EASTERN SAMAR

STATE UNIVERSITY
Excellence Accountability Service

COURSE : MAED - EM
SEMESTER : SUMMER CLASS
SCHOOL YEAR : 2023 - 2024
PROFESSOR : PROFESSOR JEAN C. AFABLE
FACILITATOR : MICHAEL M. MENGOTE
TOPIC : MODULE 3: THE BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEARNER
(3.4. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT)

I. OBJECTIVES:
1. Discuss the basic principles and development;
2. Describe the characteristics of each stage of human growth and development;
3. Cite examples on each basic principles and development.

II. INTRODUCTION:
“Early child development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behavior, and health”
(Mustard, 2006).
Can you recall events from your early childhood, say the second or third year? You might
have a few vague and blurred memories about your childhood. The experiences of that period
form the basis of the type of person you are today. How human beings grow, change and adjust
themselves to their environment is the focus of development and behavior as also the concepts,
principles and theories of growth of development.
The human being is never static. From conception to death he undergoes changes. There
are progressive changes in response to environment conditions. His body organs and
psychological functions show the curves of capacity and achievement as well as slow erosion and
decay. Cognitive abilities development and then degenerate; basic metabolism reaches a peak
and then declines, the endocrine function flourishes and then fades. There is a rise and fall of
physical energy in terms of both the force and speed of action with age. In fact, no organ or
function of human beings has yet been found which is independent of age determinants. At the
time of conception, a child has genetic potentialities that are partly predictable and partly
unpredictable. These genetic potentialities are determined by the nature of his biological
inheritance. Still there is room for a tremendous range in the ways he uses the genetic
potentialities, depending upon the environment which may help or hinder the development of
those potentialities.
Human development involves change. This change occurs at various stages of
development and the development pattern at each stage has predictable characteristics. You
might have observed that development is a product of maturity and learning. Maturity is more or
less automatic, unfolding biological potential. It is an irreversible sequence and entails biological
changes. Such changes are relatively independent of environmental factors as long as
environmental factors remain normal. There is a more or less permanent change in human
behavior from the individual's experience in the environment Learning occurs across the entire life
span. It differs from maturity. However, learning depends on the process of maturing i.e.
individual readiness (mental and physical) for certain activities.
III. DISCUSSION:
GROWTH
 Growth refers to changes in human weight, height and structure.
 Disappearance of old features & acquisition of new ones.
 According to the Crow & Crow (1962) “Growth refers to structural & physiological changes”.
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STATE UNIVERSITY
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DEVELOPMENT
 Refers to the continuous process of changes through which task managing abilities of the
individual are polished resulting in experiences and learning.
 According to the Hurlock (1959) “Development is a progressive series of changes that occur in
an orderly, predictable pattern as a result of maturation & experience.”

Growth
Quantitative Change
Cellular Multiplication
Does not continue throughout life
Growth is an aspect of Development
Observable and measurable
Under Natural Principles
Various parts of body become larger
due to growth.
Increase in height, weight, structures
are regarded as growth.
Development
Qualitative Change
Organization of all the parts which
growth has produced
Continue throughout life-span
Development is an integrated whole
which growth is a part.
Cannot Measures Scientifically
Under experiences and observations
of an individual.
An organization in functions of various
parts of body is observed due to
development.
Intelligence, social understanding,
expertise in language and utilization of
educational opportunities.

PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT
1. Continuity
Development is a continuous process from conception to death. In the early years of life,
development consists of changes that lead the child to maturity not only of body size and
functioning, but also of behavior. Even after maturity has been attained, development does not
end. Changes continue which lead to the period of life known as senescence or old age. These
changes continue until death ends the life cycle. Development depends on the growth and
maturity of individuals who interact with the environment. Indeed, many studies have shown that
development demonstrates some stage -- like properties and some consistency across
domains: cognitive, affective and psycho motor.
2. Sequentiality
Most psychologists agree that development is sequential or orderly. Every species,
whether animal or human, follows a pattern of development peculiar to it. This pattern in general
is the same for all individuals. In prenatal development there is a genetic sequence, appearing at
fixed intervals with certain characteristics.
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Social and behavioral scientists increasingly have come to see development as a
relationship between organism and environment in a transaction or collaboration. Individuals work
with and affect their environment, and in turn the environment works with and affects them.
The directional sequence of development during both prenatal and postnatal stages may
either be (i) from head to foot, or (ii) from the central axis to the extremities of the body.
All children follow a development pattern with one stage leading to the next. Infants stand
before they walk; draw circles before they make squares. Even though development is
continuous, there is evidence that at different ages certain characteristics stand out more
conspicuously than others.
Since development is continuous; what happens at one stage influences the following
stages.

3. Generality to Specificity
Development proceeds from general to specific. In all areas of development, general
activity always precedes specific activity. For example, the fetus moves its whole body but is
incapable of making specific responses. In early postnatal life, infants wave their arms randomly.
They can make such specific responses as reaching out for an object near them. In language,
from genetic sounds emerge words and then specific sentences with meaning.
With respect to emotional behavior infants approach strange and unusual objects with
some sort of a general fear response. Later, their fears become more specific and elicit different
kinds of behavior, such as crying, turning away and hiding or pretending to be not afraid.
4. Differentiality
The tempo of development is not even. Individuals differ in the rate of growth and
development. Boys and girls have different development rates. Each part of the body has its
own particular rate of growth. Development does not occur at an even pace.
There are periods of great intensity and equilibrium and there are periods of imbalance.
Development achieves a plateau and this may occur at any level or between levels.
Developmental changes do not always go forward in a straight line. While the development of
different physical and mental traits is continuous, it is never uniform.
Since the body has to attain its adult proportions, inequalities in rates occur. The feet,
hands and nose, for example, reach maximum development early in adolescence, while the
lower part of the face and the shoulders develop more slowly. Mental abilities like verbal,
numerical, spatial, etc., develop at different ages.
Creative imagination develops’ rapidly in childhood and reaches its peak in early
adolescence. Reasoning develops slowly. Rote memory and memory for concrete objects and
facts develop more quickly than memory for the abstract. The point that you would remember
here is that all these changes in individuals are not uniform. These changes occur at different
rates.
5. Development proceeds from the head downward (Cephalocaudal Principle)
This is called the cephalocaudal principle. This principle describes the direction of growth
and development. According to this principle, the child gains control of the head first, then the
arms, and then the legs.
Infants develop control of the head and face movements within the first two months after
birth. In the next few months, they are able to lift themselves up by using their arms. By 6 to 12
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months of age, infants start to gain leg control and may be able to crawl, stand, or walk.
Coordination of arms always precedes coordination of legs.
6. Development proceeds from center of the body outward (Proximodistal Development)

