Child Development 101

Child Development Definition

• Child Development is the change in structure, form, and organization that brings about change and refinement of inborn abilities and characteristics of children present at birth.
• It involves four areas of development: Cognitive, Mental, Social, and Emotional.

Importance of Early Childhood

• Early Childhood is the most critical time for positive intervention.
• Children's development during this stage is strongly affected by their environment, which continues to exert a strong influence on the rest of their lives.

Growth and Development

• Growth refers to the increase in body size, which can be measured in terms of height, weight, and length for children under the age of 3 years.
• Development refers to the increase in skill and abilities, which can be measured through observation or the progress of all human functions.
• Growth and development are interrelated, with growth focusing on physical increase and development focusing on skills and abilities.

Domains of Development

• There are four domains of development: Physical, Social/Emotional, Mental, and each domain has several stages within it.
• Each stage of development has its own 'milestones' of development, which are developmental skills that the child can do at that stage.

Principles of Growth and Development

• Growth and development are continuous processes.
• The sequence of growth and development is predictable.
• Not all children progress at the same rate.
• Not all body parts grow in the same rate at the same time.
• Each child grows in his/her own unique way.

Patterns of Growth

• There are two basic patterns of growth: Growth that takes place from head down to toes and then center of the body and then outward pattern.

Importance of Assessing Growth and Development

• Assessing growth and development helps childcare workers understand that every child has his or her own pattern of growth.
• It helps them understand that children will not grow and develop exactly the same way.
• It helps childcare workers to find out the state of health of a child and make recommendations if there are abnormalities.

Activities that Support Development in Infants and Toddlers

• Affection: Unconditional love creates strong self-esteem and increased development of brain circuitry.
• Touch: Holding, rocking, and cuddling a child communicates love and acceptance, and helps infants gain a sense of calmness and encourages brain development.
• Communication, reading, and music: The first three years of exploring and playing with books, singing nursery rhymes, listening to stories, recognizing words, and scribbling are truly the building blocks for language and literacy development.