Child development
hideChild development refers to the biological and psychological changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of adolescence, as the individual progresses from dependency to increasing autonomy. Because these developmental changes may be strongly influenced by genetic factors and events during prenatal life, genetics and prenatal development are usually included as part of the study of child development. Related terms include "developmental psychology", referring to development throughout the lifespan and "pediatrics", the branch of medicine relating to the care of children. Developmental change may occur as a result of genetically-controlled processes known as maturation, or as a result of environmental factors and learning, but most commonly involves an interaction between the two.
There are various definitions of periods in child development, since each period is a continuum with individual differences regarding start and ending.
Some age-related development periods and examples of defined intervals are: newborn (ages 0–1 month); infant (ages 1 month – 1 year); toddler (ages 1–3 years); preschooler (ages 4–6years); school-aged child (ages 6–13 years); adolescent (ages 13–20). However, organizations like Zero to Three and the World Association for Infant Mental Health use the term infant as a broad category, including children from birth to age 3, a logical decision considering that the Latin derivation of the word infant refers to those who have no speech.
The optimal development of children is considered vital to society and so it is important to understand the social, cognitive, emotional, and educational development of children. Increased research and interest in this field has resulted in new theories and strategies, with specific regard to practice that promotes development within the school system. In addition there are also some theories that seek to describe a sequence of states that comprise child development.
For more information about Child development, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with child development
Livestock lead to better health in developing nations, rising consumption poses challenge
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In the face of reports about the ills livestock generate for the climate, environment and health, a new study published in the December issue of the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability emphasizes that l ...
When preschoolers ask questions, they want explanations
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 13, 2009 |
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Curiosity plays a big part in preschoolers' lives. A new study that explored why young children ask so many "why" questions concludes that children are motivated by a desire for explanation.
Study offers tips on taming the boogie monster
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 13, 2009 |
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Many parents of preschoolers struggle with their children's fears of real and imaginary creatures. A new study offers some ideas on how they can better manage their children's worries.
Ethnic pride may boost African-American teens' mental health
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 13, 2009 |
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Most adolescents who belong to an ethnic minority group wrestle not only with their self-esteem (like most teens), but also with identity issues unique to their ethnic group, such as dealing with social stigma. A new study ...
Awareness of racism affects how children do socially and academically
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 13, 2009 |
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Most children actively notice and think about race. A new study has found that children develop an awareness about racial stereotypes early, and that those biases can be damaging.
Youths see all parental control negatively when there's a lot of it
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 13, 2009 |
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A new study has found that young people feel differently about two types of parental control, generally viewing a type of control that's thought to be better for their development more positively. However, when parents are ...
Does modernization affect children's cognitive development?
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 13, 2009 |
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Societal and technological changes have taken place at a dizzying pace over recent decades. A new cross-cultural study aimed to determine whether these dramatic changes have had an effect on the thinking skills that are learned ...
Children under 3 can't learn action words from TV -- unless an adult helps
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Sep 15, 2009 |
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American infants and toddlers watch TV an average of two hours a day, and much of the programming is billed as educational. A new study finds that children under age 3 learn less from these videos that we might think -- unless ...
Teacher support is key to self-esteem for Chinese and US youth
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Sep 15, 2009 |
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As children go back to school this fall, a new cross-cultural study finds that for both Chinese and American middle schoolers, students who feel supported by their teachers tend to have higher self-esteem, and those who don't ...
Background TV found to have negative effect on parent-child interactions
Sep 15, 2009 |
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More than a third of American infants and toddlers live in homes where the television is on most or all the time, even if no one's watching. A new study looks for the first time at the effect of background TV on interactions ...
Genes may explain why children who live without dads have earlier sex
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Sep 15, 2009 |
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Previous research has found that children raised in homes without a biological father have sex earlier than children raised in traditional nuclear families. Now a new study that used a novel and complex design to investigate ...
Parental physical discipline through childhood linked to behavior problems in teens
Sep 15, 2009 |
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Two new studies explore how discipline changes during childhood and adolescence, and what family factors affect those changes. They conclude that when parents use physical discipline through childhood, their children experience ...
Study: Personality traits associated with stress and worry can be hazardous to your health
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Aug 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Personality traits associated with chronic worrying can lead to earlier death, at least in part because these people are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, according ...
Nature? Nurture? Scientists say neither
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Jul 20, 2009 |
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It's easy to explain why we act a certain way by saying "it's in the genes," but a group of University of Iowa scientists say the world has relied on that simple explanation far too long.
Foster care may boost brain activity of institutionalized children
Jul 15, 2009 |
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Children raised in institutions are more likely to lag physically, socially, and cognitively, but little is known about what happens to children's brains when they live in institutions. Now a new study finds that placing ...
