Outcome 1 Know the main stages of child and young person development
1.1 Describe the expected pattern of children and young people’s development from birth to 19 years
See chart included.
1.2 Describe with examples how different aspects of development can affect one another
Aspects of development are often very much interlinked with one other.
For example, reading a book for speech and language development. Reading books and reading activities stimulates communication and intellectual development by helping to increase vocabulary and helping children understand the meaning of words.
This also affects the social aspect of development as children can then communicate better with others with an increased vocabulary and understanding of words and meanings. Also increased communication will also have positive effects on social and emotional aspect of development too.
So reading is a simple but good activity that stimulates many aspects of the child’s development. If a child has a development delay in one area, this can affect the other areas too, for example a child whose language is delayed will find it hard to play in the home corner where other children are talking as they are playing.
Outcome 2 Understand the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development
2.1 Describe with examples the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development including:
A) Background
B) Health
C) Environment
Background
Families and parents play a huge part in children’s and young people’s development.
There are a number of factors that can affect a child’s development in their background for example a family break up, bereavement or a parent introducing a new partner.
A family break up can be stressful for any child and may even influence the development of the child, as the child could get very upset, could go very quiet and withdrawn, could stop eating even talking as they may think they had something to do with their parents break up.
Also if the school is made aware of any changes to the family’s situation, they will be able to help the child cope.
Poverty can also have an impact on a child’s development. Parents who are struggling to make ends meet may be very stressed. This can affect their parenting style. Also lack of money can also mean that families cannot afford to eat properly or live in nice areas. It also means that families cannot always afford to do things that help children’s learning such buying a computer or taking the child out on visits.
Health
If a child suffers from a physical disability or impairment or other illness it may affect various aspects of a child’s developmental opportunities. For example a child who has a medical condition or impairment may be less able to participate in some activities than other children. This can also mean that the child may experience restrictions in playground activities. This may initially affect physical development, but may also affect social, emotional and behavioural aspects of development.
As well as medical conditions, sleep can also have an influence on children’s development. Sufficient sleep is essential for children’s cognitive development. When children are tired, they find it hard to remember new information and to concentrate. It is thought that children under five should be having at least 12 hours sleep, while teenagers need 9 or 10 hours. Being tired also affects children’s social and emotional development. Children who are tired find it hard to control their anger, frustration and other emotions. This means that they may find it hard to play with other children without falling out.
Environment
Where children grow up and what they do is often linked to their background. It can also have quite an effect on their development.
Young children need plenty of opportunities to play in order to help their development.
