HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Development of human and early childhood, say the second or third year. The experiences of that period form the basis of the type of person you are today. However, beings grow, change, and adjust themselves to their environment is the focus of evolution and behavior as well as the concepts, principles, and theories of evolution.
INTRODUCTION
Human beings keep changing. During their lives, they change in size, appearance, and psychological makeup. The way they change differs from individual to individual. However, the fundamental underlying patterns of growth and development remain more or less the same and take place in an orderly way.
HUMANS EVOLUTION
Each individual, with his unique heredity and the way he is nurtured, determines the way he traverses timeline and the broad highway of his life at his rate of progress.
. He will attain the size, shape, capacities, and developmental status in a way that is peculiar to him at each stage of life.
. In this unit, we shall discuss the concept, principles, and various stages of growth & development. Children differ in physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth patterns.
. They also differ in the ways they interact with and respond to their environment as well as play and affection. Having an understanding of the sequence of growth and development prepares teachers to help and give attention to all children.
CONCEPT OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
The terms growth and development are often used interchangeably. They are conceptually different, neither growth nor development takes place all by itself.
Growth
Growth refers to quantitative changes in size, which include physical changes in height, weight, size, internal organs, etc.
As an individual develops, old features like baby fat, hair and teeth, etc.
disappear and new features like facial hair are acquired. When maturity comes, the second set of teeth, primary and secondary sex characteristics, etc appear.
Similar changes occur in all aspects of the personality. During infancy and childhood, the body steadily becomes larger, taller, and heavier. The term growth is used to designate this change.
Growth involves changes in body proportions as well as in overall stature and weight. The term growth thus indicates an increase in bodily dimensions. However, the rate of growth differs from one part of the body to the other.
Development
Development, by contrast, refers to qualitative changes taking place simultaneously with quantitative changes of growth. It may be defined as a progressive series of orderly, coherent changes.
The term progressive signifies that changes are directional, that they lead forward rather than backward. Orderly and coherently suggest there is a definite relationship between the changes taking place and those that precede or will follow them.
The development represents changes in an organism from its origin to its death, but more particularly the progressive changes that take place from origin to maturity.
Thus, development may be explained as the series of overall changes in an individual due to the emergence of modified structures and functions that are the outcome of the interactions and exchanges between the organism and its environment.
PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN OFFSPRING
Following are the fundamental principles of growth and development.
The development follows a pattern or a sequence
Development proceeds from general to specific responses
Development is a continuous process
Different aspects of growth develop at different rates
Most traits are correlated with development
Growth is complex
Growth is a product of the interaction between the organism and the environment
There are wide individual differences in growth
Growth is both quantitative and qualitative
(1) Development Follows a Pattern or a Sequence:
Development tends to proceed from the head downward. This is called the cephalocaudal principle.
According to this principle, the child first gains control of the head, then the arms, then the legs. Infants gain control of head and face movements within the first two months after birth. In the next few months, they can lift themselves using their arms. By 6 to 12 months of age, infants start to gain leg control and may be able to crawl, stand, or walk.
The development also proceeds from the center of the body outward according to the proximodistal principle. Accordingly, the spinal cord develops before other parts of the body. The child’s arms develop before the hands, and the hands and feet develop before the fingers and toes. Fingers and toes are the last to develop.
(2) Development Proceeds from General to Specific Responses:
It moves from generalized to localized behavior. The newborn infant moves its whole body at one time instead of moving only one part of it. It does random kicking with its legs before it can coordinate the leg muscles well enough to crawl or walk.
(3) Development is a Continuous Process:
Development does not occur in spurts. Growth continues from the moment of conception until the individual reaches maturity. It takes place at a slow regular pace rather than by leaps and bounds. Although development is a continuous process, the tempo of growth is not even, during infancy and early years growth moves swiftly and later it slackens.
(4) Different Aspects Of Growth Developed At Different Rates:
Neither all parts of the body grow at the same rate nor do all aspects of mental growth proceed equally. They reach maturity at different times. The development also depends on maturation. Maturation refers to the sequence of biological changes in children.
These orderly changes give children new abilities. Much of the maturation depends on changes in the brain and the nervous system. These changes assist children to improve their thinking abilities and motor skills. A rich learning environment helps children develop to their potential.
Children must mature to a certain point before they can gain some skills. For instance, the brain of a four-month-old has not matured enough to allow the child to use words. A four-month-old will babble and coo. However, by two years of age, with the help of others, the child will be able to say and understand many words.
This is an example of how cognitive development occurs from simple tasks to more tasks that are complex. Likewise, physical skills develop from general to specific movements.
For example, think about the way an infant waves its arms and legs. In a little more time, the same infant will grasp a block with the thumb and forefinger.
(5) Most Traits Correlated to Development:
Generally, it is seen that the child whose intellectual development is above average is so in health size, sociability, and special aptitudes.
(6) Growth is Complex:
All of its aspects are closely interrelated. The child’s mental development is intimately related to his physical growth and its needs.
(7) Growth is a Product of the Interaction of the Organism and Environment:
Among the environmental factors, one can mention nutrition, climate the conditions in the home, and the type of social organization in which an individual moves and lives.
(8) There are Wide Individual Differences in Growth:
Individual differences in growth are caused by differences in heredity and environment
(9) Growth is Both Quantitative and Qualitative:
These two aspects are inseparable. The child not only grows in size, but he grows up or matures in structure and function too.
(10) Development is Predictable:
We can predict at an early age the range within which the mature development of the child is likely to fall. However, mental development cannot be predicted with the same degree of accuracy.
FAQ’S
CONCLUSION
Development is a dynamic process, which takes place in the life cycle, as an individual being is inextricably sensitive to biophysical, sociophysical, and social-psychological contexts of existence. Starting from infancy there are many changes and the growth of the being occurs in stages, namely childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.