I~I Indira Gandhi National Open University CNCC-2

~ School of Continuing Education

ORGANIZING CHILD
CARE SERVICES

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Introduction To The bhild Care And

Deveopment
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"Education is a liberating force, and in our

age it is also a democratising force, cutting
across the barriers of caste and class,
~smoothing out inequalities imposed
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by birth
and other circumstances."
- IndiraGandhi
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 ~I Indira Gandhi
CNCC-2
~ National Open University
School of Continuing Education ORGANIZING CHILD
CARE SERVICES

Block

1
INTRODUCTION TO CIllLD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

UNIT 1
The Experience of Childhood 7

UNIT 2
Basic Concepts in Child Development 21
UNIT 3
Principles of Development 34
UNIT 4
Needs and Rights of Children 43
UNIT 5
Importance of Play in Development 55

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 COURSE DESIGN

Prof. Prabha Chawla Dr. S. Anandalakshmy Prof. R. Muralidharan

(Convenor) Director Head Dept. of. Psychology
School of Continuing Lady Irwin College NCERT, New Delhi
Education New Delhi
,IGNOU Dr. G. Kapadia
Director
\ Ms. Rckha S. Scn Dr. F.Z. Tarapore Princess Esin Women's
School of Continuing Principal Educational Centre,
Education College of Home Science Hydcrabad
IGNOU SNDT University, Pune
Ms. Suman Verma
Ms. Meenakshi Kashyap Dr. Ravikala Karnath . Dept. of Child Development
School of Continuing Dept. of Human Development Home Science College,
Education SNDT University Chandigarh
IGNOU Bombay
Ms. Asha Singh
Dept. of Child Development
Lady Irwin College
New Delhi

'BLOCK PREPARATION

Unit Writers . Course Editor Language Editors

Ms. Rekha S. Sen (Units 1,2,3,4 and 5) Dr. S. Anandalakshmy Prof. G.S. Rao
School of Continuing Education Director School of Humanities
IGNOU Lady, lrwin College IGNOU
New Delhi
Ms. Meenakshi Kashyap (Units 2,3 ancl 5) Dr. P.N. Pandit
School of Continuing Education School of Humanities
IGNOU IGNOU

Block Co-ordinator Format Editor

Ms. Rekha S. Sen Prof. B.N. Koul
School of Continuing Education Division of Distance
IGNOU Education
IGNOU

COURSE CO-ORDINATORS: 'J Ms. Rckha S. Sen & Ms. Nccrja Chad ha

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 .COURSE INTRODUCTION
.This Course will orient you towards organizing services for children. These services
are creches / day care centres and preschools for children up to six years of lIe. Creches
and day care centres provide a full day's care to children when both parents are
involved in work and do not have adequate arrangements for care of their children
during the day. A preschool is a centre for three to six year olds which provides
opportunities for all-round development of the child. Preschool education prepares the
child for schooling which lies ahead. Preschools in our country are called by various
names: anganwadi, balwadi, nursery school, kindergarten and play centre.
The first six years are significant in the life of a person. Development proceeds at a very
fast rate and the child learns concepts and acquires skills. Organizing the child's
environment suitably is essential. Creches and preschools provide care and stimulation to
children. In these cc •.•ucs health care and nutrition and opportunities for learning are
available.
To organize a creche or a preschool successfully it is important to understand how
children develop from one year to the next. In this Course you will read about the
physical, language, cognitive, social and emotional development of children from the
time of conception to six years of age. As a creche or preschool worker and even as a
parent you will want to know how to foster children's development. How can this be
done best? It may seem paradoxical but for children play is work and work is play.
During play they explore, ask question, try out experiments, relate to others and make
friends. Play promotes development in all areas. In this Course you will read about the
play activities that the caregiver can conduct with children with a view to furthering
their development. Some ways of preparing low cost play material at home have also
been described. Highlights of health care and nutrition for children in different age
groups have been given which emphasize immunization and growth monitoring.

THE COURSE OUTLINE

This is an eight credit Course of which theory comprises six credits and practical work
two credits. The Course consists of seven Blocks and a Practical Manual.

The Blocks
The years between birth and six years have been divided into three age groups-birth
to 12 months (the first year), 13 months-36 months (between I and 3 years) and
37 months-72 months (between 3 and 6 years). For each age group, the concepts related
to physical, motor, language, cognitive, social and emotional development have been
described. You will also read about play activities to foster children's development. The
above contenr has been described in the first six Blocks of the Course.
The seventh Block of the Course describes the principles behind organizing a child care
centre. Planning the yearly, monthly and weekly curriculum, organizing and managing
the space, preparing and buying play material, selecting people to work in the centre and
evaluating the progranune are issues that have been discussed in the Block.
We would like to make a general point here, which refers to all the Blocks in this
Course. The developments in the different areas that we have described are all based on
.research studies conducted by scholars all over the world. The stages in the development
of language and cognition, the milestones of physical and motor development, the
development of attachment, altruism, empathy, aggression and other emotions, the role
of play in development and the type of activities suitable for children of different age
,. groups - all these and description of other concepts, are based on studies and
observations by scholars. We have not given the name of the researcher along with each
research finding since it would interrupt the flow of reading. Towards the end of this
Block we have given a reading list. Some of these books will be available at your Study
Centre and you can supplement the Blocks with these.
To help you understand the various concepts in the different Blocks. we have used
anecdotes and situations relating to children. These real-life incidents. help to explain the
various ideas, principles arid concepts pertaining to Child Development. These incidents
••,'" situatiOfls have been printed in italics in all the Units to help you disti~,uish them
 from the main text. Besides this. sometenns and sentences in the text have been printed
in bold. These are those that convey a concept or an idea and have been highlighted in
this manner to help you in studying.
There are numerous ways of planning play activities for children and organizing a
creche or a preschool. While the diversity of situations has been kept in mind while
preparing the Course, all of them have not been addressed. It would require creativity
and imagination on the part of the reader to use the information from this Course and
. adapt it to the specific situation.

The Practical Manual

Reading about the development of children alone does not provide a complete
understanding about them. Observing them and interacting with them will 'help you
know them better and will enable you to develop skills to work with them. The practical
work has been planned with this in view. As a part of practical work you will need to
carry out observations of children in your home or neighbourhood. You will also need
to conduct play activities with them in the home setting. The Practical Manual gives
step by step instructions for the practical activities and recording observations. Refer to
the Manual after reading each Block so that you can carry out the practical activities
related to the Units.
Some of the practical activities described in the Practical Manual form a part of the
assignments that you are required to do for the Course. Therefore, refer to the
Assignment Booklet when you begin with the Practical Manual. It would be beneficial
for you to do the practical activities which "Ire not a part of the assignments as well,
)

Au(lio and Video Programmes

Several audio and video programmes have been prepared on the different aspects of
development and the various kinds of play activities. These would be available at your
Study Centre. A list of the same has been provided in the Progranune Guide. However,
it would be useful to keep in touch with the co-ordinator of your Study Centre, to know
about the new audio and video programmes that may have been made subsequent to the
information provided in the Programme Guide.' 4,.~

There are two points regarding the terms used in the Course which must be noted.
Firstly, throughout the Course we have referred to the child as "she". Generally, "he" is
used to refer to a person, whether male or female. In our Course we have taken a step
in the direction of gender equality by deliberately using the feminine pronoun. It does
not mean that we have described development of girls only. The description of the
nature of growth. milestones of.development and play activities apply equally to boys
and girls unless otherwise stated.
Secondly, you will come across the term "caregiver" used for the person who looks
after the child I children. We have referred to the caregiver as "she" since it is generally
women who are responsible for child care. However, the caregiver could be the father,
grandparent, brother, sister. uncle. aunt, creche worker. preschool worker or any other
person caring for the child.

HOW WILL THIS COURSE HELP YOH,?

The Course will help to develop a sensitivity towards the needs and rights of children
and will provide an understanding of their development. You will also acquire skills that
will help you to interact with them. If you' are planning a vocation which requires you
to work with children. such as in a creche or a preschool. the Course would be of use
to you. If you are already working in a centre of a similar nature you would find the
Course particularly useful to upgrade your information.
Besides orienting the reader towards a vocation in child care the Course will help adults
in day-to-day interactions with children. Its application in real life for parents becomes
obvious.

4
BLOCK INTRODUCTION
The amazing thing about childhood is that it is an experience of every human being-e-
and yet. much of it is only dimly remembered. Therefore. a scientific study of the
development of children is important. particularly if one is to plan activities or
programmes for them. One should know the stages of growth and development which
all children go through and also be able to see each child as unique in her abilities as
well as experiences.

The first Unit describes how children are alike and how they differ from one another.
The next two Units introduce the basic concepts in the field of Child Development. The
second Unit gives you the major terms used. It also enables you to realize the scope of
the study of Child Development and explains how it can be useful to you. We
understand that the child ·is born with certain characteristics and abilities which she
inherits from her parents. Though each child is unique. children's development follows a
universal pattern. The child's development is also influenced by the experiences she has
in the family and the neighbourhood. Thus the child's inherited potential and the
experiences she has together determine the course of her development, about which you
will read in Unit 3. The child's needs are met by loving caregivers who provide food,
rest, play and stimulation. The needs and rights of the child are discussed in Unit 4.
Unit 5 concerns the importance of children's play. Children learn during the course of
their play activities. Play fosters development in all areas and through it, children
gradually enhance their skills and their knowledge.
Acknowledgements

Graphic Designer
Ultra Ad, 92, Udai Park, New Delhi.
Photographs Courtesy
Central Institute of Educational Technology, NCERT, New Delhi.
National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development, New Delhi.
UNICEF, 73, Lodi Estate, New Delhi.
 UNIT 1 THE EXPERIENCE OF
\
CHILDHOOD
Structure
1.1 Introduction ,
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1.2 Being a Child

1.3 The Socio-Cultural Context of ~hildhood
1.3.1 Gender
1.3.2 Social Class
1.3.3 Religion
1.3.4 Family Structure and Interrelati bslUps. '
1.3.5 Ecological Contexts
1.4 Summing Up
1.5 Glossary
1.6 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Can you recollect some of the incidents of your childhood and your thoughts and
feelings as a child? Some happenings stand out in one's memory, others are hazy and
some are forgotten. This Unit aims to recapture some of the experiences and feelings of
a child. There are many similarities among children, but each child's experience of
childhood is a different one. An understanding about children helps in interacting with
them and is basic to organizing services and P!ogrammes for them.

Objectives
After studying this Unit, you should be able to:
• describe some experiences and characteristics common to children studying
• discuss how different socio-cultural settings influence the experience of childhood

1.2 BEING A CHILD

Mala, an active five year old girl, is served roti and potato curry for lunch. The curry
,has rai seeds in it. During the course of the meal she sees a rai seed, takes it out of the
bowl and stans to play with it. She puts it on the table, moves it about, and says, "Look
mummy, this is a tiny ball. I wonder if the ants play with this ball!"

Three year old Manoj, to his amazement, sees that there is now an infant brother in the
house('with whom he has to share his parents' love and attention. 'He does not 'like the
sltuation very much, but he tries to accept his brother and be friendly with him. One
day, when the mother was late in getting ready because of the baby, Manoj remarked
vehemently, '~'Mummy,let's give the baby away, then we will not be late."

Tara is going to be four. She enjoys playing in the rain as most children do. One rainy
day, she was playing outside and the members of the family were sitting together in a
room. After every few minutes Tara would come laughing into the room, hug her auns
"and go out again to continue her play. On being invited to sit with the rest she would
prQtest, "No, no! I.want to play outside." This continued for quite some time. '

'These anecdotes reveal the feelings and 'playfulness characteristic of children. It is only
a child who can see a ball in a rai seed or pretend that a ball of mud is a piece of cake
0- and a tin box is a toy house. Make-believe comes easily to them and they eridow
.g ~,objects withqualities they do not actually have, just as Mala did. In the second anecdote
,..
- is reflected the reacnon of the,child to the birth' of a -sibling which is ambivalent and
may range' from jealousy and dislike to joyful acceptance. The third anecdote reflects the
,,;,tild's early steps towards being on her own: She is realizing that she can do things by
;';,;~selfand does not always need to have the protection of adults. However, while she is
'."-.
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la'rftdudion to Odld Care learning to he independent, she needs to reassure herself of the presence of loved and
and, Development.
trusted persons. This she does by coming inside now and then.

Views that adults have about children's capacities may not always be right. It is often
assumed that a child does not know what is happening around her and cannot make
sense of events. This is not true. It. is also felt that children begin to think and
understand when they begin to speak. But we do know that infants understand many
words before that period. Some people expect children to run errands, look after
themselves and start attending school without emotional or other support from adults.
On the other hand. some think that children are immature, 'Irrational, inaccurate in
their understanding of events and therefore, cannot do any task given to them.
Adults sometimes wrongly believe that nothing of consequence happens during
childhood.

Children have thoughts and emotions just as adults do, though they view the world in a
different way and their ways of expressing feelings are also different. A newborn can
sense feelings of love and affection by the way the parents hold her and look after her
needs. An eight month old child is able to comprehend a scolding or an endearment
even though she is not able to talk. She also understands and responds to sentences like,
"Give it to me" and "No, don't do that." If a game of peek-a-boo is played with a
10 month old child, she participates in the game by looking for lie person and
anticipating her appearance. This reflects that the child is thinking. Achievements such
as these may seem very simple, but you have only to observe a child who has just
learnt to walk to see how gleefully she walks around lie house for the pleasure of it
and how she picks herself up again after falling down. Notice how she takes a few bold

8
 steps and then looks back at the mother for reassurance. You would have observed The Experience of
many instances where the child is learning and developing. Do they not bring forth a Oilldhood
picture of children as intelligent beings and' of childhood as a valuable time for
learning? Childhood is also a period when the child learns to form relationships with
people-s-first with parents, then with the wider family circle and later with other
adults and children. This requires considerable courage and confidence. Imagine what
you would feel if you shifted to a new town and had to make friends with new
people.

Children are keen to explore the world and are untiringly curious. Exploration and
que~tioning are the ways through which children learn. It is of~n difficult to make a
child sit still for·even five minutes. They like to examine things and objects around
them. A new object is thumped, squeezed, banged, licked and often dismantled in an

"Aha! A new toy P'

attempt to examine it Notice the rapt look Cl! the child's face as she does so! Any new
. event or experience brings, forth a stream of "why?", "how?" and "when?" so that the
child's questions ofteq tax the adult's patience.

Children are fascinated by the adult world. Their desire is to be like adults in many
ways and to grow up as quickly as possible. They imitate the adults and pretend to be
like them by wearing their clothes and trying to talk and act like. them. Some of the
games of children such as "Doctor-Doctor" and "Police-Thief' reflect their imitation of
the activities of adults.

All is not fun and play in childhood, as many adults tend to think. Children also learn
that many things are forbidden-they must not touch something, they must not hit other
children, they must stop playing after a specific time and so on. Many of the
instructions they are required to follow seem unreasonable to them. There often follows
a battle of wills between the parents and children. Learning to obey a rule is sometimes
painful because it prevents children from doing what they want to do. During the period
of childhood they also learn the ways of eating, dressing, talking and behaving
considered appropriate in their societyzad culture.

C i1dre from di erse backgrounas, regions and countries are similar in many ways,
Many experiences of childhood are universal and ari inevitable part of growing lip,
However, childhood has a different meaning for every child. In the next Section you
Willread what makes childhood a different experience for each child.
9
lnlrGdvcUtm to Child Care; .". ,': Check Your Progress Exercise 1
., nd i} "':\opment
1) From your experiences and recollections note down an example of one of the
following in the space provided below.

a) Children's curiosity
b) Children's imitation of adults

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... .....................................................................................................................................
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1.3 .THE SOCIO ..CULTURAL CONTEXT OF

CHILDHOOD . ..:... ;. ':"

Normally, all children learn to speak a language during the course of growing up. A two
year old in India learns to speak her own language while a child in Spain learns
Spanish. One boy at the age of five begins going to a school; another of the same age .
.in a tribal settlement helps his father in farming and milking the buffalo; yet another is
adept at moving thrOllb~' the traffic on the roads to sell newspaper. The number of
people in the family, the customs, traditions, values and beliefs of the family and '
community, economic status, residence in a village, a city, or a tribal settlement, whether
in the hills, plains, deserts or sea coast-these are some of the factors that influence
childhood experiences. Thus the society one lives in determines one's experience of
childhood. This is what is meant by the socio-cultural context of childhood.

Though we can speak broadly of the Indian culture and the values therein, the customs,
beliefs and the way of life of people differ from one group to another. One cannot
speak of a homogeneous or uniform Indian culture but rather of sub-cultural groups,
each distinct from the other. This is because the groups differ with regard to economic
level, education, occupation, region, language and religion. The child's experiences and
what she learns during this period would be different in each of these groups. You will
now read about the many factors that bring about variations in children's experiences.

1.3.1 Gender
A major factor which determines a child's experience is whether the child is a boy or a
girl. How one is brought up, the opportunities available to one and the way people
interact with one are determined to a great extent by one's gender. An obvious
difference is in the clothes worn. Less visible but more far reaching in its impact is the
differing attitude towards boys and girls. There is no doubt that in most parts of our
country boys are given more importance than girls. The birth of a boy is an occasion for
rejoicing while, in many cases, the birth of a girl reduces the parents to tears. In many
families girls may receive very little parental love, attention or care. They may get a
lesser share of food, clothing and other resources compared to boys. In some families,
when a girl falls ill rt is treated casually but the boy's illness gets prompt aUention.
Education is considered more important for boys than for girls. Parents often sell their
assets to educate their sons and marry their daughters.

Different values and behaviours are inculcated in boys and girls. In most matters the code
of conduct for girls is more strict. Boys are encouraged to be assertive, independent and
10 .I
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ambitious. Girls are expected to be efficient in household tasks, obedient and respectful.
Decision making ability is not encouraged in girls and they are scolded if they argue too
 The Experience of
much, laugh openly or talk loudly. The girl is treated as if she were a temporary person Childhood
in her own house and socialization is intended to prepare her for marriage.

The above discussion, however, only brings out a general trend. All girls are not
neglected and unloved. How girls are treated is determined to a great extent by the

She would also like to be in school

attitude of the family members. A family which does not discriminate between boys and
girls would treat them equally. Economic well being of the family is another factor that
influences the attitude of parents towards girls and boys. The next Section discusses how
social class brings about differences in the experiences of children.

1.3.2 Social Class

The social class to which a person belongs 'is determined by her education, occupation
and family's income. People belonging to the upper social class have high incomes and
live in big houses. Lower social class is associated with a marginal income, often' close
to poverty, low levels of education and smaller dwellings. Between the rich and the poor
there are several levels of socio-economic status .. The social class to which a child
belongs will determine the opportunities and facilities available to her. Whether she gets
enough to eat and wear, whether she receives formal education and whether she is
l equipped for a vocation will depend upon the family's socio-economic status. This also
\ J determines the living space and availability of facilities such as water and electricity.

Families of the Lower Social Class: A family belonging to the .lower social class does
not have enough money to buy all the necessities of life. Children may not get adequate
food and clothes. Since resources are scarce, girls get a lesser share. Houses are usually ll.
one or two room shelters shared by the entire family. Children live in crowded quarters.
introduction to Child'" Care In slums and crowded dwellings the surroundings may be dirty and unhygienic which
and Development
may lead to infections and diseases. Many of the needs and desires of the children in a
poor family remain unfulfilled. Extreme poverty compounds these problems. In such
cases, children may not get one square meal a day and lacking shelter they sleep on the
roadside, railway stations etc.

In a poor family children have to shoulder responsibilities at an early age, You must
have seen girls barely four or five years old assisting the mother in household tasks
such as fetching water, collecting firewood, preparing meals and running errands. Boys
help the father in his occupation-they guard cattle, help in the fields, accompany him
in the boat and assist him-in crafts such as carpentry or pottery. Besides assisting the
parents in household work, many children move out of the protective. shelter of the
house to earn and supplement the family income. They work as domestic servants,
cleaners, venders or ragpickers. A major responsibility of the young girls rsto manage
the home and look after younger children when both the parents go out to work.
Alternatively, the mother takes the children along with her to her place of work which
may be a house, a field or a construction site. The infant lies in a makeshift cradle
throughout the day with occasional ihteraction with the mother. When a little older she
may roam around the worksite playing with whatever she can find. Since both parents
are working, the time they spend with their children gets reduced.

