Kira Castle

Professor Helms
PSYCH 245
1/26/15
My Theory of Child Development
There have been numerous theorists who have all created
different theories regarding their ideas for the way they believe
children should be educated and raised. Chapter 2 of Child and
Adolescent Development outlines many of these theories. The
perspectives range from ideas about punishment to reinforcement, and
the importance of interactions to solo development. The two theories
that I find most agreeable, and I would support in my own classroom
are the Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura and the Dynamic
Self-Organizing System Theory by Ester Thelen.
The first theory from this chapter that I revere is the Social
Learning Theory. Banduras theory is centered around the idea of the
social environment. He believed that people learn best from the
observations of others, and recreating these actions on their own. His
theory was tested with the Bobo Doll experiment. Children watched a
model kicking this doll. One group was shown the model being
punished, another group saw the model being rewarded, and the third
(control) group saw no actions taken. The children that saw a reward
would come from kicking the doll were the fastest to attack the doll.

Those that saw a punishment were least aggressive. This was an

incredible illustration of how quickly children will respond to what they
see happening around them. This is why I think this theory is so
important to remember for the classroom. Giving rewards and praise to
children who behave well will only inspire others to do so. On the flip
side, it is crucial to not let bad behaviors slide. Children are much more
observant than we ever think, but they are actually learning from us on
a constant basis.
The second theory that I admired was the Dynamic SelfOrganization System. This states that people will learn best through
their emergence of the interactions that had limited instructions and
require them to figure out on their own. Thelen uses the example of a
baby wanting a toy. If you place it across the room, the baby will try to
crawl towards the toy. The baby was never told to do so or given any
instructions, but its success will come from the effort it puts forth to
get to the toy. This theory is great for elementary education as well.
Leaving out instructions allows for the students to create their own
paths of learning. This idea of inventive learning has been proven to be
one of the most beneficial techniques to students of this age.
Wanting to teach elementary education has been a goal of mine
for a long time. However, I think just as students should keep learning
so should I. As long as there are other opinions and inspirations that I
can gain, I want to keep absorbing all that I can. These two theories are

just a few of the many that have spurred the interest in improving the
way children learn. They both provide insight into different approaches
that can make children become the best that they can be. Just as my
own theory of child development, these theories have faith in the
actions of the students. Children all have great potential; its just in us
as teachers to help them find out what that is.