Development among children is a very broad idea. However, it can be understood, at least in a further extent, by being able to identify the seven things around which development takes place.
These are the seven concepts of development which include growth, development (as a term), maturation, heredity, environment, stages of development and developmental tasks. Let's discuss each of these concepts in the following paragraphs.
GROWTH
Growth refers to the progressive increase and continuous advancement of the child from birth to maturation. This term usually refers to the physical traits of the individual. Increase in height, weight, number of bones, capacity and proportions is referred to as "growth."
DEVELOPMENT
Development refers to the gradual and orderly unfolding of the characteristics of an individual as he goes through the successive stages of growth. This term refers to a sense of simplicity to a sense of complexity.
Development is also compared to growth in that a person in a specific stage of growth (physical) is also expected to show development (psychological, emotional, linguistic, etc.) For example, a two-year-old baby is expected to be able to utter simple words like "mama," "papa," etc.
Further understanding of the term "development" with reference to growth can be acquired by considering this next example. An individual who has attained the growth of, say, eighteen years is expected not to act like three-year-old children. This is why the term "developmental retardation" is used to label those who have attained a specific level of growth but do not operate in the level of development expected from their level of growth.
Moreover, there are different types of development. We have physiological, cognitive, socio-emotional and moral developments.
Physiological development is a kind of progress where an individual acquires an improved control of the functions of his body. Examples of this include the ability to write, the ability to jump, etc.
Cognitive development is a kind of progress where an individual acquires an improved use of his brain. Examples of this include the ability to do mathematical operations, the ability to process written language, etc.
Socio-emotional development, on the other hand, is a kind of progress where the individual acquires an improved use of his social and emotional skills. Those who operate in the highest socio-emotional development are believed to be able to handle relationships and to be able to adjust, depending on circumstances. They are also believed to be have a good control of their emotions.
Finally, moral development is a kind of progress where the individual acquires an improved sense of what is right or what is wrong, depending on the context of the society in which he lives. Those whose moral developments are well-advanced are believed to have better decision-making and benefit-harm-weighing skills.
MATURATION
Maturation refers to that part of development that is honed through experiences. It is usually referred to as "the internal ripening" aspect of an individual, indicating that growth has already reached optimal level.
Maturation is, simply, structural changes within an individual which are caused by experiences and metacognition. Signs of maturation are readiness and higher-level of mental functions.
HEREDITY
Heredity is the process of transmitting traits fro parents to offspring through genes, the basic unit of heredity. Heredity is usually the predetermination of an individual's maturation, growth and development. There are arguments regarding the roles of nature and nurture to an individual's life and nature seem to be ahead.
ENVIRONMENT
Environment is the opposite of heredity. If heredity is nature, then environment is nurture.
Environment refers to an individual's total surrounding conditions that are believed to be the keys unlocking his heredity traits. It is one of the risk factors for developmental problems.
The society in which an organism lives is the whole picture of his environment. This means that the dimensions of his society all contribute to his development.
The social dimensions that affect one's development include the family, the basic and most direct social dimension, the school, the peers, the neighborhood, the church, etc. These are all contributory to a person's behavior, belief, attitude, preferences, etc.
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
Stages of development are referred to as the number of periods in the life cycle in which the functions and relative emphasis of a given type of behavior differ from those at other periods of life. Life span is arbitrarily divided into these stages or periods, with each period being a part of a whole.
DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
Developmental tasks are traits or behaviors expected from a certain stage of development. Speaking for one-year-olds, walking for two-year-olds, writing for six-year-olds and writing essays for fifteen-year-olds are but a few examples of the very many developmental tasks.
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