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Child Development & Early Education vocabulary · Developmental Stages and Milestones

Nature and nurture

Meaning in child development & early education, with examples

phraseCommon term

In child development & early education, nature and nurture means: The two main influences on development: nature means what we inherit through our genes, and nurture means experience, care and the environment.

In Turkish: kalıtım ve çevre, doğa ve yetiştirme

How it is used

Often heard as 'the nature versus nurture debate' in lectures and essays. Most researchers today agree that the two interact, so many prefer 'nature and nurture' to 'nature versus nurture'.

Example sentences

  1. Temperament is a good example of how nature and nurture work together.

  2. Discuss the role of nature and nurture in language development.

Common collocations

  • nature versus nurture
  • the nature-nurture debate
  • genes and environment
  • the interaction of nature and nurture
  • temperamentThe natural way a child tends to react to the world, such as how active, adaptable, intense or easily upset they are, which can be seen from early infancy.
  • critical periodA window of time in development when a particular skill or ability develops most easily, and after which it may be much harder to develop.
  • child developmentThe physical, mental, language, social and emotional changes that happen as a child grows from birth to adolescence, and the subject that studies these changes.
  • attachmentThe deep emotional bond a young child forms with the main people who care for them, which gives the child a sense of safety and comfort.

More terms: Developmental Stages and Milestones

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