Essay Questions

1.Identify and explain the significant steps of Early Childhood Development and include the relevant theories.

The development of a child starts with physical development before getting to psychological development. Physical development involves growth in height and weight. During the early stages, the girls are averagely taller than boys. One of the challenges in physical development is obesity, a health problem that is caused by diet, social characteristics, and genetic make-up. The psychological aspect involves growth in education, which is enhanced for all learners through systems such as special education.

The special education units involve providing the learners with differentiated instructions to facilitate learning at various levels. The early development stages require the support of the parents, especially the protection that the father offers to the children. Similarly, the development of the children includes dieting and the challenge of obesity among children can be addressed by ensuring that children access healthy meals.

2.Describe the challenges faced by learners in the early stages of development and suggest viable solutions to the setbacks.

Bullying at school and instability in the family set up can disrupt the learning progress and ruin the future of the kids. Bullying inflicts physical pain and injuries and scares the victims from attending school. This problem can be addressed by teaching discipline in school. Bullying is responsible for over 90% truancy in elementary and middle schools as students fear being harassed and they choose to stay at home. Children who are exposed to bullying might develop low self-esteem, while the perpetrators are likely to engage in crimes in future.

The issue of family disputes affects the children because they lack the required parental support. The challenge can be solved by listening and responding to their concerns. The adults might be well adapted to facing with the challenges of emotional disruptions, but the children are vulnerable, so they suffer from depression and emotional instability.

3. Elaborate on two main challenges that face adolescents and suggest possible solutions.

The use of illegal drugs is prevalent and detrimental to the development of adolescents into responsible adults. The involvement in drug abuse often lead teenagers into criminal activities and other problems such as teenage pregnancies and high rates of truancy. The academic expectations of such students are low and they perform poorly in school. The youth should be educated on the problems of drug abuse and provided with rehabilitation services.

Similarly, teenagers are affected by the challenge of sexuality and sex. The teenage period involves shaping the adult life, and most teenagers are confused about the changes in their bodies. The lack of sufficient information on how to face the changes can expose them to sexual assaults and harassment by evil adults. The teens should be offered with all the necessary information concerning the issues of sexuality.

4.Explain how Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa affects teenagers.

Anorexia Nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder that involves resistance to eating, grave fear of weight gain, and loss of menstrual periods in girls. The patients suffer organ failures such as kidney and heart problems and generally weakened bodies such as brittle bones. The general weakness of the body leads to other major health complications that can result into death. Such teens should be taken for mental clinics and get constant encouragement to accept their bodies.

On the other hand, Bulimia is an eating disorder that is characterized by behavior such as self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, and excessive concern over weight and shape. The effects include tooth decay, inflammation or rupture of the esophagus, and electrolyte imbalance caused by dehydration. Reversing such adverse health effects is usually a challenge, but the best treatment should start by changing the mindset through guidance and counseling.

5.Explain the social learning theory and cognitive approaches during early childhood development.

Social learning is learning from the context, and it involves observation, imitation, and modeling in education. Social learning theory assures that learning can take place without behavioral change. Children are the best known for learning through observation and imitation because their language and expression is usually incomplete during the early stages. They should be exposed to positive learning experiences to promote positive academic growth.

The cognitive theory operates on the development of acceptable rules as stipulated by society. The societal values play a significant role in shaping the characters and behaviors of individuals. The children, especially, are shaped by their immediate environment even into their adulthood lives.