Education obviously falls low in. priority in such a
girls. Parents on the survival level do not consider
either needed to assist the parents in their work or
children of lower social class may attend school if
they combine work and education.
set up, particularly in the case of
schooling a necessity. Children arc
to earn money. Despite this, many
it is possible to do so. In this way

Working in the fields-learning as well as playing

Responsibility and deprivation, which the children from lower social class have to face,
may accelerate emotional maturity. In many ways the child becomes worldly wise. At a
young age she learns to fend for herself. She learns to demand the right price for the .
12 fruit that she is selling. She may board a train from a remote village and come to the
I

Childhood for most children belonging to the lower social class is full of cares and
responsibilities. However, this does not mean that they have no pleasant experiences.
Amidst their work children do play. Their play materials are stones, twigs and empty
boxes. They play in the streets, in the fields, near the coast with the sand and with
water. Frequently there is warmth, love and nurturance from the parents, Children are
valued for their contribution to tile family income. However, life is harder for such a
child than for one who belongs to an economically well-off family. '

Families of the Middle and High Social Class: Families belonging to the middle and
high social class are well-off and children do not lack the basic necessities of life. Both
,boys and girls get adequate amounts of food and clothing and do not generally suffer
lack of health care. Most of the families can purchase play material for children from
the market such as dolls, guns, puzzle sets, drawing books, colours and books. Children
do not need to take part in economic activities early in life. Whether they assist in
day-to-day chores depends on the family. If there is a hired help, as in the case of
well-off families, children may not assist in household tasks. In a rich family the child
has more luxuries. She does not need to take a bus to go to school since she will be
taken by car. The child usually has more clothes, expensive play material and may get a
variety of foods to eat.
. Education is considered to be of primary importance and in a sense the child's sole task
is to do well in school. In general, education is valued equally for boys and girls.
However, there is some evidence that boys get preference in this regard. In the cities
and towns there is immense pressure on the children to do well in academic work. Often
rigorous tutoring of the child begins from the tender age of three in order to get her
admission in a school. For most children the day is spent in going to school, doing
homework and playing.
Ideally education is expected to foster independence, clarity of thought and assertiveness.
With the changing values in our society these traits are being encouraged. But an
ambivalence in the attitude towards girls is still apparent. While encouraging girls to
pursue education, parents still expect them to be subservient. They scold the girl for
being outspoken and aggressive, pointing out that these traits win not help her to adjust
to her future roles.
Economic well-being makes childhood a period where the child can make use of
opportunities available to her without worrying about everyday problems.

Child Labour: You have just read mat some children assist the parent" in the work at
home or in the family's occupation or work as wage earners. When children work at
home or in the family occupation, their needs are looked after and there is love from
parents. There is some time for play and recreation. The work experience in the family
may be rewarding and children will acquire skills which will help them to take up a
vocation. Such involvement of children in economic activities is called child work, to be
differentiated from child labour about which you will now read. "
Some children work under unhealthy, difficult and exploitative conditions where me
wages they receive are not adequate and where me jobs they do are dangerous. The
drudgery of their work does not allow any time for play or schooling. The jobs which
children do are usually unskilled and do not prepare them for a vocation for later Iife.
Their work experiences thus become a hindrance to their development. In many/small
scale and domes29~stries cl)ilo/en are employed as labour. So~e indu~~ies
where child labouris prevalent ~ match manufacturing in Sivakasi, Tamil NftOu; slate
pencil making in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh; embroidery in Jammu & Kashmir; and
lock industry in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Besides working as labour in industries, children
are employed as domestic help, cleaners or mechanics. They work long hours at back
breaking jobs for scanty wages.

'Let us examine the situation of children in the lock industry of Aligarh. Children start
working at the ages of six or seven in this industry. An average working day is between
12 and 14 hours. Some children work for 18 to 20 hours at a stretch. When they get
tired they take a nap or have some tea. The working conditions are unhealthy with ill
ventilated and overcrowded rooms. The wages are very low and the operations
hazardous. Electroplating, handpresses. spray painting and polishing on buffing
machines are the most dangerous jobs in the industry and 50 to 70 per cent of this
13
 IntNcluc:Uon to ChIld Can work is-done by children. Electroplating, for example, requires children to dip metal in
and Developnent
acid and alkaline solutions. The chemicals used in this are dangerous-potassium
cyanide.. nydrochloric and chromic acid. sodium hydroxide etc. Children work without
aprons or gloves and their hands are immersed in these solutions for a major part of
the day. This is very harmful for their health. Electric shocks are frequent. Within a
matter of six to seven years, that is by the time the children are 13 or 14 years old.
..they suffer from chest diseases. skin' allergy or cancer.
This specific case of the lock industry of Aligarh illustrates the extreme hardships that
can be a part of childhood for some children. However, childhood is not such.a h~:
experience for everyone. Children usually find opportunities for,play and ihe-" " ..,
development of skills relevant to their own situations. .' . ~ . s:
~..:-~ .- !.....- •..•.
--...'"( .. ~j'~'~j ;.

..Check.X ~~r Progress' Exercise Z

''i '
I ,

1) From your reading' and general observation in your family or neighbourhood, wri~
about the following in the space provided below. .

a) Reaction. of parents to:

i) birth of a son
ii) birth of a daughter

.................................................................................................................................... '\

••• 0 •••••••• 0 ••
. 0 ••• r •••••••• o.o •••••••••••••••• to t ••••••••••• I., to ••••• 0"0 to •••••• 0 •••••• 00 •••• 0 ••••••••••••••• 1. ••••
. :~ ••••••••••
. 0 •••

b) Differences in the school attendance of boys and girls of lower soci~class .

••••••••• •••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• > ••••••••••••• , ••••••

............................................................................................................... .: .

c) The kind of tasks children do in the home to help the family .

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
!••••••••••••
, •••,., •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

•••• •••••••••••• •••••••••••• •••••••••• t •••••• t •••••• t ••••• 00 ••••••• t ••••••••••••••••••••• a ••••••••••••••••• a ••••••••••••••••••• ~ ••••

.•...••I."'••.••.•....................................................................................•.............................
~i.
I.
·.·.1 !
;1' I

••••••••••••••••••••••••• " ••••• , •••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 • I •••••••••••••••••••••• ~ ••••• ~ •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ,

J~ ~

...................... , , , , , ,

2) Explain the term 'Child Labour' .

•• •• ••• •• •'••••••••••••••••• , •••••••.• ~•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• '••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• t ','

J .

. .
............................................................................................................................................ .
. . .

14
.•••
1···
............................ , ,..,." .., : : . .'
 ".,.p.: ": , : : :\ .. ~ - " ...':r~
The Experience of
Chlldhciod

...................................................... ······t··············································· . I

"
'f~ : ' : ~:;: : : ':.::.:::: :..: : :.: ;.;
1.3.3 Religion " :'. .'."
...:' - -.~~-
••..... ..
l . ... "'''l- __
•
Religion lays down the rules, values and codes of conduct forday-to-day living. It
provides guidelines for relating to people. All religions view children as tender,
precious and valuable and childhood as a time for learning. The variation in children's
experiences due to religion may be because of the specific rituals of the mode of
worship. Most religions have certain rituals to mark the different stages in the life of
an individual. These vary from one religion to another. Among Hindus some of the
rituals are: 'namakaran' -naming the child. 'annaprasana' --':"the first semi-solid food
given to the child, 'mundan' - the first shaving of the hair, 'vidya-aarambtr=-
introductions to the alphabets. Some Christian rituals are baptism 'and first communion.
Among Muslims. saying namaz along with adults is a religious duty. However, with
the changes in society there is not such a strict adherence to these rituals in many
families. Signs of respec,t for sacred places and objects are taught early in all religions.

1.3.4 Family Structure ana Interrelationships

The way in which the family members interact with the child, UlI: number of people in.
the household and the relationship of the child to these people influence her
experiences. In a family where there are members other than the child's parents, the
child ~as many people to look after her. If the mother is too busy to attend to the child
and play with her, there is the grandmother, the aunt, the older children and the other
members. The child forms emotional bonds with many. On the contrary, in a smaller.
family unit which comprises parents and their one or two children. the child's
caregivers are the parents and for a large part of the day only the mother. If the
mother has nobody to help her with the housework, she leaves the child in a safe place
in the house with some play material while she finishes her work. The child is by
herself for this duration. If the child is around two to three years of age, the mother
may involve the child in a game while doing her work. For example, while chopping
vegetables, she may ask her to pass them one by one to her. Children delight in doing,
such things. If the mother has a hired·help at home. she will have more time for the
child. ..

In some families where both the parents .are working; the child is left in a creche or in
the house with a hired help or an older child. Sometimes she is taken to the place of
work by the mother. Spending the day in a creche in the care of an adult, who has to
look after other children also, would be a different experience altogether. When both .
parents are. working, they have less time to spend with children. On days when they
are too tired, they may not be able to give the child adequate attention. However.it is '
ultimately the quality of time spent together which matters more than uie quantity. By
quality of time is q,teantthe nature of interaction between the caregiver and the child.
A person looking after a child may spend an entire day with her but fail to take any
interest-in the child. She may not converse and play with her or answer her questions
adequately. In other words, she may neglect the child. Adult's responsiveness makes
the child feel wanted and loved. Therefore. the amount of time spent with the child
cannot, by itself, be a measure of caring. Even in a short period of time the caregiver ,.
can have a meaningful interaction with the child, fulfill her needs and give attention to
her.
1.

.•. In some cases the father of the child may have migrated to the city, leaving the mother
) totally responsible for the family. Occasionally, because of desertion or widowhood the
)
) mother is the sole parent. She has, therefore, to take responsibility for earning a living
as well as for child care. In such a situation the child learns to be on her own. The
c~il(l may miss the parent who is absent and may feel different from others becuase of
this. The loss of one of the. parents may have negative effects on the child but the 15
extent will depend on the }JJ'esence of other family members.
Introduction to Child Care 1.3.5 Ecological Contexts
aNI J)('velopmenl
Ecology refers to the physical environment that a person lives in. It includes the
geographical localion. the vegetation. the type of animals and the natural, resources.
Ecology could also be defined in' terms of the type of facilities available such .as roads,
hospitals, schools and electricity. Ecology determines the type of food eaten, clothing,'
occupation and the division of tasks and responsibilities between men and women.
Rural, urban and tribal areas are different in their environment Hills, plains, deserts and
coastal areas arc also ecologically different from each other. The child learns those skills
that will help her to survice in her own setting. A child living in a village in the 'hills
where rearing sheep is tJ1C main occupalion takes the sheep for grazing and brings them
back. She also learns to shear them and prepare wool from the fleece. A child living in

Broken boats can be play material for children of fishermen

a village in a coastal area learns to swim, row a boat, make a bait for the fish, clean fie
fish and so forth. Living in a desert area the child may feed a camel and learn to find
her way across the sand dunes with ease. In this Unit, fie different geographical regions
have been clubbed as rural, urban and tribal. There are certain aspects which
characterize a rural 'community whether it is n~ the coast, in the hills or in the desert
and which make it different from a tribal or an urban set up. The following discussion
is based on these lines.

Llvmg in a City (Urban Area) : What would t::' fie first thn.g that comes to your
mind when you think of a city? A city has a large population. It is a place of contrasts.
There are the rich who can afford everything and the poor wbo have to work hard for a
living. Adjoining big and palatial houses we find slums. While a five year old of a high
income group goes to a school, another child of the same age earns a living by,
performing as an acrobat.

There are hospitals, hotels, schools, cinemas, electronic gadgets, different modes of
transport and many other facilities in the cities. Those who have the means can buy fie
best of everything but there are goods to suit every section of fie population. How a
child lives, what facilities she can make use of and how she spends her day will be
determined by the social class to which she belongs and fie values of ber family. In a
slum, for example, fie living conditions are sucb fiat fie child knows what is happening
next door. There is plenty of interaction. The child grows up with numerous playmates.
16
 On the other hand, people of the higher income groups with 'their more private and TIle Experience of
Childhood
bigger dwellings can choose whether to interact with one's neighbours or not. In such a
case, if the child is the only child she may not have any friends until the time she goes
to school. But what all children living in a city have in common is the fast pace of life
as people rush about on their own business.

Living in a Village (Rural Area): What distinguishes a village from a city is that it
has a smaller population. Most of the people may know others in a small village. There
are fewer facilities such as transport, hospitals, cinemas, schools or pucca roads. The
pace of life is slower. The boundaries between the family and the caste group are not
rigid. Consequently, the child may spend a considerable part of her day in other houses
and she grows up with many playmates.

The children, by and large, follow the occupation of the parents which may be farming
or a craft such as pottery or carpet weaving. They would spend a considerable portion
of the day assisting the parents in their work. Again the extent to which the children
assist depends on the economic situation of the family. If the family is poor, all hands
are needed to work. If the family is r@-).atively
well-off, the children have time to attend
i school and may assist the parents on holidays. With changing values education is
beginning to assume importance in the rural areas. Parents, when they can afford it.
send their children to school and hope to impart at least primary' education to girls.

Fewer hospitals and qualified medical persons mean more unattended illnesses. If there
is no school near the village most children would be 'without formal education.
Inadequate transportation implies that the child does not get to travel and know the
.. world outside the village, while for a child in the city the newspapers, magazines,
cinemas, television and a variety of books increase the range of information. There are
differences in the type of tasks that a child from a rural area can do' as compared to a
child in an urban set up. A three year old child in the city is surprised to learn that
buffaloes give milk, because she had thought that milk comes from bottles in the milk
booth, whereas the three year old in the village sees a buffalo being milked every day.
;t The child in the city can speak confidently of aeroplanes, computers and cars. The child
in the village may not have this information but would be able to identify a plant from
its leaves and knows how plants are grown.

Despite the similarities in rural life, the picture of the villages is a varied one. Villages
which are closer to the cities and those with industrial units such as factories or other
production units have better equipped hospitals and schools and there is some
transportation. Radios and the expanding television network has brought the outer world
into the villages. People give up their family occupation and commute to the cities for
better paid jobs. Education for girls assumes importance and in many cases children may
be attending a school in the city. On the other hand there are remote villages as the
example. of Bhaiya village in Rajasthan will show. The nearest primary health centre is
60 kms away and tlie only hospital is 150 kms away in Jaisalmer, The nearest primary .
school is 50 kms away in Deora. The nearest bus stop IS 20 kms away. As you carysee,
th.~.contrasts in experience in the different ecological settings are many.

Living in a Tribal Settlement: There are many tribes in·India, each with its distinct
customs, laws, kinds of occupation and the roles and responsibilities of men and women.
There is a great variety of tribal experience. Some tribes in the vicinity of cities and
towns have contact with them and have been integrated into the mainstream of life.
Some tribes live in near isolation from the rest of the world with minimal or no contact
with people outside the tribe. These tribes are almost totally self sufficient, depending on
.'- . the outside world for only a few things. In such a setting the child grows up believing
. that the way of life of the tribe is the only way. Let us briefly read about one such
• tribe.

Among the Hill Marias, one of the most isolated tribes living in the Bastar district of
Madhya Pradesh, shifting agriculture is the means Of subsistence. The entire village
shifts from a site once every two or three years. The land is generally collectively
owned and consequently' not-much importance is attached to private property. The
Pt<.ple depend on the outside world only for salt, chillies and tobacco.
17
 Introcbdion to OUid Care For a tribe. solidarity is of paramount importance and consequently laws. customs and
abd Development
norms are strictly observed. Among Hill Marias premarital sex is permitted while incest
is 'taboo. Child marriages. are totally absent. Divorce for both men and women is easy
but extra marital sex gets a death penalty. Luerac» levels are low and ill health is
rampant due to the lack of health facilities. .
However. the intervention of the state government and the voluntary agencies has
'exposed the Hill Marias to the outside world. This has brought about changes in their
lifestyle. There is now a hospital. a school. a vocational training centre and a fair price
shop. Though the tribals still visit their traditional healer, ·they also go to the hospital.
The school. 30-40 kms away. has attracted many boys and girls and they are doing well.
The villages of the tribals, which were inaccessible earlier. have been connected to the
district by roads. About hundred tubewells have been sunk and solar energy is being
used in some villages. There has been an auempt to change the practice of shifting
• agriculture to settled agriculture. Food habits have changed too.
i"

f
,.... .

C~eck Your Pr.ogres~·~xerclse 3

.- -. .
..
,
Answer the following questions briefly in the space provided.
/,
1) Following are some statements. Read them carefully and write in the brackets
whether they are true or false.

a) In all religions children are regarded as tender, precious and valuable and
childhood as a time for learning. ( )
b)· A child who lives in a family where there are a number of caregivers forms
emotional bonds with many.' (
c) The quality of time spent by the caregiver with the child is Mlore important
than the quantity of time. (

2) List three ways ir, which the experiences of a child living i~ a city are different
from one who lives in a village.
1
.t
.............................•............................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
. .

.' . 3) List three changes that have come about in the lifestyle of the Hill Marias as a
result of contact with the outside world.

• ~ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I •• "' 1 ••••• 1.1 I. 1.1 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ,.0. , •• , ••••• 1 II •••• 1 •••••••••••••••••• e •••••

••••• '•••••• 1 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

..,.,
........................................ , ' .
:''-''.
::t~,·:..·;·· · · ·.·.· · ·.·...· · i~·..~~ ;.'..
1.4 SUMMING UP .. " .
• I i
I

In this Unit you 'have read tJlat children have many characteristics in common such as
curiosity, desire to explore. playfulness,Jantasy, imitation of adults and make-believe.
Many of the childhood experiences are universal. yet each child experiences childhood in
18
a different manner because of different socio-cultural settings. One of the factors which .
 influences the experience of childhood is gender. It determines the way a child is The Experience ur
. ChIldhood
expected to talk, dress, behave as well as the values inculcated in her. Boys are given
lmore importance than girls and this results in discrimination against girls in matters of
~ood, clothing, education and love and attention of parents. This bias gets pronounced
rhen resources are scarce. The social class to which the child belongs determines the
facilities and opportunities available to her. For children belonging to the lower social
;classmany basic needs and desires remain unfulfilled. Economic necessity forces the
-'-childrento take to work at an early age. Children may sometimes be working under
hazardous circumstances and may be out of school. Children belonging to the middle
and upper social class do not lack the essentials of life and most children attend school.
Religion provides values, attitudes and beliefs that outline a code of conduct for the
child. The family is the nucleus of the child's life and has a great influence on her. The
type of family the child lives in and the interaction among the family members influence
her development. Ecology has an impact on the type of skills and abilities the child
acquires. Whether the child lives in a rural, urban or tribal area, near the coast, in the
plains, in the hilly regions or desert a(1::asdetermines her lifestyle to a large extent.

1.5 GLOSSARY
•
Adept: Skilled
Ambivalent: Having contrasting or mixed feelings about some person, object or event
Casually: Not seriously
Deprivation: Lack of something which tile child must have. It could mean lack of food,
clothing and other material resources, of love and affection from caregivers or of
opportunities to pursue education .
Drudgery: Hard and monotonous work
Exploitative Conditions: Conditions which take unfair advantage of a person
Incest: Sexual relations between persons so closely related that they arc forbidden by
their society to marry
Prompt: Quick, immediate
_ Rigorous: Very strict and exacting. In this context it means that the child is made to
study for long hours and the demands made on her in terms of academic work are not
in keeping with her abilities
Subservient: Subordinate, inferior
Taboo: Forbidden or disapproved
Vocation: ~ofession, occupation

1.6 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

EXERCISES "
Check Your Progress Exercise 1
1) If you find it difficult to recall such anecdotes, you could observe a group of
children for some time. It is very likely that their play will reflect their curiosity
and imitation of adults, about which you can subsequently write.
~
Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) For answering these questions you could speak to your parents, relatives, neighbours
or friends to know their feelings about these aspects. You could also answer from
your own experience.
'Child labour' is a term used when children work under exploitative conditions.
They work under unhealthy conditions on difficult and dangerous jobs. This affects
their health. They do not receive adequate wages. The nature of their work does not
allow them time for play, recreation or education. ' 19
 t:
(

Introduction to Child Care Check Your Progress Exercise 3

and Development
1) a) True·
b) True
c) True

2) Any three of the following are correct:

a) :The pact? -of life is faster in a city.

b) There are more goods and facilities in a city, Fewer facilities such as hospitals,
transportation and schoolsin the village will have an effect on the child's life.
c) Children living in cities and villages will differ with regard to the type of tasks
they can do. . .
d) A village has a small population. The boundaries between the family and the
caste group are not rigid. Consequently, the child may spend a considerable part
of her day in other houses and has many playmates. In a city it is possible that
a family does not interact with the neighbours and if the child is the only child,
she may not have any friends.

3) Any three of the following are correct:

a) Hill Marias have started going to the hospital.

b) The earlier inaccessible villages of the tribals have been connected to the
district by roads.
c) Solar energy is being used in some villages.
d) The children have started going to school and there is a vocational training
centre.
e) There is a fair price shop.
n There is an attempt to change the practice of shifting agriculture to settled
agriculture.
g) Tubewells have been sunk in some villages.

20
 UNIT 2 BASIC CONCEPTS IN
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Structure
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Scope of Child Development
2.2.1 Development and Growth
2.2.2 Stages of Development
2.2.3 Areas of Development
2.3 Importance of the Study of Child Development
2.3.1 Describing Universal Patterns of Development
2.3.2 Explaining Individual Differences in Development
2.3.3 Understanding Human Behaviour
2.3.4 Application in Day-to-Day Interactions with Children
2.4 Importance of Infancy and Early Childhood .
2.5 Summing Up
2.6 Glossary
2.7 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

2.1 INTRODUCTION
In the earlier Unit you have read that each child has different experiences during
childhood. The variety of experiences accounts for some of the differences among
children. What other factors are responsible for differences among children? These and
related issues are the concern of the field of Child Development. In this Unit you will
read about the scope and importance of the discipline of Child Development.

