Child Development

0-19 years

CYP 3.1
Dannielle Gallop

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Contents

Introduction Page 1

Physical Development Page 2-3

Intellectual Development Page 4-5

Language Development Page 6

Emotional & Social Development Page 7

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Introduction

Understanding child and young persons development.

All aspects of development are linked, and all affect each other so it is important to take a holistic approach when
looking at child development. Holistic is a practical approach to all five areas of development, and seeing the child as
a whole. There are two main areas, growth and development. Growth is the process of increasing in size and refers
to physical development. Development is the evolving process of children gaining control of their own bodies.
Growth and development happen in two stages, sequence and rate.
Sequence has a common order of development, for example you can walk before you can run, and rate is the speed
at which you develop. How slow or fast will vary with every child, for example, some babies crawl at 6 to 9 months,
and others between 9 and twelve months.

Sequence of development is a set pattern, so we all pass through the stages in the same order, but the rate at which
we reach these stages is entirely unique.

It is important to establish the difference between sequence and rate so that you can effectively establish what
areas children need support with.

A child’s development can be measured in 5 main areas:

Physical
Physical development refers to changes in the body as children age

Intellectual (or cognitive)

Intellectual development refers to the brain and how children learn

Language
Language development refers to children learning how to communicate and speak

Emotional
Emotional development is the process of learning what feelings are, what they mean and how to manage them

Social
Social development is children learning how to relate to others appropriately and become independent

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Physical Development

All children and young people follow a similar pattern of physical development so the order in which each child
advances from one milestone to the next will be roughly the same. However, each child will develop at a different
rate and their development may not progress evenly across all areas.

Physical development has two key areas:

 Gross Motor Skills

 Fine Motor Skills

Gross motor skills are when a child uses the largest muscles in the body for bigger body movements such as running,
kicking or waving. Gross motor skills need strength and stamina.
Fine motor skills are when a child uses the smaller muscles in the body to produce movements, for example moving
fingers precisely enough to pick up a pencil, or doing an activity like threading. Fine motor skills require good
hand/eye coordination.

A child’s motor skills will develop in conjunction with their physical growth.

Physical Development in different age groups

Newborns
Physical development starts from birth. Babies are born with reflexes, some are spontaneous and others are
responses to specific actions. Newborns will be checked by a doctor to see if the reflexes are present.

The reflexes that they check are:

Sucking – babies naturally suck to feed, this is checked by touching the roof of the mouth
Rooting – If you touch a babies cheek, they will naturally turn their head and look to feed by opening their mouth
Walking – When placed upright, babies move their feet in a walking motion
Grasping – Babies will hold your finger when pressure is applied to their palm
Placing – When babies are placed over a surface, they will put their feet down
Moro – This is the startle reflex. When feeling like they are falling, babies will extend their arms in a startled motion

0-3 years old

From birth babies lie supine (on their back), can recognize their mother’s voice and can see up to 15 inches. At first, a
baby’s motor skills are basic reflexes such as sucking and swallowing but by as little as one month, a baby can turn its
head from side to side and move its hands and arms. At 3 months babies can lift their head to prone position and,
kick their legs and hold toys for a brief amount of time. At 6 months babies start to use palmer grasp, this is when a
baby can move toys from hand to hand. They can also roll over from back to side and play with their own feet.
As babies get stronger they can sit up without support at around 8 months, and then start to crawl and pull
themselves up to a supported standing position. They can also begin to pick up smaller object using a pincer grasp,
this is when the use the index finger and thumb to pick up objects.
The ability to stand alone usually starts at one year old. After their first birthday, babies start to refine their gross
motor skills such as walking without any help, and bigger movements like kicking and throwing balls. By the age of
two, babies can usually start to run and climb (up a few stairs for example) but also build on their fine motor skills by
pointing at objects and scribbling on paper.
Between the ages of two and three, a child has developed enough muscle to begin to jump and walk up stairs (two
feet to a step). The fine motor skills a child develops at this age are painting or using a pencil to draw with a fine
pincer grasp.

