Growth vs Development
What does growth refer to in child development and does it occur throughout a person's lifetime?
Physical changes and increases in a child’s size (height, weight, etc.). Yes, growth occurs throughout a person's lifetime.
What does the statement “Sequence, not age, is most important” mean?
It’s the order of acquiring skills, not the exact age, that shows progress.
True or false? An infant has more brain cells than his mother or father.
True.
Name all six major developmental domains.
Physical, Motor, Perceptual, Cognitive, Language, and Social-Emotional.
What does the term temperament describe in child development?
Temperament refers to the inborn traits that influence how a child reacts emotionally and adapts to the environment.
What does development refer to?
An increase in complexity and difficulty...a change from simple to more advanced knowledge, behavior, or skills.
What is a developmental milestone?
A major marker or accomplishment, such as sitting, walking, or talking.
What does plasticity mean?
The brain’s ability to change and form new connections through learning and experience.
How are the six domains connected?
They are interwoven and interdependent; growth in one affects the others.
Which three temperament types were identified by researchers who studied how children typically respond to the world around them?
“Easy,” “difficult,” and “slow-to-warm.”
Explain why development does not always occur in a smooth and predictable pattern.
Development happens at different rates and is influenced by many environmental and other outside factors, so progress isn’t always steady or predictable.
What type of development occurs when infants learn to hold their head up, then reach for objects, then to crawl, walk, and finally to run?
Cephalocaudal development.
What is pruning and why does it happen?
The brain eliminates weak or unused connections to strengthen active networks — “use it or lose it.”
What are three factors that influence the way children develop?
Heredity, environment, culture.
Use the clay analogy to describe why a child's temperament remains relatively consistent throughout a child's lifetime.
Just like you can shape and mold clay into different forms, life experiences, relationships, and learning can influence how temperament is expressed, but you can’t swap the clay or change its basic qualities. In other words, the core material (temperament) stays the same, even as the sculpture (personality) takes shape over time.
Why can’t these two terms be used interchangeably?
Growth refers to measurable physical change, while development refers to progressive skill complexity across domains.
FALSE. Children who experience developmental delays can e catch up with their peers once they are given the correct interventions and resources to help them do so.
Please explain how neural connections are formed and use the analogy that we have been using in class to explain the process.
Neural connections are links between brain cells and they are created as a result of LEARNING EXPERIENCES. Thread, string, rope.
What is perceptual development?
The way children use information from the senses to learn and respond appropriately.
Teachers can’t change a child’s temperament, but they can change this to help students succeed.
The environment or culture of the classroom.
Typical development is sometimes described as a building-block process. What does this mean?
Each new developmental skill is typically built upon previously learned skills and experiences.
Choose three domains and provide examples of "twists" that could occur, ultimately leading to developmental delays.
Answers will vary.
What word explains why a four-year-old learning English as a second language can understand and hold conversations more quickly than an adult?
Plasticity.
Give an example of how motor and language development might interact.
A child uses fine-motor skills to turn pages while naming pictures in a book.
When a teacher's temperament is different than a student's, what needs to happen in order to make sure the differences don't cause a problem in the classroom?
A mismatch can create misunderstanding or conflict; recognizing these differences helps adults adjust their responses and strengthen the relationship.