Assigment #01

SUBJECT : HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING

(CODE: 8610)
(UNITS: 1-4)

Q1: Growth and development may look like same but have many differences. Explain
these difference.
Ans: GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Most people use the terms „growth‟ and „development‟ interchangeably and accept them as
synonymous. But in reality, the meanings of these two terms are different.
GROWTH: CONCEPT AND DEFINITION:
Growth refers to physical increase in some quantity over time. It includes changes in terms of
height, weight, body proportions and general physical appearance. In Encyclopedia Britannica,
growth is defined as “an increase in size or the amount of an entity”. It means growth involves
all those structural and physiological changes that take place within individual during the process
of maturation. For example, growth of a child means the increase in weight, height and different
organs of the child’s body. Hurlock has defined Growth as “change in size, in proportion,
disappearance of old features and acquisition of new ones”. Growth refers to structural and
physiological changes. Thus, growth refers to an increase in physical size of whole or any of its
part and can be measured.
DEVELOPMENT: CONCEPT AND DEFINITION:
Development refers to the qualitative changes in the organism as whole. Development is a
continuous process through which physical, emotional and intellectual changes occur. It is a
more wider and comprehensive term than growth. It is also possible without growth. In
Webster’s dictionary development is defined as “the series of changes which an organism
undergoes in passing from an embryonic stage to maturity.” In Encyclopedia Britannica is the
term development defined as “the progressive change in size, shape and function during the life
of an organism by which its genetic potential are translated into functioning adult system.” So,
development includes all those psychological changes that take in the functions and activities of
different organs of an organism. Development is continuous and gradual process (Skinner).
According to Crow and Crow (1965) development is concerned with growth as well as those
changes in behavior which results from environmental situation.” Thus, development is a process
of change in growth and capability over time due to function of both maturation and interaction
with the environment.
Comparison of Growth and Development:
Growth refers to physiological changes. Development refers to overall changes in the
individual. It involves changes in an orderly
and coherent type towards the goal of maturity.
Changes in the quantitative respect is termed as Development changes in the quality along with
growth. quantitative aspect.
Growth does not continue throughout life. Development continues throughout life.
Growth stops after maturation. Development is progressive.
Growth occurs due to the multiplication of Development occurs due to both maturation
cells. and interaction with the environment.
Growth is cellular. Development is organizational.
Growth is one of the part of the developmental Development is a wider and comprehensive
process. term.
Growth may be referred to describe the Development describes the changes in the
 changes in particular aspects of the body and organism as a whole.
behavior of the organism.
The changes produced by growth are subjects Development brings qualitative changes which
of measurements. They may be quantified and are difficult to measure directly. They are
observable in nature. assessed through keen observation of behavior
in different situations.
Growth may or may not bring development. Development is possible without growth.

Developmental psychologists believe that knowledge of an accurate pattern of development is

