Week 4 - Fitzpatrick - Human Development in Early and Middle Childhood

This week, week four of the class, we had to read chapters 6 and 7 in the LifeSmart text, covering human development in both early childhoods (Chapter 6) and middle childhood (Chapter 7). Early childhood taking place during ages 2-6, according to Piaget. However, I do believe it is important to note that according to the text, early childhood education refers to classroom from infant until 8 years-old (138). Middle childhood refers to any child ages 7-11. In chapter 6 the text discusses the physical, cognitive, and social development of children in the early years, language development, gender development, emergence in self-understanding, early childhood education, and the importance of play in the cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of early childhood development. In chapter 7 the text discusses the physical, cognitive, and social development of children in the middles years, the moral development in early and middle childhood, intelligences and multiple intelligences, the ability to begin thinking practically and problem solving, developing a self-concept, and self-esteem, stress in middle childhood, including physical, emotional, and child abuse.

            First off, I mentioned the fact of early childhood education technically goes until the age of 8 years old, or 3^rd grade, for a reason. This is important because as an aspiring elementary educator teaching all grades, k-5^th, it is my responsibility to be cognizant of the biopsychosocial shift in the development of my students as they begin that transition from early to middle childhood, and take it into account when developing my lessons, or more often how I present myself to the students. As a substitute teacher, I have had the opportunity to witness the seismic maturity shift in students between the years of 3^rd and 4^th grade, and even more so from 4^th to 5^th grade. My ability to adapt to the new needs of the child as the children begin to mature and need more guidance and instruction as they begin to develop their self-worth and moral compass is going to be critical in my ability to relate to them as to not hinder their development at such a sensitive time.

            Touching on moral development; of all the topics to be mentioned in the index of chapter 7, moral development was the topic I was anticipating the most. As a father of two boys – one on the outskirts of early childhood at 8, the other on the outskirts of middle childhood at 12, it was very interesting to me to see how my own children aligned with the theories of Piaget (167, 168) and Kohlberg (168, 169). While both believe that moral development begins in childhood as a belief that what is right is “law” and what is wrong will receive immanent justice (168), then later grow into the understanding that actions have consequences not just on themselves, but on others too, Kohlberg believes these developmental stages happen later in life than Piaget.

Of the two theories, I agree with the chronology of Kohlberg, that children begin to develop morals on an egocentric plane during early childhood but do not begin to gain true moral judgments until adolescents. I believe this because, as I watch my oldest son grow into a young man, I am noticing the changes in his personality that attribute to Kohlberg’s thinking. Before this past year, every choice he would make was based on good and bad. There was no gray area. If he believed he was right and I was wrong, he did not have a problem expressing that feeling through anger and yelling. His moral compass did not think to consider maybe he could have been wrong. However, over the past six months, his personality is beginning to change. He is gaining patience, manners, a willingness to compromise. He is thinking of others’ feelings above his own and allowing those emotions to guide his choices, rather than solely think of himself. He is 12 years old, and it is physically visible to witness his moral change. Conversely, my younger son, who had I mentioned before has a particular bond with me that he has with no other adult figure, is growing up. He is now learning right and wrong, and when he believes he is right, he is also not afraid to let you know. He is 8, and very egocentric in his thinking.