Child Development Essay

Age Group
Physical development
Communication and intellectual development
Social, emotional and behavioural development
0-18 months

New born baby;
Sucking, grasping reflexes
Lifts head when held at shoulder
Rolls over
Holds head up when held in sitting position
Sits unaided, spends more time in upright position
Learns to crawl

Achieve mobility, strong urge to climb, crawl Stands and walks

Explore using their senses and using their own activity and movement
Recognizes primary caregiver Uses both hands to grasp objects Has extensive visual interests Puts everything in mouth
Solves simple problems
Begins to respond selectively to words
Is interested and understands words
Says words like mama, dada

Enjoy feeding and cuddling
Often imitate facial expressions Wants to have needs met
Develop a sense of security
Smiles spontaneously and responsively
Likes movement, to be held and rocked Laughs aloud
Responds to tickling
Prefers primary caregiver
May cry when strangers approach
18-36 months
Toddler;
Enjoy physical activities such as running, kicking, climbing, jumping, etc.

Beginnings of bladder and bowel control towards latter part of this stage
Are increasingly able to manipulate small objects with hands
Limited vocabulary of 500-3,000 words and only able to form three to four word sentences
No understanding of pronouns
Learning to use memory and acquiring the basics of self-control
Becoming aware of limits; says ―no‖ often
Establishing a positive, distinct sense of self through continuous exploration of the world
Needs to develop a sense of self and to do some things for him/herself
3-6 years
Pre-School
Is able to dress and undress self Has refined coordination and is learning many new skills
Likes to do things like climb, hop, skip and do stunts
By age 6, vocabulary will have increased to between 8,000 and 14,000 words
When questioned, they can generally express who, what, where, and some time how, but not when or how many
They are also able to provide a fair amount of detail about a situation

Develops capacity to share and take turns
Plays cooperatively with peers
Is developing some independence and self-reliance
Learning to distinguish between reality and fantasy

7-9 years
School-Age
Have increased coordination and strength Enjoy using new skills, both gross and fine motor
Are increasing in height and weight at steady rates
Start logical thinking
Start to understand the idea of the passage of time
They can also copy adult speech patterns
Have acquired the basic cognitive and linguistic concepts necessary to sufficiently communicate an abusive event
Increased ability to interact with peers
Have more same-sex friends Increased ability to engage in competition
Need to develop a sense of mastery and accomplishment based upon physical strength, self-control and school performance
10-12 years
Early Adolescence;
Have increased coordination and strength
 Are developing body proportions similar to those of an adult
 May begin puberty—evident sexual development, voice changes, and increased body odor are common
Early adolescents have an increased ability to learn and apply skills The early adolescent years mark the beginning of abstract thinking but revert to concrete thought under stress
Be able to answer who, what, where, and when questions, but still may have problems with why questions

Increased ability to interact with peers
Increased ability to engage in competition
Has a strong group identity; increasingly defines self through peers
Defines self-concept in part by success in school
13-15 years
Middle Adolescence
Females;
Pubic hair fully developed
Auxiliary hair immoderate quantity
Continued breast growth
Moderate muscle growth and increase in motor skills Males;
Pubic hair pigmented, curled
Auxiliary hair begins after pubic hair
Penis, testes, and scrotum continue to grow
Height growth spurt.

Shows fully developed abstract thought (usually by age 15)

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