Community Child Development Center Proposal

Community Child Development Center Proposal

PSY 104

Physical Development Activity

• Community Child Development Center Proposal
• The new child developmental community center has come together and come up with many fun, educational, and developmentally appropriate activities that will be completed in the infant room, toddler room, early childhood room, middle/late childhood room, and adolescent room. Each activity will focus on physical development, cognitive development, and psychosocial development. The main goal behind these activities is for the students to develop in a healthy and educational way. Each student will be assessed upon completion of all activities to make sure the activity is both developmentally and educationally successful. The activities will also be adjusted to meet the needs of all children which will depend on the child’s developmental progress.
• ROOM #1 – Infant Room

The activity for the infant room that encourages physical development is tummy time. During tummy time, the child is laid gently on their belly, and toys are placed in front of them. This activity is an excellent way for the child to use their developmental skills. Tummy time is a unique way to spike not only their physical development; it sparks their interest and curiosity. Placing the toys in front of them will also encourage the child to reach for the toy or even move towards it. Once the child reaches the toy, they will use their hands to reach for and hold onto it, which allows the child to grasp it physically. “They will grasp anything placed in their palm and hold it with amazing strength for their size; some infants in the first weeks of life can support their entire body weight through that grasp” (Oswalt, n.d. para. 5). The physical and developmental milestones that support this activity include; pushing up during tummy time to reach the toy in front of them, and the ability to move their arms in the direction of the toy.

Cognitive Development Activity

An activity that supports cognitive development in the infant room is a treasure hunt. “Jean Piaget proposed that children think differently than adults do, and that people began to view childhood and adolescence as a unique period of growth and development” (Cherry, 2019, para. 1). That is why it is essential to incorporate age and developmentally appropriate activities in the classroom. The educator will hide toys and objects of different shapes under a small blanket. She will then encourage the child to find the objects that are hidden. This activity is an excellent way for the child to learn the different shapes of each object.

Psychosocial Development Activity

The activity that is included in the infant room that promotes psychosocial development is called floor mirror. Floor mirror is an activity where the educator places the child in front of a mirror on their belly and encourages them to interact with not only the mirror but the educator as well. This allows the child to see their reflection and make different faces. The educator is encouraged to share the mirror with the child, so they can see the different looks he/she makes. This is a great way to bond with the child as well. For a child to have a connection with someone, they have to learn to trust them first. “The central role of learning from others is highlighted by Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’, which indicates how much further a child can go when learning with the support of a teacher, parent, carer or peer” (Goswami, 2015, pg. 2, para. 7). This activity is a great bonding experience between child and educator. This activity will give the child the psychosocial development that will help with trust.

Physical Development Activity

• ROOM #2 – Toddler Room

The activity that is incorporated into the toddler room that supports physical development is to hide and seek. The educator will choose one child to be the counter. The teacher and the toddler will close their eyes, and with the help of the teacher, they will count to ten. The other children will then hide somewhere of their choice in the classroom. After the teacher and counter reach number ten, they will open their eyes and seek out the hiders. Once a child is found, the counter will gently place their hand on the shoulder of the hider and say, “you’re it.” The child that was spotted will then become the counter in the next round. This activity is a fun way for the children to be physically active. “Youngsters have greater energy levels than professional endurance athletes, scientists have discovered, meaning it is virtually impossible for the average adult to keep up” (Knapton, 2018, para. 1). Children tend to be extremely active and playing a game like hide and seek can burn off some of that energy while having a great time.

Cognitive Development Activity

The activity incorporated into the classroom that supports cognitive development would be to give the child choices. In this activity, the children are given two different activity options, whether it be coloring or playing with blocks. The children are then encouraged to pick an activity all on their own. Educators are there to give specific instruction and teach the child the outcome of their choices. The children are encouraged to think about their decision before taking action. This activity is vital to cognitive development because it allows the child to decide for themselves and think about their decision.

Psychosocial Development Activity

The activity that supports psychosocial development in the toddler classroom was duck, duck goose. The children will all sit on the floor in a circle. The educator will then choose one child to go around the room, placing one hand on each child’s head. Upon placing their hand on each child’s head, they will say “duck.” The child will go around the circle until they are ready and say, “goose.” The child who is chosen as the goose will jump up and chase the other child around the circle until they have reached their seat. If they are captured before they reach their seat, they are it. “This type of development includes social traits like the development of play and friendships, and personal traits like self-control” (Mossler, 2014. Sec. 1.2. para. 5). This activity allows the children to interact with one another and have fun doing so.

The activity that promotes physical development in the early childhood room is called follow the leader. The teacher will line all of the children up one by one and turn on music. The children will follow one another until the music stops. Once the music stops, the children are instructed to sit down quickly. The last one to sit down has to sit out the next round. This activity is a great way to sharpen the children’s listening skills and their quick reflexes. By adding a little spin on the activity by having the children sit once the music stops has encouraged more physical activity for the children to do.

• ROOM #3 – Early Childhood Room
• Physical Development Activity

Cognitive Development Activity

The cognitive development activity that is incorporated into the early childhood room is called if your happy and you know it. The educator will have all the kids stand next to their chairs and follow along with the song “if your happy and you know it.” The song has specific instructions that the children will be encouraged to follow. This activity is an excellent form of cognitive development because the children have to listen to the song carefully and decide upon instruction when they are to clap their hands.

Psychosocial Development Activity

The activity incorporated into the early childhood room that supports psychosocial development is emotional charades. The educator chooses an emotion and tells one child in the classroom to act out that emotion. The other children in the room will be able to guess what emotion it is. Whichever child answers the emotion correctly; it is then their turn to act out an emotion. “During early childhood, children start to develop a “self-concept,” the attributes, abilities, attitudes, and values that they believe define them” (Oswalt, n.d. para. 1). At this age, children are starting to understand what emotions they experience, depending on the situation. During this activity, the children are able to express feelings that they may encounter daily.

