Adapting for Individual Differences     

According to Harvard University (2010), “Experiences children have early in life – and the environments in which they have them – shape their developing brain architecture and strongly affect whether they grow up to be healthy, productive members of society” (as cited in Bredekamp, 2017, p. 141). Therefore as professionals in the field, we play a key role in the outcomes of those children we care for. Acknowledging and adapting for the uniqueness of each child in our care is a starting place for helping children reach their full potential.

To prepare for this discussion, read the article A Unified Theory of Development: A Dialectic Integration of Nature and Nurture (Links to an external site.).

For your initial post:

• Compare and contrast Sameroff’s Transactional Theory of Development to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Human Development. Use a visual representation (graphic organizer) to complete this comparison.
• Explain how as a leader in the field of early childhood education you will account for genetic and environmental circumstances of children while not limiting your expectations for them. How will you ensure you are taking a balanced approach?
• Compare your legal obligations to meeting the needs of all children with your ethical and professional obligations. How are each of these interconnected? Support this portion of your discussion with your text and your required readings.
• Design a reflective checklist that you can use in your classroom or school/center to ensure you are meeting your legal, ethical and professional obligations to adapting for individual differences. Your checklist must contain the important legal, ethical and professional big ideas for each and every classroom and school/center.