One Five Development

FAMILY CHILD CARE TRAINING PROGRAM

LEVEL ONE - UNIT FIVE

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Reviewing stages of child development.
2. Understanding the importance of recognizing and supporting each individual child’s pace of development.
3. Reviewing appropriate steps to take when concern arises about a child’s development.

CHATTER BOX

"The best part of this job is being a part of children’s lives and watching and helping them in their development. I’ve been lucky enough to care for three of my day care children from infancy to school-aged and, of course have raised my own two children who are now in their teens. I am constantly amazed by the way each child, even given the same child care environment, activities, and caregiver, develop at their own pace and in their own special way."

THE BASICS     Instincts, experience and a nurturing nature will guide you in caring for children, but high quality child care also depends upon your knowledge of how children grow and develop. We continue to learn and develop throughout our lifetimes, but it is in infancy and childhood that we experience the most rapid rate of development. From infancy through adolescence: the stage is being set for the adults that children will become. And no time is more crucial than the earliest years. Recent brain research has confirmed what so many who care about children have long believed. The warmth, caring and nurturing that infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers receive directly impacts on their capacity to learn and grow.
    The more knowledgeable you are about children’s growth and development, the greater awareness and understanding you will have of what your role should be in assisting them to reach their full potential. When you (or the parents) might be expecting too much from a child or when you are faced with challenging or frustrating behaviour, an understanding of child development will help you realize that the child is at a normal stage in his/her development, and that with your help and patience "this too shall pass." Many day care parents will rely on your observation skills and will trust your judgement about their children. Your knowledge of child development will make you comfortable in reassuring parents that all is well, that the behaviour that concerns them is one which you would expect at that age.
    This module presents information on the typical development of children from infancy through school-age. The module The Caregiver’s Role in Helping Children Grow and Develop will explore various ways that you can aid, encourage and support children as they move through the stages of development.

How Children Develop Children develop in several important ways. Physical development involves the growth of children’s bodies and their ability to control and use their bodies to do everything from running and climbing (gross motor skills) to cutting and pasting (fine motor skills). Intellectual and Cognitive developmentI involves children’s learning to think, reason and problem-solve including things like an infant’s discovery that pushing a ball will make it move to an nine-year old’s understanding of long division. Emotional, social and language development involves children’s ability to learn to express and manage their emotions, from affection, love and happiness to sadness, fear and anger. They also learn to interact, communicate with and get along with the people around them.
It is important to keep in mind that the time frames presented here are averages; all children develop at their own rate and some children will achieve various developmental milestones earlier or later than the average.

Infants Infants learn about their world through touch, sound, sight, taste and smell. They learn about relationships from how their parents and caregivers touch and hold them, from the tone of your voice and your facial expressions when you are caring for them. When babies have their needs met (being fed when hungry, comforted when crying, held and touched gently, kept warm and dry ...), they begin to trust the adults who care for them. This early sense of trust will help them develop positive relationships for the rest of their lives. But infants also have a tremendous capacity to learn. Through the sound of your voice reading and talking to them, through music, through all the sights, sounds and experience that you introduce them to, infants are learning and storing up information for the future. Even the youngest infant is already experiencing a range of emotions. They feel happy, serious, sad, calm and anxious. And their emotions are very influenced by the people caring for them. An upset or anxious adult can create anxiety and stress for the infant. A calm and comforting adult can soothe and calm an infant.

One to Three Months

Physical Development
· baby holds head up for a few minutes when on stomach
· has sucking reflex for eating
· responds to touch on or near the mouth, usually by turning head (called a rooting reflex)
· begins to roll
· makes a fist
· jerks in response to a loud or sudden noise
· follows moving objects with eyes
· sounds: cries, coos and grunts

Intellectual and Cognitive Development
· begins to learn that when he/she cries, something happens
· responds more to noise
· knows mother from others

Emotional, Social and Language Development:
· helpless, completely reliant on caregiver
· already experiences a range of emotions, happy, serious, sad, calm
· visually fixates on a face, responds to a face by smiling, especially mom’s
· recognizes parents’ voices and may respond with a smile
· coos when happy
· cries when frightened, hungry, tired, in discomfort or pain

Three to Six Months

Physical Development
· baby can sit with support
· any object baby holds goes directly into mouth
· can pull up to seating position when hands are grasped
· may stand if weight is supported
· attempts to reach and grasp object

Intellectual and Cognitive Development
· baby is more curious about his/her world
· baby senses that feet and hands are part of self

