Virtual Child, Research Paper Example

Abstract

Many children experience cognitive and behavioral changes as they grow from infancy to early childhood.  This paper attempts to explain the specific behavior and cognitive changes of Gavin and how I, as his mother, continue to work with him to teach him necessary skills and behaviors.  He continues to be very sociable and has performed very well on vocabulary and reasoning testing.  Gavin has also shown advancements in pre-school and is preparing for another environmental change next year as he enters kindergarten.  Unfortunately, he has begun to show negative behaviors such as lying or hesitancy to try new things.  I continue to work with him every day and speak with his teacher to ensure that these negative behaviors are not promoted.

Introduction

Many children experience different rates of maturation, especially when considering communication, logic and reasoning.  My son Gavin has been working in this study to analyze the behaviors and cognitive functions of children as they grow older.  As a parent, I am doing what I can to analyze his advancements and obstacles as he grows older.  This part of the study was performed before Gavin turned five years old.  His behaviors, cognitive developments and advancements in social situations continue to show marked improvements.  However, he has begun to engage in negative behaviors and I have been working with his teacher to ensure that these behaviors are not promoted so that they do not inhibit his growth and development.

Gavin has an urge to communicate with me and my partner about what he has done. He also tries to communicate with our friends and his playmates to tell stories about the events that happen in his daily life.  However, Gavin is not always able to effectively communicate because he tends to leave out some of the important details. I am forced to ask him probing questions to get him to think about what he has forgotten to mention so that the story is clear. Gavin still engages in a cognitive behavior where he tells us just enough of the story and assumes that we understand the rest as if we were there.  Slowly, he is learning to change this behavior and has shown marked improvement on his communication and cognitive skills with others.

My son has also learned the art of observation, imitation and listening.  These are very critical skills that will prove to be beneficial as he enters kindergarten next year.  We have moved to a new area where the schools are very good, and he has not seemed to show any communication or cognitive weaknesses due to the move.  Instead, he is excited to meet new people and make new friends wherever we go.  Still, Gavin is at the age where he is still in the process of mastering cognitive skills that are still continuing to develop as he matures (Feiler, 2009).

Since Gavin was an infant, he has always been very social.  Now, he is starting to learn that he can lie in order to get his way.  I have caught him using lies a few times, but right now he is at an age where he is a very poor liar so it is easy to catch him. This shows that he has a strong cognitive reasoning and has proven that he can rationalize. The rationale for his lies is that he wants to get a cookie, so by telling a lie he is able to get that cookie.  Right now I am trying to teach him as the parent that when he lies it is bad and unacceptable.  If I allow him to engage in this behavior, he will continue to do it as he gets older.  I want to make sure that his rationale and logical thinking is not thwarted by this stage in his development because he is showing marked improvements every day.

I am very proud that Gavin has shown the ability to develop a strong vocabulary.  He continues to test well and has eliminated most of his baby talking from his everyday speech.  Gavin has specifically performed very well in both expressive and receptive vocabulary tests.  This success proves that Gavin has mastered the English language for his age group and will continue to improve as he matures.  Gavin is relating appropriately to his environment.  For instance, the pre-school assessment shows that Garvin is already cooperative and friendly.  This can only mean that he is effectively engaging with his environment and the children and teacher in the environment.  The pre-school specialist notes that the only situation that Gavin has not adapted to is the threatening environments because these make him uncomfortable.  He also has shown that he is only comfortable with things that he likes.  However, Gavin is also hesitant to engage in some of the pre-school activities that make interacting with the other children difficult at times.  Although children Gavin’s age may tend to show signs of deviancy and detest rules or lie to get what they want (Cowie et al., 2005), it is my job as his mother to help teach him right and wrong behaviors.

References

Ainsworth, M.D.S. & Bowlby, J. (1991). An ethological approach to personality development’. American Psychologist, 46, 331-341.

Cowie, H., Blades, M. & Smith, K. (2005).  Basic psychology: Understanding Children’s Development. Oxford: Blackwell Press

Feiler, R. (2009). Stages of Growth Child Development – Early Childhood and Middle Childhood. Retrieved on February 21, 2010 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1826/Child-Development-Stages-Growth.html

Meadows, S. (1987). Piagets contribution to understanding cognitive development: an assessment for the late 1980s. Retrieved on February 21, 2010 from http://psychology.about.com/od/loveandattraction/ss/attachmentstyle.htm