Does this practice have something to do with proximodistal patterns of development

At birth, the brain is about 25% of its adult weight - there is major brain growth in the 1st few years of life.
o Early experience - important to brain growth - babies in deprived environments have different brain growth than babies in enriched environments. Is this irreversible? Maybe...
- Brain is rapidly growing until age 3, reaches nearly 90% of adult weight.
- By birth, the spinal cord and brain stem (breathing, heart rate, body temperature, sleep-wake cycle) are developed. Cerebral cortex (largest structure the human brain, responsibly for highly developed intelligence). Cerebrum is largest part of the brain, divided into right and a left hemisphere continues developing throughout life.
Lateralization -specialization of functions in the 2 hemispheres of the cerebral cortex.
- Left is better at sequential, analytic processing (piece by piece) - good approach for dealing with language, communication
- Right is better at processing in a holistic, integrative manner - ideal for making sense of spatial information and regulating negative emotion.

o Nature or nurture? Of course, it is both.
o Humans seem to be prewired to speak. (genes)
o Even deaf children babble... (genes)
o Behaviorists said that we reward children for talking and that is how they learn to speak - but now we know this isn't true (environment). It isn't possible to reward them for every word they learn to speak.
o But, environment is important -children who are surrounded with rich language environments have a bigger vocabulary than children who do not hear a lot of language. (environment)
♣ Children in lower income families have mothers who speak to them less frequently and the vocabulary is not as diverse. Mothers who use pointing gestures frequently also have children with higher levels of language.
o Child Directed Speech (CDS) - the way we speak when we talk to babies. Use a higher pitch, use simple words and sentences, repeat and speak slower (even children use CDS when talking with babies).
♣ Other ways to enhance speech:
• Recasting - rephrasing something a child has said.
• Expanding - taking a simple utterance and making it more complex. Child says "milk" and the dad says "yes, you want more milk, don't you?"
• Labeling - identifying the name of objects. (I see the tree.)
o Interactionist view -- both nature and nurture are important. Children are born with the ability to speak but must be in an environment where they hear language.
at age 2, 200 words, by age 6, about 10,000 words. How do children learn vocabulary so quickly? Fast mapping - connect new words with underlying concepts after only brief encounter.
o Learning pragmatics - practical, social side of language, conversation and communication. Learn conversation skills as early as age 2, get better and better with age.
• Supporting early language development - talk, talk , talk - conversation, talking with children not at them. Don't overcorrect, especially when children make grammatical mistakes. Provide feedback:
1. recasts - restructuring inaccurate speech into correct form (I goed to school, You go to school)
2. expansions - elaborating on children's speech (I want milk, You would like some more milk?)

Primary emotions - emotions that are present in humans and animals. Appear in the 1st 6 months.
o Include surprise, interest, joy, anger, fear, disgust
• Self-conscious emotions - require the baby to be self-aware.
o Include jealousy, empathy, embarrassment
o Usually start around 6 months until the 1st year is over.
• Emotions and relationships - the ability of babies to communicate is important to create relationship with caregivers/parents
o Crying - most important mechanism infants have to communicate
♣ 3 types of cries
• Basic cry, Anger cry, Pain cry
o Smiling
♣ Reflexive - the first smile, not because of external stimuli (gas smile)
♣ Social - occurs in response to external stimulus, usually a face (as early as 4 - 6 weeks after birth)

- Head Start: 1960s large scale program to help them make up what they missed and to prepare for school.
o Whole child approach
o Does it work? IQ gains and achievement test scores dissolve but there is improved school adjustment - may result from parents' contribution - more involved parents are, better the child rearing practices and stimulating home environment. (for $15,000 spent on early intervention, save $250,000).
- Yes, most successful program have lots of parent participation, best trained teachers, low staff to child ratios, longest school days and weeks, most extensive services. Works best when it lasts at least 2 years.
- less likely to be placed in special ed, to repeat a grade, more likely to finish high school than low income children who do not attend.
1995 - started Early Head Start - pregnant women and to infants and toddlers (birth to 3). Seems to be working, parents read more to children, play with them in more structured ways, have set bedtimes, use less physical punishment.

o at age 2, 200 words, by age 6, about 10,000 words. How do children learn vocabulary so quickly? Fast mapping - connect new words with underlying concepts after only brief encounter.
o Learning pragmatics - practical, social side of language, conversation and communication. Learn conversation skills as early as age 2, get better and better with age.
• Supporting early language development - talk, talk , talk - conversation, talking with children not at them. Don't overcorrect, especially when children make grammatical mistakes. Provide feedback:
In cognitive psychology, fast mapping is the term used for the hypothesized mental process whereby a new concept is learned (or a new hypothesis formed) based only on a single exposure to a given unit of information.

Parenting - good parenting takes time and effort. Not just quantity, but quality.
o Baumrind's parenting styles
• Authoritarian - restrictive, punitive. Children should obey. Firm limits and control. (Do it because I said so!)
♣ These children are often unhappy, fearful, and have weak communication skills - boys may be aggressive.
• Authoritative - freedom within limits. Parents are warm and nurturing to children. Expect children to act appropriately within what is developmental for their age.
♣ These children are often cheerful, self-controlled, and achievement oriented.
• Neglectful - parent is very uninvolved.
♣ These children are socially incompetent, have poor self-control, don't handle independence well.
• Indulgent - parents are highly involved but don't place limits on their children. Children can do what they want.
♣ These children are not respectful of others, have difficulty with self-control, egocentric, have hard time with peers.
***authoritative parenting is linked with more positive children outcomes (especially for white children).

physical abuse- assaults
sexual abuse- fondling, intercourse, exhibitionism, commercial exploitation through prostitution, or pornography
neglect- failure to meet a child's basic needs for food, clothing, medical attention, education, supervision
emotional abuse- acts that cause serious mental or behavior disorders(social isolation,unreasonable demands,ridicule,humiliation,terrorizing,intimidation

provide social support to parents
early intervention
parents anonymous

Sets with similar terms

What is the Proximodistal pattern of development?

What is an example of Proximodistal development?

How will you differentiate cephalocaudal from Proximodistal Development How will you relate it to teaching and learning?

Which of the following is an example of the Proximodistal principle of growth?