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From birth to adulthood, the human body goes through many growth phases. However, child development in early years is the most important in the overall development process. You may ask why the early years bear such significance. This blog will explain why. Stay tuned and expand your knowledge of child development in early years.
What is Child Development?
Child development is physical, emotional and intellectual growth. This development takes place from birth to adolescence. From the day a child is born to the beginning of adult life, a child goes through many changes. This is a natural process where a child changes in many ways and develops basic life skills.
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What is Child Development?
Child development does not happen in one go. There are 5 stages of child development. And each child goes through these stages of development. The stages are
1. Newborn (Age 0-3 months)
2. Infant (Age 3-12 months)
3. Toddler (Age 1-2 years)
4. Preschool Age (Age 3-4 years)
5. School Age (Age 4-5 years)
What are the Characteristics of Child Development Stages?
When a child goes through different stages of development, they acquire different characteristics. These characteristics are divided into four main areas.
Communication and Language
Children learn to communicate with the people around them in the development stages. Along with learning language, they learn to make conversations. Also, the children try to figure out the world around them. They learn to relate the words to the objects.
Physical Aspects
The children go through many physical developments. For instance, they learn how to move their arms, legs and other muscles. They also develop the ability to make specific movements through their muscles. For example, making gestures with fingers and hands.
Social and Emotional Aspects
Children’s social and emotional abilities develop with time. They start to develop their identities. And their feelings also evolve. They also learn how to develop relationships and socialise with others.
Cognitive Aspects
Children develop a high level of brain functions. These functions include remembering, thinking, problem-solving and more. As they continue to grow, their brain functions keep on evolving. They develop the ability to understand the things happening around them.
Why is Child Development So Important in the Early Years?
The early years are the most crucial time of child development. In the early years, the human brain is most responsive. Thus, experiences and learning at an early age lay the foundation for the rest of life. The neurological functions of this age will impact their future brain functions. Also, it plays a part in moulding their behaviour, mental health, learning capacity etc.
Moreover, in the early years, children learn social skills and emotional boundaries. They also learn how to build relationships. Thus, the early years of development have such significance in a child’s life. Children need support from the people around them for development. Especially in their early years. Adults should interact with children at this age and help the learning process. In addition, they should also assist the children in building positive behaviours.
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Who is Responsible for Taking Care of a Child’s Early Development?
The immediate family, caregivers and teachers are responsible for supporting child development. The children require attention for physical, cognitive, social and language development. Through interaction with family and caregivers, children start to pick up languages. Besides, the parents and caregiver are responsible for ensuring the nutritional requirements are met. Furthermore, they also help the children to acquire social skills. And help to develop positive behaviour.
When the child reaches preschool and school age, the teachers play a part in their development. For instance, they lay down the foundation for future learning. They help the children develop their cognitive abilities.
Consequences of Unmet Developmental Needs
If child development in the early years does not meet the target, it will have a negative impact. It can cause mental health issues. According to the studies, it can have many consequences if children do not receive enough stimulation in their early stages. Like behavioural issues, low self-esteem, poor attention etc,. These issues can live past their childhood and affect their whole life.
In addition to inadequate language development, children face communication problems. They face difficulties learning the language and can’t express themselves. With mental development, children also go through physical development. Their physical growth will slow down if they don’t get enough nutrition. Hence, it will take time for them to learn how to walk or do certain gestures.
How to Encourage Child Development in Early Years?
You can support child development in every stage. The things you can do to promote development in each stage are
Newborn (Age 0-3 Months)
♦ Talk to the babies and do other interactive activities to provide stimulation. This will improve their mental engagement and develop their sense.
♦ When they cry, don’t delay in responding. This will create a bond between you and the baby. Also, it will play a part in emotional development.
♦ If the child smiles or makes noise, do the same. It will develop their communication abilities.
Infant Stage (Age 3-12 Months)
♦ Allow them to move around and explore. It will promote their physical development.
♦ Play music, make different sounds, or talk to the babies. If they respond, give them a hug or other reward. This will elevate their listening skills.
♦ Give them toys to play with. This will help them explore different things. Besides, you should also play with them; it will allow you to bond.
Toddler (age 1-3 Years)
♦ Marinating routine makes the children feel safe. So, set time for every task and encourage the child to follow it.
♦ Read books to them. It will enhance their creativity, and vocabulary and influence cognitive development.
♦ Handle their emotions and tantrums calmly. Explain to them why can are not allowed to have something. This will promote good behaviour.
Pre-school Age (3-4Years)
♦ Help them improve their social skills by demonstrating social rules. It is also important to encourage them to engage in conversations.
♦ Assign simple chores. This will boost their self-confidence.
♦ Take them out for a walk to different places and introduce the world around them. It will push their cognitive development.
School Age (4-5 Years)
♦ Provide interesting learning materials. But do not put pressure on them to learn.
♦ Play different types of language games with them; it will boost their language skills.
