From language development to overall health, research consistently finds what happens in a child's earliest years is most important for healthy development, growth and long-term well-being.
For children to achieve their full potential, as is their human right, they need health care and nutrition, protection from harm and a sense of security, opportunities for early learning, and responsive caregiving – like talking, singing and playing – with parents and caregivers who love them.
Development is basically an economic concept that has positive connotations; it involves the application of certain economic and technical measures to utilize available resources to instigate economic growth and improve people's quality of life.
Child development, the growth of perceptual, emotional, intellectual, and behavioral capabilities and functioning during childhood. The term childhood denotes that period in the human lifespan from the acquisition of language at one or two years to the onset of adolescence at 12 or 13 years.
Child development refers to the process through which human beings typically grow and mature from infancy through adulthood. The different aspects of growth and development that are measured include physical growth, cognitive growth, and social growth.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier." This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries.
Understanding child development is important for parents because it helps them know what to expect as their child grows and learns. It guides them in supporting their child's physical, emotional, and cognitive development in the right way.
Students completing the Child Development A.S. Degree will: Demonstrate the ability to identify, analyze, and apply theories of early childhood education and child development. Demonstrate global consciousness as they work with diverse cultures, families, and individuals and teach children.
Early childhood is a pivotal period of child development that begins before birth through age 8. This is a period of rapid brain and body development. In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second (Center for Developing Child).
Early childhood experiences from birth to age 8 affect the development of the brain's architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health. A strong foundation helps children develop the skills they need to become well-functioning adults.