Evaluate the Lifespan Development modules and discuss your most surprising learning area, the most enlightening moment andthe least stimulating thing you already knew. Explain.
https://www.coursehero.com/study-guides/lifespandevelopment2/
Dear Dr. Murthy and Colleagues,
As an English teacher, I am interested in any information related to speech. So I was very excited to study the Theories of Language Development (Lumenlearning.com, 2011) again. What is surprising is that I see in my children the confirmation ofall three theories.
The first theory was proven by my daughter listening to and memorising phrases and songs from cartoons in English. Shewas self-learning while being entertained. Here I want to note that I tried to sing songs in different languages to her frombirth, that is, it is a habitual state for her.
The second theory is confirmed by the fact that my children, like any intelligent creatures, try to simplify the task of achievinga goal. My daughter can quite calmly point her finger at a candy, then into her mouth and fold her palms in front of her chestwith a gentle cry of "meow". When she does this, my husband and I ask her to say the full phrase. Then she says, "Mummy,please give me candy!". And she gets the candy.
The third theory can be illustrated by my son's behaviour. When he sees his older sister receiving a candy, he tries to fullyreproduce not only sounds and gestures, but also facial expressions. My son watches so attentively and imitates all of us thatgradually his speech skills are improving. But more often than not, he needs to be taught new words and expressions so thathe can explain what he wants.
The most enlightening moment for me was about infant nutrition (courses.lumenlearning.com, n.d.). My youngest sonturned 3 years old on 25 December, and I continued to breastfeed him from his birth until now. After the first year, my in-lawslaughed at us, saying I would feed him until he was old. I breastfed my daughter until she was 2.4 years old. My stepfatherused to tell me that his mum breastfed all her seven children until the age of three.
Now, why I chose this path. Boys are usually more susceptible to all respiratory diseases than girls. When my son was 14months old, he got three viral infections at once, which could only be detected at the hospital. Then we had to use antibioticsto bring down the fever. But after the treatment, I was still afraid that it could happen again, and breast milk was the most reliable natural immunomodulator. All the following months, when he got the flu or a cold, my job was simple: keep an eye onhis temperature and don't deny him milk. Once, my daughter got sick, she too asked for milk and recovered much faster. Onthe one hand, the choice of breastfeeding for a long time tied me to the house and created me personally certaininconveniences, on the other hand, my children now have a more stable immunity to diseases, quickly develop, have the features of children ahead of their development. Moreover, breastfeeding has created a special emotional bond between us,where my children trust me on an intuitive level, because they have been used to it since their birth, when they were totallydependent on me.
There is another trick that I used to create a favourable microflora that promotes digestion. From the age of six months, I gaveeach of my children a little ice cream with bifidobacteria, and when their teeth appeared, special sweets with lactobacilli,bifidobacteria and probiotics. Proper nutrition together with the right microflora allows to keep the intestines in workingcondition and to remain the main immune warrior of the whole organism.
In my search for the least stimulating thing to do, I found myself thinking that for the past few years, my husband and I have been completely devoted to our children. We are at home all the time. When I am working or training, my husband watches the kids. We don't have any helpers, so my husband is home with us all the time. This causes some bewilderment to our friends and relatives, but it is easier for us now to train and take care of our children this way. On the one hand this is due to the small age difference in our children and their different needs. For example, my son regularly sleeps during the day and my daughter wants to play and is bored at this time. However, children grow up and this period tends to end. I think that this year my husband will work outside the home, the children will go to pre-school organisations and different sections. I am excited about this prospect. Staying at home all the time with the whole family is a serious job that requires a huge physical, emotional and material resource.
Lumenlearning.com. (2011). Language Development | Lifespan Development. [online] Available at:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-lifespandevelopment/chapter/language-development/
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courses.lumenlearning.com. (n.d.). Nutrition | Lifespan Development. [online] Available at:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-lifespandevelopment/chapter/nutrition/
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