Child Development

Types of Development

Physical: growth of the body

Intellectual: Ability to think,

understand, communicate

Emotional: Feelings and

emotions

Social: Interacting with others

Moral: Understanding right and wrong

Infancy: Birth to One Year

Physical Development:• The head is the largest part of the body when

born• First 6 months babies gain 1-2 lbs per month!• Reflex – automatic, involuntary response• Explore the world by putting EVERYTHING in

their mouth• Vision is blurry at first• Large motor skills: roll over, sit, stand, and begin

to walk!

Intellectual Development:

• Communicate through crying and cooing

• Modeling – imitating the actions of others

Emotional Development:

• Show LOVE to infants

• Infants form a

bond with caregivers

Social Development:

• Babies can smile at 3 months

• Recognize the difference between familiar and unfamiliar faces

• May show stranger anxiety

Moral Development:

• None – Infants do not understand right and wrong

Toddlers: One to Three YearsPhysical:• Growth usually slows down• Large motor: walks, runs, stairs, throws

objects, jumps, climbs• Small motor: turns pages in book,

scribbles – draws circles, buttons/zippers, builds block towers

• Safety is important! Baby gates, cabinet locks

• Toilet training after 20 months

Intellectual:• Words – short phrases – sentences• Understand cause and effect• Tell the difference in sizes and shapes• Very creative and curious!

Emotional:• Self Centered – Thinking only of your own

needs and not others – egocentric• “No” becomes favorite word – temper

tantrums• Emotional roller coaster “Terrible Twos”

Social:

• Parallel Play – when toddlers play NEXT to each other but not together

• Struggle with their dependence on others and their need to be independent

• Learning to share

Moral:

• Morality – understanding

of right and wrong

Preschoolers: Three to Five Years

Physical:

• Arms and legs lengthen to catch up with body

• Movements are not as clumsy as toddlers

• Ride bikes, throws with control, cuts in straight line, ties shoelaces

Intellectual:• Learning to count and recognize colors and

letters• Make-believe• Much larger vocabulary• Reading to children is VERY important

Emotional:• Verbal skills make it easier to express

feelings• Experience more emotions: fear, joy, pride,

anger, jealousy

Social:

• Cooperative Play: children play in group together

• Learn how to share and get along with a group

• Children have “best friends”

Moral:

• Continue to learn basic moral concepts

School-Age: Five to Ten YearsPhysical:• Baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth• Children can participate in games that involve

running and jumping because they have better control of their bodies

• Small motor skills improve for writing and drawing

Intellectual:• Children start spending more time in structured

atmospheres away from home with other kids and adults

• Learn math, reading, and science• Children expand their vocabularies by 3000 words a

year

Emotional:• Stress due to academic pressures, family

problems, life changes

Social:• Outside of the family more often and form

peer groups at school

Moral:• Children begin to care about what others

think and want to be “good”