Children want to explore the world and everything that surrounds them. As they are developing, they experience physical changes. Children first learn to crawl and as times passes they start to walk and run. Physical Development is a child’s outcome of countless orderly changes. They can eventually handle small objects with practice, nutrition and protection. The image below shows how children and adolescents grow taller and heavier during their development. Differentiation, a gradual transition over the course of development, is part of a child’s physical development. During prenatal development, arms appear a small round shoots and then become longer with tiny fingers.
Many regular changes happen in terms of physical size, body proportions and neurological structures. These changes influence motor skills, healthy habits, physical activities, and communicate with peers in extraordinary ways. A child’s physical development is explained through the following developmental periods.
Infancy (birth-age 2)
Infancy is a period that builds on reflexes, with breathing being the first of them. Other reflexes include grabbing of small objects or moving hands and feet as response to loud noises. Infants develop motor skills, as they grow older. From 12 to 18 months they hold their head up, sit, crawl and eventually walk. During infancy, children can’t use words to communicate their needs. The following image provides guidelines that show what to expect and what to look for.
Infancy (birth-age 2)
Infancy is a period that builds on reflexes, with breathing being the first of them. Other reflexes include grabbing of small objects or moving hands and feet as response to loud noises. Infants develop motor skills, as they grow older. From 12 to 18 months they hold their head up, sit, crawl and eventually walk. During infancy, children can’t use words to communicate their needs. The following image provides guidelines that show what to expect and what to look for.
Early Childhood (ages 2-6)
Movement is an important part of this stage, as are gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are known as those that permit large movement in the environment, for example running and hopping. Fine motor skills on the other hand, are those known to involve more precise controlled movement, for example writing, drawing and cutting with scissors.
Preschool years allow children to learn motor skills like riding a tricycle and throwing or catching a ball. Skills become better coordinated as a result of practice, development of arms and legs, and muscular control. Gross motor skills are accompanied by fantasy and joy. They begin to develop pretend roles into physical play, like becoming superheroes or playing house. With this play you can observe creative and cooperative interaction between children. Fine motor skills develop as children begin to dress and undress themselves, and eat with appliances. Some develop interest in building blocks or putting puzzles together, while others develop interest in drawing and cutting.
Sometimes there are large individual differences in young children’s fine motor skills. Children who are born with certain disorders and those exposed to alcohol during prenatal development show delays in fine motor skills. Fine motor activities like handwriting are sometimes easier for girls, but boys sometimes find it easier to write, draw and cut.
Middle Childhood (ages 6-10)
During this stage youngsters show certain gains in height and weight. Bodies grow larger and proportions of body parts change. With these gain come some losses. They loose their “baby” teeth, replacing them with permanent teeth. Girls mature more quickly than do boys. During middle childhood, many physical skills are developed. Gross motor skills like running, are used in games and sports rather than just for the fun of it. Fine motor skills improve as well; handwriting becomes smaller and more consistent. Many children are self-conscious when reaching puberty. Physical appearance is developing and it influences self-esteem as well as social relationships.
Early Adolescence (ages 10-14)
This stage is mostly characterized by puberty. Involving hormones, there are biological changes that lead to maturity. Not only does it involve sex-specific changes but also a growth spurt, rapid increase of height and weight. Other repercussions include increases of bone density and facial oil or acne. For girls, puberty begins during ages 8-13, starting with the breasts and pubic hair and eventually menstruation. Boys on the other hand, begin puberty during ages 9 and 14. Their testes enlarge and the scrotum changes both texture and color. About a year later the penis grows and pubic hair appears.
Early Adolescence development includes facial hair, deepening of the voice and reaching adult height. Boys tend to become taller than girls; they also gain more muscle due to their male hormone testosterone. Accompanying puberty come cognitive capacities, like social relationships and emotional feelings. In many cultures, puberty accompanies misconduct, usage of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, and even misbehaviors like shoplifting. Schools can teach youngsters about what changes to expect, reassuring them to work hard and limit contact to harmful experiences.
Late Adolescence (ages 14-18)
Between ages 15 and 17 the growth spurt ends and teenagers reach sexual maturity. This involves kissing, hugging and sometimes intimate contact.
Take a look at these simple and informative articles, explaining the expecting milestones from a child’s 1st year of life. They provide tips for parents on what to expect and for care providers to make the most out of a child’s development in the early years.
http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/abc/physical.html
http://www.kidspot.com.au/discoverycentre/Development-Development-Physical-development-in-babies-and-children+5367+553+article.htm
Movement is an important part of this stage, as are gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are known as those that permit large movement in the environment, for example running and hopping. Fine motor skills on the other hand, are those known to involve more precise controlled movement, for example writing, drawing and cutting with scissors.
Preschool years allow children to learn motor skills like riding a tricycle and throwing or catching a ball. Skills become better coordinated as a result of practice, development of arms and legs, and muscular control. Gross motor skills are accompanied by fantasy and joy. They begin to develop pretend roles into physical play, like becoming superheroes or playing house. With this play you can observe creative and cooperative interaction between children. Fine motor skills develop as children begin to dress and undress themselves, and eat with appliances. Some develop interest in building blocks or putting puzzles together, while others develop interest in drawing and cutting.
Sometimes there are large individual differences in young children’s fine motor skills. Children who are born with certain disorders and those exposed to alcohol during prenatal development show delays in fine motor skills. Fine motor activities like handwriting are sometimes easier for girls, but boys sometimes find it easier to write, draw and cut.
Middle Childhood (ages 6-10)
During this stage youngsters show certain gains in height and weight. Bodies grow larger and proportions of body parts change. With these gain come some losses. They loose their “baby” teeth, replacing them with permanent teeth. Girls mature more quickly than do boys. During middle childhood, many physical skills are developed. Gross motor skills like running, are used in games and sports rather than just for the fun of it. Fine motor skills improve as well; handwriting becomes smaller and more consistent. Many children are self-conscious when reaching puberty. Physical appearance is developing and it influences self-esteem as well as social relationships.
Early Adolescence (ages 10-14)
This stage is mostly characterized by puberty. Involving hormones, there are biological changes that lead to maturity. Not only does it involve sex-specific changes but also a growth spurt, rapid increase of height and weight. Other repercussions include increases of bone density and facial oil or acne. For girls, puberty begins during ages 8-13, starting with the breasts and pubic hair and eventually menstruation. Boys on the other hand, begin puberty during ages 9 and 14. Their testes enlarge and the scrotum changes both texture and color. About a year later the penis grows and pubic hair appears.
Early Adolescence development includes facial hair, deepening of the voice and reaching adult height. Boys tend to become taller than girls; they also gain more muscle due to their male hormone testosterone. Accompanying puberty come cognitive capacities, like social relationships and emotional feelings. In many cultures, puberty accompanies misconduct, usage of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, and even misbehaviors like shoplifting. Schools can teach youngsters about what changes to expect, reassuring them to work hard and limit contact to harmful experiences.
Late Adolescence (ages 14-18)
Between ages 15 and 17 the growth spurt ends and teenagers reach sexual maturity. This involves kissing, hugging and sometimes intimate contact.
Take a look at these simple and informative articles, explaining the expecting milestones from a child’s 1st year of life. They provide tips for parents on what to expect and for care providers to make the most out of a child’s development in the early years.
http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/abc/physical.html
http://www.kidspot.com.au/discoverycentre/Development-Development-Physical-development-in-babies-and-children+5367+553+article.htm