Objectives
After studying this Unit, you should be able to:

• explain the scope of the discipline of Child Development

• differentiate between development and growth
• explain the stages of development
• describe the different areas of development
• discuss the significance of the study of Child Development

2.2 SCOPE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Think of a fertilized ovum in the womb of the mother. Is it not astonishing how the
single celled organism develops into a human baby in nine months? This baby has
complex systems like the respiratory system, the nervous system and the skeletal system
which are a part of the equipment for survival. The newborn child responds to touch
and is able to see, smell and cry. These capacities will help her to adjust to the
surroundings which are very different from those in the womb. Despite these abilities
the infant is dependent on the caregiver for nurturance. A child who is totally dependent
on the caregiver will slowly learn to sit., then stand and then walk. She will also learn to
feed and clothe herself and express her needs verbally. Gradually, the child will become
more independent and her interests will widen. She will make friends and participate in
. activities with them and help with tasks at home. She may also get involved in income
generating activities. She may choose a vocation and take courses to prepare for it.
This child will grow into an adult who will be economically independent, get married
and have children. How does this transformation come about from a single celled
organism- in the mother's womb to a person who is a competent adult and an involved
citizen?

What makes you the person you are? How is it that your own brothers and sisters are
i i.
different from you -- not just in the way they look but also in their behaviour? Why is
21
 IntroductJon to Child Care it that one child is popular in the neighbourhood and has many friends while the other
and Development
prefers to play alone? What makes one child a leader in her group while the other is
timid and stays close to the teacher all the time? Do all children develop various skills
and abilities at the same time} Are all three year old children similar? What should be
expected from a four year old child? Is there a pattern in development by which one
can expect a three year old to behave differently from a five year old? Such questions
are the concern of the field of Child Development.

The discipline of Child Development is concerned with the changes in the behaviour of
children over time and explains why and how they occur. Thus it aims to describe and
explain development in the areas of physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive
functioning. However, childhood experiences have an impact on the ways of thinking
and behaviour in adulthood. Thus the student of Child Development is concerned with
growth and behaviour that affects the entire lifespan. This course is, however, limited to
understanding the development of children from birth to six years.

2.2.1 Development and Growth

The terms 'development' and 'growth' have been used in the foregoing discussion. Can
you tell what is the difference between the two? The term 'development' has been used
to refer to changes in the body, thinking capacities and social and emotional behaviour.
Can we call all such changes 'development'? Let us understand this through ap example.
When a three month old child becomes hungry, she begins to cry. Once she is fed her
behaviour changes. She bPcomes quiet again. Such a short behavioural change is not
termed 'development'.

The term 'development' is used for changes in a person's physical and behavioural traits
that emerge it} orderly ways and last for a reasonable period of time. The three main
characteristics ef these changes are that they are progressive, orderly and long lasting.
The term 'progressive' implies that these changes result in acquisition of skills and
abilities that are complex. finer and more efficient than the ones that preceded them. To ,,
understand this, let us consider the advancement that takes place from crawling to
walking and from babbling to talking. Walking requires the child to move upright and
I
balance one foot after the other. This requires greater coordination of the muscles and is
I
more complex than crawling. Walking is also more useful as it frees the hands for other 1
activities and increases the range of vision. Similarly, talking grows out of babbling and I
is certainly more complex and effective in communicating with others. I
I

The term 'orderly' suggests that there is an order in development. Every development
is built upon the previous one and cannot occur before it. Thus a child has to be able
to crawl before she can walk and walk before she can run. Similarly, the adult's
ability to handle complex situations is built upon the child's capability of doing
simpler tasks. The ability to take decisions in adult life develops out of the childhood
experiences of selecting which game to play or which book to read. Development,
therefore, is a process through which a person learns to function with greater ease and
competence.

I
'Growth' refers, to physical increase in the size of the body. Increase in weight. height
r and the size of internal organs is growth, Growth refers toa quantitative change, that is,
\ a change that am be measured. However, we do not merely grow in size. If that were
so, a newborn baby would simply be a bigger baby at the age of 20 years. Something
else happens along with increase in size - there is a change in form and an increase in .
the complexity of body parts and their functioning, thinking abilities and social skills,
among' many others. In other words, we do not merely grow, but also develop.
Development thus refers to both quantitative as well as qualitative changes. It includes
changes not only in structure but also in function. Development may be ..defined as
orderly arid relatively enduring changes over time in physical and neurological structure,
thought processes and behaviour that every organism goes through from the beginning I
of its life to the end. Growth is only one aspect of the larger process of development. '\
Development continues even when physical changes are not·visible. Physical growth
slows down considerably after adolescence but development does not. There is
development in the complexity of thought and social skills, as also in the use of
language.
22
o
 2.2.2 Stages of Development Basic Concepts in CbBd
Development
The human life span has been divided into the stages of infancy, childhood, adolescence
and adulthood. You have become familiar with these words in the text In these stages
there are characteristic differences in the thought processes and skills of individuals. Let
us now briefly read about these stages.

The period from birth to two years of age is referred to as the period of infancy. In
this period the child is totally dependent on the caregiver for the fulfilment of her needs.
After birth, this is the period of most rapid growth and development. The child's skills
and abilities increase. By the end of infancy she is able to walk, run, communicate her
needs verbally, feed herself, identify family members, recognize herself and venture
confidently in familiar surroundings.

Confidently exploring the world around her

The period of childhood is from two to twelve years of age. Development at this stage
is not as rapid as during infancy. During this period the child refines the skills she has
acquired during infancy and learns new skills as well. This is the period when
coordination of the parts of the body improves. During childhood she also learns the
,...
)
ways of behaviour that are considered appropriate by the society. The child meets many
people outside the faniily and forms attachments with more people. As the child grows
)
and her thinking capacities mature, she realizes that she can do many things. She can
play on a swing, make a h{)~I:;C fromsand, draw, paint or sing a song. This gives her a
"
~e~l;ngof confidence. During this period she becomes more independent though adult
guidance is constantly needed.
23
Introduction to Child Care The period of childhood is divided into two stages: the period of ,early childhood
and ~Vf~('l'ment
(2-6 years) and middle childhood (6-12 years). The period of early childhood is also
referred to as the preschool age because at this age the child is learning skills that will
help her to do tasks associated with schooling. The preschooler has mastered the words
to ask questions about things and people. She learns about numbers, colours, shapes and
the reasons for everyday events. All these concepts develop from actually seeing things
and doing various activities. Doing a task is important for learning about it. She learns
to make friends and values relationships with people. Children's ability to imagine
receives a major spurt during this period. This can be seen in their play. They enjoy
playing games that require them to pretend and make-believe. Preschoolers cannot play
together for long. After some time they start playing independently again, though they
may be with each other. You will read more about this aspect of play of children in
Unit 5 of this Block.
The child in the age group 6-12 years has matured a great deal and is expected to
behave more responsibly than the preschooler. Parental expectations of the child increase.
The child moves out of the home to help the family members in their work and may
even go to school all by herself. Middle childhood is the period when the child becomes
involved in learning skills that will help her to take up a vocation later on. The child's
store of information grows at a fast pace. Her thinking develops rapidly and her interest
in the outside world grows by leaps and bounds. There is active interaction with children
of the same age. They are able to cooperate with each other during play and are able to
follow the rules of the game. Playing team gamesis a, development of this period.
The next stage is referred to as the period of adolescence (12-18 yrs.) The beginning of
this period is marked by puberty. Puberty refers to the stage around 11-14 years of age
when there is a spurt in physical growth. This results in a rapid increase in height and
weight and the emergence of secondary sexual characteristics. Examples of these are the
development of facial hair in boys and development of breasts in girls. The onset of
puberty is earlier for girls than for boys. These rapid physical changes lead to a need for
emotional readjustment.
At this age the peer grccp becomes very important and the adolescent follows the rules
and the codes of her group. Feelings of loyalty and pride for the group are very strong.
At times the values of the peer group may become more important than those of the
family. There are conflicting expectations of the adolescent. Sometimes she is expected
to behave as an adult and at other times ~e"is;)treated like a child. During this stage she
also has to choose a vocation or prepare foh'n~riage. During adolescence thinking
develops further and becomes more complex. The individual can understand and deal
with varied situations. She can think of abstract problems and work out their solutions.
All this helps her to prepare for the roles and responsibilities she will be expected to
carry out as an adult.
After the age of 18 years the 'person is referred to as an adult. There may be different
criteria for considering a. person an adult. One may be the ability to support oneself
economically and another may be getting married and starting a family. But individuals
from some families continue to remain financially dependent on their parents till early
twenties. In others, both marriage and work may have to be taken up before adulthood.
There are also social and legal definitions of adulthood. For example, an Indian can vote
in the elections at eighteen years. Legally, girls may get married at 18 years and boys at
.21 years of age. However, adulthood typically involves either working or preparing for
one's livelihood. By now physical changes are complete and the person is mature. It is
important to remember that these divisions of the life span are not rigid. It is not as if
the child suddenly changes from an infant to a preschooler or from a child to an
adolescent. Change is a gradual and continuous process and transition from one phase of
life to another will be different for every individual. You will read in detail about the
periods of infancy and early'. childhood in this Course.
\
Check Your Progress Exercise 1 ..,

1) Explain the meaning of the term 'Child Development' in the space provided below .

..............................................................................................................................................
24 .............................................................................................................................................
2) Read the sentences given below carefully and fill in appropriate words in the blanks Basic Concepts In Child
Development .
a) Development implies as well as changes while

growth refers only to changes that can be .

b) The three main characteristics of changes that can be termed development are

................................... , and .

3) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:

a) After birth, infancy is the period of growth.

b) The period of childhood is divided into preschool years spanning

.................................... to years and middle childhood

spanning to years .

.) :: is characterized by the appearance of secondary sexual

characteristics.

2.2.3 Areas of Development

The various developments that take place during the life span of an individual can be
classified thus: physical and motor development, social development, emotional
development, cognitive development and language development.

Physical development refers to the physical changes in the size, structure and
proportion of the parts of the body that take place from the moment of conception.

Motor development means the development of control over body movements. This
results in increasing coordination between various parts of the body. As a result of
physical and motor development the child acquires many abilities. These developments
will bring about the change from an infant who at the time of birth is capable of only
lying on her back to one who learns to roll over, hold her head, sit; walk, run and climb
stairs. The improving coordination between the eye and the hand movements will help
her to eat food without smearing it on her face. Gradually she will learn to clothe
herself, draw, skip, paint, ride a bicycle and type. As she grows she will refine the skills
already acquired as well as develop new ones.

Language development refers to those changes that make it possible for an infant, who
in the early months uses crying for communication, to learn words and then sentences to
converse fluently. How the. child learns to speak grammatically correct sentences is
amazing! At first the child indicates her need for water through crying. Then she learns
to say "water."A little later she says, "Mummy water" and finally she speaks a complete
sentence, "Mummy, I want to drink water." She will be about three years by this time.

Cognitive development concerns the emergence of thinking capabilities in the.

individual. We can see how the child's thinking develops and changes from one age to
the next. The infant is not born with the reasoning and thinking .abilities of adults. In
fact, the infant acts as if an object that is removed from her sight has ceased to exist.
Gradually she learns that objects and people are permanent and they exist even if she
cannot see them. Around five years of age she can understand concepts such as heavy
and light, fast and slow, colours and sizes which she did not comprehend earlier.
Exploration of the surroundings and the questions .regarding the 'why' and 'how' of
things result- in an increasing store of information. Her thought develops but she is still
unable to see a situation from another person's point of view. For example, she is
unable to 'understand why another child cannot climb the tree when she can do so. She
thinks that everybody else should be able to do. what she can and feel the way she does.
She believes that all things have life and feelings like her including the sun, stone,
pencil and table. A ten year old has learnt to reason and analyze but this ability is
limited to real life concrete situations. She cannot usually think in abstract terms or
predict future events. The capacity for abstract thinking develops fully during the period
of adolescence. She can now handle complex situations, Thus at each stage of a
person's life, the ability to think is qualitatively different and more developed compared
t.:., k earlier stage.
25
 j ••.•••••••

~ ,

Introduction to Ch'ild Care
and Development
'difficult to define. Nevertheless, according to a well known definition, it refers to the
In everyday use you would have often heard the term 'intelligence'. How are the terms
'cognitive development' and 'intelligence' used in Child Development? Cognitive
development, as you know, is the process of mental development from infancy to
adulthood. Cognition refers to the process of 'coming to know', which is accomplished
through the gathering and processing of information. It includes perceiving, learning,
remembering, problem solving, and thinking about the world. Intelligence is a term
iridividual's ability to "act purposefully, think rationally and deal effectively with the
environment". The two terms are often used interchangeably.

Related to the development of thought is the child's awareness of right and wrong, just
and unjust. The infant has no notion of right or wrong but learns it through early
socialization. Parental rules about what can be done and what cannot be done are
understood and become a part of the child's values.

Social development refers to the development of those abilities that enable the
individual to behave in accordance with the expectations of the society. It is concerned
with the child's relationships with people and her ways of interaction with them. The
infant instinctively reaches out to the person who approaches her with love and
affection. Gradually she learns to recognize her mother and other care givers and forms
attachment to them. Later she will form relationships with others. As an infant her
actions are centered around her own needs.

Learning to. trust one's brother

,Not before the children are seven or eight years of age will they be able to form stable
relationships based on give and take. This is also the time when children make friends
26 and can even identify a best friend. When the child comes in contact with other children
and adults she finds (''''. how to behave in a manner that i~ ;lc'C'f'.nt;lhl,.. In ,hp", ~hp
 learns the ways of eating, dressing, talking to elders and other things that. are a part. of Basic Concepts In Child
Development
her culture. She will know that it is not right to snatch a toy, hit a child or play out of
turn. Slowly she learns to cooperate, to be helpful and generous. The ability to
understand another person's point of view and a concern for others will help her to
form satisfying relationships with' people during adolescence and adulthood.
.\

Emotional development refers .to the emergence of emotions like anger, joy, delight,
happiness, fear, anxiety and sorrow and the socially acceptable ways of expressing them.
As the child grows up and becomes aware of acceptable ways of behaviour, a variety of
emotions also emerge. As an infant she expresses only discomfort and delight. As she
grows older, expressions of joy, happiness, fear, anger and disappointment appear. She
learns to express these emotions in a healthy manner. For example, initially the child
hits out when angry. Gradually she learns to control this and expresses anger in other
ways.

Personality is a word that we often use while describing a person. What is personality?
If you have observed children and adults over a period of time, you would have noticed
this: every individual has a characteristic way of thinking, feeling, relating to people and
reacting to situations which she displays in a wide variety of situations and settings.
Each child has a unique personality. What the child thinks about herself is an important
part of her personality since it determines how she interacts with others. A child who
feels confident and happy is likely to be affectionate with others. Personality thus refers
to a person's characteristic ways of relating to others and distinctive patterns of thinking
and feeling about oneself and other people. It emerges out of the child's experiences and
achievements in the areas of physical, motor, cognitive, language, social and emotional
development.

Interrelationship among various areas of development: We have been talking of

development in various areas as if each occurs independently of the others. However,
development in each area affects development in the others. Development of physical
skills makes the infant mobile, increases her range of activity ana helps her to explore
her surroundings. T9,J also helps in cognitive development. Language development helps
I .the child to communicate better. It also allows her to interact with more people. This
interaction has a significant influence on her social development. The increasing
complexity of thought and social interaction helps her to understand concepts like right
and wrong and good and bad. When we observe or talk about a child, we have to study
her as a whole person. The child is a complete person with the experiences and skills in
one area influencing the development in others. The effect of each area of development
cannot be separated out easily. We do not know any child well until we know her in all
spheres ()f functioning.

necx lour Progress Exercise 2

The following are some examples of children's behaviour. Under what areas of
development would you categorize them? Write in the space provided below.

a) The child is able to hit a ball with a bat.

.
......................................................................................................................................
.

b) The child of five years of age begins to understand why a stone sinks and a
blade of grass floats on water.

.......................................................................................................................................
c) The child shares toys with friends .

. .
d) The four year old child can recognize colours .

.... .... .... .. ...~ , ~ , .

e) The child becomes taller with age.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• : ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••

27
Introducdon to ChJld Care f) The child greets people whom she meets,
and Development '
.................................................................................... ' .
:) The child learns names of objects.

.................................................................................................. , , .

2.3 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF CHILD

DEVELOPMENT -
,--
,-
The discipline-of Child Development helps us to understand children's behaviour at
different ages and to guide them. Let us see how this information is helpful to us.

2.3.1 Describing Universal Patterns of Development

From the various examples you have been reading and from your observation of
children, you would have realized that there is a sequence in development. _Every child
first communicates with sounds and gestures. Then she learns words and uses them to
express herself and finally uses complete and grammatically correct sentences. There is a
similar sequence in the emergence of abilities in all areas of development. The sequence
or pattern is common to all children, that is, each child passes through these sequences
in the same order. In any area of development a specific ability emerges at a particular
age in most children. Thus, children usually learn to sit by six months of age, speak the
first words around the first birthday' and achieve the ability to think in absvact terms
around 12 years of age. There is, thus, a universal pattern in development. Furthermore,
no child can crawl before she can sit and no child can learn to relate to people before
she learns to relate to the primary caregiver. That is, in each area of development, the
emergence of one ability is dependent on and follows the previous one.

At the same time it is important to remember that when we speak of sequences in

development as related to age, the age specified is the average age. Though all children
go. through developmental sequences, they do so at different rates. This results in
individual differences in the ages at which children acquire a particular ability.
Therefore, while we say that children begin to walk around twelve months of age, one
child may begin to walk atnine months, another at 10 months and yet another at
15 months. Similarly, when we say that the ability to carry out abstract thinking
emerges around 12 years, one adolescent may achieve this earlier while another may do
so later. Thus, in fact. there is an age range within which a particular ability is acquired
by children, Therefore, during this Course whenever we speak of ages of emergence of
abilities, these are to be regarded as average ages. Only when a particular child's
development lags considerably behind this average is there a case for giving it special
attention.

These age ranges around which most children acquire a certain skill are used in
identifying norms of development. Norms help us to evaluate whether or not the child
is developing at a pace considered normal for .her age. For example, the average age
for beginning to walk is one year, but because of individual differences in the rate of
development, this may happen any time between 9 and 15 months. But if the child
does not begin to walk even after 15 months,the parents must look into this.

The term 'optimal' is often used in connection with development. What is meant by
optimal development? This means that growth. and changes are at an expected rate. In
other words, the child's development is following the norms. -Under normal
circumstances, when there are no special problems, optimal development will take
place. As you have just read, because of .individual differences in the rate of
development, a wide range of skills and abilities will fall within th~ range of optimal
development.'

2.3.2 Explaining Individual Differences in Development

Though there is a pattern of development which is common to all individuals, no two
children are alike. They vary in-their likes, dislikes, preferences, interests, skills and
28
 abilities and in the way they talk, look and behave. Individual differences refer to Basic Concepts In Cblld
Development
variations in children's personality, skills and attitudes. In a family one child may be
very quiet and do all the tasks given to her while tile other may always demand her
own way. Some children enjoy singing songs and others may not like music. Some
children run very fast and some can jump higher than others. You have just read that
there are individual differences in the ages at which children acquire a particular skill.

The understanding of individual differences helps us realize that every child is different
and should not be compared to others. However, if a child is aggressive and usually
fights with her friends, it is not enough to say, "That is the way she is." An effort
should be made to understand why she behaves that way. The child may be aggressive
just to get the attention of adults, the lack of which is giving her a sense of insecurity.
In such a case it is the attitude of the adults which is making the child behave as she
does.

2.3.3 Understanding Human Behaviour

Many attitudes and ways of behaviour of adults have their roots in childhood
experiences. The way an individual reacts to success and failure, faces challenges and
relates to others can be accounted for by the experiences in the early years of life. A
child who felt that she did not get adequate love and attention from parents may as an
adult feel that nobody likes her. A child who is scolded harshly for the smallest mistake
may grow up into an adult who fears to take initiative.

It is also important to remember that behaviour varies from one context to another.
Therefore, before arriving at any conclusion regarding a child, it is important to
understand the entire situation and •.c observe her in different contexts.

Take the case of Mohan woo is four years old and attends a nursery school. In scnool
Mohan is a quiet and shy child. He does not have any friends and does not speak a .
single word in the four hours that he is in school. He does not initiate anyactivity and
prefers to play by himself. However, he does what the teacher asks him to do. But the
same child is different once he' reaches home. He narrates the experiences of the day to
his mother, plays wzYhhis elder brother and sings songs heard in the school.

Thus we see the contrast in the behaviour of the child in the two contexts. If one had
observed Mohan only in the school situation, one would have concluded that he is a shy
child. This would not have been completely true. Observing him both at home as well
as in the school is necessary to draw a conclusion.

