1. Child Development

2. What is child development?
Child development - the biological and psychological changes that occur in people between birth and the end of adolescence
Changes in a child occur very quickly – from month to month or even from week to week!

3. Developmental Areas
Physical – involves the growth of the body and the strength and coordination of muscles
Large motor skills
Small motor skills
Hand-eye coordination
Intellectual – involves the ability to think, understand, reason, and communicate
Includes language skills

4. Developmental Areas
Emotional – relates to emotions and children’s expressions of these emotions
Social – refers to children’s interactions with others
Sharing, getting along, making friends, etc.
Moral – involves the understanding of right and wrong

5. Developmental Influences
Heredity – refers to all of the traits that you have inherited from your parents, grandparents, and other relatives
Traits are passed through your genes
Determine your body type, skin color, hair, etc.
You can also inherit certain talents and personality traits

6. Developmental Influences
Environment – what surrounds you and affects your development and behavior
Family
Friends
Home life
School
Community
Technology
Computers
Television
Video games

7. Developmental Influences
A family’s level of education, income, access to health care, culture and traditions also influence a child’s development
Culture influences parents’ and caregivers’ roles and what and how children are taught

8. Developmental Stages
In general, development in all areas follows a general and progressive sequence.
As people develop, they accomplish certain developmental milestones – skills achieved at a particular stage of life
Everyone proceeds through developmental stages in the same sequence, but the rate of progress differs from person to person.

9. Developmental Stages
Older Infants (6-12 months)
Young Infants (0-6 months)
Eat solid foods and drink from a cup
Sit alone, crawl and stand
Some begin to walk
Interact more with caregivers
Imitate others’ actions and facial expressions
Explore items by putting them in their mouths
Language has developed from cooing to babbling – usually speak their first word by their first birthday
Can look at faces and recognize caregivers’ voices
Neck muscles strengthen – allowing them to hold their head up
Roll over from their stomach to their back
Communicate by cooing, laughing and crying

10. Developmental Stages Become toilet trained Dress themselves
Young Toddlers (12-24 months)
Older Toddlers (24-36 months)
Eat table foods and use spoons to eat
Walk, climb steps without help and run (but clumsy)
Roll a ball, turn pages of a book, scribble with crayons
Want independence – tell caregivers “no”
Need to be taught how to behave in public and to share
Biting is common
Using more words to communicate feelings, wants and needs
Become toilet trained
Dress themselves
Have trouble sharing
Engage in parallel play – play alongside other children but not with them
Increased vocabulary
Develop a conscience – inner sense of right and wrong

11. Developmental Stages
Preschoolers (3-5 years)
School Aged Children (5-12 years)
Large motor skills well developed; fine motor skills becoming more defined
Develop skills they need for school
Increased vocabulary
Move to cooperative play – play with other children and learn to share, take turns, solve problems and control their emotions
Activities away from home foster independence
Develop their sense of self
Experience stress due to increased academic pressure
Worry about school and family life
Friendships become more complex
Learn teamwork and compromise
Can consider another person’s feelings

12. Developmental Stages
Adolescence (13-19 years)
Begins with puberty – changes in physical appearance
Some changes can be awkward – for example: acne
Physical changes can affect emotions
Experience mood swings
Have the ability to reason and think of alternatives to problems
Friendships become more solid
Relationships with the opposite sex become more important
The family remains a stable base for teenagers