Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Child Growth and Development
Child Growth and Development
Child Growth and Development
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
STUDY MATERIALS
© TU
Resources /Materials
- Pictures of children at different stages of development
- Flip charts and markers
- Different storage material
- Charts showing different materials ,equipments and games for children
MODE OF DELIVERY
Lectures
Reading assignments
Practical assignments
Field trips
Documentaries
COURSE ASSESSMENT
READING LIST
Colker, L. .2014. The word gap: the early years make a difference. Teaching Young Children,
(7)3, 26-28 February/March. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/the-word-
gap/
Diesen, D. 2008. The Pout-Pout Fish. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Forrester, M. &K. Albrecht, 2014. Social Emotional Tools For Life: An early childhood teachers
guide to supporting strong emotional foundations and successful social relationships.
Houston: Innovations in ECE Press.
Gros-Louis, J., & M. West. 2014. Maternal responsiveness and the development of directed
vocalizing in social interactions. Infancy¸ 19(4). 385-408, May 29. doi: 10.1111/infa.12054
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Hart, B., & T.R. Risley. 2003. The Early Catastrophe: The 30 million word gap by age 3.
American Educator. 27(1), 4-9.
Lowry, L. 2012. Build your childs vocabulary. The Hanen Centre. Retrieved from
http://www.hanen.org/helpful-info/articles/build-your-childs-vocabulary.aspx/
Nemeth, K. 2009. Many Languages, One Classroom: Teaching dual and English language
learners. Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Nemeth, K. 2012. Basics of Supporting Dual Language Learners: An introduction for educators of
children from birth through age 8. Washington DC: National Association for the Education
of Young Children.
Rowe, M. 2012. A longitudinal investigation of the role of quantity and quality of child-directed
speech in vocabulary development. Child Development, 85(5), 1762-1774. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3440540/
Zeigler, K., & S. Camarota. 2014. One in five U.S. residents speaks foreign language at home,
record 61.8 million. Center for Immigration Studies. October. Retrieved from
http://cis.org/record-one-in-five-us-residents-speaks-language-other-than-english-at-home/
The human being is never static. From moment he is conceived to the time of his death, he
undergoes constant changes. Growth is otherwise known as maturation. It is a natural phenomenon.
Development, by contrast, refers to those changes which are qualitative in nature. These changes
lead towards the goal of maturity. In this process also we must know what happens to a child before
he is born.
Consequently, the study of child development now encompasses that span of time which begins
with conception and extends to the period of adulthood.
Maturation as a natural process and development as an effect of environmental conditions upon the
child as he grows are the two factors basic to teaching-learning processes.
Thus for teachers of today and tomorrow, knowledge of the growth and development of children is
essential to understand their behavior.
Meaning of Growth
Growth usually indicates physical changes in height, weight and other limbs of the body. It means
the increase and enlargement of the body or different parts of the body making it heavier and larger.
To make it more clear, growth is change in the body which can be observed and measured in
quantitative terms.
In short, the biological growth in height, weight, increasing of the muscle- size and the deepening of
voice which are easily observable is called maturation or growth. Then alone, as a grown-up person,
the child is called a man or woman.
Growth is a gradual and continuous process from the beginning of a new life onwards. So common
is the phenomenon that teachers as well as parents may take the growth of a child for granted. A
human child does not start standing, walking and climbing stairs all at once. He has to do it in quite
a period of time.
Each individual has his own rate of growth and this he maintains throughout his or her life. Too
often parents and teachers feel that one child does not learn as quickly as others of his age or class
are doing. There are large differences among individuals in their rates of growth, development and
learning and these differences continue throughout their lives.
Thus bright children continue to be bright and the slow children continue to be slow. So generally
growth is not random, but orderly. All human children sit before they crawl, crawl before they walk
and walk before they run. In the growth process, the person moves from the dependence of infancy
to the maturity and responsibility of adult life.
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Meaning of Development
All living creatures develop, many people use the terms growth and development
interchangeably, one for the other. In reality, they are different. They are inseparable and neither
can take place alone. Growth, as you know, refers to quantitative changes, increase in size and
structure.
Not only, does the child become larger physically, but there is also increase in the size and structure
of internal organs and of the brain. The child has a greater capacity for learning, for remembering
and for reasoning. He grows physically as well as mentally. The sense organs are ready to function
at the time of birth, but the sex organs do not reach maturity until adolescence. This aspect of
growth in a particular period of time is known as development.
Development also means the whole sequence of life from conception to death. It is not merely what
happens, but how it happens, the order of its unfolding. The more complex the creature, the more of
development it has to go through to achieve its evolutionary potential.
For example, mammals develop more slowly than other animals. Again, human beings develop
more slowly than other mammals. Human infants among all animals have the longest period of
development before they are capable of adult behavior.
What is Growth
1. It is indicative i.e. increase in body, size, weight etc.
2. It is quantitative progress
3. It is physical change
4. It is external in nature
5. stops at certain stage
6. It is physical progress
What is Development
1. It is not indicative
2. It qualitative progress
3. It is psychological change
4. It is internal in nature
5. It is continuous process
6. It is cognitive progress
3. Emotional Development
Here the adolescent period is not rational but emotional. Thats why it is called the period of stress
and storm. They are entering a new stage, which therefore, want emotional adjustment. Emotional
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disturbance is produced when they dont adjust to new situation or role for which they are suppose
to be.
