Early Childhood Development

Zenande Leleti Pama

Diploma in Counselling and Communication Skills

South African College of Applied Psychology (Pty) Ltd.

Developmental Psychology A

Elizabeth Chitiki

October 23, 2023

 Table of Contents

Early Childhood Development...................................................................................................2

Video Reflection....................................................................................................................3

Development Milestone and Theories.......................................................................................3

Physical Development............................................................................................................3

Height and weight..............................................................................................................4

Physical proportions...........................................................................................................4

Brain development and teeth..............................................................................................4

Influences on Physical Development.....................................................................................4

Heredity and hormones......................................................................................................4

Nutrition.............................................................................................................................5

Cognitive Development.........................................................................................................5

Personality Development.......................................................................................................5

Social Development...............................................................................................................5

Developmental Stages Observed................................................................................................6

Relevant Theory.........................................................................................................................6

Key Characteristics of Social Development..........................................................................6

Social skills........................................................................................................................6

Emotional regulation..........................................................................................................6

Conflict resolution skills....................................................................................................7

Communication skills.........................................................................................................7

Significance of Early Childhood Development.........................................................................7

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9

References................................................................................................................................10
 Early Childhood Development

Louw and Louw (2007) states that the development of a child is a continuous process.

Research has shown that it is useful to divide it into different milestones, using characteristics

and skills that majority of individuals show to develop during the specified stages (Louw&

Louw, 2007). An attempt to discuss the development milestones will be made in this paper.

Firstly, developmental stages will be discussed, secondly, the milestones identified in the

provided video will be presented and finally, an argument will be made regarding the

challenges and barriers that exist in South Africa that may prevent parents from accessing

early childhood development support centres.

Video Reflection

In the video, I noticed the following about the children: The children being able to

communicate their emotions without throwing a tantrum, and one of the girls being aware

that when you meet someone new you, you must introduce yourself. I also noticed that the

girl’s vocabulary is more advanced than the boys and the children complementing each other

after the other one completes a task. For example, when the new girl Conny completed a task,

Lola said, “well done Conny” and Tia told one of the boys he is a good boy after he agreed to
make friends with the new boy named Elliot. Furthermore, I noticed the good teamwork

during the quiz as well as one of the kids being aware that they need to comfort Elliot and

make him comfortable about the quiz.

Development Milestone and Theories

Developmental milestones are key achievements or abilities that individuals typically

reach at specific points in their life as they grow and develop (Zerotothree, 2022). These

milestones are markers of normal development and can encompass various domains such as

physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. They serve as a guideline for

monitoring a child's or individual's progress and ensuring that they are meeting age-

appropriate expectations (Zerotothree, 2022). These developmental stages include and not

limited to, Physical development, Cognitive development, Personality development and

social development (Zerotothree, 2022).

Physical Development

According to Louw and Louw (2014), in this phase the children are busy and active.

These clear increased actions are related to multiple physical and biological developments

(Louw & Louw, 2014). Physical development includes general physical development which

consists of height and weight, physical proportions and muscle and bone growth, brain

development and teeth and the effect of factors like heredity hormones and nutrition (Louw &

Louw, 2007). General Physical Development includes the following:

Height and weight. According to Louw and Louw (2014), 80% of height increase

takes place during the first 30 months and so does the increase of weight by 300%.

Additionally, the child’s birth length has doubled by the age of 4 by an average of 5cm to

8cm. Furthermore, the weight of the child increases by 2kg per year during early childhood

(Louw & Louw, 2014).

 Brain development and teeth. The development of the brain is stated to be the most

important aspects of physical development during early childhood (Louw & Louw, 2014). By

the age of 3, the brain is known to have reached 75% of its adult weight and 90% of its adult

weight by the age of 5. Louw and Louw (2014) add that by the end of preschool, the children

start losing their baby teeth and get permanent teeth.

Influences on Physical Development

Heredity and hormones. The impact of heredity is visible on the child’s physical

growth throughout their childhood. Examples of this include the rate of the child’s growth

and physical size which is related to those of their parents (Louw & Louw, 2014).

Additionally, the genes influence the growth by controlling the body’s production of

hormones (Louw & Louw, 2014).

