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Preface Welcome to the remarkable world of child and adolescent development. Many of you are read- ing this book because you plan to be teachers, counselors, speech therapists, recreational leaders, or medical practitioners. Some of you will be (or already are) parents. All of you are citizens who influence the lives of children through your knowledge, votes, and participation in communities. The material in this text should be of interest to everyone who is concerned about children and adolescents, from the library volunteer to the principal of a school for children facing the challenges of learning in a new language. No background in human or developmental psychology is necessary to understand this material. We have avoided jargon and technical language whenever possible and focused on writing a clear, relevant, and interesting book on an exciting topic. We also have written this book with three features ever in mind: • A chronological framework for discussing child development • A commitment to clear explanations of theory coupled always with applications to practice • A complete and thorough integration of diversity CHRONOLOGICAL FRAME As you glance at the table of contents for this book, you will notice that we examine three different areas of child development—physical, cognitive, and social emotional—during the specific time periods of infancy and toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Of course, these are not exact categories. Children develop continuously, not only across time periods, but also across areas—physical development is not separated from cognitive development, and emotional development does not proceed independently from social or physical development. Children are whole, and so is their development. But you are likely to work with particular age groups, so it makes sense to consider all that is going on with those children during specific periods of their lives. By dealing separately with time periods and areas of development, we hope to paint a more complete and integrated picture that you can use as you interact with real children and adolescents. THEORY INTO PRACTICE In the next few hundred pages, you will explore the implications and applications of the best research on child development. Theory and practice are not separated in these pages; they are considered together. We show how you can apply information and ideas drawn from research in child development when working with, relating to, and supporting all children. To help you explore the connections between research and practice, you will encounter a wealth of examples, children’s words and images, case studies, guidelines, and even tips from experienced practitioners. As you read this book, we believe you will see the immense value and usefulness of child development. v # 151354 Cust: Pearson Education / OH / CHET Au: Woolfolk Hoy Pg. No. v DESIGN SERVICES OF A00_WOOL9793_02_SE_FM.indd 5 C/M/Y/K S4CARLISLE 31/01/14 12:41 PM Title: Child and Adolescent Development 2/e Server: Jobs 3 Short / Normal / Long Publishing Services 9 | COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD vi PREFACE THE CASEBOOK administer an individual test and want those results used for the admission requirement. Also troubling is your meeting with WHAT WOULD YOU DO? DECISIONS a girl who was selected for the program but refuses to be a One way we make theory into practice real is by start- About INTELLIGENCE TESTING part of it because her best friends were not selected, and she This is not your favorite time of year. As the only counselor in says, “I’m not really that smart.” And today, another possible ing every chapter with a vivid case situation, so we ask, the middle school, you have come to almost dread the arrival problem caught your eye. As you look down the list, there are of “the scores.” Last week, the school sent out results of the very few students of color and virtually no children of recent “What Would You Do?” We end the chapter with ideas placement test that determines who is eligible for the highly immigrants. Maybe this whole process is flawed, but the gifted regarded, but selective, gifted and talented program. All program is admired all over the district. You look at phone from experts and ask, “What Would They Do?” In this edi- students in the school had taken the standardized, paper-and- messages and e-mails and wonder where to start. pencil, group-administered test to determine if they met the CRITICAL THINKING tion, we have added experts from a range of fields including selection criterion of an IQ score of 130 or higher. Again this • What does an IQ score of 130 mean? Is it a good guide for year, the calls, e-mails, and notes are flooding in. Some parents child life specialists, school psychologists, youth recreation identifying students for a gifted program? Should other want to meet with you to talk about their child’s scores, and factors besides IQ be