Emotional, Social and Language Development
· distinguishes between familiar persons and strangers
· wants to be near people
· protests separation from mother
· responds to voices and faces other than parents’
· enjoys being cuddled, may be soothed by rocking

Six to Twelve Months

Physical Development
· sits well alone
· crawls (may have a unique style!)
· pulls self to standing position - may be able to stand alone
· pre-walks (using furniture, etc)
· eye-hand coordination is improving
· develops pincer grasp (ability to pick up small objects) - will use their fingers and thumbs to poke, pry, probe and pick up smaller and smaller objects
· can feed him/herself crackers
· puts everything in his/her mouth

Intellectual and Cognitive Development
· seeks out a hidden object
· wants to taste, touch and shake objects
· knows own toys and belongings

Emotional, Social and Language Development
· enjoys peek-a-boo
· yells for attention
· responds to own name
· gives and takes objects
· may fight for a toy he/she wants
· shows feelings like anger and reacts to being left alone
· knows the difference between angry and happy talking
· imitates adult movements, waves "bye-bye"
· imitates more sounds (e.g. mama, dada)
· may say some words (e.g. dog, bye)
· may use only a fragment of a word

ACTIVITY

What are some of the ways that you use to encourage infants’ intellectual and cognitive development? Are there other activities that you could include in your daily routines? What are they?

Toddlers The toddler stage is a very important one in a child’s life; it is that time between infancy and childhood where everything that happens to a toddler is meaningful, where every new skill is a developmental milestone. During the toddler stage, most children learn to walk, talk a bit, solve simple problems and relate to other children and adults.
Toddlers are full of energy and need to explore their environment and begin defining themselves as separate people. One major task for the toddler is to learn to be independent, which they usually desperately want to do, and yet they are still very dependent little ones. A caregiver’s challenge is balancing a toddler’s need for independence with their need for guidance and safe boundaries. Toddlers are long on will and short on skill and this can be frustrating for them. Another great source of frustration is that they do not yet have the language skills to express themselves, yet they are filled with big feelings and a need to do things their way. Toddlers are very concerned with their own needs and ideas and have little capacity to share. As a caregiver, your awareness of the big things happening on the inside of these little people will allow you to relax and enjoy the incredible fun and wonder of this stage of development.

One to Two Years

Physical Development
· walks, but still a bit unsteady
· feeds self (uses fingers at first, then can fill a spoon but turning the spoon into the mouth is difficult)
· can drink from a cup but spills frequently
· can sit from a standing position
· begins to climb and explore
· can throw objects and begins to catch
· makes lines on paper with crayon
· runs, kicks a ball

Intellectual and Cognitive Development
· likes to explore his/her world, is curious - gets into everything
· wants to be independent
· will sit for a short time and look at pictures in a book (attention span increasing)
· understands more than he/she is able to express
· points to some body parts correctly
· likes to dump things out, tear paper apart, pull things over to see what happens
· likes to put things in container and take them out again

Emotional, Social and Language Development
· very self-centred
· may be possessive of toys and has difficulty sharing
· plays next to other children but not with them (parallel play)
· often wants to eat what others are eating
· temper tantrums are common
· may continuously ask for their parents
· routines are very important
· rapid mood shifts; emotions are usually intense but short-lived
· 5-20 word vocabulary like "no" and "mine" (18 months); able to follow simple instructions
· imitates animal sounds

Two to Three Years

Physical Development
· shows signs of readiness for toilet training (e.g. diapers stay dry for 1 ½ to 2 hours)
· likes to climb, run, ride tricycles
· can build towers with blocks and string beads
· enjoys painting and playdough
· feeds self but often spills
· goes up and down steps alone
· turns pages of a book

Intellectual and Cognitive Development
· attention span is about 10 minutes long
· uses objects to represent other objects (e.g. can pretend blocks are cars)
· recognizes some shapes and colours
· likes to look at books
· has difficulty with abstract concepts such as "time"
· begins to count
· memory is developing
· avoids simple hazards

Emotional, Social and Language Development
· refers to self by name
· likes to imitate adult actions and wants to help with chores
· can tidy up toys
· can dress self partially and is better at undressing
· still possessive but learning to share
· becomes frustrated easily
· resistive to change
· seeks approval from adults
· starts to use short (3-4 word) sentences
· stuttering may appear briefly

CHATTER BOX

"A few years ago I had three children in care, all between 2 ½ and 3 years of age. Without intending to, I found myself making comparisons. Because two of the children were toilet trained early, I was frustrated that the third wasn’t. The ‘dynamic duo’ had no trouble handling utensils and feeding themselves without any difficulties, while Allie ended up wearing half of her lunch. Allie’s parents were noticing that she didn’t seem to be reaching milestones as quickly as the other children. I remember speaking to a public health nurse at a training session that I attended at the time and she asked me if I really felt Allie’s development in any area was truly delayed or whether she was just progressing at a different rate than the other children. Without even having to think too much about it, I knew the answer. Allie was right on track with her development, where we had been going wrong was comparing her development to Marg and Marie, who were just on a faster track. Now, three years later, Allie is thriving - she was the first in her class to read and is a wizard with numbers."

