How Do You Compare Early Childhood Development Theories?
Early childhood development (ages 2 through 6) is dependent on many variables. Genetics, nutrition, psychology, social interactions, environment and physical experiences all affect development. From infancy to childhood to adulthood, parents are intensely interested in providing the healthiest conditions for normal or superior development of their child’s ability to cope with life and have a happy and successful existence. Psychologists and biologist have put forward many theories regarding child development. They can be roughly grouped as maturationist, environmentalist or constructivist theories. Read the literature. The original texts can be pretty dense–especially if you don’t have a background in psychology–so look for reviews of theories and decide what you think fits best for your child. New childhood development theories build and improve on older theories. Many older theories are based on studies of behavioral abnormalities–unteachable children or diagnosed mental deficits.
