Different Aspect of Child Development

Anyone working with children of any age should have a strong, detailed knowledge of the different aspects of development from birth to 19 years. These areas include:

• Physical development
• Communication development
• Intellectual/cognitive development
• Social, emotional, and behavioral development
• Moral development

Physical Development:

This is where children learn to grasp and conquer control over their body movements. Physical development is normally split into two groups: fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

Fine motor skills refer to delicate movements done with the fingers, such as holding a pencil. They are also linked to vision and known as hand-eye coordination, which is used when a child ties their shoe lace.

Gross motor skills refer to whole body movements, such as a baby sitting up, crawling, learning to walk, kicking or throwing a ball. These skills develop rapidly throughout the first five years of a child’s life.

Communication Development

Children learn to communicate with others and understand their own communication in various ways, depending on their age and ability. This starts with making sounds to get attention and progresses to learning how to read, write, use sign language, and interpret body language. Communication development is linked to intellectual/cognitive development as children learn to think and understand before they communicate.

Intellectual/Cognitive Development

Intellectual or cognitive development encompasses a vast area of brain development, including memory, concentration, imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, knowledge and understanding. The brain learns to process and develop information that the child learns on a daily basis from their surroundings and other people. Examples of cognitive skills include remembering someone’s name and distinguishing between two colors.

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Development

This is where the child learns to express and control their own emotions, which is linked to learning acceptable behavior. A good example of this is frustration when the child cannot do something. As the child grows and develops, they will be able to control their emotions and behavior in different situations. This is also strongly connected with cognitive and communication development. For instance, being attached to a loved one: a child must communicate with that person and understand them before being able to express emotions.

Moral Development

This is where children and young people learn about the principles and values they hold to help make the right decisions throughout life. These values and principles may have been enforced upon them by society or through family upbringing. Moral development is strongly linked with social, emotional, and behavioral development because morality involves the way we are accepted into a social group. This can stir up emotions that need to be controlled, which can impact behavior.

Moral development is linked to intellectual and cognitive development because developing values and principles requires the ability to think critically and make decisions. The following table provides a snapshot of a child’s developmental stages from birth to 19 years.

The sequence of development refers to the pattern or order in which developmental stages are expected to occur. These stages are also known as developmental norms or milestones, and they are often divided into age ranges such as birth-1 year, 1-4 years, 4-11 years, 11-16 years, and 16-19 years. These divisions help to illustrate what children should be achieving at certain ages. The rate of development is the speed at which a child achieves these norms. Because every child is different, they develop at their own individual rate. For example, one baby may roll over before sitting up, crawling, walking and then running; while another child may sit up first before walking and running without rolling over or crawling.

Even though the child may have missed a stage in the sequence, they are still seen to be following the expected pattern of norms. It is important to understand that the sequence and rate of development work together to provide a guideline for developmental norms and to be able to record or measure when a child has accomplished these milestones. This helps determine if the child may need additional support with their development. While there are many things that set children apart from one another, when children are of the same age, their development is typically the main differentiating factor.

The development of a child starts from the day they are conceived, with genetic codes imprinted in them determining traits such as eye and hair color. During pregnancy, the mother plays a crucial role in the child’s early development. However, if the mother smokes, takes drugs, or drinks alcohol during pregnancy, it can cause significant damage to the baby’s development both during and after birth and later on in life. According to NHS.uk (2012), this can lead to birth defects such as facial deformities and learning difficulties as well as problems with emotional development. It can even stunt your baby’s growth ability after birth.

Even during birth, a child’s development can be affected. Babies that experience a difficult birth may suffer from lack of oxygen, which can affect brain function and result in learning difficulties later in life. Once a child enters the world, there are many factors that can influence their development. These factors typically fall into two categories: personal and external. Personal factors include the child’s health status and any disabilities they may have, such as sensory impairments (sight, touch, hearing) or learning difficulties.