ACTIVITY

Think about the things you are doing now to encourage toddlers’ language development. Are there other activities you could incorporate into your daily routines? What are they?

Preschoolers Preschoolers are busy making developmental strides as they express their great interest in the world around them. They want to experience things and "test things out" for themselves by touching, tasting, smelling and hearing, and they are eager to learn. Preschoolers learn from their play, and by experiencing and doing. Through their play and real life experiences, they develop skills, use language, and struggle to gain inner control.
Preschoolers are more independent than toddlers, and seek to establish themselves as separate from the adults in their lives. Since they now have a greater command of language, they are able to express their needs to you more clearly.
Fears often develop during the preschool years: common fears include new places and experiences and separation from parents and other important people. A preschool child may test you over and over again, may try out forbidden words on you and may act very silly at times. Some preschoolers will still need lots of help in getting along with other children and sharing may still be a difficult task for them. They are developing imaginations and rich fantasy lives, so they may sometimes need help distinguishing fantasy from reality. Preschoolers need clear and simple rules so that they know the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

Three to Five Years

Physical Development
· able to ride a tricycle, climb stairs easily, hop and skip
· can throw and catch a ball well
· dresses self but sometimes needs help with zippers and snaps
· can walk on tiptoe
· enjoys using puzzles, painting, lacing-type toys and crayons
· able to cut with scissors
· unbuttons and buttons
· very active in their play, can be aggressive

Intellectual and Cognitive Development
· longer attention span
· very curious and asks many questions - is interested in "why"
· imitates others and likes dramatic play
· is interested in his/her environment (town, city, stores, etc.)
· begins to distinguish between fantasy and reality
· begins to understand the concept of past, present and future
· understands basic concepts of colour, number, weight, distance, texture
· learning to copy designs, letters and numbers
· appreciates music, rhythm, stories
· may have an imaginary friend

Emotional, Social and Language Development
· can ask for help when he/she needs it
· plays more with peers
· is able to share and take turns
· may play loosely organized group games
· enjoys pretending to be an important adult (mother, father, doctor, police officer, etc.)
· wants to please and be helpful
· growing sense of personal identity
· can identify emotions such as sadness, anger and fear
· can be bossy and at other times, protective of younger children
· has a sense of right and wrong, likes to follow the rules
· has a sense of pride in his/her belongings and accomplishments
· needs to feel important and worthwhile, appreciates praise for achievement
· may be defiant, needs controlled freedom
· speaks more clearly
· is mastering basic grammar (normally speaks in full sentences)
· can relate a short story

ACTIVITY

What activities and techniques do you use now to help preschoolers understand and begin to express their emotions? Are there others you could use? What are they?

School-agers     School-age children build on the important developments of the early years of life and seem to settle down to a steadier pace of growing and learning. While school-agers are continuing the development processes started in earlier years they have their own set of issues and needs. Between early childhood and adolescence, the school-agers are gaining independence, self-reliance and confidence. They are moving from the sheltered world of family and child care, into the larger world. School-agers are likely to test the standards, behaviours and beliefs they have accepted and be influenced by the standards, behaviours and beliefs of others. Acceptance by their peer group becomes increasingly important to children as they go through the school-aged years.
    Young school-age children are usually interested in real life tasks and activities, and "pretend" and fantasy play can lessen considerably. School-agers want to make "real" cakes, take "real" photographs, and create "real" collections of treasured items.
    School-age children have longer attention spans and are often more willing to follow their own interests than in having activities organized for them. They are more likely to stick with things until the project is finished, the problem solved or the argument resolved. Doing things with friends, following rules, and fairness are very important during this developmental period. This age group is fascinated by rules and can develop games with extensive rules and rituals.