fundamental to an understanding of children. There are several basic principles that characterizes
the pattern and process of growth and development. These principles describe typical
development as a predictable and orderly process. Even though there are individual differences
in children‟s personalities, attitudes, behavior and timing of development, the principles and
characteristics of development are universal patterns.
1. Development involves change:-
The human being is undergoing changes from the moment of conception to the time of death.
There are different types of change occur such as, changes in size, proportions, disappearance of
old features and acquisition of new features etc. The goal of these developmental changes is self-
realization, which Abraham Maslow has labeled as self-actualization. Each individual is
equipped with certain abilities and potentialities at birth. By utilizing the innate or inborn
abilities one tries to realize and strive for self actualization during the total life period. Children‟s
attitude toward change are generally determined by his knowledge about these changes, social
attitudes toward this change and the way people of society treats to children when these changes
take place.
2. Development is a continuous process:-
Development continues throughout the life of an individual. This process takes place in
interaction with the environment in which a person lives. One stage of development is the basic
framework for the next stage of development. A child has limited knowledge and experiences
about his environment. But as he develops, he acquires more information through explorations
and adds to the skills already acquired and the new skills become the basis for further
achievement and mastery of skills. For example, the child is able to write and draw, he must have
developed a hand control to hold a pencil and crayon. Thus, a person has vast experiences and
knowledge as he grows up.
3. Development follows a direction and uniform pattern in an orderly manner:-
(i) Development proceeds from the center of the body outward. This is the principle of
proximodistal development that describes the direction of development (from nearer to far apart).
It means that the spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body. The child‟s arms develop
before the hands and the hands and feet develop before the fingers and toes.
(ii) Development proceeds from the head downwards. This is called the cephalocaudal principle.
According to this principle, development occurs from head to tail. The child gains control of the
head first, then the arms and then the legs.
4. Individual Differences in the Development Process:- Even though the pattern of
development is similar for all children but the rate of development varies among children. Each
child develops as per his abilities and perception of his environment. Children differ from each
other both genetically and environmentally. So, both biological factor and environmental
situations have their impact on individual’s development which leads to individual differences in
development. Understanding this fact of individual differences in rates of development should
aware us to be careful about using and relying on age and stage characteristics to label children.
5. Development depends on maturation and learning:- Maturation refers to the sequential
characteristic of biological growth and development. The biological changes occur in sequential
order and give children new abilities. Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely
for maturation. These changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation.
The child‟s environment and the learning that occurs as a result of the child‟s experiences
largely determine whether the child will reach optimal development. An enriched environment
and varied experiences help the child to develop his/her potential.

Q2: WHAT DO YOU THINK WHETHER DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD DEPENDS ON

HEREDITY OR ENVIRONMENT? ILLUSTRATE WITH EXAMPLES.
ANS: Factors that affect Development:

There are two factors that affect the development of a child.

They are:

1. Heredity

2. Environment

What is Heredity?

The transfer of physical or mental characteristics from parent to child through genes is called heredity.
Genes are inherited traits encoded into a personal DNA. In some previous year question papers you
might find that genes, genetics and heredity are used as synonyms.

1 What does heredity influence? Heredity influences the different aspects of growth and development
i.e. height, weight and structure of the body, color of hair and eye, intelligence, interest and certain
behaviors. Heredity is a static social structure meaning once we inherit certain genes they cannot be
modified or changed.

What is Environment? The word environment in this context means the environment around the child,
his interaction with his family, his neighborhood, his school, the nutrition the child receives.

What are the environmental factors which influence development?

There are various environmental factors which influence the development. Some of these are classified
as follows:

1. Physical factors: Physical and geographical conditions influence a child’s behavior, responses, and
attitudes. For examples, a person born in Chennai would be more tolerant to hot, humid environment,
as compared to someone born in Himachal Pradesh.

2. Family: Family plays an important role in a child’s development since the first interaction a child has,
is with his/ her family. The behaviors that a child observers, the values she or he is taught are all through
this initial interactions.

3. School and teachers: The school environment and the teachers also play a very important role in the
grooming of a child. The teachers are the first role models for a child and through the way a teacher
conducts her, or interacts with the child affect the knowledge they acquire, and the people they
become. There are various other environmental factors, in addition to these, like the book a child reads,
or what he/she watches on TV, the sport they play, affects their development.
The answer to this and other questions about inheritance lies in a specialized branch of biology
called genetics. Geneticist found that most aspects of life have a hereditary basis and that many
traits can appear in more than one form. For instance, human beings have blond, or red, or
brown, or black hair. They may have one of several different types of blood, one or several
colors of skin. Their ear lobes may be attached or free. They may or may not be able to
manufacture certain enzymes. Some of these traits are much more important to the life of the
individual than others, but all of them are hereditary. The geneticist is interested not only in the
traits of man but in those of all other organisms as well.

The study of inheritance depends on the differences as well as the similarities between parents
and offspring over several generations.