Characteristics of Emotions in Adolescence
1. Complexity: They experience complexity in various issues and start adjustment. When that
adjustment doesnt develop, storm and stress develop.
2. Development of Abstract Emotions:They develop emotions with those things which do not
exist in real situation. Wants and desires are generated by abstract emotions.
3. Widening of Emotional Feelings: Here they select a hero/heroin. Idealization and
imagination start. And get emotional attachment with that idealization.
4. Bearing Tension: They start to learn that how to bear a difficult emotional situations.
5. Sharing of Emotions: They share emotions, especially with peer groups. That develops
loyalty and emotional confidence among peer groups.
6. Hopes & aspirations develop about the future.
7. This stage gives increase to compassion in them.
As for emotions are concerned, the fear of failure make you to work hard. Emotions can be realized
through good and positive activities. Now it is the responsibility of home, school, teachers &
parents to understand the emotional state of the children and to avoid the bad effects of emotional
disturbance. Become emotions can make or mar ones life.
8. Development is predictable
In many cases it is possible to predict the type of probable development a child will follow, because
the rate of development follows a Pattern. As it is possible to predict intelligence of a person with
the help of an intelligence test given in earlier years. X-rays of the bones of different parts of the
body will tell approximately what will be the ultimate size.
(2) Nutrition
Nutritious food promotes good motor development. Sensory motor development is dependent upon
nutrition that the child gets to a great extent. Children get stronger and development is good if they
get nutritious food.
(3) Immunisation
If mother and child both are immunized at a proper time it leads to good sensory motor
development.
(5) Opportunities
Children who get more opportunities to do more activities, motor development is better in them.
Opportunities to play to gain knowledge give a better chance of developing sensory motor activities.
Growth of the child can be measured, but development can only be observed by noting changes in
activity and behavior. Any person, who is concerned with the education of an individual at whatever
age, must recognize the presence of and the rate of development of various areas of human growth.
School men and women must take cognizance of not only of the fact that the potential learner
consists of brain, but that he is complex of many phases of growth.
Rate of growth and development is different for each child for each trait. It is not unusual, for
example, for a teacher who has taught a child at 7 years of age to discover that at the age of 12 the
child displays a much greater and a much lower degree of mental alertness than was found in earlier
years. Some children develop rapidly in one or another trait during early years and then seen to
reach a plateau, which means there is no further development.
Still others appear to be retarded in early years. But they show sudden rise in development beyond
the normal lines. These possible variations in growth must be taken into consideration, if curriculum
and techniques of teaching are to be adjusted to the individual needs of learners.
The chief functions of the school are to inculcate in children certain commonly used skills: reading
writing and figuring. These areas of education are important. If education is to be functional, it must
spread out to include all-round guidance of the learner in fitting him for successful participation in
all phases of his present and future life. If we accept the premise to be successful, learning must
follow the learners progressive and varying ability to benefit from instruction.
It is necessary that teachers understand the developmental potentialities of each individual learner.
Taking the changes of the child in size, in proportion, of both the physical and mental development
into consideration, the teacher must adjust his teaching to the following:
(a) The effect of effort to learn depends upon the degree of growth and maturation.
(b) Rate of growth of the child is more rapid in the early years.
(c) Each individual has his own rate of growth. So the individual differences in growth and
development must be taken into consideration by the teacher.
(d) In the early childhood, fantastic imagination is the apparent mental development of the child
with little reference to reality.
(ii) Environment
Environment plays important role in growth and development of the children. Environment
provides opportunity to the children to develop their traits which they have received from their
parents.
(iii) Maturation
It is very necessary for the child to get matured to a certain level to learn and receive any
progressive change in him. Without that maturity level it is not possible to receive new progressive
changes in oneself.
(iv) Learning
Growth and development depend upon the learning capacity of the person. The more qualitative and
quantitative learning is, the better is the growth and development.
Milestones are the indicators of growth and development during the process of development. They
tell us about the direction and rate of development.
Psychologists have fixed these indicators after doing thorough studies. The development of every
child is different from each other.
These indicators decide the pattern of development and the age at which these developmental
changes take place. But the fact is that all the children develop differently though they follow the
same path. For example babies are able to hold their head first, and then sit with support and only
after 6 months, they can sit without support.
This is the pattern of development. But one child can sit a 5 ½ month of age, while other at 6 ½
months. This is due to the individual difference in them. They develop between the normal ranges,
but at different times.
The lemur, a primitive primate, can move about on its own shortly after birth and is soon able to eat
adult food and fend for itself. The newborn monkey is dependent for several months; the infant
baboon remains with its mother for several years.
The human baby is dependent for many years. He is subjected to a long period of learning and
interaction with others before all the mammals, man is the most immature at birth and requires the
Adult behaviour and personality characteristics are shaped by events occurring during the early
years of life. The saying the child is father of the man reflects this continuity between childhood
and adulthood.