CHATTER BOX

"I came back to care after more than a year off because of a serious illness. I decided to focus on caring for school-aged children, a group I hadn’t had a lot of experience with before. What a learning experience this has been. It is, for me at least, an entirely different way of providing care. With younger children, I always tried to offer choices and follow their interests, but I was still very involved in planning activities, meals and snacks, and essentially developing the rhythm of our days. With the school-aged children, fostering their independence, and their sense of responsibility, and helping them learn to problem-solve creatively, really means letting them make many of the decisions and set the pace of our time together. It has been a real change for me, but I’m loving it!"

Six Years and Over

Physical Development
· plays actively with children of his/her own age
· enjoys running games: tag, dodge ball, skipping, etc.
· catches with one hand
· capable of using tools such as scissors with ease
· can tie shoelaces
· generally becoming more coordinated, although awkward stages come and go as do growth spurts
· enjoys testing muscle strength and skills
· development of permanent teeth

Intellectual and Cognitive Development
· reads and grasps basic math concepts
· can plan ahead and problem solve
· enjoys planning and building
· likes to play with peers and can play cooperatively
· reading may become a major interest
· interested in magic and tricks
· can distinguish between left and right
· can begin to understand time and days of the week

Emotional, Social and Language Development
· likes group activities and team games
· can accept more responsibility
· enjoys a challenge
· likely to have a best friend
· likes praise and seeks approval from adults and peers
· often states dislike for opposite sex
· learning to control his/her fears
· interested in rules and rituals
· generally enjoys playing with and caring for younger children
· finds criticism or failure difficult to handle
· vocabulary continues to expand
· able to use language to explain his/her emotions
· able to carry on adult-like conversation
· able to relate involved events from the past

ACTIVITY

What are some of the ways you use now to encourage school-agers sense of responsibility and independence? Are there other methods/techniques you’d like to try? What are they?

WHEN THERE ARE CONCERNS

Awareness of the various stages of development will help you to identify when a child might benefit from a professional assessment. Perhaps a child seems to have been "stuck" in a stage for a long time, with no progression? First check your facts:
1) Don’t compare one child’s development with another child - there is simply too much variation in the rate at which children develop.
2) Observe the child over a period of time and record your observations.
3) Do some reading on the specific developmental area that is causing you concern.
4) If possible, speak in confidence with someone with some expertise in child development (e.g. a home visitor with your agency, licensing office or support program or a public health nurse).
If you have concerns which you believe require further investigation (by the child’s physician, for example), carefully engage the parents in a discussion about your observations. This may be a very sensitive matter requiring careful handling. Ask them if they have had any concerns in this area. Share with them information about the specific areas of development you are concerned about. Reassure parents that while you think it is important to investigate further, there may not be any problem - but if there is, early diagnosis can mean a much better outcome for their child.

For more information There are many resources, in book, video and audio cassette format, available on the subject of child development. Your public library, resource library with a family resource program, child care resource and referral program or family child care agency would make an excellent place to start your search for additional information. A few of the publications available are:
Your Baby & Child from Birth to Age Five, Penelope Leach, Knopf Publishers
The Child From Five to Ten, Dr. Arnold Gesell et al, Harper & Row
The First Three Year of Life, Dr. Burton L. White, Prentice Hall Press
First Feelings: Milestones in the Emotional Development of Your Baby and Child, S.Greenspan, N.T. Greenspan, Penguin Books

Evaluation

OPTIONS:
5. ASSIGNMENT
6. QUIZ

ASSIGNMENT

Select the youngest child in your care and for a one week period observe their development as it relates to the information provided in this unit. Set up a chart with a column for each of the following headings: Physical Development; Cognitive Development; Emotional, Social and Language Development. Under the appropriate headings, list each of the skills, behaviours and milestones noted in this unit. Draw a line through any items you observe that the child has mastered. Draw a circle around those items that the child is attempting (e.g. infant is trying to pull themselves up, but is not quite making it). At the end of the week, review your chart. Are there ways that you can encourage new and emerging skills? Just for fun, review the chart in three or four months time and marvel at the progress the child has made!

QUIZ

1. How does learning about child development help you in your role as a caregiver?

2. What important skills are learned in a child’s physical development?

3. What important skills are learned in a child’s intellectual and cognitive development?

4. What important skills are learned in a child’s emotional, social and language development?

5. What are some of the milestones of children’s physical development at six to twelve months of age?

6. What are some of the indicators of children’s emotional development at one to two years of age?

7. What are some of the indicators of children’s intellectual and cognitive development at three to five years of age?

8. What are some of the social skills that a school-aged child (6 years and up) is developing?

9. What steps should you take if you feel a child may have developmental lags?

10. How should you approach parents if you have concerns about a child’s development?