uses them, along with additional knowledge and judgment, to learn to
3-2
As teens encounter
new situations,
they rely on
social-emotional
developmental skills.

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66 Unit 2 The Learner
drive a car. An adult driver typically has fewer accidents than a teen because
years of practice and experience have improved his or her skills.
Development Is Interrelated
Most development is not solely physical, cognitive, social, or emotional.
Acquiring new skills typically requires gains in several of these areas. Think
about what it takes to become a skilled basketball player. You need physical
stamina, coordination, and endless practice to be able to hurl the ball precisely
into the hoop from any angle on the court. It also takes cognitive development
to learn plays and to fi gure out those of your opponents. You must be able
to judge the potential success of a shot. Socially, teamwork is required as is
the ability to “read” the intent of the player you are guarding. You will note
the body language and expressions of other players. Emotionally, you must
have confi dence, decisiveness, and perseverance. It takes all of these aspects of
development, and more, to play well.
Development Varies Among Individuals
Although development is orderly and predictable, each individual’s prog-
ress is unique. That is because so many factors affect development. No two
people—even twins raised together—have exactly the same experiences, 3-3.
Each individual faces life-changing experiences and responds to them based on
his or her personality, knowledge, and prior experiences. Everyone grows and
changes at a different rate and on a slightly different time schedule.
Theories of Development
You are waiting in the checkout line at the store when a small girl in
front of you starts screaming. Your natural reaction is likely to try to fi gure
out what caused the outburst. Is the child in pain, or is this a temper tan-
trum? Did her dad just tell her that she had to put back the candy bar she
picked up? The screaming continues. You listen for the father’s response.
Will he handle the situation well? Your opinions about why the situation
occurred and how well the parent responded are based on your current
knowledge and past experiences.
Researchers also analyze behavior and development to better under-
stand how and why it occurs. They may have more knowledge and experi-
ence and use more scientifi c methods, but the process is much like your
own. They observe people, perform experiments, and consider earlier
research studies. Then, they formulate their own explanations about why
people act and behave the way they do and how they change over time.
These are called developmental theories.

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64 Unit 2 The Learner
your thoughts to write a paragraph. These and other processes involving
thought and knowledge are called cognition. The way people change
and improve in their ability to think and learn throughout life is called
cognitive development, or intellectual development.
Like physical skills, cognitive abilities increase gradually. Consider
your math skills as a fi rst grader, an eighth grader, and now. Your skills
have improved dramatically over that time span. As a result, the way you
are taught math has changed, too. Your current teachers assume you have
mastered the most basic concepts. As time progresses, they present more
diffi cult concepts and expect you to do more independently by reading
your textbook and solving homework problems.
With increasing understanding of how the brain develops and works,
scientists are providing new insights into cognitive development. The
development of connections between nerve cells in the brain is a key com-
ponent to cognitive development at all stages of life. Brain connections
grow and strengthen with new experiences and repetition of familiar
ones. For example for an infant, the faces of parents and other primary
caregivers become familiar because they are seen most often. After a few
months, the sight of these people may be rewarded with a smile of recogni-
tion. Later, the names of those caregivers may be among the child’s fi rst
spoken words.
Social-Emotional Development
Social-emotional development includes the areas of relationships
and feelings. Individuals must learn social skills and how to care about
others. They must develop both self-confi dence and self-esteem. For
example, learning self-control is an important skill for kindergarteners.
Students learn to wait their turn, form a line, and listen while the teacher
gives instructions.
At each stage of development, social and emotional challenges increase.
New skills must be developed to deal with increasing independence of
childhood, the more complex social situations of adolescence, establish-
ing an identity, adult relationships, parenting, careers, retirement, and
the other challenges of life. How well individuals meet those challenges
depends on the skills they developed earlier in life and how well they are
able to adapt them to new situations, 3-2.
Principles of Human Development
It is the nature of human beings to try to fi gure things out. Observations
about human development go back to the beginning of recorded history.

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