♦ Talk to them about school and what happens there. This will create a positive image of the school among the children.
Things that Shape Child Development
Many factors play a significant part in child development. These factors include
♦ Genetics
People can not have any influence over the genetics of their children. They receive both good and bad genes from their parents. These genes play an important role in shaping their appearances, abilities, and behaviours.
♦ Environment
The environment around the child has a lot to do with the experience they gather at an early age. The physical and mental surroundings are equally important here. The physical environment will influence physical activities and development. A positive environment will boost mental development. Likewise, negative ones can have a long-term effect on brain architecture.
♦ Nutrition
Nutrition is very important for the growth and development of children. A lack of proper nutrition will hamper physical and mental growth. So, parents should ensure that they are providing an adequate amount of healthy food. This will make sure children have enough fuel for their growth.
♦ Physical and Mental Activities
Physical activities such as sports promote their physical well-being. In the same way, mentally stimulating activities will support their mental growth.
♦ Family
Love and attention from family members are very important in child development. Children learn to develop meaningful relationships with others from family members. The family also helps children understand social norms and develop a positive attitude.
How Does Early Child Development Happen?
Some core concepts in early development. These concepts will help to understand how development in the early years happens. These concepts are
1. The experience develops brain architecture. The basic architecture of the brain develops in the early years. In this process, both genes and experience play the main part. Genes provide the blueprint of the brain structure. And the experience determines how the Genes will be demonstrated.
2. Interactions are very important in shaping the brain. The ‘serve and return’ interactions between the baby and an adult has a great impact. It provides the essential experience for brain architecture to develop. Babies do different types of gestures. Adults respond with similar guessers or sounds. This back-and-forth interaction helps in wiring the brain.
3. Healthy development is hampered by toxic stress. Small adversity help in developing coping abilities,. But toxic stress can weaken the brain foundation. If there is no adequate support from adults, toxic stress can have long-term impacts on the brain.
How Child Development and Learning Happen?
In the first few years, children’s brain architecture develops. At this time, their brains are most responsive. In the early years, children start to learn basic human skills. They learn from the stimulations around them and through exploring the environment. So, professionals working with child development and early learning must promote early learning. For that, they should create a setting focused on child-initiated play and structural learning. This makes sure that children enjoy the learning process.
8 Things to Remember about Child Development
When it comes to child development, there are some basic facts you need to know.
1. When there is a significant reason for stress in the family, there is an impact on children. Young children and even infants can be affected.
2. Development is not only dependent on genes. A child’s interaction with the surrounding environment also plays a part.
3. Parents have a crucial role in child development. However, parents, teachers and other adults can also promote their growth.
4. In the first three years, the brain architecture is shaped. However, it does not mean that the brain stops developing after the third year.
5. Severe neglect is a serious threat to child development. It can have the same or greater impact than physical trauma.
6. Not all Children who were exposed to violence or adversity develop stress-related disorders.
7. Rescuing a child from a dangerous environment is not enough. To overcome the negative impact, they need popper care and support.
8. Overcoming and adapting to adversity requires supportive relationships.
Definitions of Early Childhood Education and Child Development
Child development is the overall development of children. It includes physical, emotional, cognitive, and psychological development.
But, early childhood education is fouced on learning. It is the learning process children go through before elementary school. It includes any learning activities or institutional education. For example, childcare centres, public preschools, early childhood educator’s homes etc.
Early Childhood Education vs Child Development
There are some major differences between child development and early childhood education. Child development is focused on the overall development of children and adolescents. The field of child development is broader. It encompasses physical, emotional, and cognitive development. In contrast, early childhood education aims to provide children with the proper environment for learning and education.
Therefore, early childhood education is about engaging children in activities related to learning development. But, child development emphasises observing children and identifying problems and solutions.
The professionals in early childhood education usually work in school or educational settings. On the other hand, child development professionals work in a wide range of settings.
Early Childhood Education Careers in the UK
The responsibilities of early childhood education professionals help children reach certain developmental milestones. There are different types of career opportunities in early childhood education. These are
♦ Preschool teacher
♦ Childcare teacher
♦ Nanny
♦ Babysitter
♦ Childcare worker
♦ Preschool director
Child Development Careers in the UK
Child development professionals are responsible for supporting children in the development process. They do it by providing useful resources. Their duty is to conduct research in different settings and research child development. Child development professionals are
♦ Certified family life educators
♦ Certified family life specialists
♦ Mental health counsellors
♦ Substance abuse counsellors
♦ Behavioural counsellors
♦ Social workers
♦ Community service managers
Final Thoughts
Child development in early years builds the foundation for the rest of life. Children need support for physical, emotional, or cognitive development. This support must come from the environment and the people around them. Thus, family, teachers, caregivers and other children must understand early years’ significance. Along with that, they should provide adequate support and attention. Without that, a child’s needs will stay unmet and hamper their growth.
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