Developmental Psychology: The Role Of Physical Development In Children

Physical Health and Development: While a child’s environment can influence their development, children’s physical and biological development can be linked to one’s cognitive and socioemotional development as well. The brain is a complex organ that is capable of remarkable feats. During late childhood, our physical development is just beginning. In the brain of a child, there are many neurological connections and pathways. As they age, these pathways get “pruned” to create fewer, more efficient pathways (Santrock, p. 98). Along with pruning, the different areas of the brain are growing and developing in complexity. Such areas of the brain include the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. The limbic system develops at a faster rate than …show more content…
Coming into this class, I assumed that I would be learning about the mental development of kids, but soon into the class, I realized it was so much more. Developmental psychology is a dynamic yet cohesive process that brings about a holistic version of who we are and everything that makes up who we are. We are made up of our personal beliefs as well as the experiences we encounter and challenges we overcome. This development does not end when we stop growing, but continues on to the last days of our …show more content…
I thought that this had one of the greatest impacts on me because growing up you believe that your experiences are different than anyone else’s. It can lead you to feel like an outsider in your own environment, where you should feel the safest. Knowing that I was not the only one who experienced these feelings helped me justify my own feelings that I had at that age as normal. This also helped me relate to the kids I was working with and create a more meaningful relationship with them. They do not like to talk to adults because they think that adults do not understand them. All of the volunteers acted as an adult figure that was able to relate to the kids, which I found to be a beneficial aspect. Service learning also helped me see myself in a new light because I had never seen myself as a role model for anyone before. At my service learning site, that was basically what I was. Having someone look up to you makes you more conscious of the actions you are doing both in front of them and when they are not around. It made want to be the best person that you can be, so they can see what it looks like to be a good person with good morals and intentions. It showed me that I was able to teach