Heredity is very complex, and a geneticist cannot possibly analyze all the traits of an organism
at once. Instead, he studies only a few traits at a time. Many other traits are present. As the
geneticists work out the solution to each hereditary mystery, the geneticist must not forget that
all organisms live in a complex environment. The environment may affect the degree to which a
hereditary trait develops. The geneticist must try to find out which of the many parts of the
environment may affect his results.

The factors must be kept as constant as possible by using controlled experiments. Only then
can he tell that the differences observed are due to heredity.

Heredity determines what an organism may become, not what it will become. What an organism
becomes depends on both its heredity and environment.

The modern science of genetics started with the work of Gregor Mendel. He found that a certain
factor in a plant cell determined the traits the plant would have. Thirty years after his discovery
this determines was given the name gene. Of the traits Mendel studied, he called dominant
those at showed up in the offspring and recessive those The question I will ask is: how much of
the variability observed between different individuals is due to hereditary differences between
them, and how much to differences in the environments under which the individuals developed?

In most organisms, including man, genetics information is transmitted from mother to daughter
cells and from one generation to the next by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Knowledge of the heredity or inheritance of plants and animals is important in many phases of
our life.

The question I will ask is: How much of the variability observed between different individuals is
due to hereditary differences between them, and how much to differences in the environments
under which the individuals developed?

The purpose of designing a unit on “Heredity And Environment” is to help students learn more
about themselves. They will learn why they develop into the kind of individual they are.

The unit will discuss heredity traits and environmental conditions, chromosomes, DNA, studies
of identical twins, and several diseases linked to heredity and environment.

The students will do some hands on activities by constructing a model which represents DNA.
They will explore plants with the exact same heredity and plants with different heredity. They will
change the conditions in the environment to see the way the plant organisms with the same
heredity may develop differently in different environments and why organisms with different
heredity develop in the matter in which they do. Heredity is not the only thing that effects
development. The environment also has an important effect.
The unit can be taught to students in grades five through eight. The science and math teachers
are encouraged to use a team teaching approach. Other features that will be included in the unit
are content, lesson plans, resources, reading list and a bibliography.

Q3: SUGGEST SOME ACTIVITIES FOR PERSONAL CHILDREN WHICH MAY ENHANCE
CHILDREN’S PHYSICAL GROWTH.

ANS: Physical activity is an essential component of everyone’s overall

health and wellness. Getting regular activity offers short- and long-
term benefits for your physical and mental health, including reducing
your risk of disease, building stronger bones and muscles, increasing
energy, and decreasing stress levels. Exercise is essential for
everyone throughout their lives, so we need to be educated on the
benefits of exercise and how to incorporate daily physical activity as
early as possible.

Early childhood services and childcare should include physical activity

as a key component of a child’s development. Services should offer
play-based activities and games that combine physical activity with a
child’s interests and abilities.

Some activities for personal children which may enhance children’s physical growth are

given below:

1. Build a Tower

For this activity, you’ll need a supply of blocks, containers with lids, or
another similar, stackable object. Using your item of choice, build a
tower with a child. Take turns adding blocks or containers to the tower
and see how high the child can stack them. You can count the number
of stacked items together, and then when the tower is complete, the
child can knock it down.
2. Toss Balls in a Basket

Give toddlers foam or rubber balls to roll back and forth to a partner.
Older toddlers can toss the balls into a basket. During this activity,
exercise caution with younger children who might bite foam balls.
Avoid small balls that toddlers could put in their mouths and swallow.
3. Throw Sponges

This activity is great for a hot day. Children take wet sponges and toss
them toward a container or bin. They can compare how far sponges of
different sizes can be thrown or how different amounts of water affect
the distance the sponge travels.
4. Imitate Animals

While on their hands and knees, toddlers move, stretch, and play like
animals. They can hop like a frog or waddle like a penguin. They can
arch their backs, roll on their backs, reach as high as they can, and
walk on all fours. Choose a variety of animals and movements to keep
children engaged and using their whole bodies to stay active.
5. Traffic Safety

Cut three circles from colored paper –– one red, one yellow and one
green. Label the red circle “Stop,” the yellow circle “Slow,” and the
green circle “Go.” One child is chosen to be the traffic light, and they
will hold up the green circle, the yellow circle and the red circle in turn.

