Day Two – Standish - HPW3C

 You are about to embark on a remarkable journey as you study how children think and grow from birth through age 6.  Child development is an extraordinary thing to observe. Anyone who cares for or works with kids cannot help but be fascinated by the rapid growth and change that takes place from birth through young adulthood.  Even though you don`t have a child, you may find this process captivating because, after all, we were all kids once.

 What do we mean when we use the term "normal?" For the most part, children all over the world develop in much the same way.  Babies quickly become attached to their caregivers, begin to sit up at around six months, and are starting to walk right around their first birthdays.  From the earliest days after birth when its seem like all they can really do is cry, sleep, and eat, the rapid change that happen during those first two years of life is astonishing.

Answer:  A developmental milestone is an ability that is achieved by most children by a certain age.  Developmental milestones can involve physical, social, emotional, cognitive and communication skills such as walking, sharing with others, expressing emotions, recognizing familiar sounds and talking.

There are four basic categories for developmental milestones:

 Physical milestones involve both large- motor skills and fine-motor skills. Physical milestones  The large-motor skills are usually the first to develop and include sitting up, standing, crawling and walking.  Fine-motor skills involve precise movements such as grasping a spoon, holding a crayon, drawing shapes and picking up small objects.

 Cognitive milestones are centered on a child's ability to think, learn and solve problems. Cognitive milestones  An infant learning how to respond to facial expressions and a preschooler learning the alphabet are both examples of cognitive milestones.

 Social and emotional milestones are centered on children gaining a better understanding of their own emotions and the emotions of others. Social and emotional milestones  These milestones also involve learning how to interact and play with other people.

 Communication milestones involve both language and nonverbal communication. Communication milestones  A one-year old learning how to say his first words and a five year old learning some of the basic rules of grammar are examples of important communication milestones.

 What about when development does not follow a normal path? While it is often referred to as abnormal development, it is important to remember that in many cases, it may involve things that are not particularly abnormal.  Learning disabilities, emotional disorders, and behavioral problems can all present very real challenges, but these impairments do not mean that a child is "abnormal." Learning disabilities  In some cases, developmental problems may be a result of environmental changes. Death, divorce, and traumatic events can cause children to experience mood changes, misbehaviour, and anxiety.

1. Problems during the prenatal period can impact later childhood development. Some potential problems include prenatal exposure to teratogens such as drugs, toxins, and diseases.Problems during the prenatal period  Genetic issues such as inherited diseases and chromosomal anomalies can also impact child development.

 2. The interaction between genes and environmental variables can influence how a child develops.genes environmental variables  For example, a child's genes might dictate that he grows to be quite tall, but if he does not receive proper nourishment as he is growing he might never achieve his full height.

3. Researchers have found that parenting styles can influence child development outcomes.parenting styles  For example, children raised by authoritative parents tend to grow up to be happy and capable while those raised by permissive parents tend to have more problems with authority figures and are less successful in school.

4. When it comes to physical development in early childhood, growth follows a directional pattern.physical development in early childhood  The center of the body develops before the extremities, large muscles develop before small ones, and development follows a top-down process starting at the head and moving down to the toes.

5. Baby talk, also known as infant-directed speech or motherese, has been shown to aid in the development of language.the development of language  The use of simplified vocabulary, exaggerated vocalizations, and higher-pitched intonations helps babies learn words with greater speed and ease.

6. The development of language occurs in four basic stages: the babbling stage, the single word stage, the two word stage, and the multi-word stage.