If a child is ill, this could be as simple as a cold or as serious as a virus that requires hospitalization. Regardless of the severity, illness can have an impact on the child’s development. For example, they may miss school or be unable to participate in stimulating activities like playgroups or spending time with friends and family. If the illness causes fatigue or lack of stamina, it can also affect their ability to concentrate and learn effectively. In some cases, a child’s health status may be more serious due to conditions like congenital heart disease (CHD), which can limit their participation in everyday school life.

Permitted activity levels for a child are determined by their healthcare team. Generally, activity restrictions are graded in the following manner:

• Full: The child is allowed to exercise at will and participate fully in all sports.
• No competitive sports: The child is allowed to exercise but is not allowed to participate in races, organized games, or team sports. (About kid’s health 2004-2012)

Vygotsky believed that children learn through social interaction and relationships (Walker, M, Children & young people’s workforce, 2011). Therefore, a child missing regular school or social activities such as play groups or family interactions may have negative effects on their development. Social and emotional development can be particularly impacted – having less interaction may cause children to become anxious, stressed and withdrawn in social situations which can lead to anger or depression.

These emotions can result in the child not being able to reach developmental milestones, such as:

• Relating well to other children and adults
• Making friends and getting along with others
• Feeling secure and valued
• Exploring and learning confidently; and ultimately
• Feeling good about themselves.

The child’s physical development may also be affected if they are not able to participate in physical activities. This can influence how quickly a child reaches certain milestones, such as jumping or hopping on one foot, catching or throwing a ball, skipping, or walking backwards.

If a child breaks their leg, it can be a setback in their development because they will have to learn to walk again. This could also affect their cognitive development, which in turn affects other developmental areas. For example, if a child doesn’t reach certain milestones, such as demonstrating awareness of the past and present or actively seeking answers to questions, it can have an impact on their social and emotional milestones. Additionally, the child may need to develop a longer attention span and ask why” questions to gain information. All of these changes will affect how the child meets their social and emotional milestones.

Personal factors also include whether the child has a disability, which may incorporate sensory impairments and learning difficulties. Some children are born with disabilities such as autism, Down’s syndrome, physical disabilities, visual impairment or hearing impairments. Other children may obtain a disability due to an accident. Any of these can have an impact on several aspects of a child’s development.

As a child learns to communicate and socialize through imitation of others, a child with a disability such as visual impairment may not be able to develop these skills at the same rate as a child without this condition. This is because a visually impaired child cannot read expressions on someone’s face to understand how they are feeling, join in games like tag due to fast movement of objects, or perform day-to-day tasks like getting themselves ready or fed. Struggling to do these tasks freely can make the child scared and anxious, which in turn leaves their social development lacking behind.

Feeling anxious and scared may play a part in a child’s physical development, making them fear the unknown. Certain skills, such as learning to run, stack blocks or catch a ball, are considered gross and fine motor skill milestones that will have to be modified to fit the child’s needs. Children born with Down Syndrome may suffer from many developmental issues and health problems, including noticeable physical appearances. Their ability to learn, think and speak is often slower than their peers’, as is their physical ability to walk, run or catch a ball. However, as stated on the Down Syndrome Association website: We do know that every baby born with Down’s syndrome will have some degree of learning disability.

This means that processing information and learning new skills takes longer, and tasks and learning may need to be broken down into smaller steps. However, it does not mean that people cannot learn. Children with Down syndrome can learn to walk, talk, and be toilet trained; they generally reach these developmental milestones later than other children. (Down Syndrome Association, 2013) Having a disability does not prevent a child from developing; it simply means they do so at their own pace.

External factors can also influence a child or young person’s development. These factors can range from poverty and deprivation to the child’s or young person’s family background, personal choices in life, whether they are being looked after by someone other than their parents, or in social care and their education. All children and young people continuously experience external factors, some more damaging than others.

Poverty and deprivation can be very upsetting for any family to go through. If a family is in a state of poverty, they are constantly wondering whether they can survive. Basic needs like food, water, and a safe, dry, warm place to stay may not be obtained on a daily basis. Living in this situation can be very scary and worrying for a child or young person. Being in this sort of situation can have a dramatic effect on how they develop and may prevent them from fully achieving their potential.