Growth
Growth means an increase in size, height, weight, length, etc. which can be measured.
Development
Development implies changes in shape, form or structure resulting in improved working. It implies
qualitative changes.
The principles of growth and development are described below.
Although development is a continuous process, yet the tempo of growth is not even during infancy
and early years, growth moves swiftly. Later on, it slackens.
Educational Significance
Education is not only a process and a product of growing; it means growing. Teachers and parents
must know what children are capable of, what children are capable of, and what potentialities they
possess. By knowing this, they can provide congenial environment, which are conducive to the
maximum growth of children. Besides the teacher and parents must be helpful, sympathetic and
encouraging to the students.
Bearing in mind the individual variations in growth, the school programmes must be adjusted
accordingly. Good physical growth, through the provision of play, games and sports is conducive to
effective intellectual development. On the other hand, malnutrition retards development. Therefore,
teachers and parents help in cultivating among pupils habits of balanced eating. Because of
individual differences diversified development of specific talents, abilities and interests and varied
co-curricular activities must be introduced in school curriculum.
Moreover, teachers and parents should not demand of pupils what is beyond their stage of growth.
Many educators argue that during these growing years children should be engaged in big muscle
activity only because fine muscle co-ordination develops only after gaining of big muscle
coordinations.
Some psychologists also claim that during this period the child starts doing fine muscle activity like
picking up objects with thumbs and forefingers.
Other important consideration is the make up of infants skeleton which is formed with cartilage and
fibrous tissues and as such makes the bones soft. There is a possibility to bring some postural
deformities if activities are not carefully done.
PRE-SCHOOL YEARS
During the pre-school years the child develops many physical skills like running, jumping,
climbing, throwing, skipping, leaping etc., which help to make physical development rapid.
Through participation in these activities the child not only develops physically but also socially and
emotionally. Children during this age play together, communicate with each other, share play
materials with others and thus the process of socialization start.
Children find pleasure and enjoyment in play which affect their emotional life. The child can make
use of arms and legs in a better way which aids in skill learning leading to acquire self confidence.
Motor learning plays a very significant role in this period.
Through the development of motor skills, the children develop the feeling of independence,
intellectual capacities and thus help them to solve their problems. It has been established by a
research study that there is a close relationship between learning skills and childs mental and
physical development.
Emotional feelings become sharper. The child refines expression of anger or other emotion while
moving from infancy through childhood and into adolescence. Various emotional reactions are
aroused. Some traits of social behavior such as co-operation, sympathy, kindness, group activities,
interdependence start developing in this period. Social consciousness of child also develops.
Education is the potential instrument of a persons mental and moral make-up. The history of
civilization bears testimony to the facts that man a wild animal, has built a glorious heritage of
culture, art, science, philosophy and religion.
Heredity and environment are the two most important factors of growth and development. Heredity
endows each individual with capacities, attitudes, and interests and it is for education to provide
scope for their expansion and expression through favorable environment.
A happy co-ordination between the twin factors leads individuals to the highest level of growth and
development. In the areas of human values, it is not capacity or ability that counts, but achievements
of success and efficiency by education and training are important. Capacity without training is blind
and may not work up to expectations.
The most important thing for the teacher is to try to study children and to know what their native
traits are. All children are born with a number of bodily and intellectual tools. Of course they differ
in degrees. It is not their possession that matters. Rather, the right or wrong use of tools is clearly
the responsibility of education.
Happily selected environment has worked miracles with many hopeless delinquents, criminals and
sinners. Tests have revealed that a large number of delinquent children are normal. And their fall
was due to harmful influences of education.
A change of environment has regenerated many of them and enabled them to develop into honest
and self-supporting citizens. And finally, the teacher must see that he himself is a very vital part of
childs environment.
In teaching various subjects to the child, his mental maturation is to be taken into consideration for
chalking out education programmes. And mental maturation depends upon the physical growth and
development. Since the rate of growth of boys and girls differ, the same educational programme for
both boys as well as girls will not prove fruitful.
So, various individual differences as regards physical and intellectual growth and development must
be taken into consideration. Also, a too-fat child or a too thin child, a very small or a very big child
will have a feeling of inadequateness.
Teachers and parents must take care of these physical deviates. Mentally deficient children also
must be taken care of in the teaching-learning situations.
Keeping in mind the challenging characteristics of growth and development of adolescents, the
educational activities should be carefully organized. Development of sex plays a very important and
significant role in the life of an individual. So a sort of sex- education should be given to the child
as well as to an adolescent.
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Sex education aims at the development of healthy attitude among boys and girls with a view to
leading a good social life. Some teachers blame children for lowering the standard of the class and
abuse them saying, Mangoes cannot grow out of cotton seeds.
No doubt, heredity sets limits. Certainly, mangoes cannot grow out of cotton seeds. Only, the
quality mangoes can be improved by a careful regulation of the environment, such that mangoes can
be better mangoes and one can make cotton grow into productive plants and yield a larger harvest.
So, the appropriate education requires that inherited inclinations^ capacities and interests of every
child should be studied early and all facilities should be provided in his environment to develop all
that is best in him as an individual.