Early Childhood and Emotional Development

Children have amazing learning potential. In school and at home, children absorb information at rates faster than adults do. However, does the emotional development of a child give children a higher development potential than thinking does? Articles have noted that emotional development has become an increasingly important topic of interest in recent years. The emotional capacity of a child could be just as important as the thinking capacity. "Children's Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains" is a research article focusing on early childhood development.

Although some aspects of it point to theoretical, it seems most likely research-based because of the amount of information derived from research rather than theory. The article uses information to generate statements vs. creating a statement on its own. A section titled "What Science Tells Us" clearly shows that assumptions are garnered from research instead of mainly theory. Body The purpose of the article is to educate people on recent literature concerning early childhood development. Specifically, emotional development and mental development.

"A growing body of scientific evidence tells us that emotional development begins early in life, that it is a critical aspect of the development of overall brain architecture, and that is has enormous consequences over the course of a lifetime" (Shonkoff et al., 2004, p. 1). Essentially, the article ties emotion development to overall develop early in childhood and later on into adulthood.

Unlike other articles that focus on theory, this article focuses on the facts presented to the public in recent years concerning emotional experienced in early childhood and how that influences the ability of children later on to learn and develop. "From birth, children rapidly develop their abilities to experience and express different emotions, as well as their capacity to cope with and manage a variety of feelings" (Shonkoff et al., 2004, p. 1).

More precisely, emotional development like social skills learned early on, can then be taken into adulthood and become essential for proper formation of intimate relationships and friendships. When parents disregard such a critical aspect to development, children often grow stunted, lacking the skills they need to be normal and productive. In summation, the article wishes to express that children's feelings must be given the same amount of attention if not more, than the child's thinking.

This is because (as research in the article presents) emotional development can play a bigger role in the child's overall development than their thinking ability at an early age. It may actually help form the brain's structure for future learning. Human beings are social creatures and require that initial emotional development in order to produce continually consistent and normal development in the future.

"As a person develops into adulthood, these same social skills are essential for the formation of lasting friendships and intimate relationships, effective parenting, the ability to hold a job and work well with others, and for becoming a contributing member of a community" (Shonkoff et al., 2004, p. 1). The target population are infant/toddlers. The main topic of this article are young children.

This is because young children reach a stage very quickly, where they have a chance to learn and develop skills that will aid them in the future, even into adulthood. The article is meant to educate parents on what to do in terms of assisting develop their children, but it is also about allowing the emotional development of the child to reach full capacity early on in their lifespan instead of solely focusing on the thinking ability of the child. Summary The article is short, roughly 4-5 pages.

It begins by stating the issue which is that recent literature points to emotional development beginning early in life and also presenting a critical facet of development for a human being's overall brain structure. It states these findings may have far-reaching implications for parents, policy makers and society in general. Because of this, such findings demand public attention. Then the article continues by explaining as early as birth, children begin developing abilities to experiences as well as expression various emotions.

Emotional development of this kind happens rapidly and at the same time as other skillsets like motor control, thinking, and communication. Unfortunately, emotional development does not receive the same level of attention and focus as thinking, motor control, and language. What should be considered a major aspect of learning get downplayed and neglected. What's more, the article states emotional experiences become embedded (literally) into the architecture of a child's brain.

The next section uses information from research to show readers what it takes for children and infants to grow in terms of emotional development. Specifically, the article states emotional experiences of young infants and newborns happen most frequently during times of interaction with caregivers like comforting, holding and feeding. Toddlers expectedly, experience much more complex emotional states and depend on emerging skills to interpret personal experiences as well as comprehend what others may be thinking and doing.

"Young children are capable of surprisingly deep and intense feelings of sadness (including depression), grief, anxiety, and anger (which can result in unmanageable aggression), in addition to the heights of joy and happiness for which they are better known" (Shonkoff et al., 2004, p. 2). Since children can experience complex emotions, deep levels of emotions at such an early age, it then becomes important to become aware of the impact of negative experiences.

Although the article states there is no evidence that children, exposed to neglect and violence early on will become law-breaking, deviant adults in the future, the article asks the reader to ask whether or not young children could develop mental health problems at such an early age. This section then transitions into gaps in literature and the "Science-Policy Gap." Now that science has shown through the latest research that children's emotional development is as important as other facets of development, policy must change to suit the recent findings. The.