Definitions

  • Development - change and expansion of ability and advancement in skill from a lower to a more advanced capability.

    • qualitative change, growth is quantitative

    • Happens in a set order (crawl → walk → run).

    • Physical (motor skills)

    • Thinking (cognitive)

    • Feelings/relationships (emotional, social)

    • Talking/communication (language)

  • Head grows the fastest, then trunk then arm and legs


  • Development Patterns:

    • 1. Cephalocaudal, from head to toe; top-down sequence

      • Cephalo” = head

      • “Caudal” = tail or lower part of body

        • Example: Infants advance in neck and head control before controlling the movements of the extremities.

        • They can lift their head before they can sit, crawl, or walk.



    • 2. Proximodistal, from midline to periphery; Growth that starts at the center of the body (the trunk) and moves outward toward the extremities (arms, hands, fingers).

      • “Proximo” = near/closer to the center

      • “Distal” = farther from the center

        • Example: A baby can control their shoulders and arms before they can control their hands and fingers.

    • 3. Differentiation: simple to complex, and general to specific;

    • cells, organs, and skills become more specialized and distinct as a person develops.

      • Example: Infants use a whole-hand grasp before learning the finer control of the pincer grasp, and they coo or babble before they speak.


  • Growth Chart – Purpose:

    • Track growth over time → Shows if a child is growing normally.

    • Compare to standards → Compares child’s growth to other children of the same age/sex.

    • Find problems early → Helps detect growth issues (like undernutrition, obesity, or illness).

    • Cultural expectations can influence the age at which a child is expected to master certain developmental tasks.

    • Social expectations influence the age at which children are expected to master developmental tasks, varying by culture.


  • Quantitative growth and example:

    • Growth = measurable physical changes in the body.

      • Height (inches/cm)

      • Weight (lbs/kg)

      • Head circumference (cm, esp. in infants)

      • Chest circumference

      • BMI


  • Qualititative growth and example:

    • Changes in abilities or functions (not numbers)

      • Examples: Learning to talk, walking, problem-solving, making friends

  • Erickson Progression (already in flashcards):

    • Infancy

    • Toddler

    • Preschool

    • School Age

    • Adolescence

    • Young Adulthood

    • Middle Adulthood

    • Late Adulthood

    Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development (Expanded)

    Level

    Stage

    Main Idea

    1. Preconventional

    Stage 1:

    Avoiding punishment – rules obeyed to avoid consequences.


    Stage 2:

    Gaining reward – do things for personal benefit.

    2. Conventional

    Stage 3:

    Gaining approval – seek to please others, be “good.”


    Stage 4:

    Avoiding disapproval – follow laws/rules to maintain order.

    3. Postconventional

    Stage 5:

    Agreeing upon rights – laws are flexible if they promote fairness.


    Stage 6:

    Establishing personal moral standards – guided by conscience, justice, equality.


    Stage 7:

    Achieving justice – moral reasoning grounded in universal love, justice, or even spiritual/ethical ideals.

2 Rapid Growth Periods:

  • 1. Infancy – First year of life

    • Babies usually double their birth weight by 6 months and triple it by 1 year.

    • Height grows quickly too.

    1. Adolescence (Puberty) – Ages 10–20

    • Big growth spurt in height and weight.

    • Triggered by hormones (like growth hormone and sex hormones).

    • Happens earlier in girls than boys.


  • Key Idea: The body doesn’t grow at a constant rate; there are bursts of rapid growth separated by slower periods.

  • Growth infants: birth weight doubles at 6 months, triples at 1 year

  • Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

    • Justice, fairness, and abstract reasoning in moral decision-making

      • Kohlberg focused on the stages of moral reasoning and how people decide what is morally right.

      • Example Moral Dilemma Response: Focuses on "What is fair?" and "What rules or principles apply?”

  • Principle of Gilligan’s Theory

    • moral development is based on relationships and care, not just abstract rules or justice.

    • Moral decisions are guided by responsibility, empathy, and compassion.

    • Example Moral Dilemma Response: Focuses on "Who will behurt?" and "How can relationships be maintained or repaired?"

  • Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

    • Cognition develops through social interaction and cultural tools, not just individual exploration ; Learning is social

      • Teacher Role: Active guide and collaborator\


  • Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

    • Learning is self-driven

    • society is supportive; teacher role: tools given for exploration, not guided