Development of babies, toddlers and young children overview
In this chapter you will learn the following:
- Overview of child development
- Physical development milestones: Birth to 18 years
- Factors that impact on the development of children (SPICE of life)
From birth through age 8, the foundations for a child’s lifetime are formed. This gives early childhood professionals an opportunity to nurture this important growth and development.
Knowing how children grow and develop helps early childhood professionals write curriculum activities and set up learning environments, observe and assess children over time and support children with different learning styles.
Child development can be defined as the process by which a child changes over time. Child development incorporates physical growth as well as intellectual, language, emotional, and social development. Whilst these aspects are often considered separately, in reality each influences all of the others.
The following diagram shows how these aspects are interrelated.
As the brain develops physically, intellectual abilities increase. This in turn allows a child to explore their social world more fully, develop their emotional responses to it and the language needed to describe it, but in turn, this exploration directly impacts on further physical brain development.
There are many factors that affect the course and progression of child development within a given individual. These include the innate or the biological makeup of the child themself and the external influences such as family, society, economic, health and culture. Growth and development are directly related to the child’s nutrition, affluence, parenting styles, education and interaction with peers.
Your role as a child caregiver will be to promote growth in the child in your care on the level of nutrition, affluence, education and interaction with peers.
It is important for you to remember that you have a large influence on the interrelated development of the children in your care.
Development milestones are behaviours or physical skills seen in infants and children as they grow and develop.
Examples of milestones include:
- Rolling over
- Crawling
- Walking
- Talking
Milestones are different for each age group. In other words, at every age there are different skills that a child will learn and be able to do.
There is a normal range in which a child may reach each milestone, but some children grow and develop a bit faster and others a bit slower. For example, walking may begin as early as 8 months in some children, others walk as late as 18 months and it is still considered to be normal.
Here is a general list of some of the things you will see children doing at different ages. They are not precise as there are many different normal paces and patterns of development.
| Developmental Milestones | |
| Infant – Birth to 1 year | Drink out of a cupSit alone, without supportBabblesDisplay social smileGet first toothPulls self to standing positionRolls over by selfUnderstands “NO” and will stop activity in responseWalks while holding on to furniture or other support |
| Toddler 1-3 years | Able to feed self neatly, with minimal spillingAble to draw a lineRun, pivot and walk backwardsSay first and last nameWalk up and down stairs Begins pedaling tricycleCan name pictures of common objects and point to body partsDresses self with only a little helpMasters walkingRecognizes and labels colors appropriatelyUses more words and understand simple commandsUse a spoon to feed themselves |
| Preschooler 3-6 years | Able to draw a circle and a squareDraw stick figures with two to three features for peopleAble to skipBalances better, may begin to ride a bicycleBegins to recognize written words, reading skills startCatches a bounced ballEnjoys rhymes and word playHop on one footRide tricycle wellStart schoolUnderstands size conceptsUnderstands time concepts |
| School age child 6-12 years | Begin gaining skills for team sports such as soccer, T-ball, or other team sportsBegin to lose baby teeth and get permanent teethGirls begin to show growth of armpit and pubic hair, breast developmentMenarche (first menstrual period) may occur in girlsPeer recognition start to become importantReading skill develop furtherRoutines important for daytime activitiesUnderstands and is able to follow several directions in a row |
| Adolescent 12-18 years | Adult height, weight, sexual maturityBoys show growth of armpit, chest, pubic hair; voice changes, and testicles/penis enlargeGirls show growth of armpit and pubic hair, breast develop; menstrual periods startPeer acceptance and recognition is of vital importanceUnderstands abstract concepts |
All children develop at different rates. Their stage of development is often judged merely on their size, age, and physical abilities, but actually, emotional and social development can be far lower. To help a child succeed, you need to set them achievable goals by not expecting them to perform at a level they haven’t yet learnt or reached.
SPICES is the acronym used to describe the six areas of child development. They are very closely related to the key areas of child development.
This is linked to the way children communicate. Babies cry when they need something, pointing at something when they need it. To enable our children to develop and grow, we need to teach and help them learn new skills.
We need to make sure that children eat the right food, play and get the right amount of stimulation and sleep to promote physical development. Try to get them out and change their surroundings, give them new goals to aim for. More stimulation results in faster development.
From the moment a child is born, they begin to develop intellectually by reacting to the things around them. It is important not to put too much pressure on them to learn too fast or to compare them to others. Every child is different and will develop at their own pace.
This area is linked to family values and beliefs. Children learn by watching their parents and caretakers and the things they do, whether positive with cuddles and kisses or dealing with conflict. As a child caregiver we have to respect the values and beliefs the child is exposed to at home but also instill a culture within them of behaviour and values at their place of care.
Children should learn to express their feelings, don’t force them to keep their feelings inside, but also teach them how to understand their feelings and have positive, productive ways to deal with feelings.
As children grow, they develop and form an opinion of themselves. This is built on how the people close to them react towards them. Self-esteem is so important to a child’s happiness and future success. You have a huge role to play as a caregiver as you are one of the child’s primary figures in their life, spending a lot of time with them.
Children need every aspect of their development to be recognized and encouraged. If you tell a child that they aren’t capable of doing something, they will believe you and fail before they start. But if you tell a child that they are capable of anything if they put their mind to it, they will have self-belief and try their best. This doesn’t mean they will set themselves up for failure, but if we don’t believe in our children, who will.
In this lesson you have learnt the following:
Child development can be defined as the process by which a child changes over time. Child development incorporates physical growth as well as intellectual, language, emotional, and social development. Whilst these aspects are often considered separately, in reality each influences all of the others
- Milestones of child development:
- Cognitive development
- Social and Emotional development
- Speech and language development
- Fine motor skills development
- Gross motor skills development
- Physical development milestones
- Behaviour and development milestones seen in children as they grow from birth through to 18 years
- SPICES is the acronym used to describe the six areas of child development.
- Social development
- Physical development
- Intellectual development
- Cultural development
- Emotional development
- Spiritual development