;. 2.3.4 Application in Day-to-Day Interactions with Children

A description of universal patterns in development and an explanation of individual
differences in relation to norms provides an understanding of children which is useful in
our day-to-day interactions with them. It provides an awareness of what children can do
and a sensitivity to deal with them and help in their development.
The norms indicate the average age ranges for emergence of abilities. This helps parents
and professionals to ascertain whether or not the child is developing within the age
range considered normal for various abilities. They can also plan for the next stage in
the sequence of development. For example, a child who is ready to talk may be given
opportunities and encouragement to do so, like playing language games and singing
songs. You will read in detail about the activities that can be done with children to
foster development in all areas in the Units that follow.
:'. With knowledge about the norms of development. the caregiver can plan activities for
children that would be of interest to them and in accordance with their abilities. A two
year old does not have the physical ability to write. Forcing her to learn to write or
ridiculing her when she cannot may create feelings of incompetence. If this task is given
to a five year old, she will learn to do it in a very short time. Expecting children to do
tasks for which they are not yet ready can result in feelings of inadequacy and
inferiority. At the same time, children like to face Challenges. They enjoy activities that
are slightly more complex than those they have mastered but which are not so difficult
in that they cannot do them despite repeated attempts. A child who has learnt to do
,~
29
Introduction to Child Care simple addition will enjoy learning toadd two-digit figures but will not be interested if'.
md Development
she is asked 1O do mulLiplicaLion since it is difficult for her. If asked to do simple '
addition repeatedly, the child will lose interest in it. The knowledge of Child
Development helps to choose suitable activities for fostering development of children.

Research findings provide information about the needs of children at different ages and
this information helps to plan health, nutrition and educational programmes. In this
Course you will read about the services for children in our country and learn how to
organize child care services.

At the conclusion of this Section it is important to keep one aspect in mind. While
talking about development one can only talk about possibiliLies. One can never say that
a certain development will definitely happen because a child has a particular experience.
For example, we cannot say with certainty that a child who has not had a satisfying
relationship with her parents in her early years will grow up into a person who finds it
difficult to relate to others. We can only say that there is a Iikelihood of such a thing
happening but whether it happens or not will depend on many other factors. These are
the child's temperament and IlIC opportunities she gets to fonn satisfying relationships
with other people later on. Of two children who are often ridiculed, one may develop
into a shy, withdrawn person while another may take it as a challenge and strive to
prove her worth. This is because each child will bring her personal characteristics and
past experiences to bear upon how she will handle the present situation. Earlier
experiences add up and influence the child's perceptions of the present situation. All of
this means that one can never predict with absolute certainty that a certain experience
will result in a particular development. An individual can take different paths in the
course of development.

2.4 IMPORTANCE OF INFANCY AND EARLY

CHILDHOOD
The periods of infancy and early childhood have been acknowledged as the most
significant in the life of an individual. What are the reasons for this? Firstly, research
a
has shown that the first few years of life influence later behaviour to large extent.
Many of the ways of thinking and behaviour of adults can be traced to early childhood
experiences.

Secondly, as you have read in the earlier part of the Unit, the rate of development in all
areas - physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional-is the most rapid during
these years. In this period it is possible to learn skills which become difficult, and at
times impossible, to acquire at a later age. A considerable amount of learning takes
place in this period. This learning prepares the child for adulthood. Children see adults
in various relationships such as father, mother, sister, brother, grandfather and in roles
such as weaver, doctor or postman. The preparation for adult roles which begins in
childhood is partly a result of direct teaching by the parents and partly a result of
observation and imitation of adults by children. Learning and acquiring skills continue
throughout life .but never again will the person acquire such a diverse range of skills in
such a short period.

The third reason for the significance of the periods of infancy and early childhood arises
from the second. Since development is proceeding at a very fast rate, unfavourable
experiences such as lack of adequate food, nurturance and care, unhealth~ living
conditions, sickness, lack of interaction with adults or exploitative working conditions
will hinder development 1O a considerable extent. In the same way, favourable
experiences will foster development. Thus both favourable and unfavourable experiences
()
will have a strong' impact during this period. It is, therefore, important that the child has
a minimum of harmful experiences. Love, nurturance and care are central to
development in all. areas. Development is not a result of the mechanical act of feeding,
bathing and physical care but rather of a feeling of total well being that arises from
growing up in an atmosphere of love and warmth with opportunities for learning.
. '
The need for love, nurturance and secure relationships continues throughout life but it is
of utmost importance in the early years because this is the time when the child is
developing self esteem. Positive experiences are important in this period. The
30
 Basic ColKepts in Clill.C
foundations of the feelings of security and confidence are laid in the early years. Why Developmenl
are these feelings important? They are important because they influence the attitude with
which a person approaches a task, whether the task is learning to ride a cycle, doing
well in school, making new friends or learning to cast a net If one is not confident
about oneself, one does not expect to succeed ..

The above discussion is an overview of the 'importance of the periods of infancy and.
early childhood. As you read the following Blocks, you will study in detail th~j~ .
development in each area and how it can be fostered.

Check Your Progress Exercise 3

Read the following questions carefully and answer in the space provided below.

1) Define the term 'Norms of Development'

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
. ~ •• ,0 •••••••••••••••
.

2) Stale how the study of Child Development will be useful to you .

....................................................................... : ; : .
••••••• i •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ,•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

....... .. .. .. ; ' ~ ,
I

. 3) Give three reasons for ~e importance of the periods of infancy and early childhood.
i.

.............................................................................................................................................. ;'- -,',

=: .' , ~ .

/
)
.. ; ~ .

. 2.5 SUMMING UP
In this Unit you have read that the field of Child Development is concerned with
describing and explaining the changes that take place during the course of development
Development refers to all qualitative and quantitative changes in the individual that are
long lasting, orderly and progressive. Growth, on the other hand, refers to only those
changes that can be measured. The human life span is divided into five stages: infancy
(birth-2 years), preschool' years (2-6 years), middle. childhood (6-12 years), adolescence
(l2~18 years) and adulthood (18 years onwards). These stages are characterized by
differences in thinking and physical, social, emotional and language abilities of the
individual. Change from one stage to the other is gradual and' the age limits are not
rigid. The various areas of development are: cognitive, physical, motor, social, emotional
and language development. Personality refers to the person's characteristic ways of
relating to others and distinctive patterns of thinking and feeling about oneself and
others.

The study of Child Development gives Us ~n insight into human behaviour arid describes
universal patterns of development. The average age ranges at which individuals acquire
0' specific skills help us to identify norms. These norms help us to evaluate the children's
Q

-
Q

"'"
progress and plan and devise play activities for them. Individual differences among
. children help us to fippr~dale that every child is. unique. This knowledge helps-in day-
to-day interaction with children.
. ill! ',,1,1 Hon to Child Care
tU-t .' . "u "Wilt 2.6 GLOSSARY
Attachment: An emotional bond between tile infant and tile caregiver, The infa.nt will
approach this person in distress and display anxiety if separated from her.

Babbling: A term used to refer to the sounds produced by tile infant around () mouths
of age. These sounds are repetition of syllables like 'gagaga ...' 'dedede ... :

Fertilized Ovum: When the ovum and the spenn unite, the ovum is referred to as
fertilized ovum.

Nurturance: Providing emotional support, food. shelter. protection etc. to tile young.
weak or helpless.

Peer group: This term is used to describe children's or adolescents' group of friends
where the members arc of approximately the same age.

Skills: A co-ordinated series of actions that serve to attain some goal or accomplish a
particular task.

Self esteem: The degree to which one values oneself. Self esteem emerges from OIlC'S
evaluation of oneself. Thus a person who has more positive feelings about herself has a
high self esteem. but one who has more negative feelings about herself has a low self
esteem. It determines the extent to which people anticipate success in what tile} do and
believe themselves to be capable, successful and worthy.

2.7 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

EXERCISES

Check Your Progress Exercise 1

1) Child Development studies tile changes in behaviour of children over time, It aims
to explain why and how these changes occur. It studies the physical. motor, social.
cognitive. emotional and language development of children.

2) a) quantitative. qualitative. measured

b) orderly. progressive. long lasting

3) a) most rapid
b) 2. 6; 6. 12
c) adolescence

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) a) Motor development
b) Cognitive development
c) Social development
d) Cognitive development
e) Physical development
f) Social development
g) Language development

Check Your Progress Exercise 3

1) Norms refer to average age ranges at which individuals acquire particular

abilities.

2) The study of Child Development will help you to describe universal patterns of
development as welI as understand individual differences between children. It also

2
 provides a better understanding of human behaviour and thus helps in day-to-day Basic Concepts In Child
Development ~
interaction with children.

3) Infancy and early childhood are important periods in a person's life because
experiences during these periods influence later behaviour to a large extent. The rate
of development is fast during these periods and the child learns a great deal. Thus
any favourable or unfavourable experience in these periods may foster or hamper
development.

33
 UNIT 3 .PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT;
Structure
3.1 Introduction
3.Z Principles of Development
.3.2.1 Directionof Development
3.2.2 Rate of Development,
3.2.3 Differentiation and Integration
3.2.4 Critical Periods
3.3 Influences on Development
3.4 Summing Up
3.5 Glossary
3.6 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

3.1 INTRODUCTION.
In the earlier Units you have been reading about the experiences of chil.dren and some
basic concepts in Child Development. You learnt that there are universal patterns in .
development. Development also (ollows certain principles that an: common for all
. individuals. In this Unit you will read about these principles. Development is mtlusnced
by many factors. These factors can be grouped under the two main heads of heredity
and environment. In' this Unit you will also read how heredity and environment
influence development.

.Objectives
After studying this Unit, you will be able to:
• describe the principles of development
• understand the meaning of 'heredity' and 'environment" and explain how they
interact to. influence development in all areas

3.2 PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT

In the second Unit of this Block, you read about certain characteristics of development
Can you recall them? They are as follows: development is orderly, progressive and
results in changes. that are long lasting. In this Section, you will read about. the
principles that govern development.

3.2.1 Direction of Development

, 'Physical and motor development follow two directions. One direction is the bead-to-toe
direction. Development proceeds from the head to the feet. In other words, .
improvements in structure and functions come first in the head region, then in the trunk.
.and finally in the leg .region. This principle is applicable in the case of prenatal (before
birth) as well as postnatal (after birth) development. It has been observed that in the
embryo, the bead region is the first to develop, followed by the trunk and then the
limbs.In fact, at eight weeks after conception, the head comprises half the entire length
of the embryo. In the entire prenatal' life,'.head continues to be the fastest growing part
of the. body.-This is not to say that the rest of the body is not developing .
simultaneously. It is simply that the head is developing faster.

As a matter of fact, in the contextof direction of development in general, it is important

to point out that when one part of the body is growing rapidly, the other parts are also
developing at the same time, but at a slower rate compared to the part which is the
focus of growth and development.

Since the head developed fastest in prenatal life, it is obviously more developed than.
any other p~ of the body at birth. After birth, the focus of development shifts
34 .. - - ".
downwards to other areas of the body. The focus first becomes the torso, followed by
the arms and the legs. This is clear when we look at the growth in 'size of the different
body parts from birth to maturity. While the head only doubles in size between birth
and maturity, the lower parts of the body have to do more growing to reach adult size.
The torso triples in length, the arms and hands increase in length by about four times,
and the legs and feet increase by about five times.

Motor development also follows the head-to-toe direction of development. The muscles
of the head region come under control first leading to the control of movements of the
eyes and mouth. Then the neck muscles come under control, later the arms and torso
and fmally the legs. As a result of this, you would have seen that babies learn to hold
their head up before they acquire the ability to sit, and they are able to sit before they
are able to walk.
,.
The second direction that physical and motor development follow is from the centre or
the body to the ends, that is, development proceeds outwards. Figure 3.1 shows the
central axis of the body. The body parts and the muscles which are near the axis grow
earlier and those which are the farthest are the last to develop. In the prenatal period the
head, spinal cord, heart and the trunk which are towards the centre of the body are the
first to develop. The arms and the legs, which are away from the axis, develop later.
The fingers and toes that are at extreme ends are the last to develop. This principle is
also evident in motor coordination, The movement of the arms which the child can
control earliest are those which use the shoulder muscles (nearer the centre of the body).
Gradually, the child learns to control the muscles of the elbow, then the ~st and last
.of all the fingers. This will become clear if you observe an infant reaching for an
object lying near her.' At three months the baby uses her whole arm while reaching for
the object. As she grows older she is able to reach for' the object by using only the
elbow. Similarly, to pick up an object the child initially uses 'her whole hand. She can

Fig. 3.1 : Central axis Fig. 3.2 : Centre-to-perjphery and

head-to-toe directions of development

35
introduction to ClUId Care pick it up using the fingers only at a later stage. This shows that the child uses the
aDd Development
muscles of her shoulders, which are close to the centre, before she is able to use the
muscles of the fingers which are at the periphery of the body. Similarly, the child is
able to control the movements of her legs before she can use the toes. These examples
show that the child first achieves the coordination of large muscles (such as shoulders)
of the body since they are closer to the axis, before she can coordinate the small
muscles (such as fingers and toes) which are towards the periphery. Figure 3.2
illustrates the head-to-toe and centre-to-ends directions of development.

3.2.2 Rate- of Development

Individual differences In rate of development: You have read that development of all
children follows a particular sequence. 'For example, in the case of motor development
all children will first learn to roll on their backs, then sit, creep, walk, run, climb and so
on. Each child's development will pass through these stages. You would also recall
reading in the earlier Unit that the ages at which children acquire these abilities are
different. One child may begin to walk at nine months and another may do so at 13
months of age. This means that while development follows the same sequence, there are
individual differences in the rate of development Consequently, there are differences in
the age when children reach a particular milestone of development or acquire a
particular ability. Because of these individual differences in development, some children
may recognize and name colours at three years of age while others may do so at five
years of age. One girl may start menstruating at 10 years of age and another at , 13
years. One boy may grow fast and attain his full height by 12 years while another's
growth may be slow and he may achieve his height only by 16 years.

Sex differences In rate of development: There are differences in the rate _of
development of boys and girls. In prenatal period the skeletal system of girls grows
faster as compared to boys. Therefore, at birth girls .are ahead of boys in their skeletal
development. The period of puberty is about two years earlier for girls than for boys.

3.2.3 Differentiation and Integration

Development follows the principles of differentiation and integration. Let us understand
these through the following example. The fertilization of the ovum with the sperm
results in a single cell, which is called a zygote. The zygote then starts multiplying at a
very fast rate into cells that are all of the same kind. These cells then acquire different-
characteristics and form different tissues like nerves, bones, blood and so forth; each
having a special function. These different tissues subsequently- coordinate with each
other to form complex systems like the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems.

When the similar cells of the zygote change to form different tissues like nerves and
bones, the process is differentiation. DIITerentlatlon means that development proceeds
from simple to complex, from general to specific. In the above process, development
was seen to proceed from identical cells to complex tissues, each of which had its own
specific functions. When different tissues coordinate to form a system, the process is
called integration. Integration means coordination of various parts to form an
increasingly complex structure. It also refers to coordination of different behaviour
patterns that result in a higher level of complexity.

The principles of differentiation and integration can be seen in all areas of development.
Let us see how this principle applies to social development. Initially, the infant smiles at
all faces. This is because she cannot recognize different people. A little later she learns
to differentiate the mother's face from the faces of others and smiles only at her.·
Gradually the infant recognizes other people who interact with her regularly and smiles -
only at those people who are familiar to her. Thus she learns to differentiate the faces of
people she knows from ones she does not know. She can also differentiate the mother's
touch and smell from that of the others. Then she integrates the mother's face, voice,
smell and touch and so learns that all these aspects belong to one person.
.
,I' ~-
\' Cognitive development also proceeds through differentiation and integration. The child
rust learns to differentiate between more and less. This later helps her to learn the more
specific concept of number, that is, understand the meaning of one, two, three and so '
on. Using these concepts she then integrates them to learn new and complicated
36
concepts of addition, subtraction, division and multip1jcation.
Similarly, the child learns to walk and as she grows older the walking differentiates into Ft!--~l..,. fit
De"~opm,,,n
hopping, running, skipping, and so forth. When the child learns to walk, she walks
simply for the pleasure of it. Later she walks to take a..~object from one place to
another. Walking thus becomes integrated with the purpose of carrying things from one
place to another.

3.2.4 Critical Periods

There are some periods in the life of the child _that are crucial for development and
learning. During these periods if the child has favourable experiences, her development
will be fostered. If in these periods experiences are unfavourable, development suffers.
At times, the damage done because of unfavourable experiences may be irreversible.
These periods when a child is particularly sensitive to the conditions in her environment
are referred to as critical periods or sensitive periods.

A critical or sensitive period is that time period in life when an environmental influence
has its greatest impact on the development of the child. During this period, specific
experiences affect the development of the child more than they do at other times.

Such periods are critical for development because during these periods the child is ready
to learn a particular skill. For example, a child begins to speak only when she is able to
control the movements of the tongue, lips and vocal chords and the brain has developed
further. That is, the child must be biologically ready to speak. This biological readiness
refers to maturation. However, besides being mature the child needs to hear language
in order to be able to speak. Therefore, in 'order to learn speech the child must be
biologically ready as well as get opportunities to hear language and speak it. You may
have noticed that by and large it is around twelve months of age that the child utters the
first word. Before this, though the child understands words, she cannot speak them and
no amount of effort will help her speak since she is not biologically mature. But
opportunities to hear and practise speech are also important. If she does not have them,
she will not be able to speak in spite of being biologically mature. This is clear from
the study of deaf children. A child who cannot hear speech will not be able to talk.
Thus children who are deaf or hard of hearing in the early years of life do not learn to
speak unless efforts are made to enable them to hear language, for instance through
bearing aids. It is observed that children generally have a readiness to distinguish sounds
and thus learn speech in the early years of life. The first few years are thus considered
critical for acquiring language.

You would have understood that a critical period is one when the child is maturationally
ready to acquire a skill. During this period the child must have favourable experiences
(in the above example, opportunities to hear and practise speech), whicb will help her to
acquire the skill. If the favourable experiences come after the critical period is over, the
child finds it difficult to learn.

There are critical periods in prenatal development as well. It has been observed that the
first three months of pregnancy are by and large critical for most body systems and
exposure to harmful environmental factors during these months can cause major
developmental defects. The first three months of pregnancy correspond to the embryonic
and early foetal periods of prenatal development It is during this time that cell
differentiation, tissue specialization and organ formation is taking place. As a result,
most of the harmful environmental elements have maximum impact on the unborn child
during this period. In subsequent months, the foetus is less susceptible and vulnerable to
environmental influences. Let us consider an example. German measles may cause
blindness,.deafness, heart defects, brain damage or limb deformity in a child developing
in the mot,ber's womb, depending upon the particular time in the developmental
sequence when the mother contracts the disease. While considerable damage is caused in
the first three months of pregnancy, the disease does not harm the foetus in any
significant way if the mother contracts it in later months of pregnancy. Thus in this
particular example, unfavourable conditions had an impact only during the period critical
for development

Critical periods are observed in social and emotional.development also. The infant forms
her first relationship with the caregiver, who is usually the mother, during the first six
 , ' ,

, IntrodudJon to Child Care months of life, Research shows that the child can form this relationship only if the
and Development
caregiver is loving and nurturant. Children who are unable to form an emotional
attachment during the first six months show distress, They cry more, are fearful, do not
respond to people and withdraw from social contact. If this neglect of the child
, continues. she may find it difficult to form strong relationships later in life. Thus the
first six months .are critical for social development
\,

Though you have been reading that critical periods are the best time for learning, you
must remember that they are not the only time for learning, Human beings are very
resilient and a child can learn after a critical period is over, though with some difficulty,
In one particular case a six-and-a-half year old girl had been isolated with her mute
mother from the time of her birth, The girl could not speak. She was then given special
instruction, Gradually she learnt to speak and at 14 years of age she appeared to be
normal, According to recent research. in fact the brain is particularly capable of learning
language till one reaches puberty,

Similarly. that children can recover from unfavourable emotional experiences is seen
from the experiences of children who were deprived of a loving caregiver in the first six
months of life, Though these children started showing the symptoms described above.
- , when they were provided f loving environment after this period. they recovered, Most of
I their symptoms disappeared and they learnt to relate to people and form relationships.
.
\, .

, Check Your Progress Exercise 1

.",
..
,
..

1) Match the items given in column 1 with those in column 2,

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2

a) Head-to-toe development i) the child initially uses the whole arm to

reach for an object. Gradually she
learns to use muscles of the wrist and
fingers to,pick up an object.

b) Centre-to-ends development ii) first the child learns to control the

movements of the neck and later
develops the coordination of lower
limbs because of which she learns to
crawl and walk.
~',
c) Differentiation Hi) the understanding of numbers leads to
learning of more complex concepts like
addition and subtraction.

d) Integration iv) the child learns to recognize the

mother's voice from other people's
voices.

2) Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with appropriate words.

a) The rate of development of the various parts of the body is ~ .

b) There are in the rate of development of boys and girls.

c) There are in tbe ages at which

children reach a particular milestone of development.

3) Read the following statements carefully, Write whether. they are true or false in the
space provided after each statement.

a) Maturation refers to the biological readiness to perform a task or learn a skill.

, (

'I" b) Both biological readiness and experiences and opportunities to practise are
essential for any learning or development. (
.c) Critical periods are the only times for learning particular skills. (
38 '
\
 Principles of
3.3 INFLUENCES ON DEVELOPMENT Development

You have read in the earlier subsection on critical periods that development and learning
take place when the child is mature or ready to \earn and when opportunities for
learning are available. The biological readiness or maturation is mainly determined by
heredity. The child also inherits many other traits and characteristics. Heredity is one
factor that influences development. The other factors are the experiences of the child
and opportunities available to her. These are determined by the child's environment.
Development and learning are the result of interaction between heredity and
environment. Let us now read what is meant by these two terms.

Environment refers to the external conditions that influence development. We can

consider environment as prenatal and postnatal. The prenatal environment is the mother's
womb. The foetus is affected by the kind and amount of food the mother eats, physical
work done by her, illnesses she may have during pregnancy and drugs consumed by her.
The mother's feelings and emotions will also affect the foetus.

After birth the environment influences the development of the child in many ways. We.
refer to this as the postnatal environment. TIle postnatal environment can be divided into
physical and social influences. Physical environment refers to the ecological conditions:
the type of food eaten, tile occupation of the people, the amount of living space, the
surroundings, facilities (hospitals, electricity, water, etc.) and media (television, radio,
newspapers, etc.). Social environment refers to the settings in which the child has
. interactions with other people. The interaction is influenced by size and type of family,
gender, culture, religion and social class. Environment provides the experiences to the
child.

Heredity refers to the inborn traits and characteristics. These characteristics are
transmitted to the child from the parents. The colour of one's hair, skin and eyes, the
shape of one's nose and the body structure are determined by heredity. A person's
mental capacity and some personality traits are also determined by heredity to a certain
extent. Genes transmit the hereditary characteristics from parents to children. They carry
the codes of the biological development of an individual. The maturation of different
parts of the body is also determined by genes. At what stage in life a particular organ/
system matures is determined by genes. Some genes are common to all human beings
such as for two arms, two legs, a heart, a digestive system, and a code for the pattern of
development. These genes make human beings different from a tree or a horse.'
However, the length of the arms and legs, the size of fingers and toes, colour of eyes,
hair, skin etc. are unique for every individual. This makes each person different from
every other. No two people have an identical set of genes except in the case of identical
twins. Identical twins are two babies born from the division of a single zygote. Some
time two ova are fertilized by two sperms at the same time, which results in two
zygotes and the twins, are called fraternal twins. Each of these twins has different
genetic material because they result from the fusion of a separate ovum and sperm.

Let us now understand the complex roles of heredity and environment in human
development. There have been many views concerning the relative influence of heredity
and environment on development. Atone time environment was regarded to be playing
a greater role than heredity. At another time the role of heredity was considered greater
than that of environment. Neither view is now central. The issue is not whether it is
heredity or environment that influences development, neither is it how much of the
development is to be attributed solely to heredity or environment. Both heredity and
environment interact to influence various aspects of development. It: is not easy to
separate the effects of the two since interaction between them is continuous and
complex.

In the case/of physical development, characteristics like height, weight, rate of growth,
physical features, blood pressure and heart beat are to a large extent determined by .
genes. However, environment does have an effect on these. For example, if one of the
identical twifts suffers from a severe infection at an early age and is seriously ill for a
long time, it is most likely that she will not have the same gain in weight and height as
the healthy twin. This may result in the sick twin being shorter and lighter than the
healthy twin in spite of the fact that both had the same genes for height and weight.
39
 ... i

Introduction to Child Care In relation to motor development you have read that a child needs to be biologically
and Development
ready or mature to learn motor skills. A child's muscles, bones and nerves must be
developed to a certain level to allow walking. Thus acquiring of motor skills is greatly
determined by maturation. Further evidence for this is obtained when you read that
motor development follows a universal pattern and sequence. This shows the role of
genes. However, the role of environment cannot be ruled out. The environment provides
opportunities for practice which is very essential for acquiring motor skills. A child will
learn to ride a cycle only if she gets the opportunity to do so; The interaction between
heredity and environment is continuous.
Studies have been done to understand the interaction of heredity and environment on
cognitive development. In one particular study infants living in orphanages were
observed. In these institutions one caregiver looked after many children. She, therefore,
did not have enough time to talk to or play with U1C children. The cognitive
development of these children was found to' be below the norms for their age.
Subsequently, thirteen of these children were put in the care of women in an institution
where they got nurturance, care and attention. These women had time to play with them.
After a period of two years 'all the thirteen children showed an increase in their
cognitive functioning compared to children who had remained in the orphanage. After
twenty years it was found that all thirteen children were economically independent. The
children who had stayed continuously in the orphanage were still dependent on adult
help and institutional care. This study illustrates the role of a nurturing and stimulating
environment in cognitive development.
Intelligence is influenced by genes as well. A certain genetic abnormality results in the
absence of a gene because of which a particular enzyme is not produced in the body.
Due to tJ1C lack of this enzyme, toxic substances get accumulated in the body. These
toxic chemicals affect the nervous system and may cause mental retardaucn. But
environment has a role to play here also. If the condition is identified early and the
needed treatment is given, in general the harm to the nervous system can be controlled
and the' child will not be mentally retarded. Heredity provides a certain potential for
intelligence and the environment determines how much of the individual's potential is
realized.
The interaction of heredity and environment can be observed in language development
also. Children who are born deaf do not learn to speak in the normal course of life. But
it has been observed that the infant did babble in the early months but the frequency of
babbling decreased because she could not hear the response of the caregivers. Thus she
had no feedback regarding the sounds she was producing and failed to develop speech.
If the problem is detected early and hearing aids provided, the child can learn to speak
and gradually catch up with.others of her age.
How do heredity and environment influence the behaviour and personality of an
individual? You have read that the height ofa person is determined by heredity to a
large extent. One's height can influence one's self-image. If a person is less than the
average height she may feel self-conscious or inadequate, which may interfere with her
social interactions. From the earlier Units you will remember that environment
determines the type of experiences the child has. These experiences will also influence
the child's personality development.
One cannot say that personality is directly influenced by heredity. Genes do not directly
produce anger, likes and dislikes, jealousy, a love of fun or a serious nature. Genes may
act on the physiology of an individual which leads to the development of certain
personality characteris~ics. For example, the level of activity of a child seems to be
determined by heredity. Studies also reveal that children who are active at birth may
start walking earlier and they continue to be more active than other children. This may
influence development in other areas and specific aspects of the personality.
The genetic make-up ofan individual may also account for certain emotional
disturbances. It has been observed that children whose parents are suffering from an
emotional disturbance are more likely to have an emotional problem. In the case of
identical twins, if one twin develops a problem the chances are that the other will also
develop it. It can not be said that the child inherits the emotional disturbance itself.
What is actually inherited is the level of stress a person can tolerate. Whether the
disturbance is manifested or not will depend on the experiences of the child. If the
environment is stressful. the child is likely to be emotionally disturbed. In a favourable
setting the child can be normal despite a genetic predisposition to emotional problems.
 Principles 01
From the above discussion one can conclude that heredity and environment interact in
Development
all areas of development. Heredity sets the limits to what a person can achieve and
environment determines how much of this potential is realized. In no case can we say
that development is a consequence of only heredity or only environment. It is a result of
the interaction between the two. The different genetic material that each one of us
i inherits and. the varied experiences we have account for the differences among us.

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) The following figure includes the factors that influence development. Complete the
blanks in the figure.

Factors influencing development

Heredity Environment

Prenatal
environment

Ph~1
ysica
environment

2) Fill in the blanks in the sentences given below with appropriate words.

a) -Environment refers to the conditions thar influence development.

b) are transmitted from the parents to the children.

c) No two individuals have the genetic material except in the case

of twins.

L. d) Heredity and environment to influence all areas of development.

3.4 .SUMMING UP
In this Unit you read about the principles of development. The direction of physical and
motor development is governed by two principles. These are: that development proceeds
from head-to-toe and centre-to-ends. The rates of development of the various parts of
the body at anyone period of life are different. Though there is a universal pattern in
, development, there are differences in the pace at which every individual develops. There
are sex differences as well in the aspects of development. Development follows the
principle of differentiation and integration. Differentiation means that development
proceeds from simple to complex, from general to specific. Integration means
coordination of various parts to form an increasingly complex structure. It also refers to
coordination of different behaviour patterns that result in a higher .level of complexity.
Both processes are involved in growth and development.

In the course of development there are some periods when the child is mature, i.e.,
biologically ready, to learn a particular skill. At this time it is important that the child
has the appropriate experience so that learning takes place. These periods are referred to
as critical periods. Critical periods are the best time periods to learn. However, even
after the critical period, learning can take place but it requires more effort. It may at
.times be impossible to learn a skill after the critical period is over.

You have also learnt that environment and heredity are the two factors that influence
development. Environment can be categorized as prenatal and postnatal. Postnatal
environment includes physical settings and social experiences. Heredity refers to the
traits and characteristics that the child.is bQm with. These are transmitted from the
parents to the children through genes. Human development is a result of the interaction
between heredity and environment. '
Introduction to Child Care
and Development 3.5 - GLOSSARY
Self-Image: One's' views about one's personality. It includes what one feels, thinks and
imagines about oneself. One may think oneself to be a .person who is friendly, outgoing.
or shy, intelligent. brave, serious natured, immature in dealing with people,
straightforward. one who speaks too much, etc.

Milestones of Development: Significant behaviours which are used to mark the progress
of development. Walking is a milestone in motor development; understanding that things
are present somewhere even if not visible is a milestone in cognitive development and
learning to recognize the mother in social development, etc.

Perlphery: External boundary.

Resilient: Capable of recovering from hardship.

Torso: The human body without the head and limbs.'

Creeping: Moving on hands and knees with the abdomen raised from the surface.'

•
3.6 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
EXERCISES
Chec~ YOUI"Progress Exercise 1

1) a) ii
b) I

c) iv
d) iii

2) 'a) different'
b) differences
c) individual differences
3) a) True
b) True
c) False. Critical periods an: the hest times for learning particular skills.

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

1) Factors influencing development

Heredity environment

I ~
genes Prenatal Postnatal
environment environment

~
Physical Social
environment environment

2) a) external
b) Genes
c) same, identical
d) interact

2
 UNIT 4 NEEDS AND RIGHTS OF
CHILDREN

Structure
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Need for Physical Care
4.3 Need for Stimulation
4.4 Need for Love and Nurturance
4.5 When Needs are Not Met
4.6 Children with Special Needs
4.7' The Rights of Children
4.7.1 UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child
4.7.2 Directive Principles of the Indian Constitution
4.7.3 National Policy for Children
4.8 Child Care Services
4.8.1 The Need for Child Care Services
4.8.2 Components of Child Care Services
4.9 Summing Up
4:10 Glossary
4.11 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

4.1 INTRODUCTION
Human beings in, their present form have been known to have existed on planet earth
for over a million years. Fossils that have been discovered give indications of events of
ages ago. There are fossils, which date back to more than a million years ago, of a
family leading a child across a mud plain in Africa. Family life seems to have begun
with the very first people on earth. That children need special care and nurturance is a
fact as old as our civilization. A newborn child needs the care and protection of adults
if she is to survive. She has many abilities which help her to adjust to her
surroundings - she can see, hear, feel, taste and smell. She is able to make sounds to
attract the attention of people. She can make movements and can suck at her mother's
I breast. She has a brain which helps her to understand what is happening around her. But
in spite of these abilities the child cannot survive if left alone. She must get care and
protection from adults. The need of the child for physical care is apparent and obvious
to most of us. What is sometimes forgotten is that children also need love, affection and
stimulation.

Objectives
After studying this Unit, you should be able to:

• discuss the importance of the child's needs for physical care, stimulation, love and
affection
• recognize that some children have special needs
• identify the rights of children
• be aware of the measures in India for meeting the needs of children
• explain the components of child care services

4.2 NEED FOR PHYSICAL CARE

Physical care of the child is essential to ensure her survival. During infancy the child is /
./
totally dependent on the caregiver. She must be fed, clothed, bathed, attended to, ,
provided a safe place for sleeping and resting and protected from harm and accidents. l
At the child grows older; she learns to do many things on her own - she can eat by
herself, take off some clothes, walk and run. But even though she is learning to do
some tasks on her own, she still looks to adults for help in other tasks. For example, by
 __~cUon to Child Care without guidance. But when the caregiver takes the child with her to the market, she
and Development
needs to hold the child's hand. The child has to be cared for at all ages, though the kind
of care changes with, age and setting.

Good health is important to ensure optimal development of the child. The child must be
protected from sickness and disease as these can slow down her development. A sick
child is not interested in her surroundings and is often listless and irritable. Insanitary
living conditions, unsafe drinking water and unhealthy ways of cooking and eating food
can breed disease.

The child needs food for survival and development. It is important that the child eats
food which contains all the nutrients in the amounts required by her body. As the child
grows she naturally needs more food. You will read more about the type, quality and
quantity of food that the child requires at different ages in the subsequent Blocks.

4.3 NEED FOR STIMULATION

To understand what is meant by stimulation, try a small experiment. Sit in a closed
room which is bare of all belongings. It should not have things like pictures, calendars,
books and magazines. There should be no other person in the room. There should
only be a mat or a chair on which you can sit. The windows and doors of the room
should be closed and should have, curtains drawn so that you cannot see outside and
are not able to hear. Thus there is nothing inside or outside the room which can attract
your attention. Now sit alone in the room without doing anything. You will find it
very difficult to sit there for more than a few minutes unless you are trained in
meditation!

If you really do sit in that closed room for a few hours, it is possible that by the end of
it you will feel strange. Perhaps you will spend some time imagining different things
and probably sleep for some time, After a few hours you will probably want to run out,
meet people and talk to them, listen to the sounds of birds, read a magazine or do
something else. In short, you will want to go out and participate in an activity. What .\
does this experiment. tell you about yourself? All of us need and seek events and I

experiences that we find interesting, that cause us to think and respond. At. all times our ~
senses provide us information about our surroundings. People and surroundings provide' I
stimulation to us and we are attracted to the unfamiliar and the more exciting. One may
say that we need 'food for thought'. But this does not mean that one constantly needs
stimulation. There are times when you are tired and need rest. 'The need for stimulation
is interspersed with the need for rest. But once rested you begin to seek out people and
events again.

During the course of the day many events take place around you 'but you give your
complete attention only to some events. Others are ignored or attended to only partially,
As an example consider making a trip to the market from your house. For the major
part of the trip you concentrate upon reaching the market taking care to avoid an
accident. planning your shopping and other activities associated with it. Perhaps you
might notice that a child carrying .a bucket slips, tltat the sky is becoming' cloudy or that
a new building is coming up. But there are many other events which you do not notice.
You attend to events that are important to you in that situation or attract your attention
in some way. In other words, you respond to the stimulating events in the surroundings
selectively.

Let us now understand what we mean by stimulation in the context of the child. Any
event that causes the child to respond is stimulauon.. The father's smile, his words of
encouragement and his embrace stimulate the child. They give the child the information
that the father loves her and stimulate the child to respond to him. The touch of a hot
object is a stimulus which hel ~ the child to reach the conclusion that touching bot
objects is painful and they must not be touched. The activities of running, hopping and
other games are stimulati g to the.child, A toy, a book, a tree, a loud noise, the stars,
o
o
o
-
,..-
the river - all stimulate the child. The entire environment is full of events. people and 't'"

things, each one of which can be a stimulus. Cl)

4
picks up a flower, she feels it, tries to put it in her mouth and shows it to the person Needs and Rights of
Children
standing beside her. The adult probably responds by saying, "Yes, this is a flower but
do not put it in your mouth!" The child may examine the flower closely but after a few
minutes she may drop it to attend to something else. At three years of age the same
flower makes the child ask, "What is the name of this flower?" By the time this child is
five years old she wants to know how plants grow. She becomes interested in the
variety of plants and learns that plants have different shapes, colours and sizes. At eight
she may try growing a plant and is interested in observing how it grows from week to
week. She learns that plants are living things. As a college student she may become a
scientist specializing in Botany. Thus as the child grows, her thinking becomes more
complex and she attends to more details. Some more examples will make this clear. A
three year old child enjoys singing rhymes. A nine year old, however, may prefer to
read a short story to singing a rhyme. However, one does not expect this child to read a
book which is beyond her capabilities and, therefore, not meaningful. Three year olds
like to jump from low heights because they have just mastered the skill and enjoy
practising it; six year olds, on the other hand, would experiment hopping on one leg. It
must be clear by now that stimulation refers to providing the child a variety of
experiences that are meaningful.
The child's need for ·,..i.mulation leads her to explore. You have read in the first Unit
that chiloren are curious by nature. Exploration is tile way the child learns about the
world. It gives the child a sense of wonder about people and things, The play activities
of children provide opportunities to find out about the world. Children learn during the
course of play. It is curiosity and the desire to explore that have led people to making
discoveries. At no oilier age is this urge more apparent than in childhood. This urge is
the starting point of all educational programmes.
Let us now see how stimulation and exploration foster development. When a
one-year-old points to an object and looks at the person standing beside her, the latter
responds by saying, "This is a balloon. Do you want it?" In this process the child's
language develops. She has come to know that the object is called a balloon. Even
though she cannot speak as yet, she has begun to understand simple speech. She has
also heard a statement and a question and will realize that structure of language contains
questions and answers.

The child's social and emotional traits develop from her daily interactions with people
and the stimulation she gets from them. The smile of the caregivers, their playful
interactions in feeding, talking to and dressing up the child help her to form
relationships.
Stimulation is essential for cognitive development. During infancy the caregiver and
other adults talk to the child, tickle her, sing with her and play games such as hide and
seek. Such playful interactions are the basis for learning. A stimulating environment
during the preschool years, where tile child has a variety of experiences and
opportunities to explore and adults who help her understand her experiences and answer
her queries, promote the child's development. In the later Blocks you will read about the
play activities mat children find stimulating and that foster development.

4.4 NEED }'OR LOVE AND NURTURANCE

Love and nurturance are central to the development of the child. Who is a loving and
nurturing caregivcr? A loving caregiver attends to the child's needs promptly and with
concern. When me infant cries, for example, she trie lO find the reason for it and
comforts her. The caregiver also anticipates the child's needs and thus reduces her
distress. Some acts of nurturance are talking with the child, playing and singing with
her, listening to what the child has to say and spending time with the child. Love and
warmth can be communicated while answering the child's questions, appreciating and
praising her or explaining to her when she does something wrong. Let us now see how
love and nurturance help in development
Love and nurturance lay the foundation for social and emotional development. As you
know, me infant develops an attachment to the person who looks after her. This
attachment forms the basis for ail later relationships. If the infant finds the experience
with this person rewarding. she feels it IS worthwhile to form relationships and begins to
45
introduction to Child Care relate to other people. Every new relationship adds to the child's experience and
and Development
influences her attitude towards others.

A loving caregiver conveys feelings of love, warmth and security

In Unit 3 you have read what may happen if the child is not able 10 form a loving'
relationship in the first few months. Nurturance also influences the child's feelings about
herself. When the child is cared for, she feels she is important to people around her and
is recognized and accepted. This adds to her confidence. You have read earlier that
feelings of confidence are important.as they influence one's attitude towards success and
failure. These feelings are important for another reason also. They influence the child's
exploratory behaviour. It ;~ only when the child feels confident about adult protection
and security that she tries to do something new or different. A child who is confident
that caregivers will come to her when she needs them will take a new step.The one who
feels insecure will cling to the parents. In short, language, mental and physical
development are (ostered by a caregiver who provides a variety of experiences ID the
child and does so with affection.

46
':::heckYour Progress Exercise 1 Needsand Rights or
Children
1) Read the following statements carefully and state in the brackets whether they are
True or False.
a) As the child grows older, she becomes increasingly capable of fulfilling some
of her physical needs. (
b) We respond to all the events that happen around us. (
c) Stimulation refers to providing the child with a variety of experiences that are
meaningful for her. ' ( )
d) Stimulation is important only for cognitive development. ()
e) Children like to explore their environment and in this process learn about the
things and people around them. ( )
') A loving caregiver tries to fulfil all the needs of children. ()
, Love and affection.foster confidence and influence the exploratory behaviour of
.'ie child. ( )

"Can I Jump? Should I try'! Yes, I will!"