Physical Development Activity

• ROOM #4 – Middle/Late Childhood Room

The activity that is incorporated into the middle/late childhood room that supports physical development is called trash can hoops. Each child will line up and get a turn at throwing a small plastic ball into a bin that is across from them. If they make it, they move back a square until there are no more squares left. Once completed, the child will pass the ball onto the next student in line. This activity focuses mainly on their physical development but also on their cognitive development. The child not only has to throw the ball at a speed that is needed; they also have to calculate the distance. “Motor coordination involves a series of cerebral processes including sensory input, perceptual and cognitive processing, and action production” (Higashionna, Iwanaga, & Tanaka, 2017). Their brain sends signals to the arm, which tells it how fast and far to throw the ball. This activity also requires excellent coordination skills.

Cognitive Development Activity

The cognitive development activity that is incorporated in the middle/late childhood classroom is story time. In this activity, the children are given the necessary materials to come up with a story and then create a small chapter book about that story with illustrations. Once the children have completed their book, they will then share it with the class. This activity supports cognitive development because they are using their imaginations and creativity to create a story. Cognitive development is significant in the classroom. It allows the child to use their own ideas when developing all activities.

Psychosocial Development Activity

Physical Development Activity

• The activity that will be used in the middle/late childhood classroom that supports psychosocial development is report presentations. The children will create a presentation on a particular topic and present it to the class. Encouraging students to stand in front of their peers and present their report could have a substantial impact on their self-esteem. Having the children speak publicly could promote a sense of self-awareness and give them strength and confidence.
• ROOM #5 – Adolescence Room

The activity that incorporates physical development activity in the adolescent room is jump rope. Each child is given a jump rope and encouraged to jump rope as many times as they can. “Varying between and within people, physical fitness can be achieved or maintained through training providing the basis of being able to continuously participate in daily activities and sports” (Utesch, Dreiskämper, Strauss, & Naul, 2018, para. 2). Being active and participating in physical activity is a healthy form of physical development.

Cognitive Development Activity

The activity that will be incorporated in the adolescent room that promotes cognitive development is called which one is missing. The educator will place a group of cards down on the table one by one. Once the children have had a chance to observe each card, the teacher will then take one away without the child looking. The student will later try and decide which card is missing. This activity is an excellent way for the children to use their memory to try and determine which cards were present and which one has been eliminated. “While many core facets of executive function may reach maturation in childhood, these processes continue to be refined and stabilized during adolescence” (Vishnu, Finnegan, & Beatriz, 2016, para. 1). During maturation, the brain develops in a way that makes it easier for them to remember specific items.

Psychosocial Development Activity

The activity that is incorporated in the adolescent classroom that supports psychosocial development would be a debate. The students are given a topic, and one by one, they are encouraged to speak their minds and express their own opinions on the subject. “During this stage, adolescents search for a sense of self and personal identity, through an intense exploration of personal values, beliefs, and goals” (McLeod, 2018, para. 32). This activity supports psychosocial development because the students are able to have their own opinions and elaborate on different ideas that their peers may have on the topic.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the new child development community center is excited to educate young minds and provide the necessary materials and resources needed to help the children progress educationally and developmentally. The activities in each age group focus mainly on the child’s developmental needs and their educational progress. The new child development community center will continue to make adjustments where needed in order to meet the needs of all the children who attend.

Cherry, K. (2019, October 02). Cognitive developmental milestones. Very Well Mind. Retrievedfrom https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-developmental-milestones-2795109

• References

Higashionna, T., Iwanaga, R., Tokunaga, A., Nakai, A., Tanaka, K., Nakane, H., & Tanaka, G.(2017). Relationship between Motor Coordination, Cognitive Abilities, and AcademicAchievement in Japanese Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Hong Kongjournal of occupational therapy: HKJOT, 30(1), 49–55. doi:10.1016/j.hkjot.2017.10.002.Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6092008/

• Goswami, U. (2015). Children’s Cognitive Development and Learning. Cambridge PrimaryReview Trust. Retrieved from https://cprtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/BRIEFING-Goswami-Cognitive-Development-and-Learning.pdf

Knapton, S. (2018, April 24). Children have energy levels greater than endurance athletes,scientists find. The Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/04/24/children- have-energy-levels-greater-endurance-athletes-scientists/

McLeod, S. A. (2018, May 03). Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. SimplyPsychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html

Mossler, R. A. (2014). Child and adolescent development (2nd ed.). Retrieved fromhttps://content.ashford.edu/

Murty, V. P., Calabro, F., & Luna, B. (2016). The role of experience in adolescent cognitivedevelopment: Integration of executive, memory, and mesolimbic systems. Neuroscienceand biobehavioral reviews, 70, 46–58. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.034. Retrievedfrom https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5074888/

Oswalt, A. (n.d.). Infancy physical development: Motor development. Grace Point. Retrievedfrom https://www.gracepointwellness.org/461-child-development-parenting-infants-0-2/article/10108-infancy-physical-development-motor-development

Oswalt, A. (n.d.). Early childhood emotional and social development: Identity. Grace PointRetrieved from https://www.gracepointwellness.org/462-child-development-parenting-early-3-7/article/12766-early-childhood-emotional-and-social-development-identity-and-self-esteem

Utesch, T., Dreiskämper, D., Strauss, B., & Naul, R. (2018). The development of the physicalfitness construct across childhood. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science inSports, 28(1), 212–219. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=127336579&site=eds-live&scope=site