Introduction
Children and adolescents’ physical and social demands must be satisfied for them to grow and develop normally. The amount to which parents, families, communities, and societies can satisfy these developmental demands has long-term ramifications for the types of people they will become. By 18 years, many teenagers are filled with enthusiasm and anxiety about their future. They are usually preoccupied with their friends, social life, and future. These children and adolescents must achieve a wide variety of developmental milestones, including cognitive, behavioral, and relational characteristics that will aid them in decision-making.
Cognitive development involves the progression of information, skills, problem-solving, and attitudes that enable children to think critically and comprehend their environment. Early cognitive development studies have led scientists to conclude that the growing mind is competent, active, and wise from a very young age. For instance, newborns develop language by intuitively analyzing the statistically recurring patterns in the speech patterns they hear (Suggate et al., 2017). Infants and toddlers are also highly receptive to what they might learn through the words and actions of others directed at them.
Young children depend so heavily on what they absorb from others that they are adept at discerning between adults who are likely to offer them credible information and those who are not by their elementary years. Hence, this association between social contacts and cognitive growth is congruent with how the brain evolves (Suggate et al., 2017). Language acquisition, as well as literacy improvement, are interdependent for children. For example, literacy development involves acquiring information and skills in grammar, vocabulary, syntax, phonological awareness, writing, understanding, and conversation abilities.
The growth of a child is integrated into a complicated network of interactions. Relational competence development is an essential aspect of infant growth and developmental learning. Developing healthy relationships helps young children engage productively in intrinsically social learning processes. Positive connections give young children emotional support and stability, which helps in several ways to their academic performance. Thus, this is demonstrated by studies on the security of the connection between youngsters and their parents, which offers a foundation for examining the pattern of children’s interactions with educators and classmates (Frosch et al., 2021). For example, securely connected children acquire better social competencies and social comprehension that improve their proficiency in peer and adult encounters in learning situations.
Behavioral development uses a behavior analytic perspective on human growth and behavior modification over the lifespan by evaluating the acquisition of fundamental abilities and the progression of more intricate behaviors. The family surrounding also influences the conduct and habits of young children. For the growth and education of children, the family plays an essential role. In addition, a positive bond between parents and children will impact their skills and development since it fosters a new interaction between parents, youngsters, and others (Alzahrani et al., 2019). Interactions between parents and teachers can aid in altering young children’s emotional behavior that enables them to socialize with others. In early infancy, behavior modification entails modifying negative behaviors into positive ones. It is accomplished by social engagement with the individuals around them, whether they are adults or their peers.
Story of Success Academy
Eva Moskowitz is the director and chief executive officer of Success Academy, New York City’s biggest charter school network. She interweaves her captivating personal tales beginning with her grandparents of Polish descent, with the history of Success Academy. Skeptic people who cannot accept that Moskowitz’s schools perform better than their institutions continue to attempt to belittle Moskowitz’s achievements by claiming that her schools admit only excellent children and expel poor ones. Success Academy functions under possibly the most stringent set of obligations and standards for all participants, including students, parents, teachers, and administrators (Moskowitz & Leonard, 2018, ep 1). There is much more to applaud in the chapters, including a thorough understanding of what ails large bureaucratic education systems, the hardship of many children, and their parents’ desire for better choices.
I believe that the school’s success has entirely relied on the stringent values such as integrity and hard work that its leaders, including Moskowitz, have instilled. The school’s values might be too strict, but it is evident that it has created an environment of determination among its students. Success Academy has an atmosphere of discipline, dedication, and high standards (Moskowitz & Haan, 2018, ep 5). For instance, children may collaborate in small teams on a rough architectural sketch before creating a project. Additionally, from kindergarten through eighth grade, daily sessions promote writing abilities. In later grades, learners compose lengthy works in various genres and through the whole writing process.
Demographics of students that may not be Successful at Success Academy
At the Success Academy, it is necessary to consider race and ethnicity as components of the student’s demographic makeup. Students of African descent and Hispanic descent provide a significant contribution to the school’s overall population, followed by students of Asian descent. There is a possibility that black pupils may not do well academically while attending Success Academy. Researchers have shown that mental toughness and endurance are necessary for black and Hispanic students to succeed at predominantly white-dominated institutions. According to research, exposure to prejudice and its detrimental effects on mental health starts in early childhood (Williams, 2018). There were 121 studies that studied the relationship between racism and health among adolescents and children ages zero to 18 years. In 76 percent of the 127 studied relationships, exposure to racism predicted worse anxiety and depressive symptoms among children and adolescents (Williams, 2018). These children exposed to such prejudice in schools had their performance decrease significantly.
Eva Moskowitz, who runs the Success Academy charter schools, is responsible for educating black children who live in some of the city’s most low-income communities. These kids are from disadvantaged minorities, receiving an education despite the many obstacles and criticisms they confront (Moskowitz, 2018, ep 6). Students often suffer from depression and anxiety disorders due to the racial segregation prevalent in educational institutions (Williams, 2018). Students of black and Hispanic descent often experience feelings of estrangement, which is particularly prevalent in mostly white-dominated institutions.
Children Should Meet Cognitive, Behavioral, and Relational Benchmarks as They Age
Children need to develop their cognitive, behavioral, and relational parameters as they mature to achieve success in their life. With the healthy cognitive development of a kid, they can acquire problem-solving abilities, learning, and attitudes that help them think clearly and understand their social environment. Children face a variety of development stages, and they may confront similar physical or emotional difficulties. Some kids may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and delayed cognitive development. Children with ADHD may have issues paying attention and managing impulsive actions and occasionally have school difficulties. The cognitive, behavioral, and relational benchmarks help parents comprehend how their kids learn and develop in diverse circumstances.
Conclusion
Children and adolescents must attain a broad range of developmental milestones, including behavioral, cognitive, and relational abilities that help decision-making. By the time they reach the age of 18, many adolescents are filled with excitement and concern about the future and typically focus on their friends, social lives, and future. Cognitive, behavioral, and relational standards are essential for developing knowledge, skills, problem-solving, and attitudes that allow children to think critically and appreciate their surroundings.
References
Alzahrani, M., Alharbi, M., & Alodwani, A. (2019). The Effect of Social-Emotional Competence on Children Academic Achievement and Behavioral Development. International Education Studies, 12(12), 141-149.
Frosch, C. A., Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., & O’Banion, D. D. (2021). Parenting and child development: A relational health perspective. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 15(1), 45-59.
Moskowitz, E. (Host). (2018). Success Academy 6: The fights.
Moskowitz, E., & Haan, C. (Hosts). (2018). Success Academy 5: Expectations. Web.
Moskowitz, E., & Leonard, P., (Hosts). (2018). Success Academy 1: The problem.
Suggate, S., Schaughency, E., McAnally, H., & Reese, E. (2018). From infancy to adolescence: The longitudinal links between vocabulary, early literacy skills, oral narrative, and reading comprehension. Cognitive Development, 47, 82-95.
Williams, D. R. (2018). Stress and the mental health of populations of color: Advancing our understanding of race-related stressors. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 59(4), 466-485.