A child who feels secure is willing to take on challenges

4.5 WHEN NEEDS ARE NOT MET

The fulfilment of the needs of the child will ensure her optimal development. If the
child is not provided good physical care, it can lead to sickness and disease. In extreme
cases, this may result in a handicap such as loss of sight or hearing. An undernourished
and.sick child has less energy and gets tired easily. ~l;tedoes not take interest in her
surroundings and is irritable.This has a negative influence on all aspects of
development. 47
, Introduction to ChIld Care Similarly, when, the child lacks opportunities for exploration and has no affectionate
and Development
caregiver, disturbances in development may result. You have read that if the child is not
able to form an -emotional bond with a caregiver in the first few months of life, her
social development can suffer. Her cognitive, language and physical development may
also be slowed down due to lack of stimulation. When the child lags behind in
development, it may lead to low self-esteem and lack of initiative.

The needs of children are interrelated and all of them have to be met consistently and
continuously. If love and nurturance are not forthcoming from the caregiver, the child's
development is most likely to be slowed down despite adequate amounts of food and
stimulation. Usually these needs of the child are met by the family and primarily by the
mother. In the normal course the family provides an optimal environment for the
development of the child. If the child does not get affection from the family but is able
to form a loving relationship with anyone person, her development will not be
adversely affected,

By now you must have realized that an optimal environment is necessary to ensure
normal development of the child. An optimal environment would include adequate
physical care, a variety of experiences and opportunities to explore which will stimulate
the child. A loving and nurturing care giver is absolutely important. Some children may
be deprived of such an environment. Deprivation means a lack of something and in this
field of study it has come to represent a state where children are continuously in want.
Poverty usually causes a state of deprivation,

Developmental changes in the needs of the child: As the child develops, her needs
change and become more complex. When the child is born she has to be fed, clothed,
bathed and attended to. By four months of age she begins to turn over on her side. She,t
can move from one corner of the bed to another and the mother must ~~ careful because
the child may fall. Thus at each stage of development the child needs a caregiver though
the nature of the care changes. You will be able to recall many such examples from
your own experiences and from observation of children. Similarly, you have already
read that what the child finds stimulating changes with age.

4.6 CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

There are some children who have needs other than the ones discussed till now.
Children with a disability need more care. Children who have a physical disability such
as an inability to see, hear or speak or those whose cognitive and language
development is slower or those who have an emotional problem have to be given special
attention. These children must be provided .special education in keeping with their
abilities. A deaf child will not be able to benefit from the usual method of school
instruction. Learning and teaching for her should take into consideration her inability to
hear. Children with disability also need counselling for a vocation, patience on the part
of Ule caregivers and assistance for health check-ups. Love and affection, so crucial for,
development, become all the more important in the case of such a child. The child
already knows that she is different from others but she must not be made to feel
inferior. A positive feeling about herself is important for the child in order to manage
the disability and realize her potential. This is possible only when she is accepted and
treated with affection.

4.7 THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

The needs of a large number of children in our country are not fulfilled. A large number
of children born in India die within a few years of their birth. Even survival IS not
ensured. Many others suffer from ill health and disease and are handicapped throughout
their lives. The' reasons are many: inadequate food, living environments which breed
disease and lack of money to avail of health facilities. .

Many children find themselves in distressing situations such as being orphaned,

separated, abandoned or neglected by the caregivers. Some of these children may be
placed in institutions but others have to learn to fend for themselves from a very early
age. A considerable number of children do not receive education because of one reason,
48
or another. Many work long hours under dangerous conditions. TIle environment of such Needs and Rights or
<lI.Ildreo
children is not stimulating and they do not get enough opportunities for play and
exploration.

In the light of the fact that the needs of children in many parts of the world are
neglected, some measures have to be taken to remedy the situation. It is necessary to do
so because each child has the right to a happy childhood. This is possible only when all
the basic needs are met. Secondly, children are future citizens and they must be helped
to develop abilities and capacities that will enable them to be useful to society.
Protecting children from the ill effects of poverty becomes a responsibility of the
Government. Keeping these aspects in mind, the 'Declaration of the Rights of the Child'
was formulated in 1959 by the United Nations. The declaration is a guideline for
Governments and people working with children to plan programmes for them. It is not,
however, legally binding.

4.7.1 UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child

The declaration states 10 rights. The Government of India has accepted the declaration
and is a signatory. Let us read in brief the contents of the declaration.

Right to equality: All children are equal and are entitled to these rights without
. discrimination on account of race, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,
national or social origin, birth or other status whether of himself or his family.

Right to special protection: The child will be given special protection and will be
given opportunities and facilities to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually
and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and
dignity.

Right to name and nationality: The child shall be entitled from birth to a name and
nationality.

Right to health, adequate nutrition, housing and medical facilities: Towards this end
special care and protection will be given to the child and the mother including prenatal
and postnatal care.
I
Right to special care for children with special needs: The child with special needs
will be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular
condition.

Right to love and understanding: The child, wherever possible, will grow up under the
care of parents and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and security. Society has
the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and without adequate
means to support themselves.

Right to education: The child will be provided with education which would enable the
development of abilities, individual judgement and sense of responsibility and enable the
child to become a useful member of society. The child will be given full opportunity for
play and recreation. .

Right to be the first to receive protection and relief In times of danger and
calamity.

Right to be protected from all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation: The child
will not be allowed to take up employment before a certain age and, in no case, will be
recruited in any occupation harmful to physical, mental or moral development and which
interferes with education.

Right to be protected from practices which may foster racial.. religious or other
forms of discrimination: The child must be brought up in a spirit of understanding,
tolerance and peace and friendship among people.

Let us now read about the measures that have been taken in our country towards
fulftlling the needs of children.

49
introduction to Child Care 4.7.2 Directive Principles of
IIOd Development , the Indian Constitution
Even before the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, the framers of the
Indian Constitution realized the importance of the needs of children. Consequently, they
provided guidelines in the Constitution which, if followed. would contribute towards
meeting the needs of children. These provisions in the Constitution are guidelines and
not laws. The three guidelines with reference to children are:

• No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory
or mine or engaged in any other hazardous occupation.

• The Government shall ensure that the tender age of children is not abused and that
they are not forced by economic necessity to do work unsuited to their age.
Children will be ,given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner
and in conditions of freedom and dignity. They will be protected against
exploitation and abandonment.

• The Government shall try. within a period of ten years of the commencement of
this Constitution, to provide free and compulsory education for all children until
they complete the age of fourteen years.

The Government has, however. been unable to-reach these goals. A large section of
our population is unable to make use of facilities for education. Primary education
is free in all states, but still only half the total number of school going children
attend school. Despite various legislations children continue to work in difficult and
dangerous jobs. The employers find loopholes in the law and the children are forced
to work because of poverty.

4.7.3 National Policy for Children

Realizing that despite many efforts and measures on the part of the Government and
voluntary organizations, the needs of the children of a large section of our population
were still unfulfilled, the Government adopted the National Policy for Children in
August. 1974.

The policy states that children are a "supremely important asset" of the nation. Their
care is the responsibility of the country. To meet these objectives the policy stated a
number of measures among which are-the Government shall launch programmes for
meeting the health, nutritional and educational needs of children and will protect them
from cruelty and exploitation. You will read about some of the programmes for children,
'in our country in Block 7.

'::heck Your Progress Exercise 2

Answer the following questions briefly in the space provided.

1) Describe what may happen if the child lacks opportunities for exploration and does
not get a stimulating environment.

••••• t •••••• t. t •••• t •••••••••••••••• t. t. t ••••••••• ~•• , ••• t •• t •••• t. t •••• 01110 t. t •••• t •••• t. t •• ,. t •• t. t •••• t. t ••••• t ••• t. t •••• t •••• t •••• t. t. t •

................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
2) What is meant by the term 'optimal environment'?

.............................................................................. ~ .
.............................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................
50
 Needs and Rights or
.5) What measures have been taken in our country to meet the needs of children?
Qilldreo

....................................................................... ,
" "

, .

4.8 CAILDCARE SERVICES

By now you must have realized that there is a need to plan programmes for children
that would help meet their needs and see that their rights are ensured. While planning
services one has to keep in mind the age of the children for whom they are intended,
the duration of the services and the inputs that would be provided. The services may be
for children living with their families or for abandoned or orphaned children or those
with special needs; they may be provided for a few hours in a day as in a preschool, for
eight hoursa day as in a creche/day care centre or the services may be residential in
nature; the services may provide any or a combination of the inputs of health care,
nutrition and education.

This Course, as you know, aims at enabling you to plan services of a creche or a
preschool for children up to six years. Creches provide a full day's care to children. A
preschool is a centre for three to five year olds. Preschools are called by various names:
snganwadis, balwadis, vikaswadis, nurseries, kindergartens and play centres. In creches
and preschools one would need to provide the inputs of health care, nutrition and play
activities for children since the needs for physical care, stimulation and nurturance must
all be met for optimal development. In other words, creches and preschools provide
early childhood care and education.
f
4.8.1 The Need for Child Care Services
You are aware that the Government has started programmes for early childhood care and
education. Some of these programmes provide services of day care centres and
preschools. Providing these services is important because a number of families lack the
resources-to fulfil all the needs of children. However, these services are able to help
only a limited number of children. There is a need for increasing the number of such
services.
Creche services are needed because the number of women who work outside the family
setting is increasing. In such a situation the mother, who is outside the home for a
major part of the day, has four options regarding the child:

i) She can leave the child with a hired help at home.

ii) She can take the child to her place of work.
iii) She can leave the child with another adult member of the family.
iv) She can leave the child with an older child at home.

However, each of these options has its limitations. The first alternative is open only to
those who are able to afford hired help. When the mother takes the child with her to her
place of work, the child is left on her own while the mother works. She may play with
other children there, if any, but her opportunity for interaction with caring adults is
limited. The third alternative is possible only if there are other adult members in the
family. However, among families of lower socio-economic groups, where these services
are most required, there is rarely an adult who can stay at home to look after the
children since all adults go out to eam. The fourth possibility of leaving the infant with
an older child deprives the older child of education and is one of the reasons for the
low literacy levels in our country. Besides this, the older child may nOI be able to look
after the younger one adequately. If child care facilities are provided in the primary
schools, the older children will be able to leave their younger brothers and sisters in the'
child care centre for the duration for which they are in school. This would also benefit
the younger children since they would avail of the various services at the child care
centre.
Introduct(on to ChIld Cure How does preschool education help a child? Is it useful to attend a preschool? You will
and Development
read about this aspect in the following subsection.

4.8.2 Components of Child Care Services

Let us briefly discuss the nature of inputs that should be provided in the child care
centre. The subsequent Blocks will deal at length with the needs of children in the
different age groups and how they can be met in a child care centre.

Health:Health is an essenual part of total development. Regular health Check-ups to

ensure that the child is developing normally and immunization against preventable
diseases are necessary. Referring the child to the hospital in the case of complaints
which cannot be treated at the local health centre and first aid facilities are also
important aspects of health care.

Nutrition: Adequate nutrition is important for tile health of the child. It is known that
a number of children do not get the amount of food they need. Many others do not eat
tile right type or adequate amount of food. Depending upon tile duration of their stay in
tile centre. children should be provided snacks or meals.

Education: You know that education is important for the child. What do we mean by
education for tile young child? We mean providing stimulation to the child by allowing
opportunities for play since this is tile way children learn.

From birth to three years of age the child comes in contact with parents, siblings, oilier
members of tile family and neighbours. Stimulation is provided by these people and this
is tile way the child learns about herself, develops language, acquires physical and motor
skills and learns about the world around her. By the time the child is about three years
old she is physically mobile, has acquired language and can communicate her wants.
Her thinking has further developed. The child's world broadens and she begins to take
an active interest in everything around her. She wants to know why it rains, what the
names of objects are and why things move. During the preschool years the child learns
a variety of concepts during the course of play and through the events and experiences
in her environment.

Some parents enrol their children at three years of age in a preschool. This is tile
beginning of preschool education. However, there are several wrong ideas about the
nature of education to be given at this age. Many believe that education begins only
when the child enters Class I. Before that it is expected that the preschool child will
learn a few rhymes and stories, identify some vegetables and animals, learn to draw and
paint and get into tile habit of sitting quietly on a chair or a mat. On the other hand,
there are parents who force their children to memorize names of colours, alphabets or
numbers and to read and write. They feel that these years are not to be wasted but must
be used for formal learning. They do not realize that Ole child is not yet ready for this
type of rigorous formal instruction. This emphasis on learning becomes a burden for the
child and she begins to fear school.

Parents who think Ulat nothing much happens in preschool years miss a critical period in
the child's life when opportunities for play and exploration help the child to grow in
mind and body, Those who feel that these years are important for formal learning make
learning a burden for the child. What then is the meaning of preschool education?

Preschool education aims at the all-round development of the child, Le, physical,
motor, cognitive, language, social and emotional, by providing the child stimulating
experiences and opportunities for play and exploration. Of course, a loving ana
warm caregivcr is absolutely important. Children's play should be the medium of
learning in a preschool. Preschool education becomes important because it provides a
setting for a child to Iearn to relate to others, make friends and do things in a group
where she imbibes tile values of sharing and cooperation. TIle child becomes confident
about herself. This will help her to adjust to a bigger group in the primary class and to
cope with being away from home. Besides promoting social and emotional development,
preschool education is important for physical, cognitive and language development as
well. It has been seen that children who have had some kind of stimulation during the
early years are more likely to do well in primary school and less likely to leave school ,/

after the first one or two classes. For a child who has not attended a preschool, primary
52
school is unfamiliar. She may be unprepared for the formal routines of school. Finding
 school unpleasant she may wish to leave it. She. therefore, does not stay long enough in Needs and Rights or
_.- - -:.,~. <lUIdreIi
school to learn to read, write and count. Thus preschool education prepares the child for
formal schooling.

You have read in this Unit that children find stimulation through play. It has been said
that play should be the medium of learning in the early years. In the next Unit you will
. ,read about the role of play in development
.,..,-
\
Check Your Progress Exercise 3 ....
. ~I
Answer the following. questions briefly in the space provided !>elow.

1) What are the three factors that necessitate providing child care services?

2) What should be the purpose of preschool education?

....... '~"."""""""'" ~ ~ " , .

................................... ~ .
••••••••••••••••••••••••••• a •••••••• _ •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

.,
.......................................................................... , , .

-
4.9 -SUMMING UP
In this Unit you have read that the child needs physical care, stimulation and love from
the caregivers. All these needs of the child must be met simultaneously to ensure
optimal development. Usually these needs are met by the family, primarily by the
mother. The family provides an optimal environment for the development of the child.
However, these needs of the child can also be met by persons outside the family. For
many children in the world basic needs are neglected. Recognition of this fact and the
realization that this must be remedied led to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child
in 1959. The Directive Principles 9f the Indian Constitution and the National Policy for
Children adopted by the Indian Government-provide 'guidelmes for ensuring a happy
childhood for all children. The fact that an increasingnumber or women have started
working outside the home has made it necessary to provide creches. Preschools prepare
the child for formal schooling and foster all round development. Creches and preschools
should meet the child's need for health care, nutrition and stimulation.

4.10 . GLOSSARY
Rewarding: Any event. thing or behaviour that is satisfying and pleasurable to the
child. In this particular case, rewarding refers to a satisfying emotional relationship with
. the caregiver.

Signatory: One who has signed a document or an agreement.

53
Introduction to Child Care
and Development' 4.11 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
EXERCISES

Check Your Progress Exercise 1

1) a) True
b) False. We respond to the events in the surroundings selectively.
c) True
d) False. Stimulation is important for cognitive, language, social, emotional,
physical and motor development.
e) True
f) True
g) True

Check Your Progress 'Exercise 2

1) If the child lacks opportunities for exploration and does not get stimulation, her
development in all areas will suffer. This can lead to low self confidence and lack
of initiative.

2) Optimal environment means an envirorunent that meets all the needs of the child. If
the environment is optimal, the child's development will proceed according to the
norms. An optimal environment will include adequate physical care, opportunities
for exploration and loving and nurturing caregivers.

3) The Directive Principles of the Constitution and the National Policy for Children
have been framed. Based on these, the Government has launched programmes for
meeting the health, nutritional and educational needs of children.

Check Your Progress Exercise 3

1) i) A number of families lack resources to fulfil all the needs of their children.

ii) Many of the families where both parents are working do not have adequate
arrangements for the care of younger children during the day. Therefore,
provision of creches becomes necessary. .,

iii) Preschool education becomes important because it prepares the child' for school
and fosters all round development.

2) Preschool education should enable all round development of the child. This is
possible by providing the child stimulating experiences and opportunities for play.

,.
c
c:
.•....c:

54
 UNIT 5 IMPORTANCE OF PLAY IN
DEVELOPMENT
Structure
5.1 Introduction
5.2 What is Play
5.3 Role of Play in Development
5.3.1 Play Promotes Cognitive Development
5.3.2 Play Promotes Imagination and Creativity
5.3.3 Play Promotes Physical and Motor Development
5.3.4· Play Helps in Acquiring Language
5.3.5 Through Play the Child Learns to be Social
5.3.6 Play Helps in Emotional Development
5.4 . Play as a Means of Understanding Children's Development
5.5 Play and Learning
5.5.1 In Infancy Thought Develops Through Activity
5.5.2 Children Learn by Doing
5.5.3 Play Holds the Child's Attention
5.5.4 Learning Through Play is Fun
5.6 Kinds of Play
5.7 Factors Affecting Play
5.7.1 Age
5.7.2 Gender
5.7.3 Culture
5.7.4 Social Cl<iss
5.7.5 Ecology and Setting
5.7.6 Media
5.7.7 Quality of Experience I
\
5.8 SummingUp I
5.9 Glossary \
5.10 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

,
5.1 INTRODUCTION ,,
\

In Unit 4 you read that programmes for children must be based on play as the medium
of learning and instruction. Why do we say this? Can children learn through play? If so,
what do they learn through play? You will read the answers to such questions in this
Unit. You will also study about the factors that influence the nature of children's play .
.0

Objectives
After studying this Unit, you will be able to:

• define the characteristics of play

• discuss the role of play in the development of children

• explain that observation .of children's play can be used to understand their
e- development

•. detail the kinds of play

• describe the factors that influence children's play
•

5.2 WHAT IS PLAY

All children play. It would be rare and very surprising to see a group of children sitting
together quietly without doing anything. Even if a child is alone, you can be sure that
•
she would find something or the other to play with. Not only children, but adults also
play. What do we mean by play? Let us look at some activities of children to
understand the meaning of play.
 ,
introduction to CbJld Care Three year old Abhinav, strolling in the garden, picks up the pipe that is used for
aD!i Development
watering plants. He holds it at a height and observes the water falling on the grass. He
looks back at the end of the pipe attentively and puts his finger into it. This makes the
water spray out in all directions. Some water falls on his clothes and some on the
plants. He takes his finger out of the pipe and puts it back again. He .remains engrossed
in this activity for the next ten minutes.

Five month old Shashi is lying on a sheet spread out on the floor. She kicks her legs
and waves her arms about and in the process manages to get the corner of the sheet in
her hand. She tries to put it in her mouth. Her mother takes the sheet out of her mouth
and gives Shashi a toy. Shashi puts it in her mouth, then squeezes it in her hand and
then again tries to put the toy in her mouth.

A group of eight year old boys is playing in the open. Two boys hold hands and try to
catch the others. They finally manage to catch one of them, who then holds hands with
them and then the three start chasing the others.

If any observer is asked. what the children are doing in each of the three situations, the
answer would probably 00. "They are playing." Observers usually agree on which
activities should be seen as Nay and which ones should not. However, when asked to
define play, no two experts agree on a single defmition. Despite these differences,
certain characteristics of play have been detailed which help us to identify activities
which can be considered play.

~irstly, play is fun. Any activity that the child finds enjoyable is play. The same
activity can be play or work for different people. For example, for a carpenter making a
wooden table is work. but for another person who is doing it for enjoyment it is a
hobby. The same activity can be play or work for a person under different situations.
For instance, when children learn the denominations of coins in the classroom they are
working. But when they play a game of selling and buying vegetables and in the
process learn about denominations of coins, the activity is play.

Secondly play Is enjoyable for Its own sake; It Is Its own reward. Play activities
provide satisfaction to children. When a child jumps from a step and then climbs back
to jump again, she is doing it simply because she is enjoying it She is not showing her
skills to get praise or to win a prize. At the same time, the child is developing physical
and motor skills though this may not have been the child's goal. . .

Finally, play Is that activity In which participation Is spontaneous and ef the child's
own wlu. She has not been forced to participate. Also, the participation is active. Only
if the child is doing something will the activity be considered play.

It is often-thought that when children are playing, they are not serious about the activity.
This is not so. Children take their play very seriously. Any interference or change made
in their activity by someone who is not participating is not appreciated. They have their
own rules for play activities.

Researchers have tried to find reasons why children and adults spend such a lot of time
in play. There are many different views about this. Some view play as a way of
escaping from life's problems and from reality and as a means of forgetting one's
troubles. Play is also seen as an activity for relaxation. Others view it as an activity Ibat
helps to use the excess energy of an individual. On the play of children an important
viewpoint is that through play children prepare for adult roles. Besides knowing why
children and adults play, it is important to understand what happens through play.