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Physical Development continued

4-7 years old

This is the age where a child starts to build their independence. Gross motor skill development includes standing on
one foot, throwing and catching a ball or riding a trike or scooter.
Fine motor skills at this age would include holding a pencil with a dynamic tripod grasp (using the thumb and first
two fingers) or threading small beads.
Gross motor skills for a 5 year old would include being able to climb a climbing frame and fine motor skill
development would enable them to draw a person with basic facial features.
By the age of 7, a child will be able to ride a bike and do star jump exercises as part of their gross motor skill
development, and write sentences and use scissors as part of their fine motor skills development.

8-12 years old

Physical development between 8 to 12 year olds will start to see a wider gap in the rate of development as children
start to reach puberty. Although they all share a common sequence of development, the rate at which they do so
could differ considerably. At the age of 8, children can dress themselves independently and also learn to play a
musical instrument but also continue to have growth spurts and breast development would begin with girls, and a
boy’s voice would start to deepen as they reach puberty.

13-19 year olds

At this age the physical development is referred to as puberty. The age range is referred to as adolescence and it’s
the transition from childhood to adulthood. Girl finish their growth spurt at around 18 whilst boys take longer and
don’t stop growing until they are 20.

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 Intellectual Development

Intellectual development is all about learning. How a child learns through different processes such as trial and error,
repeating, copying, questioning, looking, listening and playing (to name a few). There are four stages of cognitive
development:

Here are the four cognitive stages of childhood development as identified by Jean Piaget:

1. Sensorimotor Stage: Birth through about 2 years. During this stage, children learn about the world
through their senses and the manipulation of objects.
2. Preoperational Stage: Ages 2 through 7. During this stage, children develop memory and imagination.
They are also able to understand things symbolically, and to understand the ideas of past and future.
3. Concrete Operational Stage: Ages 7 through 11. During this stage, children become more aware of
external events, as well as feelings other than their own. They become less egocentric, and begin to
understand that not everyone shares their thoughts, beliefs, or feelings.
4. Formal Operational Stage: Ages 11 and older. During this stage, children are able to use logic to solve
problems, view the world around them, and plan for the future.

Intellectual Development in different age groups

Birth to two
From birth, babies can only use their reflexes and have little intellectual ability so they learn through their senses,
touch, sound, taste, smell and sight.
After one month, babies can recognize different sounds and will know the smell of their mother. From four to six
months babies start to learn through trial and error. If you give a baby a dummy, eventually they will learn to place
the dummy correctly in their mouth by learning from error. They can also develop a taste for their favorite food!
From six to nine months a baby will recognize that their bottle means they will have milk, and they also start to learn
through cause and effect, for example a baby will learn that dropping some car keys on the floor will make a sound
and then they start to carry out behaviors on purpose, so from nine months to twelve will have learned that certain
actions cause reactions of others, for example if they wave at someone, the other person will wave back.
By the age of two, babies will learn basic words and start to use them to get what they want, but will also
understand simple instruction such as “pick up your shoes”.

Age three to seven

At the age of three a child will be able to talk and play. Through play they will have learned to use their imagination
and this will enhance their intellectual development in every way possible.
At the age of three toddlers can identify primary colours and start to develop some independence such as potty
training. By the age of four toddlers can count and sing from memory and at five can usually write their own name.
Between five through to seven a child gains even more independence by learning to dress themselves and has well
established forms of communication so can start to understand concepts, but will also now have an understanding of
fear.

Age eight to eleven

At this stage a child starts to form their own opinions, not only through their emotions but also by questioning and
listening. Therefore making informed decisions and feeling empathy. Children of this age also learn the ability to
conserve
“This ability means that they understand that certain properties of an object will remain the same, even if outward
qualities change. For instance, by age 8, children understand that if there are two rows of five pennies, but one is
spread so that the pennies are further apart, both rows still have the same total number of pennies. Ask a 4-year old
or 5-year-old the same question and she will tell you the spread out row has more”

(Ref: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/creativity-and-critical-thinking/development-milestones/cognitive-development-8-10-
year-olds.html)
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Intellectual Development continued

Age twelve to nineteen

Between the ages of twelve and nineteen, children start to form their own opinions and ideas. They will start to
think about their future and start to make judgments and decisions that they realize will affect their future. They will
also learn to adapt to changing environments by learning new skills. Education can help intellectual maturity but
everyone will progress at different rates. They will also develop an awareness of their own cognitive process – an
adult way of thinking!

