Basic Concepts in Child

and Adolescent
Development
Mr. Rodel Bryan C. Valdez
WHY STUDY CHILDREN’S
DEVELOPMENT?
• The physical, cognitive, social, and
emotional growth that takes place in the
first years of a child’s life sets the
foundation for success or failure in
learning and life.
• With the knowledge that you have, you
can better identify, interpret, and respond
to a child’s individual differences.
Whatever your field, you’ll be prepared to
respond effectively to the needs,
challenges, and capacities of children and
their families, helping them get the best
start in life.
What is development?
• a progressive series of orderly, coherent
changes (Hurlock, 1972)
• the integration of constitutional and
learned changes which make up an
individual’s ever developing personality
(Maier, 1969)
What is growth?
• generally refers to change in body
structure including the size of muscles,
size of brain, and the appearance of
secondary sex characteristics
Difference between
Growth
• change of physical
aspects of the organism
• change in shape, form,
structure, size of the body
• stops at maturation
• can be measured
accurately
Development
• overall changes and
progressive changes of
the organism
• structural change and
functional progress of the
body
• continues till death of the
organism
• subjective interpretation
of one’s change
 What is childhood?
• Childhood refers to the time or state of
being a child, the early stage in the
existence or development of something.

• It connotes a time of innocence, where

one is free from responsibility but
vulnerable to forces in his environment.
 General definitions for the ages and
stages of a child include:
• Newborn or Neonate - birth to 28 days
• Infant - 1 to 12 months
• Toddler - 1 to 3 years
• Preschooler - 3 to 5 years
• School Age - 5 to 11 years
• Preteen or Tween - 11 to 12 years
• Teen - 13 and older
 What is adolescence?
• From the Latin word “adolescere” which
means “to grow up”
• It is the period of psychological and social
transition between childhood (juvenile)
and adulthood (adult).
• The age of adolescence vary by culture. The
World Health Organization (WHO) defines
adolescence as the period of life between 10
and 19 years of age.

• In US, adolescence begins between ages 12

and 14 and ends at 19 or 20.

• Philippines consider those aged 15-24 years as

young adults and those aged 15-19 years
as adolescents
PRINCIPLES OF GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
• Growth and
development are
influenced by
maturational,
environmental, and
genetic factors.
• All humans follow the same pattern of
growth and development. There are
sequences in growth and development
that even individual differences cannot
change.
• The sequence is
predictable although
the time of onset,
the length of each
stage, and the
effects of each
stage vary from one
person to another.
• Learning can either help or hinder the
maturation process, depending on what is
learned.
• Growth and development occur in
cephalocaudal and proximo-distal
direction.
• Cephalocaudal direction starts from the
head and moving to the trunk, the legs,
and the feet.
• Proximo-distal direction is from the
center of the body outward.
Cephalocaudal Trend
Proximodistal Trend
• The child grows as
though seeking a
target to be
reached by using
any available
resources.
Sources:
• Acero, Victorina D., et al. Child and Adolescent Development.
Manila: Rex Bookstore, 2008.
• Meece, Judith L. Child and Adolescent Development for Educators.
USA: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1997.
• Lupdag, Anselmo D. Educational Psychology. Metro Manila:
National Bookstore, 1984.
• http://www.slideshare.net/bembem12/principles-of-growth-and-
development
• http://www.erikson.edu/prospective-students/the-experience/why-
child-development/
• http://kidedotals.com/book/iii-principles-human-development-and-
their-educational-implications/567/2012-05-08-1238