All researchers agree that children learn through play and that play fosters development .
Evidence from studies reveals that children who have no opportunities for play and I!

stimulation lag behind in all areas of developn\ent.Observations of children who have

been abandoned by their parents or have been separated from them and placed in
children's homes and similar institutions have lead to some conclusions regarding the
role of play in development. Institutions provide food, shelter, clothing and education.
However, research has shown that in most cases the institutions are unable to provide
the environment necessary for a child's optimal development Often one caregiver loots
56 after a large number of children and is unable to spend enough time with each child.
 Infants are not talked to, played with or picked up. The emphasis is mostly on routine Importance of Play In
Development
physical care: changing clothes, giving food and health check-ups. Even on such
occasions there is minimal talk or interaction of the adults with the children. The social
interaction with a nurturant caregiver is missing. In some institutions it was seen that
children were placed in cribs with the sides covered with cloth. As a result, they could
not see beyond the crib. They had no toys except those hanging by the cord at the top
of the crib, which the child could not reach. The children's entire day was spent lying
in the crib with nothing new to see, hear or touch. In their cases cognitive, language,
physical and motor development was slow. Merely removing the cloth covers from the
cribs so that the infants could see other cribs and adults moving about made a marked
'rlifference to their liveliness and alertness.

'Check Your -Progress Exercise 1 .

1) The words written below are characteristics of children's play about which you have
read in this Section. They have been written in a jumbled way. Write them correctly
in the space provided. For example UTB-BUT.

a) NUF .

b) TSPOANEONUS .

c) WNO WERARD .

1);2 VlTECA -:.•: : t:= · .

I'

5.3 .·ROLE OF PLAY IN DEVELOPMENT

Let us now read in detail how play fosters development in all areas.

5.3.1 Play Promotes Cognitive Development

You know that children are curious by nature. Play situations provide.opportunities to
handle and examine objects and explore the surroundings which help children to find
answers to the questions in their minds and to understand the reason why things happen
the way they do. By allowing children to play as they like, we help them in learning.
Play allows children to discover and learn for themselves. To discover means to find
out about things and events for oneself. The following anecdote shows how Radha, a
four year old, discovers the properties of a mud pot while playing.

ROOhawas playing near a ladder which was resting against a wall. She saw a small
clay pot lying nearby. She played with it by filling it with mud and emptying it. After
some time she picked. up the pot and tried to balance it on the step of the ladder. It fell
down and broke. She looked at it for a while, picked up one of the pieces and put it on
the step again. The piece fell down and broke into smaller pieces. ROOharepeated her
experiment again with one of these smaller pieces. This time the piece fell down but did
not break. She picked up this piece, looked at it for a while, then threw it away and
went inside the house.

That Radha repeatedly tried to balance the piece and saw it fall down makes it clear
that her curiosity was aroused. Perhaps the questions that came to her mind were, "Will
the piece fall again? If it does, will it break?" Therefore, she tried to balance the piece
repeatedly. When the piece did not break the third time, she was equally curious.
Perhaps in her own way she noticed that a very small piece does not break, but does
not understand why it is so. Her curiosity may lead her to ask somebody why the pieces
always fell down and broke and why. the last piece did not break. She is certain to have
many similar experiences during the course of her play and these will help her in
understanding what happens to things when they fall.

Of course it is true that the small piece wit! also break if it is thrown with greater force
and may be an older child would have tried;this. But Radha does not have the capacity
as yet to understand this. This shows that the Child learns what she is cognitively ready
to learn, as you have read in Unit 3. This is also related to the fact that what the child
.finds stimulating depends upon her cognitive skills. 51
introduction to Child Care
and Development
Now consider the second point about bow play helps in development. In play children
have the freedom to choose things which are of interest to them. They will Choose those
activities for play that are neither too simple nor too tough as these would be
challenging and interesting. JII this way they learn things that they are ready, to learn.
Thus learning becomes a pleasure and' not a burden. .

"Let's grow trees!" Finding out about plants while playing

It must be emphasized that play helps children to learn by doing. This leads to a better
understanding of a concept than when the child is simply told about it without being
allowed to try it out. You would understand this from your own experiences. For
example, cooking something is a different experience from merely hearing a recipe from
a friend. Similarly, if you had just told Radha that a small piece of baked clay would>
not break on falling, it is most likely that she would not have understood or even been
interested.

Role of the Caregiver: The fact that children learn during their play does not mean that
the caregiver has no role in helping children learn through play. Firstly, the caregiver is
needed to 'help the children understand their discoveries. Radha may have realized tlmt
small pieces do not break but we cannot be sure. Of course she will understand this as
she has other such opportunities, but the caregiver can help the child do learn from this
experience itself. She can draw he child's attention to the .possibiliues she may have
missed. For example, if the caregiver had been with Radha she could have said, "Radha,
did you see that the pot breaks but small pieces do not break?", thus helping Radha to
understand what she had seen.

Secondly, the caregiver can extend the child's discovery. She could have asked Radha
to throw the piece on a softer surface like sand or grass or in water and see what
.happens. This would have led to oilier discoveries such as the pot does not break in
water. In addition, the caregiver should provide opportunities for discovery. When
children are allowed lO handle play, materials .and encouraged to do things on their own,
they learn.
I. ,
 Finally, the caregiver does not always have to wait for the children to discover bnportance of Play in
Development
something. She can plan children's activities in such a way that they lead to discovery.

While doing so the caregiver must be guided by children's interest and their level of
understanding, For-example, take water play. The. caregiver can provide containers of
water and an assortment of things ~ some which float and some which sink. As
children put these things in water, they will observe that while some things, like leaves,
twigs and bits of paper float, others such as spoon and pebble sink. This can then lead
to discussions about things that 'sink and float and why.

Through play the caregiver can help the children learn concept" of colour, shapes,
numbers, seasons of the year, names of birds and plants etc. They also learn concepts of
big and small, tall and short, light and heavy, etc. Just as for cognitive development, the
caregiver is needed to plan and conduct activities to foster ~vel6pment in other areas
also. You will read about the various activities the caregiver can plan in the following
Blocks,

5.3.2 Play Promotes Imagination and Creativity

In play children imag.ne what it is to be like someone else - to feel, act, think, work
and behave like them. For example, when the child is playing mother to the doll, .she
tells the doll that she cannot get a sweet because it is harmful. This is exactly the
explanation offered to the child by her mother when she had asked for a sweet The
child is thus learning the appropriate behaviour by imitation during play.

Make-believe is a part of children's play. In play it is possible to be creative and to do

more than in reality. A broken plate may become a table for a three year old girl and
complicated spaceship for a 10 year old child. A string of match boxes can be a train.
Playing with this train children may pretend to pass through a forest, cross a river and
fight with robbers. Do not be surprised if the train moves on a road instead of a rail
track! Play does not have to be a mirror of reality. Rather,it provides a flexible
. .situation which allows the child to be creative. It nurtures imagination which helps the
child to deal with day-to-day situations. /

5.3.3 Play Promotes Physical and Motor Development

You have read that physical development and acquisition of motor skills depend upon
maturation of the parts of the body and the opportunities available to the child to
practise these skills. Play provides the child with opportunities to practise. The following
anecdote illustrates this. The mother of a four month old infant playfully moves the
rattle in front of the child. The infant, attracted by the rattle, tries to turn on her
stomach to reach for it. To do this she has to coordinate the movement of various
muscles. Repeated efforts to reach for the rattle give the infant an opportunity to
practise and thus perfect the skill of rolling over.

When children balance on bricks, jump over walls, climb steps, hang from bars, play
games of chase and ride bicycles, the coordination of their large muscles improves.
Playing with a stick and digging holes with it in the ground, making a necklace by
threading leaves, drawing and painting give the child practice for fine motor
coordination.

5.3.4 Play Helps in Acquiring Language

You will read in the subsequent Blocks how children learn language. However, it is
evident that to leamlanguage one has 10 hear it and practise speaking it. The playful
interactions with caregivers give the child plenty of opportunities to hear the language
and motivate her to speak. When the infant is about nine months of age, her
vocalizations are a repetition of syllables like "gagaga", "bebebe", "mamama" and
"mummummum't.When the mother hearsthe sounds that resemble adult speech. ·she
feels happy, responds to the child and encourages her to repeat the sounds. This is the
beginning-of speech. During these interactions the child also learns to discriminate
sounds. This would later help her to differentiate words such as 'car' from 'bar' and
thus recognize them as two different words.
59
IDtrodudion to ClUld Care In play the child begins to understand different shapes such as square, circle, straight
and J)eveiopnent
line and curved line, which will help her later to differentiate the letters of the alphabet
She will also learn that a black and a red circle or a small and a big circle are all
circles. This helps her to understand that the letter C is the same whether it is capital or
small, whether it is at the beginning of the word or at the end. She learns the meaning
of before and after, left and right, up and down - concepts that are necessary for
learning to read and write. You have already seen that play helps in fine motor
development which is required for writing.

You know that children spontaneously learn only those things that they are interested in.
This is true of learning to read and write. as well. Listening to stories will create in the
child a desire to read them herself and will motivate her to learn to read and write. If a
child does not know how to write and is forced by the caregiver to write letters of the
alphabet, the repeated trials and failures may discourage her. If this learning is made
into a game where the child is asked to place small stones on the 'A' drawn on the
floor, walk over the shape or join the dots the educator draws for her, she will gradually
become familiar with the outline. She will find this activity fun and in the process learn
how to write 'A' without feeling forced.

5.3.5 Through Play the Child Learns to be Social

In the first few months, the interactions of the caregiver with the infant as she bathes,
feeds, clothes her and puts her to sleep help the child to recognize the caregiver and to
develop an attachment with her. This, as you know, is the infant's first social
relationship which has a lasting impact onher future relationships with people.

During the ftrst year of life, the baby plays with and explores her own body and things
within her immediate reach. This helps her to understand that her body is separate from
other objects in the surroundings and leads to the development of the concept of self.
During play. the infant begins to understand the effect she has on people and objects in
the environment When she cries, the mother comes to her; when she laughs, the mother
also laughs and hugs her; when playing with a box she notices that the box moves
towards her when she pulls it. All this gives her an idea of what she can do. Exploring ..
the environment and mastering situations gives her conftdence and a feeling of
independence. As she grows older. she plays with other children and learns to share, .jl
follow the rules of the game and wait for ber turn to play. Thus she begins to learn to . r
take into consideration another person's point of view.

cc
e
-
'("

60 PI.yiDe together is rUB

 Importance or Play 11.
During play children often imitate adults. In this way they learn roles that they would be Devtiopnent ..
required to play in later life and to behave as others expect. Interacting with people in
play they learn about different types of occupations, festivals, traditions and beliefs.

5.3.6 Play Helps in Emotional Development

Children's play provides them opportunities to express delight.joy, anger, fear, distress
and other emotions. in play there is freedom to do as one chooses, so long as one does
not hurt others. Play allows expression of feelings and emotions which may not be
allowed in other situations. Pretending to be the father the child can ask another child to
obey her, which she may not be able to do in other situations. Playing the scene of a
.battle she can scream loudly, throw things about and pretend to ·hit others which would
not be allowed at other times. Four year old Raza was often scolded by his parents for
the most minor violation of a rule. For the slightest misdeed he was s~_i'ped or hit with
the father's belt. This child would often sit on a chair and pretend th2t it was a horse.
He would hit the chair with a belt and say, "Go faster, fastet still." The child is
obviously full of anger and resentment towards his father but cannot vent hi~ feelings at
him. The imaginary play situation gives the child a way to express his anger. It helps
'him to work out his emotions. You would have also seen that children's play reflect'>
their moods andfeelings. For this reason play is also used as a treatment or a therapy
Ior children who do not show normal emotional reactions to situations.

As you would have understood from the discussions in this Section, play prepares the
child for what lies ahead by aiding her development. The concepts she learns during
play, the emerging skills of reading and writing and the ability to participate in a group
will help her later to adjust in school. Play thus helps in academic readiness. Play also
nurtures the spirit of enquiry and a desire to find out. The child's increasing self
confidence as she learns and masters new things makes her sure of herself and willing
, .accept challenges.

JheCk Your Progress Exercise 2

1) The paragraph given below describes a play situation. Read it carefully and in the
space provided write about any two areas of development which are being fostered
through the play activity. Describe how this happens in each case in 3-4 lines as
illustrated in the example below.

Play Situation
A group of four year olds is playing in the open. Some children are shrieking and
chasing each other. Four are playing on the swing. Each child waits for her turn to
swing. One child pushes the swing for the others. While waiting for their turn, two
children begin to play in the sand. They draw shapes with a stick. One child says,
"I have made a parrot." The other child says, "I have made an elephant. Do you
know what happened to the elephant in the jungle? He fell down in a river, and
then :' In this way the child went on to narrate an imaginary incident.
The child who is pushing the swing counts till the swing goes back and forth ten
times and then asks the child who is swinging to get off. The next child then gets
her turn.

Example
Language development. During the course of play children are talking to each other.
One child is telling the other an imaginary incident. She is putting events in sequence
and is using words to express herself. Thus language development is being fostered.

a) .•••.........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................... , .

b) ................................................•........................................................................................ ;...

61
Introduction to Child Care.';' .:: r:--'
2) In three lines write how play fosters emotional development.
.)

and Development .: ,....•................... :................•...........•............. :~',

IQ •••••••••••• , •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• : ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• t •••••• It •••••••••

............................................................................................................................................. "

..............................................................................................................................................
3) bistfour ways in which the caregiver can help children learn through play.
......................................... : ,' .
.............. \ :.
•••• ••• •••• ••••• ••• •• , ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ~... ••••• •••••• ••• ••••••••• •••••••• ••••• ••••• ••••••••• .1,
~
.:...:...

.~ ~.;., ~..,. .. . .. '''t' ::;..~;.;.::-;::.::::.: ~J.

0"5.4 . PLAY AS OF UNDRRSTANDING·· A MEANS I
CIDLDREN'S DEVELOPMENT H
---------_--------------------- .... c·l·

Observations of children at play can provide considerable information about their·

abilities, level of understanding\and personality traits.' This is because while playing
children are not inhibited or conscious and, therefore, one can see them at their best.
Their play is not being controlled by adults. Let us read how play situations can provide
an insight into children's development.

Wben the mother tries to amuse the infant by shaking her bangles and the child does
not respond to the sound on more than are occasions, it is a cause for concern. It can
imply that there is some problem with the child's hearing which must be investigated.
The child's ability to separate stones according to size, leaves according to their shape
or to group flowers according to their colour reflects an understanding of these concepts
(size, shape and colour). Thus these play activities help us to know about tile child's
cognitive abilities. ' . ~
I
I
The following incident shows how observations of play help us to assess whether
children have understood concepts or are repeating them from memory. A three year old
child could recite numbers from 1 to lOin the correct sequence. This would make us
think that the child knows numbers. But observation of the child during play showed
that this was not true. While playinp with stones with another child she said! "You take
one stone and I will take four." She gave the child one but picked·a handful for herself
saying that they were four. The child knew the meaning of one and many but did not
know the difference between 2, 3, 4 or 5.

The level of physical and motor development can be gauged when, children jump from
heights, climb trees, pla~ games that require them to hop on one leg or climb steps, play
with pebbles or sand, and so on. Some children at four years of age tell stories fluently
and eloquently. This reflects their mastery of language-and the cognitive ability to string
together sentences in a logically correct sequence. The child's drawings and stories,
apart from reflecting her motor and cognitive skills, may also give us an idea about her
emotional development.

Play also reflects the child's social development, as in the following case. While
playing Anita fell down and starred to cry. Pavit, four and a half years old, saw Anita
crying. He walked upto her, wiped her tears and said, "Don't cry. Is it hurting? I
also feel pain when I fall. Let us put some medicine on it. it will become better." I ,.-'~-'
This incident reflects that Pavit could understand that Anita was hurt and must be
feeling pain. He was able to see the event from her point of view and understand her
emotions.

62
 Importancp of PlllY In
. 5.5 PLAY AND LEARNING I>t'VPluplII.'nl

So far we have discussed the meaning of play and how it helps in children's
development. Let us now read why play should be the medium of learning for children.

5.5.1 In Infancy Thought Develops Through Activity

By the time the child is three years of age, she can express her needs verbally, talk to
people, make friends, walk, run and jump. The child understands what others say and
interacts with her mother, father, sister and many others. How does she learn all this?
As an infant the only way the child can learn is by doing an activity and finding out for
herself. She plays with things to learn about them - she wants to hold them, put them
in her mouth and show them to others. While playing with things, the child gradually
learns that objects not visible to her do exist somewhere else. When things fall down,
the infant learns that they may break. In the early years learning of social, cognitive,
language and motor skills is possible only through play.

5.5.2 Children Learn by Doing

A well accepted fact is that "learning by df.ingH is the best way to learn. When a child
throws a stone in water and sees it sink to the bottom and then throws a stick and sees
it float, she realizes that some things sink and others float. After repeated experiments
,. and clarifications from adults she understands why some things sink and some float.
Instead of being allowed to do this activity. if the child was merely tpld about this
concept, it would not be so clear to her.

5.5.3 Play Holds the Child's Attention

Children have a short span of attention. They cannot attend to one activity for long nor
sit at one place for long. Formal instruction where the teacher talks and. the child listens,
as happens in most preschools, is -not the best way to help them leam because they get
. bored or distracted soon. In the early years imparting concepts through play is most
effective. Play involves the children physically and holds their attention in one activity
for longer periods and, therefore, aids learning.

5.5.4 Learning Through Play is Fun

.Play is not an activity thrust on the child by the adult. It is something she does on her
own because she enjoys it. It is only fair that we help children learn through ways they
enjoy and make learning a stimulating and rewarding experience for them. As mentioned
earlier, when allowed to play and choose activities, children pick those that they find
interesting and challenging. Play, therefore, is an enjoyable medium through which
children learn things they are ready to learn.

5.6 KINDS OF PLAY

Play activities of children can be classified in a number of ways. Some classifications
take the play space into consideration, some are based on the content of the activity and
others on the skills needed for the play activity. Different classifications are used for
convenience. However, they overlap with one another.

, Free and structured play: Some play activities are planned by the caregiver with goals
and objectives in mind. In such an activity thechild follows some of the instructions of
the caregiver. On the basis of whether the child is free to play as she likes or follows
some rules and steps laid down by thecaregiver, play is categorized as free or
structured. When, for example; the child is playing with clay as she likes, the activity is
referred to as free play ..On the other hand, when the caregiver intervenes and gives
suggestions like, "Let us go out and make cups' and saucers with clay," with a view to
strengthen the child's concept of shape, the play becomes structured. This, however,
does not imply that free play does not achieve anything. All play leads to learning. The
. difference is that in structured play what is hoped to be achieved by the activity is
. determined by the educator. 63
 ..,

Introduction to adld Cm Both kinds of play are essential for children. Free play helps to sustain curiosity and I
and Development
initiative and fosters discovery. Structured play, because of the role of the caregiver,
helps to draw the attention of the child to various aspects which she may miss during
free play. In this way it helps to ensure that a particular goal is attained. However, the '
caregivershould be careful that the activity that she has planned is enjoyable for the
child.

Outdoor and indoor play: As the name suggests, games that are usually played in the
open are referred to as outdoor play while those that are played Inside are indoor play:
Outdoor play allows a greater degree of physical activity and freedom of movement as
there is more space and fewer obstructions. Indoor activities are carried out in a limited
space and do not allow so much freedom of movement. In a way the distinction
between outdoor and indoor play is arbitrary. Many indoor play activities can be
conducted outdoors and outdoor games can be played inside too. Children can paint
sitting in a.room or they can do so in the open. A game of cricket, with modifications,
can be played inside a room. Sometimes the indoor activities when conducted outside
break the monotony and make the same activity new. and interesting for the child.

Individual and group play: When the child plays by herself, it is referred to as
individual play. When she plays with other children, it is referred to as group play .:
Playing in a group requires the child to take into consideration another person's point of
'view and follow rules. These abilities, as you have read, develop with-age. Till the
children are about three to four years old they mostly play by themselves, interacting
with others only for a short duration. As children grow older they learn to play with
others and a major part of their play time is spent in group. play. However, from time to
time the older children too go back to playing by themselves.

Group play fosters in the child social skills necessary for interaction with others.
Individual play gives the child time to work on things that she finds most interesting
and helps her to develop her skills.

Vigorous and quiet play: Sometimes adults exclaim, "Why can't children sit in one
place? Why do they have to keep running about?" Children enjoy play activitiesthat
require them to run, hop, skip and jump, that is, those that require them to spend a lot
of energy. These activities are called vigorous play activities. Play that does not involve
too much physical activity such as scribbing with a chalk on the floor, drawing, making
objects from clay or making .a tower from stones help the child to relax and regain
so~e energy spent during vigorous games: These play activities are called quiet play.

