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While there are times when nature will fully affect development, such as when a child is born with a mental disability (autism, Down's syndrome, etc.), nurture may ultimately have the strongest influence on development. Many psychology and medical experts have found, through their research, that people are born with certain strengths and weaknesses due to their genetic and biological makeup (Children’s, 2011). Further, a person's genetic and biological makeup will affect how effectively a person copes with stress and other emotions, how well he or she learns, and many other factors that will shape his or her intellectual, emotional, and physical development (Children’s, 2011). However, while these things may shape the basics of a person, it is through nurture that the full extent of development can be heightened to its greatest potential or harmed so significantly that a person's loses any potential he or she once had. For example, while a child may be born with traits of aggression, shyness, a love of reading, a dislike for reading, and other traits, studies have found that the environment they are raised it will have a significant impact on whether these traits are enhanced or countered effectively (Wray, 1997).
A child born with an aggressive nature can be socialized to lessen his or her aggression and a painfully shy child can be helped to overcome that shyness. Students who hate math may never love it, but they can be helped to not avoid it and to feel confident in doing math. The same goes for writing or reading. Therefore, the approach to learning needs to account for these individual differences and then find ways to help each child do better by approaching the child in the way he or she needs. In the classroom this means that children who love to read need to be challenged to improve their skills while those who hate reading need to be taught in a way that makes reading fun. In both cases the child's abilities and knowledge will improve in the subject area.
References
Children's personalities linked to their chemical response to stress. (2011). Science Daily. Retrieved January 11, 2012 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110708084005.htm
Wray, H. (1997). Politics of biology: How the nature vs. nurture debate shapes public policy - and our view of ourselves. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved January 11, 2012 from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19306868.html
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Substance abuse refers to the abuse and dependence of a person on alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription drugs. Such substances are referred to as teratogens, which are substances known to cause birth defects (Teratogens, n.d.). Teratogents are known to cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) which can lead to intellectual and emotional disabilities, organ defects, physical abnormalities, brain damage, and other problems in children when taken by their mothers during pregnancy (Tertogens, n.d.). The resulting developmental problems involve physical problems and the inability to progress academically or emotionally as other children do. Teratogens will limit a child's future development in multiple ways as they can reduce the ultimate level of a child's ability to learn, to process information, to remember information, to control his or her body or emotions, and to leave him or her unable to properly socialize with others. All of these things will make school more difficult for that child, will likely require the school to provide accommodations for the child, and may even prevent the child from being able to care for him or her self without the assistance of others. In such cases the environment the child is raised in may help limit his or her disabilities, but he or she will clearly suffer from disabilities.
References
Teratogens. (n.d.). Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Retrieved January 11, 2012 from http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/genetics/terathub.html