Despite the fact that every child Is unique in their way, each child undergoes the experience of various stages of social and moral development from infancy through adolescence. During the course of a child’s life there are numerous stages of social and moral development the child experiences. Those said stages include; infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence.
Infancy is the stage at which the child’s life begins from birth and continues on through the age of two. Within this stage the infant progress socially and morally. At birth, infants are taste learners. From birth babies begin to understand that Individuals are not non-living things. During the course of the infancy stage the child becomes gradually mindful of their feelings and beliefs. In addition, the child Is also aware of others “intentional focus and emotions” who surround them (McDermott Lamp: Ramrod. Bibb.
The child then recognizes their actions affect those who surround them. The child then becomes familiar with what action causes certain those around them to react and get their attention. Infancy sets the foundation for early childhood. ND it is the opening of social and moral development. As well as emotional. Two years of age on dove to the age of six years is considered early childhood. In the course of this time fees the child has progressed tremendously. The child has then begun to pick up on certain words and use them in sentences as best they can.
Even though the child is alert of what is taking place around them, they don’t really have a full understanding of their own ability to think, At times the child may be under the impression that Others are feeling the same way as them, The child then began to recognize What is to come in the up and coming years Of diddle childhood as well as the parents Middle childhood includes children between the ages Six and ten. This is the age group the child is more responsive Of others emotional state A child within this age group focuses more on other peoples behaviors but sometimes don’t realize that others reactions don’t always show their feelings.
For instance, they may think that someone is happy, but that person may actually be sad. Children are now aware that thinking is before acting is something that Is a must during this age group. The child then goes on to thinking about why one did this and one did that versus lust Jumping and taking action. The child mind Is set Into full force and they are now getting and understanding of why things take place. Middle child is the age where the child Is becoming very multi at how intricate the feelings and mind are.
Children around the ages of ten and fourteen years of age are said to be the early adolescence age group. The text states that “as children move into early adolescence, they begin to appreciate that people can have ambivalent feelings about events and other individuals” (McDermott : Ramrod. 2004). Children in this age group are also starting to deal with the fact that emotions are beginning to set in. This a very significant age group because this is when the child is beginning to reach puberty and at some point they are recognizing themselves for who they really are.
However, some children mature sooner than others so not all children will be at the same level with reaching puberty. Parents have to be very careful because children can be very fragile at this age because they want to feel accepted within society. The child pays close attention to what others are saying about them within this age group mainly because they are not sure of themselves Just yet. Ages fourteen to eighteen years of age are the late adolescence GE group. Within this age group is where the child is taking on the responsibility of becoming an adult.
The child is now becoming a young adult and in some point will be ready to plant their feet within society. They are now becoming aware that every action has a reaction and that everyone will not understand the reason for them acting the way they do. At some point the child will be ready to spread their wings in society all on their without their parents beside them. During this time the thought, social, and moral developments of a child may be really difficult. Middle childhood ND infancy have some similarities when dealing with the social and emotional development stages, however, they are very different also.
Within the infancy stage, infants tend to be openly quick to respond to the reactions made by others, and “by 3 months, infants imitate the happy, sad, and angry faces their mothers make” (McDermott ; Ramrod, 2004). The reactions that babies get from those who are around them grab the infant’s attention. In the middle childhood stage the child is looking at themselves in more difficult terms. They are trying to find themselves at this point in age and they are considering if they are worthy of even Ewing accepted by others.
Despite the fact that babies are mindful of their feelings along with the fact that it has a major impact on their surroundings; middle childhood children are more worried about what others think of them and the toll it has on their self-confidence. All of the age groups that were discussed are extremely important and should be taken into full consideration upon coming in contact with children. The stage in which a child matures and develops is very astonishing. Children are extremely attentive of their surroundings from as early as birth.
They lay close attention to the reaction and intents of others who are around them as well. A child’s feelings and thoughts gets more intricate as they get older. They’re comprehension and the ability to evaluate the reactions those who surround them gets more complex as well. As educators we must pay close attention to the students and the stages of developments to make sure that we are fully knowledgeable of all our students. Reference: McDermott, T. M. , & Ramrod, J. E. (2004). Child development: Educating and working with children and adolescents (2nd deed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
