Child Development Stages: Physical, Cognitive, Social Aspects
Item 3. Psychomotor Development
Physical Growth
Growth rate is intense in the first two years, then gradually stabilizes between ages 3-6. Body dimensions change; babies’ heads are proportionally larger with shorter legs. Head growth slows, limbs lengthen significantly by age 5, though still short relative to the body. The skeleton undergoes rapid calcification, bones are softer and more pliable than at age 6. Muscle mass increases from age 3. Baby teeth appear within six months, complete by age 3. Second dentition begins at age 6.
Environmental and Genetic Factors: Food, culture, social environment, physical education, and socioeconomic status affect growth. Studies show a 5-10 cm increase in height in 6-year-olds compared to a century ago, attributed to improved living conditions and nutrition. Genetic factors include transfusion genetics and sex heredity, influencing size and somatic development differences between boys and girls.
Nervous system maturation occurs in the first 2-3 years, with myelin sheath formation and nerve cell extension growth.
Psychomotor Developmental Stages
By age 3, children walk securely, control speed, and change direction. Ages 4-5 show refined movements. At 5-6, children are confident in their physical abilities.
Locomotor, Manipulative, and Balance Movements:
- Locomotor: Simple (vertical jump, horizontal jump, running) and complex (combinations).
- Manipulative: Propelled (force to move an object) and absorbent (resisting force).
- Equilibrium: Axial stability (coordination of body parts) and static-dynamic stability (center of gravity control).
Stages: Beginner, transition, and maturity.
Body Schema Construction
Infants initially don’t distinguish their body from the environment. Body knowledge starts with sensory stimuli. Body schema is a dynamic or static body image, aiding spatial orientation. It develops by age 6-7, with modifications at critical moments. Before age 6, children confuse front and back, struggle with crossed movements, and exhibit synkinesis.
Lateralization Process
Dominance of one hand, foot, or eye. Laterality can be crossed. Hypotheses include innate and learned aspects. Preference solidifies by age 6-7.
Graphic Activity
Motor Aspects: 18 months: horizontal slash. 2 years: rotating movements. 3-4 years: hybrid designs, arabesques. Copying models: circle (3 years), cross (3.5 years), square (4 years), triangle (5 years), diamond (6 years).
Perceptual Aspects: Visual dominance before 20 months.
Formation of the Semiotic Function
Ability to represent something using a signifier. Piaget’s View: Around 9 months, children understand object permanence. Signifiers are differentiated from what they mean. Symbols maintain a link to the object; signs are arbitrary and conventional.
Five Behaviors: Deferred imitation, symbolic play, drawing, mental imagery, and language.
Symbolic Function and Socialization
Vygotsky: Mental activity has social origins. Psychological tools are accessed through socio-cultural interaction. Internalization transforms social phenomena into psychological ones.
Bruner: Three representation types: inactive, iconic, symbolic.
Symbolic Play
Represents real-life aspects. Crucial for psychic development. Bridges reality and internal psyche.
Graphic Representation
Expression of internal signifiers. Drawing represents images, written language represents oral language, nonverbal codes represent operations.
Decentering Process
Overcoming concentration on one aspect. Piaget’s Three Mountains Task: Difficulty seeing from another’s perspective. Social decentering involves understanding others’ views.
Children’s Views on Nature
Lack of differentiation between self and environment. Artificialism, Realism, Animism: Concepts in children’s thinking.
Piaget’s Developmental Levels
Pre-conceptual Thinking (2-4 years): Internalization of action. Simple Intuitions (4-5.5 years): Coordinated representations. Articulated Insights: Transition to concrete operational stage.
Item 4: School Children (7-12 Years)
Motor Development
Body shape changes from 7-8 to 11-12 years. Physical growth spurt. Improved coordination and fine motor skills.
Intellectual Development
Concrete operations stage. Use of symbols for mental operations. Understanding causality. Differentiating real and fictitious.
Social and Emotional Development
Independent social contact. Values based on authority, equality, and justice. School is central, providing learning and socialization. Peer group influence on identity, skills, belonging, and intellectual development. Friendship development. Play evolves into rule-based games.
Sexual Development
Sexual identity established. Sex play may occur.
Moral Development
Moral values align with intellectual development. Increased interaction outside the family leads to independent decision-making.
Item 5: Pre-adolescence (13-15 Years)
Introductory Aspects: Period before adolescence. Puberty. Crisis and adaptation.
Sociological Determinants: Not a universal stage. Social role ambiguity. Difficulty in social integration.
Biological Transformation: Sexual maturation. Fatigue and apathy. Excess energy.
Cognitive Development: Formal intelligence. Abstract thinking. Hypothetical-deductive reasoning. Egocentrism.