Basic Principles of Child Development

Basic Principles
Of Child Development

EDUP3023
Muhammad Aisar Zahin bin Zulkifli

Introduction

Children develop in a predictable order, from simple to more complex skills.
They learn by doing, and practice new skills through play.

Children’s early experiences will affect them now and in the future. Children
must have their basic needs met, feel safe, and feel valued in order to develop
and learn.

Understanding children’s development at different ages makes it easier for
parents and caregivers to:

● know what to expect of children
● learn what to do to help a child develop all of his or her abilities

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02

Sequential process From concrete to abstract

03 04

From general to A continuing process

more specific

05 06

Rate of development vary Product of maturity

among children and learning

07

Most traits are correlated

01

Sequential process

Sequential process

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. The
child crawls before he creeps, stands before
he walks and babbles before he talks.

02

From concrete to
abstract.

From concrete to abstract.

The young child moves from concrete thinking to
abstract thinking as they begin to experience
their world. As they acquire more concepts, they
are able to mentally sort through these concepts
and identify similarities and differences. They
become more able to predict how new situations
might develop.

This can be seen especially in cognitive and
linguistic development.

03

From General to
more specific.

From General to more specific.

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. With respect to
emotional behaviour infants approach strange and unusual objects with some
sort of general fear response.

Later, their fears become more specific and elicit different kinds of behaviour,
such as, crying, turning away and hiding etc.

For instance, a baby can grasp the object by hand before learning to use the
fingers. The growth of big muscles first before gradually turning to fine
muscles.

04

A continuing process.

A continuing process.

The process of growth and development continues from the
conception till the individual reaches maturity. Development of
both physical and mental traits continues gradually until these
traits reach their maximum growth. It goes on continuously
throughout life. Even after maturity has been attained,
development does not end.

In the process of developing a child will add to the existing
skills. The skills available to him today are also the basis for
achieving new skills.

05

Rate of development
vary among children

Rate of development vary

among children

Rate of development is not uniform. 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. There are periods of
great intensity and equilibrium and there are periods of
imbalance.

Some children can walk at the age of 10 months while
others can only run for 18 months. This is one of the
factors that leads to the difference between the people
we can see in a classroom.

06

Product of maturity
and learning.

Product of maturity and learning.

Maturity is the emergence of existing potential within an
individual, such as crawling, sitting, walking and then running.
It is influenced by genetic factors. For example, intellectual
maturity and physical maturity. Children who are more
matured will behave differently from their peers who are not
matured.
So, development is an integrated process that involves the
adjustment of the whole person.

07

Most traits are
correlated

Most traits are correlated

Generally, it is seen that the child whose mental development is
above average, is also superior in so many other aspects like health,
sociability and special aptitudes. All children do not reach these
developmental stages all at the same time of all at the same age.
Although the children have the different developmental, but they still
gained things throughout their life.

Thank

You!

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