The other children move forward when “Go” is held up, slow down
when “Slow” is held up and freeze when “Stop” is held up. Take
advantage of this fun activity to also teach children about traffic safety.
6. Snake Dance

For this activity, children form a line to make a snake. They place their
hands on the shoulders of the child in front of them, and the first child
or the teacher leads them around the room or play area.

To make things a bit more exciting and challenging, the child at the
front of the line can try to tag the child at the end. This will get
everyone moving faster!
7. Catching Feathers

Take feathers and toss them into the air for children to catch with their
hands or in containers before they reach the ground. This will get
toddlers moving and having fun!

If children are old enough, they can also each be given a feather and
try to keep the feather in the air by blowing on it.
8. Follow the Leader

Stand in front of the children and tell them to watch you carefully and
copy your moves. Touch your nose, hop on both feet, stomp in a
circle, or crawl on all fours. Choose simple actions and use large
motor activities.
9. Musical Chairs

Use an adapted, no-lose version of this activity to keep all children up

and moving while having fun. Place chairs in a row or in a circle facing
outward. Play a song or have the children sing a short rhyme while
circling the chairs. When the song is over, the children sit in the chair
closest to them.
Continually change the movement with each new song, such as
skipping, hopping or crawling to keep kids engaged and active.
10. Jumping on Trampolines

For kids who are old enough, find an indoor trampoline park where
they can go to jump on trampolines and hang out with their friends.
Trampolines are a ton of fun and a great activity for some high-
intensity exercise and improving balance. For children who are too
young for a trampoline park, you can buy a trampoline for home that’s
equipped with the right safety features to keep kids safe while they’re
having fun.

Q4:How Vtgotsky’s theory is different from Piaget’s theory?

Ans: Comparing Piaget and Vygotsky

Methods and approaches to teaching have been greatly influenced by the research of Jean
Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both have contributed to the field of education by offering
explanations for children's cognitive learning styles and abilities. While Piaget and Vygotsky
may differ on how they view cognitive development in children, both offer educators good
suggestions on how teach certain material in a developmentally appropriate manner.

Piaget proposed that cognitive development from infant to young adult occurs in four
universal and consecutive stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and
formal operations (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Between the ages of zero and two years of age, the
child is in the sensorimotor stage. It is during this stage the child experiences his or her own
world through the senses and through movement. During the latter part of the sensorimotor
stage, the child develops object permanence, which is an understanding that an object
exists even if it is not within the field of vision (Woolfolk, A., 2004). The child also begins to
understand that his or her actions could cause another action, for example, kicking a mobile
to make the mobile move. This is an example of goal-directed behavior. Children in the
sensorimotor stage can reverse actions, but cannot yet reverse thinking (Woolfolk, A.,
2004).

During a child's second and seventh year, he or she is considered to be in the

preoperational stage. Piaget stated that during this stage, the child has not yet mastered
the ability of mental operations. The child in the preoperational stage still does not have the
ability to think through actions (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Children in this stage are considered to
be egocentric, meaning they assume others share their points of view (Woolfolk, A. 2004).
Because of egocentricism, children in this stage engage in collective monologues, in which
each child is talking, but not interacting with the other children (Woolfolk, A. 2004). Another
important aspect of the preoperational stage is the acquisition of the skill of conservation.
Children understand that the amount of something remains the same even if its appearance
changes (Woolfolk, A., 2004).  A child in the preoperational stage would not be able to
perform the famous Piagetian conservation problem of liquid and volume, because he or she
has not yet developed reversible thinking – "thinking backward, from the end to the
beginning" (Woolfolk, A., 33).

