Stages of Early Childhood Development and The Importance of Education
Children are unique human beings. Every child grows and develops at a different pace. Early childhood development is one of the most important stages of their life as it is where they not only grow physically but learn the social, emotional, behaviour, thinking and communication skills needed for life.
"From birth to age 5, a child's brain develops more than at any other time in life" - First Things First
The early development of a child's brain has a long-lasting impact on their ability to succeed at school and thereafter life. The quality of early childhood development education in the first five years helps shape a child's brain.
It is said that nearly all brain growth occurs before a child enters kindergarten. By 5 years old the brain reaches approximately 90% of growth - which is nearly full grown. The connections made between brain cells are extremely crucial and is what makes the brain work. Brain connections enable us to carry out everyday activities including moving, thinking and communicating. The early childhood development stages are crucial for making these connections and helping children develop to their full capacity.
The brain has many different areas, and these are all responsible for different abilities, like movement, language and emotion. Early childhood development education is the best opportunity for a child's brain to develop the connections they need to be healthy and successful adults.
How are these brain connections built? As soon as a child is born, they develop brain connection through simple everyday experiences. Whether this is the interactions made with parents or the early childhood development education received at childcare. The daily experiences of children determine which brain connection develop and which will last a lifetime.
One of the most important influences on the stages of early childhood development is a child's relationship with the adults in their life. These loving and positive relationships are essential to a child's healthy development.
When looking at the stages of early childhood development, you should note that all children are different. In saying that, they generally reach particular milestones in their life at roughly the same time. Here are some of the most crucial developmental milestones in early childhood.
Birth to 3 months: newborns babies are precious, intriguing and smart humans. Every day brings new changes and developments for them. During this stage, babies should be stretching, kicking and gurgling. They should also be able to lift their head and start to reach and discover their hands and feet.
4 to 6 months: this is the time where your child becomes more social and has a purpose for movements. They should start laughing, smiling and imitating sounds. Children at this age start discovering their body and begin to roll, bounce and sit up.
7 to 12 months: between 7 and 12 months, children start taking their first steps, understand names, can say words and like to explore their surroundings.
1 to 2 years: this age group is where children are aware of their own behaviour and start communicating through verbal and facial communication. They should start climbing, running walking, playing and problem-solving.
2 to 3 years: this stage of early childhood development involved children learning new things, growing their vocabulary and becoming independent toddlers.
3 to 5 years: children start asking lots of questions, have a longer attention span and like to play with friends during this stage.
5 to 8 years: the stage of early development is reaching an end. This is when they start developing independence and are curious about the world around them
Children who experience positive interactions in their early years will go on to be healthier and more successful in school and in life. The stages of early development for a child are crucial and it is important that you spend as much time as you can with them so they can reach their full potential. Childcare centres and early childhood development education programs are also a great way to kickstart the first few years of their life!