Nutrition. “Adequate nutrition is cardinal to optimal physical and psychological

growth, and a lack of nutrition could result in severe impairment. Unfortunately, it is a factor

that does not always receive the attention it deserves from mental health workers such as

psychologists” (Louw & Louw, 2014 p.155). According to Louw and Louw (2014), parents

are advised that to deal with poor appetite amongst pre-schoolers, they should allow their

toddler to feed themselves.

Cognitive Development

Louw and Louw (2007), defines cognition as a way that an individual acquires

information about the world by using senses. Additionally, cognition is also defined by how

the information is processed and interpreted, how it is stored and retrieved and used to direct

behaviour (Louw & Louw, 2007). “Cognitive development refers to how children come to

know and understand their world, this includes perception, learning, memory, thinking,

decision-making, imagination, creativity, language, and intelligence” (Louw & Louw, 2007,

p.7)
Personality Development

Personality is known to be the broadest term in psychology and consist of multiple

definitions. These multiple definitions of personality are usually determined by the context

that it is used in. This context is set by the viewpoint of the author or the therapeutic model of

the psychologist (Louw & Louw, 2007). For example, Freud's therapeutic model was

psychoanalysis. However most psychologists will agree that a person’s personality is made

up of various aspects like the psychological, social, moral, and physical characteristics of the

individual (Louw & Louw, 2007). However, it is important to remember that personality is

unique to each person.

Social Development

Louw and Louw (2007) argue that social development includes the development of an

individual's interaction and relationship with other people. Social development also refers to

the influence of those close to the individual and the society (Louw & Louw, 2007).

Examples of this include attachment within the mother and child. Additionally, the modelling

of behaviour and the development of relationships between sexes are also considered as part

of the individual’s social development (Louw & Louw, 2007).

Developmental Stages Observed

Developmental stages are in the video the children are using their imagination during

role play. This is displayed by the singing during the role play and communicate their

thoughts through singing and getting into their roles. Tia shows this in her role as the sleeping

beauty.

Social development is portrayed in the video the children can tell the difference

between the sexes. For example, when Taylor is asked if he likes girls, he responds yes and

adds that he does not like kissing them though.

 Relevant Theory

Key Characteristics of Social Development

Social skills. According to Bandura (1997), social development involves the

acquisition of social skills necessary for effective interpersonal interactions. Research

emphasizes the importance of observational learning and the role of modelling in social skills

development (Bandura,1977). The social skills the children display in the video includes

them being able to play with the others and form real friendships and bonds. An example of

this is when Lola clearly states that her friend is Tia, but she was still willing to do role play

with the other kids.

Emotional regulation. Gross’s ross model of emotional regulation shows that the

development of emotional regulation is a critical aspect of social development (Gross, 1998).

The children in the video show great regulation of emotions, they communicate how the feel

without throwing tantrums. In the video we see Conny telling Lola that she is hurting her

feelings by not wanting to play with her. The same with Lola when she tells Conny that she

misses her friend back home and that is making her sad and not want to play with her.

Communication skills. O'Hair and Wiemann (2015), states that effective

communication is central to social development. We see the children use this characteristic in

the video when the children communicate their feelings and thoughts to each other by

singing. We see this again during role play when they are all in their roles. One of the

children had mentioned that they do not want to play with the other child and that one

communicated how that made them feel by singing. This made them aware of how they have

hurt their fellow friend.

Significance of Early Childhood Development

Early childhood development is extremely important since it shapes a child's future

well-being, cognitive capacities, social skills, and overall success in life. Early infancy is a
key age of rapid brain development and learning that provides the groundwork for a child's

future scholastic and socio-emotional development (Naicker, de Kock, & Makiwane, 2013).

However, in South Africa, as in many other countries, parents encounter major obstacles in

accessing effective early childhood development support facilities. These difficulties are the

result of socioeconomic inequality, weak infrastructure, and limited government resources.

Examples of these include the extreme socioeconomic disparities that define South Africa.

Quality early childhood development centres are expensive, making them unavailable

to low-income families. An average private school costs a minimum of R10 000 per year and

maximum at R40 000 and a prestigious private school costs a minimum of R40 000 per year,

up to R200 000 per year (Atmore, 2012). This makes access to high-quality early childhood

development support centres a luxury that low-income South African families cannot afford.

Therefore, this difference has the potential to prolong a cycle of disadvantage since children

from low-income families may not receive the early education and care they require to break

the cycle of poverty. Regional availability is another factor.

