Vandell and Crosnoe: Theories and Course Material in the Lifespan Development - Article Example

?Scholarly Articles of Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al Theories and Material in the Lifespan Development Vandell, Belsky, Burchinal, Steinberg, and Vandergrift’s “Do effects of early child care extend to age 15?” and Crosnoe, Leventhal, Wirth, Pierce, and Pianta’s “Family socioeconomic status and consistent environmental stimulation in early childhood” are two scholarly articles that tackle the role of child care to the cognitive development of the children. At the outset, these research studies have comparison and contrast. Further, the conclusions made by Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al. validate certain theories in the lifespan development discourse. Furthermore, the above-mentioned scholarly articles widely relate to the course material that I have studied thus far. The research study of Vandell et al. centers on the relation between the academic achievement of a fifteen-year-old individual and the child care by a non-relative person. What is fascinating in this study is that it pioneers in documenting “relations between routine non-relative child care and adolescent functioning for children” (Vandell et al., 2010). This article is a fifteen-year study undertaken by several distinguished scholars under the auspices of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The research study has concluded that there is a visible correlation between the early quality child care and the cognitive-academic achievement especially in the mid-adolescent period of the individual-participant. The scholarly article of Crosnoe et al. states a hypothesis that the variation on the cognitive-achievement of the individual lies in the “multiple environmental settings.” For instance, Crosnoe et al. have concluded that a child receives a much higher math achievement when he or she is thoroughly stimulated in the three key settings -- namely, home, preschool child care, and 1st-grade classroom. When the child is only stimulated at home and in child care, he or she only attains a higher reading achievement. Meaning to say, the cognitive-achievement of the child is affected or influenced by the particular environmental settings in which he or she is stimulated. The two separate research studies made by Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al. have comparisons and variations at certain rate. Concerning their central similarity, both research studies tackle the extent of child care in shaping or influencing the cognitive ability of the child. What is most interesting in these articles is the exact sameness in the number of their participants: 1,364. As it appears, the respondents characterized in the two scholarly articles are young children living in the contemporary United States. Moreover, the two studies in question are instituted and supported by the NICHD. Concerning their differences, the two research studies substantially vary in (1) their particular settings and (2) the age range of the participants. First, the setting visible in the scholarly article written by Vandell et al. is implicitly twofold -- namely, nonrelative child care and school settings. Conversely, the research study made by Crosnoe et al. explicitly contains three varied settings -- namely, home, child care, and classroom. Second, the age of the participants apparent in the article of Vandell et al. ranges from birth to four-and-a-half years old. In the study of Crosnoe et al., however, the age of the respondents widely ranges from birth to six years old. In general, the scholarly article made by Vandell et al. emphasizes the fundamental question concerning the relation or connection, within two environmental settings, between the early child-care experience and the participant’s cognitive achievement or development throughout his or her first fifteen years of existence. The study of Crosnoe et al., on the other hand, focuses on the important role of the multiple environmental settings that affect the child’s cognitive-achievement. By and large, research studies can either support or negate the theories salient in the field of lifespan discourse. The function of child care, for instance, reminds us of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Like the scholarly articles of Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al., Vygotsky tackled the cognitive development of children with respect to the society or space in which they moved and lived (Steinberg, Bornstein, Vandell, & Rook, p. 206). Vygotsky argued that adults played an integral role in fully developing the cognitive ability of the children through “meaningful and challenging activities” (Harmon & Jones, p. 60). And in the studies of Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al., they have explored and examined the relationship between child care -- child care is an example of tutoring the child under a “more capable persons” (borrowed from Coon and Mitterer) -- and cognitive attainment. Particularly in the research made by Crosnoe et al., it has been found that the “environmental stimulation” has direct and positive effect to the cognitive development of the children belonging to the low-income parents. That is to say, Vygotsky’s theory is validated through their scientific study and conclusion: that “cultural tool” such as child care shapes the child’s cognitive ability. The scholarly articles written by Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al. substantially relate to the course material marked in the cognitive development discourse. It must be noted that the two research studies attempt to explore the cognitive area of children via the role of child care. In fact, Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al. attempt to measure the extent of child care in increasing the academic achievement of the children under investigation. These scholars have closely and systematically observed, recorded, studied, and analyzed the systematic experiment pertaining to the children under child care program. It is worth noting that the course material marked in cognitive development centers on the processes, including the factors that affect these processes that occur within the person’s mental or cognitive level. And the progress of the person’s cognitive power becomes more pronounce in the early stages of man’s development. Thus, the research studies of Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al. clearly relate to the discourse of cognitive development.. The scholarly articles of Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al. are paradoxically similar and different. Their main sameness lies on the role of child care in the cognitive development of the children with specific age range. Their difference, however, lies on the particular conclusions that they have made. By and large, the research studies under consideration generally support or validate the theories prominent in the cognitive development discourse, especially Vygotsky’s “cultural tool.” Furthermore, the scholarly articles of Vandell et al. and Crosnoe et al. greatly relate to the course material that I have studied thus far. References Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2008). Introduction to psychology: Gateway to mind and behavior. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Crosnoe, R., Leventhal, T., Wirth, R. J., Pierce, K. M., & Pianta, R. C. (2010). Family socioeconomic status and consistent environmental stimulation in early childhood. Child Development, 81 (3), 972-987. Harmon, D. A., & Jones, T. S. (2005). Elementary education: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Steinberg, L., Bornstein, M. H., Vandell, D. L., & Rook, K. S. (2011). Lifespan development: Infancy through adulthood. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Vandell, D., Belsky, J., Burchinal, M., Steinberg, L., & Vandergrift, N. (2010). Do effects of early child care extend to age 15?: Results from the NICHD study of early child care and youth development. Child Development. 81 (3), 737-756. Read More