Category 1
Scientific study of children from conception to adolescence
child development
Change in size, such as height, or in quantity, such as vocabulary.
growth
concerns interactions with people and social groups, disposition, and emotions.
social-emotional development
Also known as newborn, this extends from birth to 1 month. During this period, the baby physically adapts to life outside the pregnant person’s body.
Neonatal
Begins at 12 months and ends at 36 months (the child’s third birthday). In the toddler stage, the child makes great strides in motor, thinking, and language skills and begins to be less dependent on adults.
Toddler
Sum of all the conditions and situations that surround and affect a child’s growth and development.
environment
Sum of all the traits that are passed to a child from blood relatives.
heredity
situations that cause worry and anxiety
stressors
You have many traits in common with all the other members of your biological family. These traits pass to you in complex ways through your parents’ ____ at conception
genes
As you learn more about children, you will see that they go through many _____ of growth and development.
stages
Chemicals that can turn genes on and off.
epigenome
Description of the stages of change people experience throughout life.
individual life cycle
experiences characterized by high levels of negative stress
trauma
Types of physical development
fine and gross motor skills
By conducting research, experts in the fields of medicine, education, family and consumer sciences, psychology, and sociology help gather ______ about children.
knowledge
Sections of the DNA molecule found in a person’s cells that determine his or her individual traits.
genes
includes how people think and learn and how people express what they know through a variety of methods, especially language.
intellectual development
the greatest amount or level possible
potential
Begins at 3 years and ends at 6 years. During this stage, the child becomes more self-sufficient, spends many hours in play exploring the physical and social world, and begins to develop knowledge of self.
Preschool
Begins at 6 years and ends at 12 years. This stage corresponds to the typical ages of children in the elementary school years. Achievement is the central goal of these years. School-age children become proficient in the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. They are exposed to many other learning opportunities, too. In school, children interact with peers more and learn by group instruction. Before the end of this stage, children have more stable feelings about self and know how others feel about them.
School-age (middle childhood)
Study of the factors involved in the passing of traits in living beings from one generation to the next
genetics
involves growth of the body and the development of both fine and gross motor skills.
physical development
Begins at conception and ends at birth (typically 9 months later). The rate of growth at this stage is the fastest it will be in life. In this stage, a fetus grows from a single cell to a complete organism. Even before birth, babies can move, recognize the pregnant person’s voice patterns, and react to some strong stimuli.
Prenatal
Begins at 12 years and ends around 18 years. This stage corresponds to the typical ages of children in middle school and high school and is marked by the onset of puberty. Adolescence is the stage during which a young person develops from a child to an adult.
Adolescence
Begins at 1 month and continues to 12 months. The infant develops the foundation for motor, thinking, language, and social skills.
Infancy