Before explaining the various stages of development, it is important to note that children develop and grow at distinct paces. Although the paths differ, children often pass through a set of milestones as they grow. Child development is the progression of a child and how they develop the capability of accomplishing tasks and develop practical skills as they grow. Theorists such as Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, and Lawrence Kohlberg have various ways to understand child development. Overall, there are three stages of child development. That is early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescent stage.
The initial stage of child development is the early childhood stage. According to Charlesworth (2013), this stage occurs from birth to eight years. Tremendous growth occurs during this phase as compared to the other developmental stages. The dependent young one develops into a young individual who can take care of him or herself and interact effectively with the other people. From birth up to 3 years, the child doubles weight and height. The proportions of the body also change. Thus, the young one, whose head accounts for more than a half of the total body length, now becomes a toddler who is more balanced with his appearance resembling that of an adult (Charlesworth, 2013). Despite these quick physical changes, the three-year-old child becomes proficient in the mastery of skills such as walking, scribbling, sitting, sitting, coordination between the eye and eye, catching and throwing a ball, and using a spoon. Between 3-5 years, children continue growing at a fast rate and the fine motor skills start developing. By the time the children are five years old, they show good control of crayons, scissors, and pencils. Some of the gross motor accomplishments include a sense of balance on one foot and ability to skip. Additionally, physical growth starts slowing down between 3-8 years. At the same time, motor skills and body proportions become more refined (Charlesworth, 2013). As the child grows physical, cognitive and, language development also occurs.
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After the first three years of their life, children can use language effectively to describe things that are around them. A language is a powerful tool that aids in the child development. Through the use of language, the child can communicate with people around them. By the time children are 8 years, they can show their understanding of the concepts that are less concrete such as time and money. Nevertheless, an eight-year-old child faces difficulties in understanding abstract ideas (Charlesworth, 2013). In this stage, the socio-emotional development occurs when the child is one-year-old. At this time, the child also develops an attachment to his or her parents. The nature of the attachment formed by a child during thus stage determines the nature of relationships a child forms in the later years of life.
Charlesworth (2013) goes further to give various implications for in-school learning for this stage. The period of birth to 8 years acts as the time for development of many skills in different areas of development. The ability to detect any delays in child’s development leads to the establishment of early intervention measures that reduce the demand for special education placements when a child reaches school age. For instance, when the hearing deficits are detected early, such problems may be corrected before the child develops severe language damages. Additionally, delays in development that are caused by premature birth cam be solved through appropriate treatment to assist the children function at the level of their developing friends before they start schooling.
Emphasis on early learning has created a lot of pressure as far as preparing the young children to enter school with the required skills is concerned. Additionally, the high levels of attention of the early childhood have led to increased interest in the pre-school programs that acts as a means to narrow the gap between kids whose families can offer quality learning environment and for the families which cannot (Charlesworth, 2013).
Middle childhood is the second stage that occurs in child’s development. The stage occurs between 8-12 years. During this stage, the children’s sexual desires are usually suppressed. According to Sigmund Freud, this stage does not contribute to the personality of a child. However, some theorists have acknowledged the need for this stage in the development of personality, interpersonal relationships, motivation, and cognitive skills. It is in this stage where the children learn the values of their communities (Charlesworth, 2013). Notably, growth is usually slow until the child reaches the puberty stage where individuals develop at a fast rate. The child’s cognitive development is also slow at this stage. Children also learn classification skills and formation of hypotheses. Middle childhood is a stage where children gain interest for work and learning and develop competence for social and interpersonal relationships.
Middle childhood stage has clear implications for school learning. For the majority of the children, this stage acts as a stage for expansive relationships, developing interests in sports or music, and increasing their autonomy. However, change in school performance occurs at this phase (Charlesworth, 2013). The skills that children require to succeed in school start becoming more sophisticated. At this stage, the learners who meet their academic obstacles succeed in their studies and vice versa.
Adolescent is the last stage in child development that occurs between 12-18 years. The adolescent stage begins when the kids start their sexual maturity and end when the child starts developing an identity as an adult within the social context. The stage may last in the early twenties. The prime developmental task is the formation of identity. Accelerated growth also occurs at this stage. Sexual maturation also occurs at this stage. Just like the physical development, there is inconsistency in the age at which the adolescents attain their sexual maturity (Charlesworth, 2013). Females mature at the age of thirteen while the males mature at fifteen years. Adolescent is a critical stage of cognitive development because it marks changes in the manner in which the individuals reason and think about ideas. Adolescents also develop complicated cognitive skills and have the capability of solving hypothetical and more abstract problems.
The implications of adolescent development for education are numerous. Teachers should always be aware of changes in cognitive development that occur among the teenagers and provide them with learning opportunities that support single students and stimulate their growth. Teachers should also identify the challenges faced by adolescents and assist them in correcting the problems whenever they arise. Teachers play a critical part in the identification of the behaviors that could be more problematic among the adolescents and can be mentors to the learners in need (Charlesworth, 2013).
In summary, the three stages of child development are imperative for the growing child because the child develops different competencies in each stage. Implications for learning are drawn from what people know about how children grow and develop. However, context and schooling influence child's growth and therefore teachers should be aware that children of various ages think differently, it is also vital to understand that the expectations for schooling affect the manner in which the children learn and grow.
Reference
Charlesworth, R. (2014). Understanding child development (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
