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Map of human development

A whole child approach

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Fundamentals of human development

Our genes determine the neurons and the neural networks that are developed

The environment ,in a broad sense, determines:

- epigenetics (expression of genes),

- nutrition of cells,

- stimulation of neurons.

See here for more Neuroscience foundations:

  • Most of the neurons are present at birth and only in a part of hippocampus and in the olfactory bulb, neurogenesis (birth of new neurons) happens at adult age (source: Wendy Suzuki, Brain and Behaviour course on youtube)
  • At birth, neurons have few connections, then a spontaneous proliferation of synapses occurs (sensitive period) in different areas of the brain, at different time (neurons can have spontaneous activity) and through interaction with the environment ‘pruning’ (disappearance of inefficient synapses) happens. (Long-term potentiation and long term depression) (source: How do we learn by Stanislas Dehaenne)
  • Myelination which allows to speed neuronal transmission starts early and continues into adolescents. So a young child because of many inefficient non myelinated synapses thinks much slower than an adult (about 4 times slower) (source: How do we learn by Stanislas Dehaenne)
  • Neurons are not the only cells involved in learning and development. Glia cells have also an important role which we don’t yet understand yet.
  • Brain activity generates electromagnetic waves which can be synchronized between individuals and in particular in child-parent interactions. (“In sync with your child” paper by Elise Turk & Co)

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A whole child approach

Cognitive development (C)

Physiological & Physical development (F)

Adaptive behaviours (A)

Language (CL)

Executive functions (CEF)

Perception (CP)

Memory (CM)

Selective attention / Inhibition

Working memory

Cognitive flexibility

Goal setting / planning

Reasoning

Information processing

Organization / time management

Oral language 1

Oral language 2

….

Physiological (F1)

Physical (F2)

Growth

Fine motor skills

Gross motor skills

Sensory integration

Reflexes

Control of bowel / urethra

Eating / mouth control

Sleep

Mathematical literacy

Autonomy

Autonomy in the environment

Tools of the mind

Care of self

Click to zoom in

Human society

Click to zoom in

Scientific & technological literacy

Click to zoom in

Care of others

Social (PS)

Personality (PP)

Emotional (PE)

Management of emotions/ Self control / Resilience & coping

Communication of emotions

Self-perception

Confidence

Social & environmental interdependence

Morality/ Ethics / Integrity

Social norms

Conflict management

Social connections

Empathy

Humor

Agency

Perseverance

Creativity

Motivation / curiosity

Independence

Metacognition (CMC)

Touch / Smell / Taste

Hearing

Vision

Proprioception / Balance/ Interoception

Reading and writing literacy

Click to zoom in

Sexuality (F4)

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Mathematical literacy

Mathematical literacy

Nature of mathematics

Mathematical processes

Mathematical models

Numbers

Ratios and proportionalities

Graphic representations

Symbolic representations

Describing change

Shapes

Averages and comparisons

Correlations

Statistical reasoning

Mathematical reasoning

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Human society

Human society

Heredity and experience shape behaviour

Culture affects behaviour

Group behaviour

Influences on social change

Social decisions

Political and economic systems

Social conflict

Global interdependence

Cities and agglomerations (olga)

Flows of people and goods (olga)

History

Art

Music

Sports

Other …

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Scientific and technological literacy - Part 1

Nature of technology

Technology and science

Design constraints

Designed systems

Interactions of technology and society

Decisions about using technology

Scientific and technological literacy

Nature of science

Scientific world view

Evidence and reasoning in inquiry

Scientific investigations

Scientific theories

Reducing bias in science

Scientific community

Science and society

Physical setting

Solar system

Stars

Galaxies and the universe

Weather and climate

Use of earth’s resources

Changes in the earth’s surface

Plate tectonics

Atoms and molecules

Conservation of matter

States of matter

Chemical reactions

Energy transformations

Laws of motion

Waves

Gravity

Electricity and magnetism

Living environment - part 2

Human organism - part 2

Designed world - part 2

Historical perspectives - part 2

Common themes - part 2

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Scientific and technological literacy - Part 2

Living Environment

Diversity of life

DNA and inherited characteristics

Cell functions

Cells and organs

Interdependence of life

Flow of matter in ecosystems

Flow of energy in ecosystems

Biological evolution

Natural selection

Nature of technology - Part 1

Scientific and technological literacy

Nature of science - Part 1

Physical setting - Part 1

Human organism

Designed world

Historical perspectives

Common themes - Part 3

Human identity

Human development

Basic functions

Disease

Maintaining good health

Coping with mental distress

Diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

Agricultural technology

Human development

Basic functions

Disease

Maintaining good health

Coping with mental distress

Diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

Copernican revolution

Classical mechanics

Relativity

Moving continents

Chemical revolution

Splitting the atom

Explaining evolution

Discovering germs

Industrial revolution

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Scientific and technological literacy - Part 3

Living Environment - Part 2

Nature of technology - Part 1

Scientific and technological literacy

Nature of science - Part 1

Physical setting - Part 1

Human organism - Part 2

Designed world - Part 2

Historical perspectives - Part 2

Common themes

Systems

Models

Constancy

Patterns of change

Scale (olga : need some adjustment (understanding quantities)

