Human Development And Life Transition: A Discussion

Piaget’s preoperational stage and cognitive development in children

Discuss about the Human Development and Life Transition.

Human Development is the process of people’s evolution through enhancement of knowledge, expansion of their capabilities through wide array of choices along with the increase in freedom through fulfillment of human rights. Life transition is usually the life changing event which causes people to take a closer look into the present state of being and move ahead towards becoming a transformed individual for bringing in the desired changes. The purpose of the essay is to consider some of the important aspects of cognitive and social development, the factors influencing cognitive and social development, finally look into the nursing practices followed for children between the age of 2-5 years by understanding the requirements. In the case study, Jack is 3 years old, having speech problems and not toilet trained. The essay concludes that proper care and nurture from parents is essential for the growth and development of children. The importance of connecting with children of similar age group should be stressed upon for allowing them to communicate and avoid any speech problem (Barac et.al., 2015).

Piaget refers to the cognitive development which occurs between ages 2 and 5, as the preoperational stage. In this stage, children increase their use of language and other symbols, their imitations of adult behaviors, and their play. He had also mentioned in this stage, the things which children are unable to do. By this he meant, reversible abilities of children through which they are able to add and subtract with the same set numbers, hence go back and forth. Cognitive development plays a crucial role in the overall development of a child. Cognition is nothing but the way people think, listen to others, learn and remember. In the case study, Jack is struggling with his speech, only speaking one or two words (Halle et.al., 2014). As far as the normative cognitive development is concerned, during these years, children identify different letters, colors and get into the habit of counting. When children attain the age between 2 and 5 years, they gradually understand what feelings are all about and the importance they carry in one’s life. Generally 2 year olds can speak on an average about 50 words, whereas by the time children attain the age of 5, they may be aware of sufficient number of words through which they can converse on a regular basis and even share different stories, which capture their attention and create interest.

Erikson’s stage of social development for 2-5 year olds, reveals that children learn to be self-sufficient with regard to toileting, dressing and feeding. They can relate and interact with peers, whereas in the case study, Jack is lagging behind, as he is not yet toilet trained and blabber only one or two word sentences. Over the course of this phase, children tend to broaden their skills through play, explore and thereby engage, participate and cooperate with others. Role of parenting or peers is extremely critical for social development. Social development for children will be ideal when they take place through the guidance of parents and peer groups (Hammer et.al., 2014). Children aged within 2-5 years become more aware and have the ability to relate effectively with regard to social as well as emotional connect. When children are able to develop a level of understanding, express their emotions and slowly go ahead in understanding the emotions of others, they attain the skills which help them connect with family, peers and teachers. The increase in capacities of young children increase their competencies in understanding the importance of social interactions, help them to participate effectively in relationships and group activities, which ultimately makes way for seizing the benefits of social support, critical for greater human development and functioning.

Erikson’s stage of social development for 2-5 year olds

Providing care and support to the children aged between 2-5 years help them to get their emotions regulated, creates a sense of predictability, safety and responsiveness in the social environment (Hoffnung et.al., 2015). Well recognized faces would easily make children respond quicker to the instructions imparted for developing certain skills within them. In the given scenario, Jack has been admitted to day care, attending 10 hours in a week, is still unable to speak clearly and carry out the activities which children of his age can do pretty well. Stable and consistent relationships developed through mothers and relevant people, who the children would be able to relate with, do wonders to the confidence of the children and help in the rapid growth and development. Company of known people and being in the environment, where Jack had spent the first 3 years of his life, would have given him a sense of belonging and helped him to grasp the learnings imparted by family members in a comprehensive manner. The more, children will be at ease when they are surrounded by known people.

The environment and culture play significant roles to influence social and cognitive development among children. When children of same age groups mix with one another, they get influenced very easily, as they can connect to the peer groups much better than they would, with any other individual or group of individuals (Sansavini et.al., 2014). Vygotsky opined that language plays a major role in shaping thought. He claimed that cognitive skills originate from social relations and culture. Jack struggles with his speech and thus face problems in communicating with children of his age group, which has become a major concern for his mother Vanessa. This has a major impact on their overall growth and development as constant communication with like-minded people would allow them to gather knowledge and understanding of various aspects of life, also improve their ability to interact freely. Parents have different ways of conducting themselves in front of their children. They tackle different situations to the best of their abilities by following set patterns and cultures. Cultures refer to the type of behaviors one exhibits based on certain beliefs and traditions. Upbringing of children play significant roles in moulding them to behave in specific manners according to culture, traditions and values. The teachings imparted by parents help them to gain consciousness, learn new things and pave the way for an overall social and cognitive development.

Nursing practice should be moulded as per the age requirements of children. Children aged 10-12 years, would require separate practices, which should be followed by nurses as compared to the practices which should be followed for the age group of 2-5 years. Jack is 3 years old, who would require special care and attention to arrest certain issues, that are giving trouble, not only to Jack but also to his mother, Vanessa. Proper planning regarding the health of the children, measuring weights on a regular basis, through which the diet plans should be made. Erikson’s theory is directly related to the nursing care of children (Winsler et.al.,2014). Health maintenance visits in the community, provide opportunities to nurses to meet the children’s needs. On the other hand, Piaget’s theory is essential to pediatric nursing. He puts stress on the fact that the nurse must understand a child’s thought process, in order to design meaningful and stimulating and appropriate teaching plans.

The report concludes that human development and life transition play crucial roles for enhancing the well being of people. The case study referred to Jack, who is 3 years old but unable to speak with clarity and also not well trained in toilet. To bring about the much needed development in human beings and life transition, proper care and nurture from parents is of utmost importance. Social and cognitive development can take place only when children get the desired guidance and made to understand the importance of connecting with children of their age through communication.

References

Barac, R., Bialystok, E., Castro, D. C., & Sanchez, M. (2014). The cognitive development of young dual language learners: A critical review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4), 699-714.

Halle, T. G., Whittaker, J. V., Zepeda, M., Rothenberg, L., Anderson, R., Daneri, P., … & Buysse, V. (2014). The social–emotional development of dual language learners: Looking back at existing research and moving forward with purpose. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4), 734-749.

Hammer, C. S., Hoff, E., Uchikoshi, Y., Gillanders, C., Castro, D. C., & Sandilos, L. E. (2014). The language and literacy development of young dual language learners: A critical review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4), 715-733.

Hoffnung, Michele, et al. Lifespan development (3rd Australasian ed.), John Wiley & Sons, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central

Sansavini, A., Pentimonti, J., Justice, L., Guarini, A., Savini, S., Alessandroni, R., & Faldella, G. (2014). Language, motor and cognitive development of extremely preterm children: Modeling individual growth trajectories over the first three years of life. Journal of communication disorders, 49, 55-68.

Winsler, A., Burchinal, M. R., Tien, H. C., Peisner-Feinberg, E., Espinosa, L., Castro, D. C., … & De Feyter, J. (2014). Early development among dual language learners: The roles of language use at home, maternal immigration, country of origin, and socio-demographic variables. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4), 750-764.