Free Teaching Kids to Think by Darlene Sweetland Page A

investigating this idea for decades, and some of the most famous and influential theorists have proposed their own ideas. Superstars such as John Bowlby, Sigmund Freud, Abraham Maslow, Erik Erikson, Margaret Mahler, and Jean Piaget all spent significant time developing their own unique theories of development. Despite their individual perspectives, one area of agreement is that development occurs in a predictable sequence.
    As psychologists, we find developmental stage theory guides our work with children and their families in many ways. Understanding what can be expected of children based on their age and developmental readiness is critical. We take into account each child’s status in the realms of social, emotional, cognitive, educational, and physical development, and then we recommend interventions that are appropriate to his or her level. Sometimes the interventions are based on “typical” child development, and sometimes the interventions are geared toward a specific skill or set of skills that may be developing slower than expected. In both cases, the child’s readiness is the driving factor.
    Most of the prominent developmental stage theories encompass the entire life span, not just childhood. In this chapter, we have chosen three of the most well-known and researched theories to relate to child and adolescent development in this generation.
    Theory No. 1: Social Development in Children
    Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is one of the most widely accepted in child psychology. It is centered on children and teens experiencing social challenges at different stages of their development. 1 If they are able to experience those challenges and figure out what to do, the outcome is growth and maturity. 2 The key here, as it is with all the theories, is that the child must experience the challenge. Take, for example, staying with a babysitter for the first time or deciding whom to eat lunch with on the first day of school. Both experiences are anxiety provoking and can result in either needing more practice or feeling good about the experience. Children are not required to master a challenge once; rather they develop their ability to master it over years. Kids try something, mess up, and figure out a new way to try the next time. Children’s confidence in who they are and how they approach things in life is based on their ability to experience and figure out the challenges at each stage. If children have positive experiences and learn from the challenge, they progress to the next stage feeling confident in their skills. If children fail to master the challenge, they move on at a disadvantage, either with less confidence or with a misguided understanding of their role in social interactions. Children may continue to age physically, but socially and emotionally, they may be at a different stage than their peers.
    The following are brief summaries of Erikson’s psychosocial stages. You will see how development progresses naturally for most children.
    1. Infancy: Erikson’s first stage is infancy, which typically lasts from birth to eighteen months. The basic conflict encountered during this stage is called trust vs. mistrust . This fundamental stage revolves around basic needs; the infant is completely dependent on his caregiver for food, reliable care, and affection. The infant successfully builds trust if his caregiver is dependable, whereas inconsistent or emotionally unavailable caregivers will foster mistrust in the infant. If a child progresses through this stage with positive experiences, he will be more likely to trust others as he gets older.
    2. Early Childhood: The second stage is early childhood, which typically lasts from eighteen months to three years of age. The basic conflict at this stage is autonomy vs. shame and doubt . Children strive toward the development of a sense of independence and personal control over their environment and their own body. For example, a