Theories of development

There are several Theorists that gave us different types of experiments and factors about the development of the individuals children’s behaviour, reactions and ways of learning. Theories of development including:

• Cognitive (e.g. Piaget)
• Psychoanalytic (e.g. Freud)
• Humanist (e.g. Maslow)
• Social Learning (e.g. Bandura)
• Operant conditioning (e.g. Skinner)
• Behaviourist (e.g. Watson)

The theorist whose theory is physical development is Arnold Gesell. His theory is that most physical skills cannot be taught but is programmed in our genetics, which means we will learn different physical skills when our body is ready to.

In our setting, we support this by encouraging children but not forcing them to develop a physical skill. We provide a soft, cushioned area so that children can develop themselves physically without risk of hurting themselves. The theorist who theory is language development is B.F. Skinner. His theory is that children use cognitive behavior when understanding and giving communication. They will use trial and error to get the right words out until they succeed.

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He believes that children observe adults and other children for the correct way to communicate and repeat the actions they have seen until they get it right. We support this at nursery by speaking clearly and simply and nodding or praising a child for getting a word, sentence or request correct. This is to encourage them to use the correct terms when they wish to communicate. According to John Watson, psychology should be the science of observable behavior. "Psychology as the behaviorist views it is a purely objective experimental branch of natural science.

Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control of behavior. Introspection forms no essential part of its methods, nor is the scientific value of its data dependent upon the readiness with which they lend themselves to interpretation in terms of consciousness," he explained (1913). Watson had also done the famous...