Running Head: MOTIVATING CORE CONCEPTS 1

Motivating Core Concepts

Marisol Cisneros

Brigham Young University- Idaho

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Motivating Core Concepts

There are many things that effect children while they are developing in their early and

mid-childhood years. There are 10 Core concepts that explain that development. Throughout

this semester there have been three that have made a particular impact on me in deepening my

understanding of children and knowing how I can help children as I interact with them. These

three concepts are: number 1: “Human Development is shaped by a dynamic and continuous

interaction between biology and experience”, number 3: “The growth of self-regulation is a

cornerstone of Early/Middle Development that cuts across all domains of behavior”, and number

5: “Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on relationships, are the building blocks

of healthy development” (Committee, 2000).

Biology and Experience

The first core concept is “Human Development is shaped by a dynamic and continuous

interaction between biology and experience (Committee, 2000).” There has long been the debate

over which is better or more accurate, nature or nurture. However, this concept explains that it is

the two that influence a child. As a child is affected by their environment they in return affect

the environment and this cycle is repeated continuously. By understanding that both the biology

and the environment in which a child grows up in, influences who they become, it really helps

you deepen your understanding of the children you influence. You can deepen your

understanding by knowing the different developmental stages of a child and so you can

understand why they are acting a certain way as well as get to know the environment in which

they come from so you can better know what are the specific things that are influencing the child

day to day.

One way you can better understand a child is knowing their medical history. This can

allow you to better understand their physical development. Home visits could also be a good
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strategy in understanding the child’s environment. Another strategy is having a good

relationship with the child’s parents that way you can see what kind of parents the child is

around and they could help inform you on other things that may be special to their child.

Strategies that could be used for your own children could consists of doing things while

pregnant, such as lowering stress, that could help the development of the child while still in

uterus. Another thing you could also do is create a stable and loving home, so that the child can

focus progressing in a deeper level.

Self-Regulation

The third core concept is “The growth of self-regulation is a cornerstone of Early/Middle

Development that cuts across all domains of behavior (Committee, 2000).” You see self-

regulation in all aspects in the development of a child. One main example when a child is young,

is the transition of waiting to be fed and then later on learning to feed themselves when they have

become hungry. Children have to regulate themselves in the things that they eat, their emotions,

the way that they act and learning what things are acceptable, morally, and even cognitively. I

think that many times adults can get very frustrated with children when they do something that is

termed “unacceptable.” However, if we understand that children are still learning to regulate

their behavior it can help us be more patient and understanding and willing to help and teach.

When it comes to regulating a child’s behavior, as an adult emotionally coaching the

child could be a good strategy to help them develop this characteristic that is so important. Once

a child is better able to recognize the feelings that they are having they will then be able to know

how to channel them or what would be the proper way to express them. When it comes to food,

an adult could introduce healthy foods to the child as well as teach them about nutrition and

exercise. Once a child understands the health benefits of certain foods they will be better able to

regulate on their own what’s best to eat because they will have a deeper knowledge.
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Human Relationships

The fifth concept is “Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on

relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development (Committee, 2000).” Some of the

major relationships that a child develops at this age are that with their parents, and the

friendships that they create. Attachment is really important and depending on the attachment

that they have with their parents, it can have a lasting influence on a child in the years to come

(Gale Virtual Reference Library, p.30-35). Likewise, friendship is really important. It gives

them a sense of closeness, loyalty, and equality (Gale Virtual Reference Library, p.156-159). It

gives them someone to be their playmate and to share different experiences with. This deepened

my understanding of children by understanding just what an important role adults have in the

development of children. Many times, I think that people don’t think that they can make the

difference in the life of a child but they really can. Children need that relationship with others.

We all do.

I think one of the main strategies is making sure that parenting and how you parent

becomes one of your highest priorities. We have been given different models of what good

parenting looks like, the best one being that of our Heavenly Father, and so we should try to

emulate those attributes. Setting up play dates for your children will help them be able to create

and form relationships with children their own age that they can play with and share different

experiences with.

By understanding better these three different concepts this semester I feel that I will be

able to have a greater impact on the children in my life and help them foster optimum

development. Children need adults that know and care about their well-being.
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References

Committee, O. I. T. S. O. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: the science of early

childhood development. Retrieved from

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.byui.idm.oclc.org

Gale Virtual Reference Library, Encyclopedia of the Life Course and Human Development, Ed.

Deborah Carr, Vol. 1: Childhood and Adolescence. Detroit: McMillan Reference USA,

2009. pp. 30–35

Gale Virtual Reference Library, Child Development, Ed. Neil J. Salkind. New York, CA:

Macmillan Reference, 2002. pp. 156–159