1. Principles of Physical Development
Cephalocaudal - development from head down.
Structural Example

2. Cephalocaudal Development Functional Example

3. Principles of Physical Development
Proximodistal: development from inside out
Mass-to-specific: gross motor skills (large muscles) develops first followed by fine motor (small muscles) skills

4. Growth Newborn: 20 inches long; 7 1/2 pounds 1 inch per month
½ adult height by age 2
double weight by 4 months, triple by 12 months
Head Circumference
Fontanels
Ossification

5. Growth Adolescence Puberty growth spurt - age 9 for girls, 11 for boys
Sexual maturation

6. Stages of Puberty
Prepubescent Stage: no longer a child but not yet an adolescent. Secondary sex characteristics begin to appear, but the reproductive organs are not yet fully developed.
Pubescent Stage : dividing line between childhood and adolescence. Signs of sexual maturity appear - the menstrual cycle in girls and the first nocturnal emissions in boys. Secondary sex characteristics continue to develop. Gametes are produced (not in the quantity/regularity of Fully mature sex organs).
Postpubescent Stage: Secondary sex characteristics become well developed and sex organs begin to function in a mature manner.

7. Brain Development
Human brain – most functional and best-organized 3 pounds of matter in universe.
Part of Central Nervous System
Controls voluntary and involuntary activities
2 Hemispheres with 4 lobes

8. Development of Brain

9. Brain

10. Lobes Occipital lobe – vision
Temporal lobe – speech/language and hearing
Parietal lobe – sensory motor processes
Frontal lobe – critical thinking

11. Nervous System Development

12. The Birth and Growth of Neurons
Most neurons formed halfway through gestation
Virtually no synaptic connections
– it is experience and interaction with the environment that forms the synaptic connections
83% of dendritic growth (connections between synapses) occurs after birth
During childhood - no new neurons, but the brain is still developing (overhead of brain structures during infancy).
-By 5th birthday- brain has achieved fully 90% of adult weight.
-Myelination of neurons  throughout childhood.
-Different areas of brain  become specialized. -Lateralization - left brain/ right brain differences/ hemispheric specialization. Originates during prenatal period (2/3 of all fetuses positioned with right ear out - right ear advantage  left hemisphere - language specialization).

13. Childhood Synaptogenesis Myelination Lateralization
Triples in weight by age 3

14. Use it or lose it – Natural Selection of Brain Wiring
Exposure to enriched environments with extra sensory and social stimulation enhances the connectivity of the synapses
However, children and adolescents can lose up to 20 million per day when not stimulated