BSEd -Filipino 1 COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNING AND LEARNING PRINCIPLES

WEEK 2

“Who are you?”, asked the caterpillar. Alice replied rather shyly, “I-I hardly know, Sir, just at present – at
least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I must have changed several times since then.” –
Lewis Carroll
Learning Content LESSON 2: The Stages of Development and Developmental Tasks
Learning Objectives  Define developmental tasks in your own words.
 Describe the developmental tasks in each developmental stage.
 Come up with research abstracts/summaries of researches on
developmental tasks.
Reference The Child and Adolescent Learning and Learning Principles by Brenda B.
Corpuz, PhD

Concept of developmental tasks

In each stage of development, a certain task or tasks are expected of every individual. Robert Havighurst
defines developmental task as one that “arises at a certain period in our life, the successful achievement of which
leads to happiness and success with later tasks while failure leads to unhappiness, social disapproval, and difficulty
with later tasks.” (Havighurst, 1972).

Developmental Stages

There are eight (8) developmental stages given by Santrock. The eight (8) developmental stages cited by
Santrock are the same with Havighurst’s six (6) developmental stages only that Havighurst did not include prenatal
period. Havighurst combined infancy and early childhood while Santrock mentioned them as two (2) separate
stages.

The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)

1. Prenatal period (from conception to birth) – It involves tremendous growth – from a single cell to an
organism complete with brain and behavioral capabilities.
2. Infancy (from birth to 18-24 months) – A time of extreme dependence on adults. Many psychological
activities are just beginning – language, symbolic thought, sensorimotor coordination and social
learning.
3. Early childhood (end of infancy to 5-6 years (Grade I) – These are the preschool years. Young
children learn to become more self-sufficient and to care for themselves, develop school readiness
skills and spend many hours in play with peers.
4. Middle and late childhood (6-11 years of age, the elementary school years) – The fundamental skills
of reading, writing and arithmetic are mastered. The child is formally exposed to the larger world and
its culture. Achievement becomes a more central theme of the child’s world and self-control increases.
5. Adolescence – (10-12 years of age ending up to 18-22 years of age). Begins with rapid physical
changes – dramatic gains in height and weight, changes in body contour, and the development of
sexual characteristics such as enlargement of the breasts, development of pubic and facial hair, and
deepening of the voice. Pursuit of independence and identity are prominent. Thought is more logical,
abstract and idealistic. More time is spent outside of the family.
6. Early adulthood (from late teens or early 20s lasting through the 30s) – It is a time of establishing
personal and economic independence, career development, selecting a mate, learning to live with
someone in an intimate way, starting a family and rearing child.
7. Middle adulthood (40 to 60 years of age) – It is a time of expanding personal and social involvement
and responsibility; of assisting the next generation in becoming competent and mature individuals;
and of reaching and maintaining satisfaction in a career.
8. Late adulthood (60s and above). It is a time for adjustment to decreasing strength and health, life
review, retirement, and adjustment to new social roles.

THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNING AND LEARNING PRINCIPLES

1|Page JENNELYN R. GUMANID

BSEd -Filipino 1 COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

WEEK 2
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Name: ALLYSSA JANE U. PRIETO Score: ____ _

Course and Year: BSED QUALIFYING

Directions: In a bond paper/paper, you need to answer the questions given below.

1. Reflect on your early childhood, middle and late childhood days. Were you able to acquire the
developmental tasks expected of early, middle, late childhood and adolescence? What facilitated
your acquisitions of the ability to perform such task?
ANSWER:
As I have grown to and can take a look back at the developmental stages that I once come across,
I can say that I was able to acquire the expected tasks that a child can do in that certain age.
Throughout my early childhood, I was able to obtain necessary skills in order to learn how to
walk. My bones and muscles are gradually developing and I started with the ability to crawl, then with a
little support I was able to stand. After which, I started stepping foot after the other. My brain is also
developing, so it gives me the coordination and balance to walk. During this stage, I can produce sounds
which could later on can form into words. I was also potty trained as a form of discipline even I am still a
child. I learn how to interact and develop communication with my parents, and start building or form a
relationship with my friends.
On my middle childhood, I was able to acquire school related skills. I like writing letters, lines,
shapes, colors and also reading. I was also able learn how to be independent and self-reliant. And in every
responsibility, I learn how to value and appreciate positive reinforcements to feel motivated by the tasks
that the teachers and parents are giving to me such as high grades and rewards.
On my late childhood, my emotions started to become stable, I started thinking and acquiring
needed skills in order to be productive and started to establish a mature relationship with peers. I was able
to acquire those tasks through the help of people around me. I have slowly widened my social horizon and
develop my socialization skills.
The different milestones that I experienced definitely made me the person I am today. Therefore,
in my opinion every developmental stage is important because it is a journey every human will make to
become an adult. During infancy and toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, and
emerging adulthood there are several developmental milestones that should be reached cognitively,
physically, and emotionally. For every age, individuals undergo the same developmental milestones;
however, over time these developments are continuously enhanced. Our vocabulary widens and our
ability to decide things improves greatly. And as the years go by, young individuals are still gaining more
brain development.

2. Having mastered the developmental tasks of early childhood middle and late childhood and
adolescence, reflect on what you should do as a teacher to facilitate your students’ acquisition of
these developmental tasks.
ANSWER:

What a teacher can do is realize students are on their own developmental time line and even
though in general students of a certain age are at a certain level all may not be. Teachers need to
understand what developmental tasks are typical of children and adolescents at different ages mostly so
that they can support the child in his education by watching for possible problems around achieving age-
appropriate skills and behaviors.

2|Page JENNELYN R. GUMANID

BSEd -Filipino 1 COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

For example, children (and some younger adults) typically do not have the well-developed
abstract learning ability even when they have reached that certain age. It is because we are influenced by
different factors that affects our development such as environmental factors and genetics. There are many
things to consider that we should see in different aspects so that we could be able to address and develop
strategies on how to solve these difficulties.
There are other strategies like going from the general to the specific or vice-versa, you help
promote learning among those with different learning styles.
Different students learn in different ways and therefore, the more ways you include in your
teaching, the greater should be the probability of more students learning.
Obtaining ongoing feedback from students also helps teachers ensure the key points of a lesson are being
acquired.

3|Page JENNELYN R. GUMANID