As children grow towards adolescence they go through many stages of development. Child development refers to the stages of physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and language growth that occurs from the birth to beginning of adulthood. All aspects of a child's development may be affected by many different factors, including a poor learning environment, lack of social interaction, cultural background differences, abuse, and loss of a parent. All of the before mentioned examples can affect the child's maturation, "a biological growth process that enables orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience" (Myers 172). Children grow and mature at very different rates, some faster than others, which is why it is necessary to understand the importance of the different types of child development. Though all parts of child development are important, it is probably language learning that is most important to a child's development as a whole.
The first type of development that can be observed is physical development. Physical development refers to a child's gross and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are the use of large groups of muscles that can develop naturally through outdoor and indoor play. During play, a child may use their gross motor skills by standing, jumping, climbing, running or riding a bike. "If children are encouraged to be physically active, these skills can develop into advanced patterns of motor coordination that can last a lifetime" (brightfutures.org). Fine motor skills are the use of the muscles in the hands. These muscles can develop by using fingers to cut with scissors, write, paint and many other activities. Underdeveloped muscles, weight gain, and high blood pressure are all signs o...
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...preschool years they will learn to initiate and carry out tasks based on experience or exposure to those tasks. Interactions with parents, teachers, peers, and other adults are important in a child's life. These relationships actually shape the brain and lay the foundation for later developmental outcomes, from academic performance to mental health and interpersonal skills.
Works Cited
Bright Futures. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
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G, David Myers. Psychology. 10th ed. New York: Worth, 2013. Print.
KidsMatter. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. about-friendship/social-development/social-development-children’s-social-development>. WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
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