Concrete operations occurs between the ages of seven to eleven years. Students in the later
elementary years, according to Piaget, learn best through hands-on discovery learning,
while working with tangible objects. Reasoning processes also begin to take shape in this
stage. Piaget stated that the three basic reasoning skills acquired during this stage were
identity, compensation, and reversibility (Woolfolk, A., 2004). By this time, the child learns
that a "person or object remains the same over time" (identity) and one action can cause
changes in another (compensation) (Woolfolk, A., 2004). This child has an understanding of
the concept of seriation – ordering objects by certain physical aspects. The child is also able
to classify items by focusing on a certain aspect and grouping them accordingly (Woolfolk,
A., 2004).

Piaget's final stage of cognitive development is formal operations, occurring from age eleven
years to adulthood. People who reach this stage (and not everyone does, according to
Piaget) are able to think abstractly. They have achieved skills such as inductive and
deductive reasoning abilities. People in the formal operations stage utilize many strategies
and resources for problem solving. They have developed complex thinking and hypothetical
thinking skills. Through hypothetico-deductive reasoning, one is able to identify the factors
of a problem, and deduce solutions (Woolfolk, A., 2004). People in this stage also imagine
the best possible solutions or principles, often through the ability to think ideally (Woolfolk,
A., 2004). The acquisition of meta-cognition (thinking about thinking) is also a defining
factor of those people in formal operations.

Based on Piaget's proposed stages and ability levels at each, certain teaching strategies
have been offered for teaching in the Piagetian school of thought. In the preoperational
stage, the teacher would have to use actions and verbal instruction. Because the child has
not yet mastered mental operations, the teacher must demonstrate his or her instructions,
because the child cannot yet think through processes. The use of visual aids, while keeping
instructions short would most benefit the child in this stage (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Hands-on
activities also aid with learning future complex skills, as the text mentions, reading
comprehension (Woolfolk, A., 2004). The teacher must be sensitive to the fact that these
children, according to Piaget, are still egocentric and may not realize that not everyone
shares the same view (Woolfolk, A., 2004).

Teaching children in the concrete operations stage involves hands-on learning, as well.
Students are encouraged to perform experiments and testing of objects. By performing
experiments and solving problems, students develop logical and analytical thinking skills
(Woolfolk, A., 2004). Teachers should provide short instruction and concrete examples and
offer time for practice. With skills such as classification, compensation, and seriation
developing during this stage, teachers should provide ample opportunities to organize
groups of objects on "increasingly complex levels" (Woolfolk, A., 37).

Teaching those in the formal operations stage involves giving students the opportunity to
advance their skills in scientific reasoning and problem solving, as begun in the concrete
operations stage. Students should be offered open-ended projects in which they explore
many solutions to problems. Opportunities to explore hypothetical possibilities should be
granted to these students often. As the text states, teachers need to teach the "broad
concepts" of the material while relating it to their lives. Idealism is assumed to be acquired
by a person in the formal operations stage; therefore, understanding broad concepts and
their application to one's life aid in the realization of ideal concepts.

Piaget also proposed that a child acts on his own environment for learning. Social
interaction takes place mainly to move a young child away from egocentricism. It is also
important to note that Piaget stated that a child either held the mental structure for
conservation, for example, or he did not. A child in the preoperational stage could not be
taught to understand the liquid volume experiment; she does not possess the mental
structure of a child in concrete operations.

As part of their cognitive development, children also develop schemes, which are mental
representations of people, objects, or principles. These schemes can be changed or altered
through what Piaget called assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is information we
already know. Accommodation involves adapting one's existing knowledge to what is
perceived. Disequilibrium occurs when new knowledge does not fit with one's accumulated
knowledge. When one reaches what Piaget called equilibrium, assimilation and
accommodation have occurred to create a new stage of development (Woolfolk, A., 2004).
When learning the concept of conservation, a child must first "struggle" with the idea that
the liquid amount in the cylinders has not changed (disequilibrium). After accommodating
the new knowledge, equilibrium occurs, and the child may advance to a new cognitive stage
(concrete operations).

