1.2: Periods of Development

Learning Objectives

1. Identify and describe the major periods of development from infancy through middle childhood.
2. Briefly describe key characteristics of each developmental period.

Think about what periods or stages of development you think a course on Child Development would address. How many stages are on your list? Perhaps you have three: infancy, childhood, and teenagers. Developmentalists (those who study development) break this part of the life span into these five stages as follows:

• Prenatal Development (conception through birth)
• Infancy and Toddlerhood (birth through two years)
• Early Childhood (3 to 5 years)
• Middle Childhood (6 to 11 years)

This list reflects unique aspects of the various stages of childhood and adolescence that will be explored in this book. While both an 8-month-old and an 8-year-old are considered children, they have very different motor skills, social relationships, and cognitive abilities. Their nutritional needs are different, and their primary psychological concerns are also distinctive.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Ages and Stages from infancy to early elementary. Image by Amber Tankersley is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Prenatal Development

Conception occurs, and development begins. All the major structures of the body are forming, and the mother's health is of primary concern. Understanding nutrition, teratogens (or environmental factors that can lead to birth defects), and labor and delivery are primary concerns.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): A tiny embryo depicting some development of arms and legs, as well as facial features that are starting to show. Image by lunar caustic is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Infancy and Toddlerhood

The first two years of life are ones of dramatic growth and change. A newborn, with a keen sense of hearing but very poor vision, is transformed into a walking, talking toddler within a relatively short period of time. Caregivers are also transformed from someone who manages feeding and sleep schedules to a constantly moving guide and safety inspector for a mobile, energetic child.

Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): A swaddled newborn. Image by Han Myo Htwe on Unsplash.

Early Childhood

Early childhood is also referred to as the preschool years and consists of the years that follow toddlerhood and precede formal schooling. As a child between three and five years old, they are busy learning language, gaining a sense of self and greater independence, and beginning to understand the workings of the physical world. This knowledge does not come quickly, however, and preschoolers may initially have interesting conceptions of size, time, space and distance such as fearing that they may go down the drain if they sit at the front of the bathtub or by demonstrating how long something will take by holding out their two index fingers several inches apart. A toddler’s fierce determination to do something may give way to a four-year-old’s sense of guilt for action that brings the disapproval of others.

Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Two young children playing in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Image by Alaric Sim on Unsplash.

Middle Childhood

The ages of six through eleven comprise middle childhood, and much of what children experience at this age is connected to their involvement in the early grades of school. Now the world becomes one of learning and testing new academic skills, and by assessing one’s abilities and accomplishments by making comparisons between self and others. Schools compare students and make these comparisons public through team sports, test scores, and other forms of recognition. Growth rates slow down, and children are able to refine their motor skills at this point in life. Children begin to learn about social relationships beyond their family through interactions with friends and fellow students.

Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Two children running down the street in Carenage, Trinidad, and Tobago. Image by Wayne Lee-Sing on Unsplash.

References, Contributors, and Attributions

8. Periods of Development by Lumen Learning is licensed under CC BY 4.0