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Language Development
Language development is the process in which babies learn, communicate and develop speech. We are born without
a language but the ability to communicate through body language, facial expressions and pictures begins from birth.
Children learn a language through observation, imitation and reinforcement.

Language Development in different age groups

Birth to age three

From birth babies respond to sound and will cry to communicate that they want something as they can’t speak. At
one month they will start cooing and have certain cries for specific needs, for example their cry for hunger will differ
from their cry when they want their nappy changed. From two months babies will show excitement when your peer
into their cot or show them a toy. At six months babies can repeat sounds and understand simple words like no, or
up and down. They can also respond through imitation by shaking their head or lifting their arms.
Between the age of one and two, babies will start to talk with simple words and sign language. They will enjoy
singing songs like “head, shoulders, knees and toes” and will copy the actions as well as the words. From the age of
two a child will not only extend words but abbreviate language too, for example “biscui-gone” will mean “the biscuit
has gone”. By the age of three, they will remember lots of different songs and enjoy showing the relevant actions to
the words.

Age four to eight

At the age of four a child’s sentences will be well formed. They may say “goed” instead of “went” but will have a
clear idea of what they are trying to communicate. It’s not uncommon for a child to start stuttering at this age
because their brain is working faster than their range of vocabulary allows them to speak. They will start to ask
questions and remember their favorite story or recite their address. They can even find it funny when they
mispronounce a word. Between the ages of five through to eight a child will talk quite fluently. They will also start to
use adverbs and prepositions, for example “he just left”, and use lots of connecting words to make sentences.

Age eight to eleven

Between the ages of eight to eleven a child can form complex sentences. They can also empathise and communicate
if they agree or disagree. They start to understand and tell jokes as well as writing stories with structure. They can
also speak with more confidence and understand comparative words.

Age twelve to nineteen

At the age of twelve a child will be in secondary school and will be able to write quite quickly, in an easily read
handwriting style. As they mature through to nineteen they will be able to understand punctuation and more
abstract language such as metaphors, all of which will enable them to communicate in a more adult manner.

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Emotional and Social Development
Emotional development is the ability to feel and express emotions appropriately. Children will learn how to
recognize, express and manage their feelings at different stages in life.
Social development is the ability to relate to others and act appropriately when interacting with society. The
management of these emotions will allow a child to become independent.

Emotional and social development in different ages

From birth to three

From birth a baby enjoys to be cuddled and fed and will cry when in need of attention. After the first month a baby
will smile in response to social interaction and be comforted by a familiar adult.
Between four and six months a baby will have started to stay awake for longer and have recognizable sleep patterns
and by nine months will pass a toy to another person and get excited at bath time. By twelve months most babies
will initiate social interaction, perhaps with a game of peek-a-boo and smile spontaneously.
Between the ages of one and two a child becomes more aware of themselves and their abilities, for example they
will know if their mother is scared when they climb up a chair. A child starts developing a longer memory and will
enjoy exploring on their own two feet. By the age of three, a child will show awareness of their own feelings and
initiate pretend play.

Age four to eight

By the age of four, a child will have developed theory of mind, so will be aware that other people will have emotions
and intents differ from theirs. They will begin to make friends and be aware of their gender. At the age of five a child
has started to become independent by brushing their teeth and being able to dress or undress simple items of
clothing. Between the ages of five and eight a child will have developed a clear understanding of how other people
feel, and will be able to control their own emotions. They are also able to help younger siblings or school friends and
have developed their own identity.

Age nine to twelve

At age nine a child may give up easily if they find something difficult. They will feel proud if they have achieved
something in school or at home and can very emotional, so their days are filled with confrontations and frustrations
but they can also be very loving and responsive. Between the ages of eleven and twelve a child will experience the
emotional rollercoaster that comes with the early stages of puberty. They can be stroppy and sensitive to criticism
and will start to have idols and want to belong to certain groups of friends.

Age twelve to nineteen

Between the ages of twelve to nineteen a young person can become self-conscious and experience mood swings.
They will become more independent and have a desire to be accepted in certain social circles. At the age of 15 a
young person will develop a sexual identity and this can cause worries about physical appearance and changes. By
nineteen a young person is fully able to think beyond themselves and challenge ideas and values of adults.
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