Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8
Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2015-07-23

Total Pages: 587

ISBN-13: 0309324882

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Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

Parenting Matters
Parenting Matters

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2016-11-21

Total Pages: 525

ISBN-13: 0309388570

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Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

The Promise of Adolescence
The Promise of Adolescence

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2019-07-26

Total Pages: 493

ISBN-13: 0309490111

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Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.

Psychological Development of Deaf Children
Psychological Development of Deaf Children

Author: Marc Marschark

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 9780195115758

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This book is the first comprehensive examination of the psychological development of deaf children. Because the majority of young deaf children (especially those with non-signing parents) are reared in language-impoverished environments, their social and cognitive development may differ markedly from hearing children. The author here details those potential differences, giving special attention to how the psychological development of deaf children is affected by their interpersonal communication with parents, peers, and teachers. This careful and balanced consideration of existing evidence and research provides a new psychological perspective on deaf children and deafness while debunking a number of popular notions about the hearing impaired. In light of recent findings concerning manual communication, parent-child interactions, and intellectual and academic assessments of hearing-impaired children, the author has forged an integrated understanding of social, language, and cognitive development as they are affected by childhood deafness. Empirical evaluations of deaf children's intellectual and academic abilities are stressed throughout. The Psychological Development of Deaf Children will be of great interest to students, teachers, and researchers studying deafness and how it relates to speech and hearing; developmental, social, and cognitive psychology; social work; and medicine.

Development During Middle Childhood
Development During Middle Childhood

Author: Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1984-01-01

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 0309034787

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For the first time, a report focuses specifically on middle childhoodâ€"a discrete, pivotal period of development. In this review of research, experts examine the physical health and cognitive development of 6- to 12-year-old children as well as their surroundings: school and home environment, ecocultural setting, and family and peer relationships.

Child and Adolescent Psychology
Child and Adolescent Psychology

Author: Stephen von Tetzchner

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-10-26

Total Pages: 1258

ISBN-13: 1317585186

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Child and Adolescent Psychology provides an accessible and thorough introduction to human development by integrating insights from typical and atypical development. This integration cements understanding since the same processes are involved. Knowledge about atypical development informs the understanding of typical development, and knowledge about typical development is a necessary basis for understanding atypical development and working with children with disorders. Based on international research, and informed by biological, social and cultural perspectives, the book provides explanations of developmental phenomena, with a focus on how children and adolescents at different age levels actually think, feel and act. Following a structure by topic, with chronological developments within each chapter, von Tetzchner presents and contrasts the major theoretical ideas in developmental psychology and discusses their implications for different aspects of development. He also integrates information about sensory, physical and cognitive disabilities and the main emotional and behavioral disorders of childhood and adolescence, and the developmental consequences of these disabilities and disorders. Child and Adolescent Psychology is accompanied by online resources for lecturers and students to enhance the book, including essay questions for each chapter, Powerpoint slides and multiple-choice questions. The book and companion website will prove invaluable to developmental psychology students.

Understanding Child Development
Understanding Child Development

Author: Sara Meadows

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-11-20

Total Pages: 508

ISBN-13: 135184024X

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Understanding Child Development introduces the main areas of developmental psychology in childhood. Drawing on content which first appeared in ‘Understanding Child Development’, published in 1986, the book includes new bases of evidence and offers an interdisciplinary approach to the subject. Following a thematic approach, this book draws together strands of knowledge from psychology, neuroscience, and medical, social and cognitive sciences. It covers both classic and contemporary theories and research, while also examining child development in real-world settings. Chapters explore conceptual issues, key developmental theories, and research methodology, while developing practical ways of making children’s lives better. These discussions are presented in a refreshing tone giving the reader an insight into the broad area of developmental psychology and its applications. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Understanding Child Development is essential reading for students on introductory courses in developmental psychology. It also offers valuable reading for those on related courses in education, health and social work.

Children and Adolescents
Children and Adolescents

Author: Theron Alexander

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-12

Total Pages: 606

ISBN-13: 1351528998

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An individual's understanding of himself must begin with an appreciation of his origin. Thus, the concern of modern man to understand his behavior has led to an investigation of the forces that influence human development. Investigation encompasses many academic subjects: genetics, biology, medicine, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, sociology, anthropology, history, and psychology. However, each of these subjects falls into one or both of two broad categories-the biological and the cultural. In short, all human behavior is determined by both the biological characteristics and the environmental characteristics of the culture. Underlying the solution to any of today's social problems is, of course, the need for a clearer understanding of human psychological development. Children and Adolescents is a unique book in its approach to developmental psychology. Successfully integrating both the biological and the cultural influences, which determine the behavior of a child, the book begins with a discussion of behavioral development in infancy and a description of the physiological foundation of such early behavior. Alexander traces the process of growth through middle childhood and adolescence. Concerned with the normal difficulties and problems that arise in childhood, he demonstrates --by means of actual case studies the importance of early motivation and cognitive processes, particularly the need for self-direction in all developing children, the process of individual change through varying kinds of experiences, and the relationship of the child to authority. Children and Adolescents provides vital and well-organized material for all courses in child behavior--whether taught in departments of psychology, education, or home economics. Professionals concerned with social problems and child development will discover a stimulating new approach to the process of psychological growth.