Sensorimotor and symbolic play: Iri infancy children play with things in the
environment that are within reach. They see, touch, smell, taste and hear and explore the
environment and gain information, These activities involve the senses and require motor
, coordination and are referred to as sensorimotor play. Towards the end of infancy the
child begins to take part in 'pretend play.' In this play the child pretends that a tin box
is a house or a wooden block is an aeroplane. Thus a particular object is used as a thing
which it actually is not. She can play the role of others and pretend to be a fruit seller,
a teacher, a flower seller etc. This kind of play requires the cognitive ability to use
things and people as symbols. It also requires imagination and an ability to make-
believe. This play is referred to as symbolic play and is possible only as a result of
development of cognitive abilities in the preschool years. The transition from
sensorimotor to symbolic play is based on an increasing complexity in children's
thought
",-
.. : •. <i You must have realized that theseclassiflcations of play are overlapping. Free play can
be outdoor or indoor. Group play can be quiet or vigorous. What is important is that the
child should get an opportunity for every kind of play since each has its.own u_se•
.J1!I' •• ~.

\ Check Your Progress Exercise 3

\
1) Fill in the blanks in the following sentences:

a) Observation of children's play provides information about their p.: .

It, therefore, helps to assess their in all spheres.
64 ' .. b)~"~y should be ,the medium of learning for children because learning
 by is the best way to learn and learning through play ~.Importanee of Play in
Development
is .
c) Play activities in which children follow instructions of the caregiver
are and the ones in which the child is free to do what she

wants are .
d) Games that are usually played out in the open are , while tnose

that are played in the room are .

e) When the child plays by herself, it is referred to as play and

when she plays with other children it is called play.

f) Activities that require children to spend a lot of energy are referred to

as play activities. On the other hand play that does not involve

too,-~~--.,..-
much physical activity
.. ,
is~ play.
"--~-- ••.• ~_ .•
,
~~..>r"._ ••
~.'

"0 __ ._" •••• .L

5.7 FACTORS. AFFECTING PLAY

The kind of games children play, the play material used, the content of their play and
the time they are able to spend in play are influenced by many factors. In this Section
you will learn how these factors influence play.

~ 5.7.1 Age
The age of the child influences the kind of play activity chosen. A six month old child
plays by picking up the objects in her reach and examining them. For a four year old
child riding a tricycle and making objects with sand is great fun. An eight year old child
likes to ride a bicycle, climb trees and play hop-scotch. The kind of play the child
chooses is determined by her skills and abilities. In the examples mentioned above the
physical skills influence the kind of activities children choose. The increasing social
competence of the growing child change the quality of interaction between children and
.thus influence the kinds of play activities. Three year old children will not be able to
play games that require them to cooperate with each other, play as a team and follow
rules which eight year olds can do very well.

The content of children's play also varies with age. When, for example, a six year old
child is playing with a doll, her conversation with the doll will be different from that of
a three year old. The six year old child will probably plan details' such as dressing the
doll for school. teaching her, discussing her progress with her parents, taking her out to
play and so forth. The three year old's game with the doll will be simpler.

The amount of time that the child spends in a particular play activity is also determined
by her age. As you know, the younger the child, the lesser is her attention span for a
particular activity and, therefore, more frequent are the changes in play activities.
Though age has a defmite role in influencing children's play, you must not forget that
there are individual differences and preferences. A five year old child, for example, may'
. spend less time in group play than other children of her age.

f,5.7.2 Gender
'; Can you think of some games that are played primarily by boys and. those that are
.,played only by girls? Do you think girls and boys are born with such play preferences?
What are thel things that distinguish the games that girls play from those that boys play?
The amount of physical activity, the type of play material and toys used for play and
the theme of the game are some of the ways in which their play differs. If you observe
infant boys and girls you would notice that their play activities are similar. Their play is
exploration of their body and objects nearby. But as children grow older, they show
,..eferences in play activities. This difference in their play increases with age. Girls like 65
 ",
Introduction to OIIld Care to wear their mother's dress, play with dolls, pretend to cock food, sew and play
and DevdopneDt
hop-scotch. Boys liketo wear their father's clothes, ride a bullock cart, plough the field
or play with guns. Studies that have compared the play of boys and girls report that '
boys are observed to engage in physical fights in play and show more competitive spirit
than girls. Girls are more cooperative in play. Boys engage in more vigorous games
compared to girls. What could be the reasons for this?
Physiological differences between boys and girls could be one of the reasons. '
Physiology influences the amount of physical activity that a child can do. This would
have an iJppact on the games children choose with boys choosing vigorous games. But
much, of the play preferences of children are a consequence of social expectations and
stereotypes. The child's gender influences the expectations people have from her and
this, in turn, affects her play preferences. Let us understand this from the following
example. You must have observed that a boy is usually able to climb a tree better than
a girl. It is not as if the girl is physiological unable to climb trees. She can. But perhaps,
when the girl first climbed a tree she was told by her mother to be more 'girl-like' and
do things that girls do. The boy, on the other hand, was praised for ,his efforts. Thus the
boy learns to climb trees more efficiently than the girl.
In day-to-day activities girls are required to look after younger siblings and help in the
household work. Their play thus reflects such a situation. Boys may help the father in
the field or do outdoor jobs and these situations appear in their play. 'In the present
times, especially in urban areas, girls can be observed playing the role of doctor or
policewoman in their play as more women are seen engagedin these professions.
Parents foster play preferences by giving different play materials to boys and girls. Girls
are given dolls, utensils and the like to play with. Boys are given guns and cars as toys.
Hari, a four year old, when asked by his sister to play with her dolls ref',lsed
einphatically saying, "I don't like to play the games of girls." But he can be seen
playing with the dolls when he thinks no one is looking! Certainly he does not have an'
inborn dislike for doll play.

5.7.3 Culture
You would recall reading that culture influences one's way of life. It also influences the
child rearing practices. There are several such practices, some of which will be
mentioned here. In some parts of our country massaging the infants is a traditional
practice which delights the infant. During this activity the mother usually sings songs to ,
the child, talks to her and plays with her. In all 'parts of India there is a rich variety of
mother-infant games. The infant's phi)' in this context is very different from those who
live in another culture. '
As children grow older, their play reflects the roles they will be expected to play in .:
adult life. These roles are in turn determined by culture. The theme of children's play'
would also include the traditional festivals and customs specific to the society they
live in.
All cultures have a rich' heritage of toys. Excavations of cultures as old as ,the Indus
Valley Civilization have revealed the use of toys. Studies in our country have shown
that the play materials available to children vary from region to region. Orissa has
'beautiful puppets and masks, Chennapatna in Kamataka and Kondapalli in Andhra
Pradesb produce wooden toys. In Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra folk toys and
commercially produced toys exist side by side. ,As a contrast, in Manipur and Tripura
hardly any commercial toys are available. Here parents make toys,at home for children.
In most parts of our country the celebration of festivals is a time when a lot of folk
toys are available. These toys have educational value as do some commercially
produced toys.

5.7.4 Social Class

For children of lower social class who spend the major part of the daY'in assisting
parents in work, there is very ume time set aside for play. They find time for play ,
, I,

;:
.
amidst their work. Children' from middle and high social class have more time for
leisure and play because they do not need to participate in income generating activities.
At the same time, there are, children whose parents put a great stress on academic
acl'jevement and, consequently, curtail their play time. '
 Children like to collect stones, bottle caps, empty tins: etc. It is not uncommon to empty. Importance of Pl~y In
Development
out a child's pocket and to find an assortment of such things. Sometimes a corner in the
house is used by the child to store pebbles and shells or other things she likes. An .
expensive decorated doll or a shell gathered at the beach are equally attractive to a
young child, whether rich or poor. Social class only makes a difference in the
availability of more expensive toys to children. Children who belong to economically
well-off families have access to play materials available in the market. When readymade
play material is not within the reach of a family, used tyres, rims of wheels, empty
boxes, lids of bottles, used match boxes, old newspapers, etc. are used for play. Children
in such situations may need to be more creative in developing the kinds of materials
they can use for play.
Social class may also determine the space available for play. Children who live in big
houses with gardens may use this space for play. Other children who L:{' in one room
dwellings will have to find play space in the streets, lanes and roads er parks.
V'1U would recall that in a family from the lower social class all the adults are involved
in income generating activities. Parents have little time to participate in children's piay
and guide it. Parents from middle and upper class are likely to spend more time with
children. They are usually more educated and they may be more aware of the
importance of play in children's development. They may, therefore, ensure that children
get enough opportunities for play. However, education does not ensure an attitude which
is sensitive to the needs of the child. An uneducated parent can be equally sensitive to
the child's needs and provide play experiences.

5.7.5 Ecology and Setting

The city with its crowded living conditions offers little open space for play. But
children still manage to find space. You can 'see them playing in the narrow lanes, on
theroads alongside the traffic and on the terraces of houses. Playgrounds are very few .r

'.in number and wide open spaces are difficult to find. There are very few opportunities
. to play in streams and ponds, climb trees or observe the plants growing in the fields.
Rural and tribal areas provide more open space for play and the children are closer to
nature.

5.7.6 Media
The print media, i.e. books and magazines, as well as the audio-visual media, i.e. radio
and television, have a strong influence on children's play. There are many illustrated
books and magazines and there is a variety of programmes for children on radio and
television. Children eagerly act outa story they have read, sing a tune heard on the
radio and enthusiastically watch the programmes on the television and imitate the
characters. The media often support the stereotypes of the society. These are reflected in
children's play. The media bring the world closer to children and provide them with
information. The vast amount of information that children get through the media can
prove useful if guided by adults.
The print and the audio-visual media differ greatly with regard to the type of stimulation
they provide to children. Books require children to read and find out for themselves.
This process of learning requires active participation of children and thus fosters a spirit
of enquiry and curiosity. The television and radio programmes, on the other hand,
usually require children to sit passively, listen and watch. Generally, the progtammes ten
them what they should know instead of allowing them an opportunity for discovery.
Thus the guidance of adults becomes essential.

5.7.7 Quality of Experience

You have been reading how the age of the child, gender, ecology, culture, resources
available to the family and media determine the content of play, the time available for it
as well as the space and material used for play. However, a major factor that influences
the quality of children's play is the type of experiences they have in' the family and
neighbourhood. The following two examples illustrate this point.
In one family belonging to the lower social class both the mother and the father leave
in the morning and return
for ~'",.-Ir p<>rlv in
the evening. Every day, before leaving, the 67
 - - 0. __ - __ I

introduction to Child Care mother massages the infant during which she talks to her and plays with her. The
and Development
mother takes the child to her place of work. In the evening when both the parents return
from work the father plays with the child while the mother prepares the meal. In the
second situation an educated mother belonging to a rich family leaves the child in the
crib for most of the day with toys placed beside her. She attends to her mostly to
provide physical care and rarely interacts with the child. It is possible that the infant
belonging to the first family has a better childhood. She has opportunities for learning
and for developing a sense of security. .

Parents and caregivers who are aware of the importance of play activities for
children can provide an environment conducive to play irrespective of economic
status, education or ecological setting. f .

«.
Check Your Progress Exercise 4
" 1

Answer the following questions briefly in the space provided below.

1) List all tile factors that influence play .

....................................................................................................•........................................

\'
Z) Observe the play of a two year old and a five year old and list two activities each
of the two children.
i) Activities of the two year old.
• J

ii) Activities of the five year old.

..........................................................................................................................................•..

State why these activities are different.

•• t •••••• ~ •• ~. ~." ••, •••••.••••••••••••••• :':;~7"""" .••

to •••••• 0 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 .0 •• 0 ••••

5.8 SUMMING· UP
In this Unit you have read about the importance of play for children. Though there is no
single definition of play, certain characteristics that can be seen in play activities of
children have been identified. We all agree that play for children is fun. Their
participation in it is spontaneous and active. Children find play satisfying in itself.

Play has an important role in children's development. It leads to discovery and learning,
fosters imagination and helps to develop social, emotional, physical and language skills.
Play is the best medium of learning for children because they enjoy it In play children
learn by doing arid this also helps to retain their attention to one activity. During infancy
it is only through.play that learning takes place. ee
,.c:
The play activities of children have been classified in different ways. The various
classifications, as you have read, are outdoor and indoor play, free and structured play,
-
individual and group play, vigorous and quiet play, and sensorimotor and symbolic play .
. 68
 All children play. However, the age, gender, social class, ecology, culture and media Importance or Play In
Development
influence the kind of play activities children choose. Play is also determined by the
space, time and materials available for play. A factor more important than any. of the
ones mentioned above is the quality of experiences available to the child. A caregiver
who is aware of the importance of play activities for children can provide an
environment conducive to play irrespective of her economic status, educational
background or ecological setting.

5.9 GLOSSARY
Denominations: The word means Haunit of measure." Here it means learning the unit
of money and names of various units. For example, recognizing a 10 paise coin and
understanding that ten 10 paise make a rupee.

Resentment: A deep sense of indignation, i.e. feelings of anger, fury, rage.

VocaHzations: Sounds produced using the voice. It includes crying, laughing, babbling
and talking.

5.10 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

EXERCISES

Check Your Progress Exercise 1

1) a) FUN
b) SPONTANEOUS
ii c) OWN REWARD
d) ACTIVE

Check Your Progress Exercise 2

Any two of the following are correct.

1) Physical and motor development. Running and playing on the swing aid physical
and motor development. Playing in the sand and drawing shapes with stick fosters
fine motor skills.

Social development. Playing together as also learning to wait for their turn on the
swing helps the children to learn to cooperate.

Cognitive development. While narrating the story, the child has to recall it and
string the events logically in the right sequence. While counting the number of
times the swing goes back and forth, the child understands the concept of number.
Children who are drawing shapes in the sand are becoming familiar with different
shapes.

Emotional development. Shrieking and expending energy by chasing each other

could be helping the children in coping with their pent-up emotions an" energies.

2) Play provides opportunities to express feelings and emotions. It also allows the
freedom to express feelings that may not be allowed in other situations.

3) The caregiver can:

i) help the children understand their discoveries
ii) provide opportunities for discovery
iii) extend the discovery
iv) plan-appropriate play activities
All this aids learning.

69
 IntrodUCUOD to (bUd Care . \
Check Your Progress Exercise 3
and Developneut
1) a) abilities, development
b) doing, fun
c) . structured play, free play
d) outdoor games, indoor games
e) individual, group
. 1) vigorous, quiet

Check Your Progress ,Exercise·4

1) The factors that influence play are: age, gender, culture, social class, ecology,
quality of experience and media.

2) The play activities of the two children will be different because children of different
ages have different skills and, therefore, choose activities appropriate to their
abillties. Younger children have a shorter attention span so they would spend less
time on each activity.

. •. t

.i

,-
.,

,.
.,r'

70
 Jmpon- ofPlayIn
QUESTIONS TO HELP RECALL AND READING DenJopnent .

Here are some questions which you should be able to answer after you have read all the
UnitS of this Block. These 'questions will guide your second reading of the Block and
will help you organize and recall the information presented. These questions are only
guidelines. You do not have to send the 'answers to these questions to the counsellor or
to the University.

Q1. You have read about the socio-cultural factors that influence experiences during
the period of childhood. These are: gender, social class, religion, ecology and
family structure and relationships. Some of the above mentioned factors also
influence the play of children. Explain using examples how these factors influence
the child's experience giving special reference to play.

Q2. List the different areas of development. Defme anyone of them. Explain using
examples how heredity and environment influence development in this area.

Q3. You know about the factors that influence the experience of childhood. Try and
recollect your own childhood. Do you feel that these factors' influenced your
experiences as a child? Did some factors have more impact; than the others? Was
there any other factor besides the ones mentioned in tile text which had a bearing
OD your childhood?

Q4. What do you understand by the term 'critical periods'? Explain 'his concept using
examples from two areas of development,

QS. Explain the meaning of the term 'Preschool Education'. Is preschool education
important for a child? Give reasons for your answer.

06. What is the need for providing day care/creche services?

Q7. You have read that one of the needs of children is stimulation. What do you
understand by the term 'stimulation'? How can this need be met in a day care
centre or a preschool?

Q8. "Children learn through play." Do you agree with this statement? Support your
answer with a few examples. How can the caregiver guide children's play?

Q9. Whal makes one child different from the other?

Tips for answering the questions

Q1. Refer to Units 1 & S. In Unit 1 you have read how these factors affect experience
of childhood. Play is an integral part of childhood experiences. In Unit 5 you have
read how social class, gender, ecology and culture influence play. Explain the
influence of these factors on childhood experiences and along with each factor talk
about how it also influences play.

Q2. Refer to Units 2 and 3. Unit 2 defines the various areas of development-
cognitive, language, social, emotional, physical and motor. Unit 3 explains the
terms heredity and environment and describes their influence on these areas of
development. Choose anyone area of development and write about it.

Q3. Unit 1 talks about the factors that influence the experiences of a child. Keep these
factors in mind while answering this question. '

Q4. Refer to Unit' 3 which explains the concept of critical periods. Defme the term
'critical periods'. Explain the role of maturation and learning in development
during a critical period. Choose any two areas of development and show how
maturation and learning interact to influence development during critical periods.

Q). Refer to Unit 4. Give the definition of the term. Preschool education is important
since it fosters development in all areas and prepares the child for schooling.
Discuss along these lines.

71
Introductlon to ChIld Care Q6. Refer to Unit 4. f-'ay care services provide an alternative arran ...:,._
and Development
young children "hen parents are not able to look after the child. They also en
the older sibling to attend school. Expand the answer along these lines.

Q7. Refer to Units 4 and 5. Explain the meaning of the term 'stimulation' and de en e
how it fosters development in all areas. In Unit 5 you have read that play provides
stimulation. Explain this using a few examples. Then discuss that in a day care
centre/preschool the child's need for stimulation can be met by providing her
opportunities for play where the caregiver also guides her play. Refer to Unit 5 to
explain the caregiver's role in guiding play.

Q8. Refer lO Unit 5. Children do learn through play. In Unit 5 you have read that
through play children learn about animals, plants, colours, shapes and sizes, i.e.,
they learn about the world around them through play. They also acquire social
skills like learning to play together and waiting for one's turn. In addition play
helps them to learn language and acquire motor skills and promotes physical and
emotional development. Use examples in these areas to support your answer.

The caregiver can guide children's play by

(1) providing opportunities for discovery
(2) helping children understand their discoveries
(3) extending discoveries and
(4) planning appropriate play activities. Explain your answer along these lines.

Q9. Refer to Units 1, 2 and 3. In Unit 1 you have read about the environmental
factors, i.e., the socio-cultural factors, that make the experience of childhood a
different one for every child. In Unit 3 you have read that each child inherits a set
of gents from her parents. Each individual has a unique genetic make-up which
makes her different from any other person. Thus both the genes (heredity) as well
as the child's experiences (environment) cause a child to be different from the
other. In Unit 2 you have read about the individual differences amongst children
despite similarities in their pattern of development. Expand your answer along
these lines giving examples.

72
 Import- .~ 0' T>'~: '
FURTHER READING :'";veiDlJrr>en t

The following are some books that you will find useful as reference for this Course.
This list of 'Further Readings' is meant for Blocks I. 2, 3 and 4. Some of these may be
available at your Study Centres. You are likely to find others in the library of a Home
Science College.

ANC-l, Block 3; 1991; Meal Planning; IGNOU.

Barclay, LK; 1985; Infant Development; Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York.
Craig, GJ; 1983; Human Development; Prentice Hall Inc., New Jersey.
Elkind and Weiner; 1978; Development of the Child; John Wiley & Sons, Inc,
New York.
Ghosh, Shanti; 1989; You and Your Child; Voluntary Health Association of India,
New Delhi.
Klaus, M.H. & P.H. Klaus; 1985; The Amazing Newborn; Addison-Wesley Publishing
Company Inc. USA.
Kuppuswamy, B; 108:+; A Text Book of Child Behaviour and Development; Vani
Educational Books, New Delhi.
Mussen, P.H.; et al; 1990; Child Development; Harper and Row Publishers, New York.
National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development; 1988; New Delhi;
Growth Monitoring Manual. '
Salkind, NJ. & S.R. Ambron; 1978; Child Development; Holt, Rinehart and Wenston,
Inc, New York.
Swaminathan, Mina; 1989; The First Three Years; UNESCO Principal Regional Office
for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok.
Swaminathan, Mina; Play Activities for Children; UNICEF, New Delhi.

".

73
NOTES
NOTES
MPDD/IGNOU/P.O ITI MAY.20I6 (Reprint)

PLAY TODAY?
You say you love your children,
And are concerned they learn today?
So am I - that's why I'm providing
A variety of kinds of play.
You're asking me the value
Of blocks and other such play?
Your children are solving problems.
They will use that skill everyday.
You're asking what's the oalue
Of having your children play?
Your daughter's creating a tower;
She may be a builder someday.
You're saying you don't want your son
To play in that "sissy" way? .
He's learning to cuddle a doll;
He may be father someday.
You're questioning the [activity] ceniers;
They just look like useless play?
Your children are making choices;
They'll be on their own someday.
You're worried your children aren't learning;
And later they'll have to pay?
They're learning a pattern of learning;
For they'll be learners alway.
-Leila P. Fagg

ISBN: 81-7091-556-2