|
Child Development |
|
Introduction
In the early childhood industry 'child development' is an everyday term used among educators. What is the definition of child development actually? According to Berk (2003), child development is "a field devoted to understanding human constancy and change from conception through adolescence". It is an interesting and interdisciplinary area which is not very straight-forward. For example, improving children's health requires an understanding of physical growth and nutrition, and treating children's anxieties and behaviour problem require information about personality and social development.
|
Child Development and Parental Involvement
As parents nowadays become more well-read and start to apply some of the child development theories in their actual child-rearing practices, this area has become a growing and fundamental concern for parents as well. In parent teachers meetings, parents have continually asked for advice about child rearing practices and experiences that would promote the well-being of their child. It is a good development trend to observe as the activities conducted at home to compliment what is being taught at school would definitely be beneficial to the overall development of the child.
|
Domains of Development
There are 3 main areas to scope for child development whereby each of them are interlinked - physical development, cognitive development and emotional and social development.
| Physical development |
Encompass changes in body size, proportions, appearances and functioning of various body systems, brain development, perceptual and motor capacities and physical health. |
|
| Cognitive development |
Includes development of a wide variety of thought processes and intellectual abilities, including attention, memory, acacdemic and everfyday knowledge, problem solving, imagination, creativityand the uniquely human capacity to represent the world through language. |
|
| Emotional and social development |
Entails development of emotional communication, self-understanding, abilty to manage one's feelings, knowledge about other people, interpersonal skills, friendships, intimate relationships and moral reasoning and behaviour. |
 |
Enriched experiences promote all aspects of development and each domain influences and is influenced by others. All these contribution to the total development of the child.
|
Developmental Milestones
A developmental milestone is a skill that a child acquires within a specific
time frame. Every child is unique and each of them meet the developmental milestone at a different time from another. However there are blocks of time where most children will acquire the specific skill, a term which is often referred to as the normal developmental milestone. For instance, one developmental milestone is learning to walk. Most
children learn this skill between the ages of 9 and
15 months.
Developmental delays can have negative effects on the child. If the child fail to develop properly he may face speech and language difficulties, behavioural problems and learning problems and not be unable to reach his full potential. It is thus important for caregivers to know the normal developmental milestones at each stage of the child's life and to seek help if the child does not meet the development milestones. Healthcare professionals, early childhood educators and parents can then work together as partners to help children grow up healthy and strong.
|
Useful Resources
A local organisation "Kidzgrow Pte Ltd (Singapore)" has implemented an award-winning online child development tracking programme (for children 0-6 years old). The programme is supported by the Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports (MCYS) and The Enterprise Challenge (TEC) - Prime Minister's Office, under the TEC initiative. More than 800 Singaporean parents has participated in its trial programme and have given their feedback on the programme. According to the site, the benefits of signing up on this programme allows users to:
- Gain rapid child development knowledge specially tailored to your child's unique strengths and weaknesses
- Get quick checks of your child's developmental milestones at your convenience
- Obtain instant and up-to-date Summary Analysis to help you track your child's development
- Enrich the quality of time with your child through bonding and meaningful activities
For more information, check out : http://www.kidzgrow.com.sg/KGOL/KGOL_mainpage.htm
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