Maslow developed a theory that humans are unable to fulfill their potential, which he called self-actualization, unless their basic needs are met. He developed a hierarchy of needs, also known as Maslow’s pyramid, consisting of five layers with different levels of needs as shown in the diagram below:

This means that if a child’s physiological needs are not met, they may not be able to progress through the layers. Their physical development may be jeopardized; lack of water and poor or no food can affect bone growth and lead to other health problems.

Poor housing can lead to a child not having a safe place to sleep. Additionally, the surrounding areas may not provide a safe place for children to play and interact with others, which can cause them to feel withdrawn from society. As a result, the child may lack awareness of the outside world, and their confidence and self-esteem can also be affected.

A child’s family environment plays a massive part in their development. It influences how they learn right from wrong, express their feelings and thoughts, interact with society, and develop an individual perspective on the world.

This is achieved by providing a loving and safe family environment for the child to learn from. In most families, both the mother and father support and encourage their child, giving them the love and attention they need to thrive. Unfortunately, not all families are so loving and do not provide the basic needs of the child. This can lead to the child making wrong choices such as turning to drugs or alcohol which can affect their health. They may become depressed or anxious which can lead to mental health problems. All these issues can cause a child to miss school, affecting their cognitive development as well as social and emotional development.

Personal choices in life play a big part in becoming an independent individual, even if the child has been brought up in a loving and caring family. There is no guarantee that the young person will make the right choices. Similarly, a child brought up in a violent and uncaring family may not necessarily make the wrong choice. There are external factors that influence a child’s decision-making process, such as peer pressure or other people’s beliefs and values that differ from those of their immediate family.

These factors can add pressure to the choices you make. Some young people may choose to use drugs, drink alcohol, and have sex at a young age. These actions can have a massive effect on their physical development as they can cause damage to internal organs and brain damage. Their mental development can also be affected in the short term, but with prolonged use, the effects can be long-term. These include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and hallucinations. On the other hand, some choose to stick with school and try their best to achieve their full potential.

When a child is growing up, it is important for their development to have a strong attachment to their primary caregiver, who should be a consistent influence in their life. This caregiver could be the child’s mother or father, a family relative, or a child minder. Having a primary carer creates a daily routine that the child can become accustomed to. This ensures that the child is being looked after in a stable and loving environment where day-to-day issues like bullying, growing up and life changes can be shared within that environment to ensure the child receives efficient support.

There are many situations where a child may not have a primary caregiver or a consistent, stable environment. Examples include family breakdowns, unsatisfactory parental care, or youth offending. In these cases, the child may be looked after by local authorities until the problem is solved or they may be placed in permanent residential care/foster care. Unfortunately, this can result in the child being moved around several times throughout their childhood.

Regardless of how long a child has been looked after by local authorities, it can have a huge impact on many aspects of their development. Emotional development may suffer the most as they may blame themselves, causing depression or withdrawal. Depending on the situation, the child might feel unable to trust adults in the same way, causing anxiety and stress. This can knock a child’s confidence and self-esteem making interaction with other children more difficult which affects social development.

Education is vital to a child’s development, as this is where they do the majority of their learning and social interaction. It is important to note that education doesn’t solely come from the schools that children attend. Education can be found in many formats and places, such as out-of-school clubs, Brownies, Scouts, attending church, and also at home. If children are given many opportunities to fulfill their potential in life, then they become actively engaged in what they’re learning and may want to progress in more activities to expand their already existing knowledge.

All of this will have a positive impact on child development, making them more confident in themselves to learn, grow, and socialize. However, some children don’t experience the same positive learning as others. Bullying and negative self-worth (whether it’s from home or other children telling them they aren’t good enough or smart) can have a detrimental effect on how someone learns. A child experiencing these problems builds up fear due to the environment they are learning in, which can cause them to become withdrawn and upset. Their self-esteem and confidence are knocked down, leading to the child focusing on their worries and pain instead of being able to fully concentrate on their learning prospects.

