Arcadia Public Library

Beginning with Sigmund Freud, modern child development theories have changed the way that parents raise their children and the way that teachers teach those children. This video is an entertaining and enlightening view of the major child development theories, how the theories differ and how more than one approach can be beneficial. Historical footage and photos are combined with candid documentary footage from day care centers.

From the time they are born, human beings are predisposed to learn and enjoy music. Children especially are open to it, and research increasingly has shown that exposure to music and especially participation in making it - by singing and playing simple percussion instruments - is invaluable in helping childrens brains develop the - neural bridges - that make them stronger.

During middle childhood - the period between ages 6 and 12 - children reach many critical milestones. In fact, teacher and caregiver responses during this time of significant change can dramatically affect a child's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth, both immediately and in the future. At this stage, children grow physically, gain body awareness, and form lifelong habits that affect their health and well-being. At the same time, their...

In the summer of 1975 John Marshall and Roger Hart documented the outdoor play activities of the children in a small Vermont town. Roger had just completed his dissertation from Clark University on the geography of children. John's 13 hours of 16mm footage comprised part of his detailed research on children's outdoor lives, studying the role of play in children's psychological development as well as its relationship to their understanding of nature...

Draws on the author's Positive Parenting Solutions online course to explain how to correct negative behaviors in children, introducing the psychological theories of Alfred Adler on using empowerment to promote healthy child development.

Physical play is the first type of play to emerge but also the least researched and most neglected by educators. However this is rapidly changing as educators realize just how vital it is from many points of view. Inbuilt psychological drives mean that children want to be able to do things for themselves and physical play leads to children becoming adept at using their bodies. Being motivated to succeed at tasks is an important factor in effective...

Caring deeply about our children is part of what makes us human. Yet the thing we call 'parenting' is a surprisingly new invention. In the past thirty years, the concept of parenting and the multibillion dollar industry surrounding it have transformed child care into obsessive, controlling, and goal-oriented labor intended to create a particular kind of child and therefore a particular kind of adult. In The Gardener and the Carpenter, the pioneering...

How can we tell if a child is developing normally in its first two years? Learn some of the basic developmental milestones in physical growth, personal and social skills, large and small motor skills and language acquisition. Discover when to seek professional help to assess development, especially for potential problems in hearing and vision. Understand that speech is the most variable area of development. Learn to recognise key motor skill developments....