Values in science

Public perception of science

Computation and estimation

Using tools and devices

Communication skills

Detecting flaws in arguments

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Map Key

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Example to modify : Reasoning 9E

use of deductive logic in reasoning (DL)

use of evidence in reasoning (EV)

use of inductive logic in reasoning (IL)

use of analogies in reasoning (AN)

6-9 years

9 - 12 years

12- 15 years

15 - 18 years

Ask “How do you know?” in appropriate situations and attempt reasonable answers when others ask the same question 12E/P1

Evidence and reasoning in inquiry 1B

Detecting Flaws in Arguments 12E

Offer reasons for claims and consider reasons suggested by others 12E/E2*

Seek reasons for believing something rather just claiming “Everybody knows that…3 or 3I just know3 and discount such claims when made by others. 12E/E3

The claims people make are sometimes based on how they feel about somthing rather than on what they observe. 9E/E2*

1B/P3

1B/M3ab

1B/M5a

Avoiding Bias in Science 1B

Heredity and Experience Shape Behaviour 7A

Values in Science 12A

Evidence and reasoning in inquiry 1B

Detecting Flaws in Arguments 12E

Evidence and reasoning in inquiry 1B

Detecting Flaws in Arguments 12E

One way to think about something is to compare it to something more familiar. 9E/E1*

Waves 4F

Model 11B

Notice and criticize the reasoning in arguments in which the claims are not consistent with the evidence given. 12E/M5b

If people have generalizations that always hold, and good information about a particular situation, then logic can help them figure out what is true about it. This kind of formal logic requires care in the use of key words such as if, then, and, not, pr, all, and some. 9E/M1

People are using incorrect logic when they assume that a statement such as “If A is true, then B is true” implies that “If A isn’t true, then B must not be true either”. 9E/M4)

Evidence and reasoning in inquiry 1B

An analogy has some likenesses to but also some differences from real thing. 9E/M6

Reasoning by similarities can suggest ideas to consider but can’t prove them one way or the other. 9E/M7

Be skeptical of claims based only on analogies 12/E/M5c*

Sometimes people invent a generalization to summarize a set of observations. But sometimes people overgeneralize, imaging generalizations on the basis of too few observations. 9E/M3*

In formal logic, a single example can never prove that a generalization is always true, but sometings a single example can prove that a generalization is not always true. Proving a generalization to be false is easier that proving it to be true. 9E/M5*

1B/M1b*

Avoiding Bias in Science 1B

12E/M5c*

12E/M3*

Detecting Flaws in Arguments 12E

Evidence and reasoning in inquiry 1B

Detecting Flaws in Arguments 12E

Logic requires a clear distinction between those conditions that are necessary to get a result and those that are sufficient to get the result. Some conditions may be both necessary and sufficient. 9E/H2*

Because computers can store, retrieve, and process large amount of data, they can rapidly perform a long series of logic steps. They are therefore being used increasingly to help experts solve complex problems that would otherwise be very difficult or impossible to solve. Not all logic problems, however, can be solved by computers. 9E/H5*

A sound argument should have both true statements and valid connections among them. Formal logic is mostly about connections among statements, not about whether they are true. People sometimes use logic that begins with untrue statements and they sometimes use poor logic even if they begin with true statements.9E/H1

In using logic in real world situations, one often has to deal with probabilities rather then certainties. 9E/H3*

DL

DL

DL

DL

DL

EV

EV

EV

EV

AN

AN

AN

IL

IL

AN

EV

DL

A failure to find an exception to a generalization after reviewing a large number of instances increases the confidence in the accuracy of the generalization. 9E/H6**

Once a person believes a generalization, he or she may be more likely to notice cases that agree with it and to overlook cases that don’t. 9E/H4*

Use and correctly interpret relational terms such as if… then…, and, or, sufficient, necessary, some, every, not, correlates with and causes 12E/M5b

IL

IL

Avoiding Bias in Science 1B

1B/H11**

12E/H5*

12E/H4*

Correlation 9D

Detecting Flaws in Arguments 12E

DL

Causation vs correlation?

Adjusts believes to new evidence?

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Executive functions - Attentional Control 13A

Selective attention (SA)

Self-regulation (SR)

Self-Monitoring (SM)

Inhibition (IN)

3-6 years

12- 15 years

15 - 18 years

9 - 12 years

6-9 years

0-3 years

Evidence and reasoning in inquiry 1B

1B/P3

EV

Ask “How do you know?” in appropriate situations and attempt reasonable answers when others ask the same question 12E/P1

One way to think about something is to compare it to something more familiar. 9E/E1*

Observes faces and people (gaze control) 13A/P1

Manipulates objects and resists distraction (Information filtering) 13A/P4

Stops crying when understood by the caregiver (for ex. waiting for food to be prepared without crying) 13A/P3