Throughout a child’s life, they are constantly being monitored and assessed to ensure that they are meeting developmental milestones and do not require any additional support. Monitoring the child can help identify learning disabilities, impairments such as hearing or sight problems, etc. Identifying these problems as soon as possible could be key to the child developing at a normal rate or preventing the problem from getting worse and causing further difficulties.

There are many ways to monitor and record a child’s progress. This can be done through standard measurements which are typically carried out by professionals such as doctors, health visitors, or nurses. This form of monitoring ensures that the child is growing and developing at the appropriate rate for their age.

The usage of standard measurements includes:

• Growth assessments, such as height, weight, and head circumference, are evaluated from birth.
• Auditory assessments measure levels of response.
• Cognitive aptitude tests are widely conducted in schools.
• Psychologists carry out reasoning assessments.

Children are monitored and assessed through play and other relevant experiences appropriate for their age. This helps determine if there is a need for additional support and how it can be provided. Observations are conducted on a daily or weekly basis throughout the learning establishment to assess the child’s progress. These assessments help build a bigger picture of what the child has learned, as well as identify areas where they may have difficulty, such as drawing a circle with a compass.

Any information observed on a child must be passed to the class teacher, even if it is not recorded or shared with other teachers. Some observations are done to help the teacher keep a record of the child’s level of development, such as speaking and listening. All gathered information can be used to inform parents or caregivers about their child’s progress or areas that need work.

Information from carers and colleagues can be crucial as they may have observed something that others haven’t, which could be the missing piece of the puzzle for a child to receive additional support. Parents and carers know their children best and can contribute significantly to their learning. Some children may find certain things challenging but are too afraid to tell their class teacher, so they might feel comfortable confiding in another staff member or family member. Sharing this information is beneficial all around because it allows the class teacher to provide assistance in any way possible.

Throughout a child’s life, they will experience different situations that cause some sort of change to their life. These are called transitions. There are four different types of transitions:

• Emotional: Personal experiences such as parents separating, bereavement, beginning or leaving a place of care.
• Physical: Changes in environments, change of school, new house or location.
• Physiological: Puberty or medical conditions long term.
• Intellectual: Moving from pre-school to primary or from primary to secondary school.

Some of the changes, whether it’s from any of the four types of transitions can be minor. For example, the transition from bottle to sippy cup or milk to solid food. Other changes can be major like losing a family member or going through puberty. They all have some sort of effect on a child’s development; some more affected than others.

It is hard to say how a child will react in certain situations as all children are different and deal with situations in different ways. You would generally think that a child going through a bereavement would be more emotionally affected than a child moving schools, for example, but this may not be the case. The child’s ability to deal with and understand things is generally dependent on their age, personality, social understanding, and whether or not the child has previous experience with change.

Any one of these changes puts pressure on a child to feel something, and in many cases, they don’t know how to cope. Common effects on development due to any sort of transition include the child feeling anxious, withdrawn, upset, or nervous. This can hinder the growth of the child’s interaction skills and make them feel left out or weird due to physical changes. The child may become frightened and question themselves with thoughts like why me?”. These changes can also be a big part of a family break-up where the child blames themselves as they cannot understand or accept why it is happening.

It is very important to have a positive and caring relationship with a child while they are going through any sort of transition. This ensures that the child has moral support when they need it. Depending on the circumstances, the support given may not be from a family member. The child may find support or comfort from being around close friends, a teacher, or another child going through the same problem.

I believe it is crucial to keep the child informed of any changes, such as a family break-up. If they are told in advance that changes may occur and that it is not their fault, it may be easier for them to understand the situation. This will provide the child with security and time to adjust to the idea. They may also benefit from talking to someone else about the break-up.

The individuals supporting the child must recognize that they may develop behavioral problems due to these circumstances. Therefore, allowances should be made until they can cope better.

It’s important to let your child know that you’re there for them, whether they need someone to talk to, want to express their anxiety, or just need a hug. They should feel comfortable knowing that it’s okay to be upset and that the feelings they’re experiencing are normal.