Children in their Formative Years

Essay by sweetestgracieUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, March 2005

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It is very important for adults who are responsible for children in there formative years to know this. Children are influenced by everything they see. Adults should also be aware of the years in which they have the skills able to identify and do what they see. Children do not all develop at the same rate; therefore, making it harder to identify this stage of life. Children are more influenced by people that they respect a lot, like parents, than they are by people they just know, babysitter.

Basically four processes are involved in modeling: (1) paying attention to people, (2) selecting behaviors to reproduce, (3) remembering the observed behavior, and (4) reproducing what was observed. Attention to people is based on their engaging qualities, their particular behaviors, and a child's frame of reference. Selecting what behaviors to reproduce is largely a matter of what the child values or what he sees other whom he admires valuing.

Those behaviors that ring pleasure will more likely be modeled; whereas if a child does not remember a behavior, he cannot be much influenced by it. Reproduction is more than a process of 'monkey see, monkey do." Replication occurs best when a child has the requisite skills to perform the behavior and an opportunity to practice. (Internet-www.cdec.wc.edu Albert Bandura 1925-)

From birth to age seven is the approximate rage where children are the most influences by adults. Some children learn at a slower pace and it could extend to the ages of eight to twelve. Children of all ages, whether they are out of their development stage or not can be influenced by adults. Parents, kindergarten teacher, and other adults that have an effect on children's lives have a big responsibility. Some adults do not realize that children that see them can imitate...