considered? coordinators, adolescent substance abuse program work- especially, as one father put it, “To tell you how smart Jason • Does it matter that the test was a paper-and-pencil test really is.” One mother is incensed because the school cut back administered to the whole group at once, as opposed to ers, and an assistant principal. As you read each chapter, the on the music program. She had read an article claiming that an individually administered test? music lessons raise IQ scores and now is sure that her daughter • Are such tests appropriate for primary grade students? For intricacies of the case may become more apparent and the would have scored better on the test (and been selected students whose home language is not the language of the for the gifted program) if she had continued in music class. test? For students who live in poverty? answers of the experts more interesting. Do you agree with Several other parents have found an online IQ test, given it to • What is intelligence? What factors influence its development? their child, and now want the school to admit their children • Why might a child ask to be left out of a gifted program? their suggestions? to the gifted program based on the higher online test results. • Are online tests a good measure of intelligence? Why or A few of the wealthier parents have hired a psychologist to why not? M09_WOOL9793_02_SE_CH09.indd12 Part I • 344 UNDErStaNDING CHILDrEN aND aDOLESCENtS 18/01/14 12:10 AM POINT/COUNTERPOINT Are Numbers Innate or Learned? As we take theory into practice, we challenge read- ers to avoid the trap of making “either/or” judgments and throughout this text we will be examining some debates in child then renewed attention to a new number, doesn’t work, how- development. we will look at the arguments for both sides, so ever, with larger numbers, say 4 or above. Based on these stud- decisions. What matters more, nature or nurture? Who has this feature is called Point/Counterpoint. Here is the first one. ies and others like it, Gelman and her colleagues (Gelman & what seems like a simple notion, that 3 cups in a stack Gallistel, 1978; Starkey, Spelke, & Gelman, 1990) concluded greater influence, parents or peers? Which is more valid and is the same number as 3 birds on a telephone wire, is not so that humans must be born with a sense that 2 is different from simple. after all, the stacked cups and the lined-up birds look 3; that is, babies have “a clear understanding of the number reliable, the wisdom of practice or scientific research? Should quite different. and what about counting? Different languages continuum, which they can apply at first only to small numbers have very different ways of saying 17, for example. In English, but extend to larger numbers as they grow older and their cog- we encourage stem cell research? Should we leave babies 23417 Part is “seventeen,” III • butEar inLY french CHILDHOOD it is “dix-sept” or 10 - 7. Some nitive powers and memory capacities increase” (P. Bryant & psychologists claim that this whole process is easier because an Nunes, 2004, p. 414). alone or pick them up every time they cry? Should children understanding of number is innate—weACC areURA bornCY with O Fit. CHILDROthers En’S EYEWITNESS MEMORIES. Often children are asked about diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder take believe that we have to learn the meaningtheir of memories numbers. of Let’s something look theyCOUNTERPOINT witnessed. Can we rely on young children’s memories in these at the arguments. after you read thesesituations? positions, The you answer might appears lis- Wto Ebe, N itEE depends:D TO L “whenEARN interviewed ABOUT NU appropriately,MBERS preschoolers can pills? Do sex abstinence campaigns work? In every chapter ten to a podcast on innate numbers exhibitfrom Radiolab reliable long-term(wnyc.org/ recall” (C. Peterson, 2002, p. 395). But are these experiments really about number? Other research- shows/radiolab/episodes/2009/10/09/segments/137633).The real problem with memory accuracy occurs for young children when suggestive questions ers claim that although these babies are detecting differences, we challenge critical thinking with a feature called Point/ are asked, such as, “Did the girl in the red shirt steal the bicycle?” or “Was the monkey wearing a col- POINT lar or a leash?” (Bruck, Ceci, &they Hembrooke, are not differences 2002). Compared in number, to justolder differences children and in the adults, amount young Counterpoint on these and other controversial issues. children are more likely to be influencedof “stuff” byin leadingthe displays. questions to andtest falsethis, suggestions,researchers in tried part usingbecause WE ARE BORN WITH A SENSE OyoungF NU childrenMBERS have trouble with3 small source dots monitoring in the first, or habituationremembering phase, where andthey thenencountered showed the the idea that people are predisposedinformation.

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