Stops his movement if asked to 13A/P4

Calmly waits to speak when asked 13A/P5

Observes objects (gaze control) 13A/P2

When a caregiver asks questions and waits for the child to respond, child responds (makes a sound, smiles, moves) 13A/P3

Listens to an adult reading an age appropriate book till the end 13A/P5

Plays mostly correctly “Jack said” game with age appropriate actions 13A/P4

Observes people interacting with objects 13A/P2

Calmly waits his turn on a slide 13A/P5

When focused on an activity and a new object is placed in view, resists distraction and continues playing until finished (Visual distraction Inhibition) 13A/P5

When focused on an activity and new sounds are appear, resists distraction and continues playing until finished (Auditory distraction Inhibition) 13A/P5

Can wait for 5 minutes to receive a second reward (marshmallow test) 13A/P5

Can brush teeth without getting distracted 13A/P5

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Executive functions - Attentional Control 13A

William James (1890/1950) famously wrote, “Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects.” Subsequent research has qualified James’ claim by suggesting that attention is a multi-faceted construct that serves several different functions. Among the most commonly distinguished functions are alerting (achieving high sensitivity to incoming stimuli), orienting (selecting information from sensory input) and maintaining (sustaining attention, especially in the face of distracting stimuli) (Colombo & Cheatham, 2006; Kahneman 1973; Posner & Petersen, 1990; Posner & Rothbart, 2007). However, all of these functions share the common theme originally enunciated by James of one potential object of attention “taking possession of the mind” at the expense of other simultaneously possible objects. That is, one of the central features of any theory or description of attention is that attention is selective.

Low stimuli (still, silent, light colors, familiar, etc.)

High stimuli (loud, bright, strong, fast, new, etc.)

Low motivation

Endogenous factors

Exogenous factors

High motivation (ex. Food when hungry)

Develops first

Develops next

Develops last

In newborns and very young infants, selection is is determined largely by the physical properties of a stimulus, such as frequency and duration for auditory stimuli, and intensity, degree of curvature, and brightness for visual stimuli (for reviews see Bernstein, 1990; Ruff & Rothbart, 2001)

Endogenous factors are those cognitive processes that allow the organism to voluntarily control the locus of its attention. In particular, working memory has been suggested to be a key factor, as active maintenance of a goal representation is required in order to organize behavior to achieve the goal (Colombo & Cheatham, 2006; Kane & Engle, 2002).

The increased contribution of endogenous factors has been linked to the maturation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and efficiency of dopaminergic transmission in the PFC (Casey, Giedd, & Thomas, 2000; Diamond, Briand, Fosella, & Gehlbach, 2004; Posner & Rothbart, 2007).

Selective attention tests :

Flanker task: https://cognitionlab.com/project/flanker-task/

Scoop

Tapping

Cross-out Joe

Selective Attention

Divided Attention

Mental focus is on a single task or idea at once while ignoring others

Mental focus is on multiple tasks or ideas at once by giving some attention to each

Increase the amount of attention being placed on the task or idea because there is a single point of focus

Decrease the amount of attention being placed on any task or idea if there are multiple focuses going on at once

Excellence in tuning out distractions and switching tasks

Trouble in tuning out distractions and switching tasks

Strengthens cognitive ability

Weakens cognitive ability

Reduces the rate of making mistakes

Improves the rate of making mistakes

Higher in people with ADHD

Lower in people with ADHD

May cause missing important side information

Prevents missing important side information

Selective and Divided Attention Comparison

Source and further information: : https://www.mentalup.co/blog/selective-attention

Selective attention is often described as the ability to focus on and prioritize relevant information while filtering out irrelevant information. This prioritization transpires in attending only to a

given channel in dichotic listening tasks (see Pashler, 1999, for re- view), finding target features in visual search (Bacon & Egeth, 1994; Duncan & Humphreys, 1989; Leber & Egeth, 2006; Yantis & Jonides, 1984), or identifying diagnostic features that distinguish categories (Deng & Sloutsky, 2016; Fisher & Sloutsky, 2004; Gureckis, 2004; Hoffman & Rehder, 2010; Love, Medin, & Nosofsky, 1986; Shephard, Hovland, & Jenkins, 1961).(2)

filtering efficiency continues to develop after 7 years of age, whereas WM capacity may reach an asymptote around 7 years of age. The latter finding suggests that selective attention plays a critical role in develop- mental and individual differences in visual working memory capacity.(2)

working memory: it is generally accepted that capacity increases throughout childhood and reaches adult-like levels of 3–5 items between 5 and 10 years of age (Cowan, 2010; Cowan, Fristoe, Elliott, Brunner, & Saults, 2006; Riggs, McTaggart, Simpson, & Freeman, 2006; Simmering, 2012).(2)

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Executive functions - Attentional Control 13A

Controls gaze (click to zoom) 13A/P1

  • Looks at a face (50 cm distance, smiling and talking) ( linked with face recognition in visual perception): Y/N, measure time
  • Follows a finger (50 cm distance)
  • Looks an object with no sound
  • Looks an object with sound
  • Follows a biological mouvement (done by a living creature),
  • Slow movement
  • Medium
  • Fast
  • Follows a non-biological movement