Around this time, another psychologist was offering his views on child cognitive
development. Lev Vygotsky offered an alternative to Piaget's stages of cognitive
development. Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory of Development became a major influence in
the field of psychology and education (Woolfolk, A., 2004). This theory stated that students
learn through social interactions and their culture – much different from Piaget's theory that
stated children act on their environment to learn. Through what Vygotsky called "dialogues,"
we socially interact and communicate with others to learn the cultural values of our society.
Vygotsky also believed that "human activities take place in cultural settings and cannot be
understood apart from these settings" (Woolfolk, A., 45). Therefore, our culture helps shape
our cognition.

Through these social interactions, we move toward more individualized thinking. The co-
constructed process involves people interacting during shared activities, usually to solve a
problem (Woolfolk, A., 2004). When the child receives help through this process, he or she
may be able to utilize better strategies in the future, should a similar problem arise. The co-
constructed dialogues lead to internalization, which in turn leads one to independent
thinking (Woolfolk, A., 2004).

Scaffolding is another Vygotskian principle for the sociocultural perspective. Scaffolding

involves providing the learner with hints or clues for problem solving in order to allow the
student to better approach the problem in the future (Woolfolk, A., 2004). While Piaget
would assume the student does not yet have the mental structures to solve such a problem,
Vygotsky would offer encouragement or strategies, in the form of scaffolding, in order for
the student to attempt the problem.

The development of language is considered to be a major principle of Vygotsky's

sociocultural theory. The language of a certain group of people indicates their cultural
beliefs and value system. For example, a tribe with many words meaning "hunting"
indicates that hunting is an important aspect of their lives. The text states that children
learn language much the same way that children learn cognitive skills. Vygotsky states that
humans may have "built in biases, rules, and constraints about language that restrict the
number of possibilities considered" (Woolfolk, A., 2004). A child's thinking regarding these
language constraints is very important in language development (Woolfolk, A., 2004).

Another aspect of language development involves private speech. Private speech is self-talk
children (and adults) may use to guide actions and aid in thinking. While Piaget may view
private speech as egocentric or immature, Vygotsky understood the importance of self-
directed speech. Private speech is considered to be self-directed regulation and
communication with the self, and becomes internalized after about nine years (Woolfolk, A.,
2004).
Vygotsky also emphasized the importance of cultural tools in cognition. Cultural tools can be
any technological tool or any symbolic tool which aids in communication (Woolfolk, A.,
2004). Language, the media, television, computers, and books are only a handful of all the
cultural tools available for problem solving or learning. Higher-level processing is "mediated
by psychological tools, such as language, signs, and symbols" (Woolfolk, A., 2004). After
receiving co-constructed help, children internalize the use of the cultural tools, and are
better able to utilize the tools in the future on their own (Woolfolk, A., 2004).

Another Vygotskian principle for teaching involves the zone of proximal development. Like
Piaget, Vygotsky believed that there were some problems out of a child's range of
understanding. However, in contrast, Vygotsky believed that given proper help and
assistance, children could perform a problem that Piaget would consider to be out of the
child's mental capabilities. The zone is the area at which a child can perform a challenging
task, given appropriate help (Woolfolk, A., 2004).

Piaget and Vygotsky also differ in how they approach discovery learning. Piaget advocated
for discovery learning with little teacher intervention, while Vygotsky promoted guided
discovery in the classroom. Guided discovery involves the teacher offering intriguing
questions to students and having them discover the answers through testing hypotheses
(Woolfolk, A., 2004). The students are engaged in the discovery process; however, they are
still receiving assistance from a more knowledgeable source.

