Children go through distinct stages of development as they grow from birth to adulthood. While every child develops through these stages at their own pace, the linear path of development generally remains the same. Child development includes the areas of cognitive, language, physical, and social and emotional development.
Cognitive Development
Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes four distinct stages that children experience. The first stage is the Sensory Motor Period (0 to 24 months), in which children use their sensory and motor systems to learn about their world. The second stage is the Preoperational Period (2 to 7 years), which is related to symbolic play and understanding logical concepts. The Period of Concrete Operations (7 to 12 years) follows with increased skills in sequencing and problem solving. The final stage is Formal Operations (12 and up), in which children move into abstract thinking and formal logical systems.
Language Development
The stages of development for language also follow a typical pattern of growth. Expressive language skills involve communicating through sounds beginning with babbling and growing into a vocabulary of thousands of words. Receptive language skills involve the ability to understand spoken language. Children start with responding to their name and eventually develop the ability to comprehend complex directions and concerts. Articulation is pronouncing the sounds of language and typically is clearly formulated by the early elementary years.
Physical Development
Development of oral motor, fine motor and gross motor skills are all part of physical development. Oral motor skills correlate with feeding and articulation skills. Fine motor skills involve the ability to manipulate objects with the hands. Gross motor skills engage the large muscles of the arms, legs and core body. An amazing amount of growth in physical development occurs in the early childhood years. As children continue to grow they refine, enhance and strengthen these skills.
Social and Emotional Development
The stages of development identified by Erik Erickson involve eight different learning stages. In the first years of life children learn basic trust versus mistrust based on responses they receive from caregivers. Around the age of 2 the second stage--autonomy versus shame--begins, which is related to early independence. In the third stage children learn initiative versus guilt as they begin increased social interactions in the preschool years.
As children enter school they begin to function in a more structured environment, and their development involves learning industry versus inferiority. Moving into the teenage years children explore the question of "Who am I?" as they begin to form their sense of identity. Young adults experiment with the concepts of intimacy versus isolation through relationships. In adulthood the social emotional challenge is generativity versus self-absorption and the task of seeing beyond oneself. The mature adult integrates these developmental concepts into wisdom or struggles with integrity versus despair.
Considerations
In theory, the stages of development appear clear cut. In reality, the growth of an individual child is much more complicated. Children may demonstrate average development in all areas, excel in all areas, excel in one area and exhibit average or delayed development in others, or experience global delays. At times delays in one area of development impact functioning in other areas. It is important for parents, caregivers and teachers to support children through their individual developmental path by providing supports and challenges as needed.