This is the principle of proximodistal development that also describes the direction of
development. This means that the spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body.
The child’s arms develop before the hands and the hands and feet develop before the
fingers and toes. Finger and toe muscles (used in fine motor dexterity) are the last to develop in
physical development
For example: Child is able to hold object roughly then develops fine movements of fingers.
Fine motor movements are last to develop.

7. Development depends on maturation and learning.

Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth and development.
The biological changes occur in sequential order and give children new abilities. Changes in the
brain and nervous system account largely for maturation. These changes in the brain and
nervous system help children to improve in thinking (cognitive) and motor (physical) skills.
Also, children must mature to a certain point before they can progress to new skills
(Readiness). For example, a four-month-old cannot use language because the infant’s brain has
not matured enough to allow the child to talk. By two years old, the brain has developed further
and with help from others, the child will have the capacity to say and understand words.
Also, a child can’t write or draw until he has developed the motor control to hold a pencil
or crayon. Maturational patterns are innate, that is, genetically programmed. The child’s
environment and the learning that occurs as a result of the child’s experiences largely determine
whether the child will reach optimal development. A stimulating environment and varied
experiences allow a child to develop to his or her potential.
8. Development proceeds from the simple (concrete) to the more complex.
Children use their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve problems. For
example, learning relationships between things (how things are similar), or classification, is an
important ability in cognitive development.
The cognitive process of learning how an apple and orange are alike begins with the most
simplistic or concrete thought of describing the two. Seeing no relationship, a preschool child will
describe the objects according to some property of the object, such as color. Such a response
would be, “An apple is red (or green) and an orange is orange.”
The first level of thinking about how objects are alike is to give a description or functional
relationship (both concrete thoughts) between the two objects. “An apple and orange are round”
and “An apple and orange are alike because you eat them” are typical responses of three, four
and five-year old.
As children develop further in cognitive skills, they are able to understand a higher and
more complex relationship between objects and things; that is, that an apple and orange exist in a
class called fruit. The child cognitively is then capable of classification.
For example: Children when able to hold pencil, first tends to draw circles then squares
then alphabets and words and sentences.
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Excellence Accountability Service
In case of speech, babies first speak: crying-babbling-monosyllabus-bisyllabus-word-sentences.
9. Growth is a personal matter.
Each child grows in his/her own personal manner. He/she should be permitted to grow at
his/her own rate. If we expect too much, he/she may do even less than he/she is able to do.
10. Growth comes from within.
One or surrounding environment can encourage or can hinder the energy of a child, but
the drive forces that pushes a child to grow is carried inside him. Parent or teacher job is to clear
the track, guide the child with loving acceptance and then tender loving care.

IV: SUMMARY:
 Growth refers to changes in human weight, height and structure.
 Development refers to the continuous process of changes through which task managing abilities
of the individual are polished resulting in experiences and learning.
 Principles of Development:
1) Continuity - Development is a continuous process from conception to death.
2) Sequentiality - Every species, whether animal or human, follows a pattern of
development peculiar to it
3) Generality to Specificity - Development proceeds from general to specific.
4) Differentiality - Individuals differ in the rate of growth and development. Boys and girls
have different development rates.
5) Development proceeds from the head downward (Cephalocaudal Principle) - The child
gains control of the head first, then the arms, and then the legs.
6) Development proceeds from center of the body outward (Proximodistal Development) -
This is the principle of proximodistal development that also describes the direction of
development. This means that the spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body.
7) Development depends on maturation and learning - The biological changes occur in
sequential order and give children new abilities. Changes in the brain and nervous
system account largely for maturation.
8) Development proceeds from the simple (concrete) to the more complex - Children use
their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve problems
9) Growth is a personal matter - Each child grows in his/her own personal manner. He/she
should be permitted to grow at his/her own rate.
10) Growth comes from within - One or surrounding environment can encourage or can
hinder the energy of a child, but the drive forces that pushes a child to grow is carried
inside him.

V. REFERENCES:
1. Lee, M. J., & Lee, D. (1940). The Child: Growth and Development. United States
of America: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc.

2. Potter-Perry. Fundamentals of Nursing. 5th & 6th Edition.

3. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://cms.gcg11.ac.in/
attachments/article/88/PRINCIPLES%2520OF%2520GROWTH%2520AND
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STATE UNIVERSITY
Excellence Accountability Service
%2520DEVELOPMENT.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjBq8ekio7kAhXaaN4KHcakBboQFjAC
egQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw3bHLxfpWnEH4xh3pZOlVZN

4. https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/aniltdas/principles-of-human-growth-and-
development

5. http://www.psychologydiscussion.net/educational-psychology/principles-of-human-
growth-and-development/1813

6. https://www.slideshare.net/sameensarwar/growth-and-development-45766911