A teacher utilizing Vygotskian methods for teaching would be a very active member in her
student's education. The teacher would apply the technique of scaffolding by providing
assistance and offering feedback when relating new information (Woolfolk, A., 2004).
Teachers should also make sure that students are provided adequate tools for learning.
Students should be taught how to use tools such as the computer, resource books, and
graphs in order to better utilize these tools in the future (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Teaching in
the Vygotskian method would also incorporate group or peer learning (Woolfolk, A., 2004).
By having students tutor each other through dialogues and scaffolding, the students can
begin to internalize the new information and come to a better understanding of the
material.

I believe that both Piaget and Vygotsky provided educators with important views on
cognitive development in the child. Piaget proposed that children progress through the
stages of cognitive development through maturation, discovery methods, and some social
transmissions through assimilation and accommodation (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Vygotsky's
theory stressed the importance of culture and language on one's cognitive development.

Regarding the two cognitive theories, I would be more apt to apply Vygotskian principles to
my classroom. I believe that principles such as scaffolding, co-constructed knowledge,
dialogue, and cultural tools are all important components of a student's knowledge
acquisition. By helping students within their zone of proximal development, we offer them
useful learning strategies which they internalize and utilize later. Piaget proposed many
applicable educational strategies, such as discovery learning with an emphasis on activity
and play. However, Vygotsky incorporated the importance of social interactions and a co-
constructed knowledge base to the theory of cognitive development.

In conclusion, a teacher's focus should be to provide assistance to students in need, and

provide cultural tools as educational resources. Teachers should provide for group and peer
learning, in order for students to support each other through the discovery process.
Especially in today's diverse classroom, the teacher needs to be sensitive to her student's
cultural background and language, and be an active participant in his knowledge
construction.
Q5: WHAT ARE SOCIAL SKILLS? ALSO DISCUSS THE SOCIAL
CHARACTERISTICS AND THE FACTORS AFFECTING SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT AT PRESCHOOL LEVEL.

Social skills are the skills we use to communicate and interact with each
other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language
and our personal appearance.

Human beings are sociable creatures and we have developed many

ways to communicate our messages, thoughts and feelings with others.

SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE FACTORS AFFECTING

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AT PRESCHOOL LEVEL.

1. Family and Home Environment

The status of family has great impacts upon a child. You will see great variations in children. One of the causes
of that will be of the family background. In order to have a balance personality’ of a child, there must be great
cooperation between parents and their children. As according to Franks: “Home & family is the only institution
for child’s socialization and transmission of cultural heritage which shapes the basic structure of child’s
personality”. Islam also stresses upon cordial working relationship among the members of family to bring up
children and make them useful citizens of society.
2. School and Teacher Role
Next place where most of social development takes place is school and the influencing role of a teacher. The
more good and cordial atmosphere is in the school and good relationship with teacher the more good social
development will take place.
3. Parental Style
The parental style must be very democratic and involved one for the sack of children. Those children show
greater social development and emotional maturity whose parental style is democratic and involved one.
4. Peer Group
In peer group a child gets social independence and make. Some decisions to define his / her role. Here a child
shares his /her feelings and emotions independently and get influenced by. The children start self-confidence
and from time to time new habits are developed which shape a child personality. The guardians must help the
children to be the part of good peer group. As an old saying says:- “Man is known by the company he keeps”.
5. Media
Now a days there is great information explosion. Every person has very easy access to all kinds of information.
The most commonly available informational machines are internet, cable TV and Mobile phone system. All
these means of information can be used in positive and negative ways. Now it is the responsibility of children’s
incharge(s) to guide them on the right path.
In short, Social Development in children is a very important area of learning and building up of balance
personality. This is the responsibility of school, teacher, and home / parents that children must be fully
developed in social relationship with human sand with the value system of particular society. For social
development in children new techniques and methodology must be explored.