Child development stages

• Prenatal—from conception to birth

• Neonatal-birth to 1 month

• Infancy—1 to 12 months

• Toddler—12 to 36 months

• Preschool—3 to 6 years

• School-age (middle childhood)—6 to 12 years

Prenatal - Brain develops and also when development of limbs occurs

Neonatal - A time of rapid change and development where patterns for infancy, like feeding and bonding, are developed

Infancy - Stage when walking often begins

Physical Development Stage - Growth of the body and development of motor skills

Speech & Language Development Stage - Ability to communicate, talk, and develop a vocabulary.

Cognitive Development Stage - Ability to use logic and problem-solving skills, including the skill of thinking about thinking

Social-Emotional Development Stage - Learn how to relate and interact to others

The Brain

Neurons - Brain cells that send and receive electrical impulses amongst each other that direct various tasks of the brain.

Wiring - Network of fibers that carry brain signals between neurons. Serves as a link between cells.

Axons - Long, thick cables that transmit all the signals from a neuron to the other neurons.

Dendrites - Short bushy cables that allow each neuron to receive signals sent by other neurons.

Synapse - A tiny gap between a dendrite of one neuron and the axon of another across which electrical impulses can be transmitted.

Pruning - The process of weeding out underused or weak connections between neurons.

Plasticity - The ability of the brain to be shaped and reshaped, which is greatest in early life