Life Span Development, Essay Example

It was the philosopher Plato  that stated ” People are like soil. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die”.  This actually starts off with your parents and your childhood upbringing.  Your parents can educate you and guide you in order to help you grow. This is accomplished by providing the right learning environment, the right type of learning materials, the right type of encouragement and instil in you a degree of positive thinking.  These are elements that nourish your brain and help you to grow into an adult.  Similar to feeding soil with the right kind of nutrients that plants require in order to help them flourish and grow.  They require more than just sunlight and water they have to be fed with the right nutrients in order to stimulate growth.

Developmental changes may be considered the result of biological, cognitive and socio emotional processes.  Biological theories relate to changes in the individuals physical nature, Cognitive changes impact changes in thought, intelligence and language whereas socioemotional impacts those changes in association with relationships with people i.e. changes in emotion or personality.  Of particular importance is Vygotsky’s Sociocultural cognitive theory where he emphasises that in Childrens behaviour the actively construct their knowledge and how social interaction can actually aid cognitive development.  Learning being based on the mentorship approach of passing on knowledge and skills.   Equally Piaget acknowledged the importance of organization and adaption in the structuring of the thought process, with four stages of distinct cognitive development in Children.  (Santrock)

Human beings are no different in this regard.  Parents tend for the young plants (children) and provide for their stimulation and growth at the most vulnerable times.  Conversely if your parents neglect your upbringing, they offer no encouragement, become disinterested in your learning and growth, then the child can become stunted in terms of learning, education and growth.  Sadly this can also lead to death.  Consider children that become juvenile delinquents and turn towards street crime and drugs.  Equally it may be more innocent where you are a child of very poor people like in the Sudan or parts of Africa. Your parents cannot afford to nourish you with education and learning and equally feed you to stimulate growth.  Such sad circumstances also lead to childhood deprivation and in the extreme cases death

Works Cited

Santrock, John. “Life Span Development 12th Edition.” Santrock, John. Life Span Development 12th Edition. London UK: McGraw Hill, 2009. 832.