Many families in South Africa reside in rural or underserved regions that are far from

reputable early childhood development centres (Atmore, 2012).Because of the country's vast

geographic extent and a lack of suitable infrastructure, many parents must travel significant

distances to reach early childhood development support facilities, infrastructure and resource

issues like transportation, many rural areas have poorly maintained or dirt roads, making

travel difficult, particularly in harsh weather (Add a reference here). A lack of public transit

might also be an issue, News shows, like checkpoint and Cutting edge, address issues like

this every day, another issue is access to electricity is typically limited in rural areas, and

some communities may lack a consistent power source, hurting houses and schools. Water

supply and telecommunications are also other infrastructure issues faced in the rural areas
(Atmore, 2012) This adds a financial and logistical burden, making it harder for them to

provide their children with the necessary early childhood education.

Another factor is Insufficient information and awareness. Most South African parents

are unaware of the significance of early childhood development and the role that quality early

childhood development centres may play in the development of their child (Richter, Naicker,

& Chopra, 2016). Even when these programs are available, parents are unable to access them

due to a lack of information and understanding regarding early childhood development. This

is especially true for parents who do not have easy access to education or knowledge.

According to a report from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa

(ICASA) (2020), approximately 56.5% of South African households have access to the

internet. Additionally, although most South African households have access to electricity,

access might not always guarantee a consistent and reliable power supply, and there can be

variations in the quality and availability of electricity, particularly in some rural areas. (Stats

SA, 2021).

Moreover, lack of skilled early childhood development Practitioners to offer proper

care and instruction to children, quality early childhood development centres require trained

and competent practitioners. These professionals are in short supply in South Africa,

particularly in disadvantaged areas (Dangour et al., 2012) This scarcity restricts the

availability of high-quality early childhood development centres, making it difficult for

parents to locate adequate solutions.

The last factor is insufficient government investments. Even though the South African

government has worked to strengthen early childhood development services, there is still a

severe budget and resource shortage (Maughan-Brown et. al., 2019). Limited public funding

in early childhood development centres impedes their spread and the cost of high-quality
early childhood education. As a result, there are huge waiting lists and an insufficient number

of facilities, further limiting parents' access.

Given these challenges, South Africa must address these concerns to ensure that all

children have equal access to effective early childhood development. This could include:

subsidies and financial aid, giving low-income families financial aid and subsidies so they

may afford quality early childhood development services; Expanding the network of

community-based early childhood development centres, particularly in underprivileged

regions, to reduce travel distance for parents; Public awareness efforts such as making efforts

to educate parents on the necessity of early childhood development and how to find reputable

clinics; Investing in training and certification programs to expand the number of skilled early

childhood development practitioners and increasing government funding for the creation and

expansion of high-quality early childhood development centres.

Conclusion

In conclusion, early childhood development is a dynamic and critical period in a

person's life during which significant growth and learning occur. It encompasses various

domains, including physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Understanding

and monitoring developmental milestones during this period is essential for parents,

caregivers, educators, and healthcare professionals, as they provide a roadmap for assessing a

child's progress and ensuring they are meeting age-appropriate expectations. Additionally,

understanding and promoting healthy development in early childhood is essential for laying a

solid foundation for a child's future well-being and success. Regularly monitoring and

supporting a child's progress through these developmental milestones can be crucial for their

overall growth and development.

 References

Atmore, E. (2012). Challenges facing the early childhood development sector in South

Africa. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 2(1).

https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v2i1.25

Bandura, A., & Walters, R. H. (1977). Social learning theory: Prentice-hall Englewood cliffs,

NJ.

Deutsch, M. (1973). The resolution of conflict: Constructive and destructive processes.

American Behavioral Scientist, 17(2), 248-248.

Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review

of general psychology, 2(3), 271-299.

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, J. M. (2015). Real communication: An introduction. Bedford/St.

Martin's.

Louw, D., & Louw, A. (2007). Child and Adolescent Development (1st. ed) Psychology

publication, p.6-8.

Louw, D., & Louw, A. (2014. Child and Adolescent Development (2nd. ed) Psychology

publication, p.152-155

Minda, K. (2022, October 7). The secret life of a 4, 5 and 6 year old (Season 1, Episode 2).

Zerotothree. (2022.). Three developmental milestones. https://www.zerotothree.org/