Maharashtra HSC Child Development key terms

The scientific study of the way children change physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally from conception through adolescence, including the processes and influences that shape those changes over time.

A progressive, orderly series of changes in a person's capacities and behaviour across the lifespan, generally moving from simple to complex and from general to specific responses.

A measurable increase in body size or mass, such as height and weight, which can be quantified and which stops at a certain age, unlike broader developmental change.

The unfolding of biologically programmed changes according to a genetic timetable, occurring largely independent of practice or training, for example the appearance of walking in the second year.

General regularities that describe how development proceeds, such as direction from head to tail, from centre to extremities, from general to specific, and at uneven individual rates.

The pattern in which physical growth and motor control proceed from the head downward, so that head and neck control appear before trunk control and walking.

The pattern in which growth and motor control proceed from the centre of the body outward, so that arm movements appear before controlled use of fingers.

The normal variation between children in the rate, timing and style of development, arising from heredity, health, environment and temperament, so that norms are averages rather than fixed standards.

A limited window in development when a particular capacity is most easily acquired and after which it becomes much harder to develop, as seen in early language exposure.

A time when a child is especially responsive to certain kinds of stimulation, though learning can still occur outside it, unlike the stricter notion of a critical period.

The moment when a sperm cell fuses with an ovum to form a single fertilised cell, the zygote, which marks the beginning of prenatal development.

The single cell formed at conception by the union of sperm and ovum, containing the full set of chromosomes that will guide all later development.

The first two weeks after conception, during which the zygote divides, travels to the uterus and implants in its wall, before the embryonic stage begins.

The period from about the third to the eighth week after conception, when the main organ systems and body structures begin to form and the embryo is most vulnerable to teratogens.

The period from about the ninth week after conception until birth, marked by rapid growth, maturation of organs and the appearance of movement and reflexes.

Any substance or condition, such as alcohol, certain drugs, radiation or infection, that can cross to the developing organism and cause malformation or functional harm before birth.

The health care and lifestyle practices an expectant mother follows during pregnancy, including regular check-ups, balanced diet, iron and folic acid, rest and avoidance of harmful substances.

The quality and adequacy of the expectant or nursing mother's diet, which supplies the energy and nutrients needed for the baby's growth and influences birth weight and later health.

The orderly emergence of bodily movement abilities, from head control and sitting to crawling, standing and walking, following a predictable sequence with wide individual variation in timing.

Abilities that use the large muscles of the body for whole-body movement such as sitting, crawling, walking, running, jumping and climbing, developing earlier than precise hand skills.

Abilities that use the small muscles of the hands and fingers for precise actions such as grasping, picking up small objects, scribbling and later writing or buttoning.

The understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when they are out of sight, which develops gradually during infancy and underlies early search behaviour.

The first stage of cognitive development, from birth to about two years, in which infants learn about the world through senses and actions and gradually acquire object permanence.

The growing ability to understand and produce spoken language, progressing from cooing and babbling in infancy to first words, two-word combinations and sentences in early childhood.

The strong emotional bond an infant forms with a primary caregiver, which provides a sense of security and shapes later social and emotional relationships.

A child's characteristic and relatively stable style of reacting emotionally and behaviourally, such as easy, slow-to-warm or intense patterns, which is present early in life.

The sensory, verbal and interactive experiences provided to a child, such as talking, play and touch, which support brain development and learning, especially in the early years.

Voluntary activity that children engage in for enjoyment, which supports physical, cognitive, language and social learning, and which changes in form from solitary to cooperative as children grow.

The process through which children learn the values, norms, roles and behaviours expected in their family and society, largely through interaction with caregivers, peers and teachers.

A group of children of similar age and status whose shared activities and standards influence each other's behaviour, becoming especially important in middle childhood and adolescence.

The growth of a child's understanding of right and wrong and of the reasons for following rules, moving from obedience to avoid punishment toward internal principles and empathy.

The period of rapid physical change, beginning with hormonal activity, that leads to sexual maturity and the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics in adolescence.

The transitional stage between childhood and adulthood, marked by puberty, continued cognitive growth, a search for identity and shifting relationships with peers and family.

The adolescent process of exploring and committing to a sense of who one is, including values, beliefs, goals and social roles, which becomes a central developmental task at this stage.

The transmission of biological traits from parents to offspring through genes, which sets potentials and limits that interact with environmental conditions throughout development.

The total set of external conditions surrounding a child, including family, school, neighbourhood, culture and nutrition, which interact with inherited potential to shape development.

The primary social unit in which a child is raised, providing care, emotional security, early learning and models of behaviour, and exerting strong influence on development throughout childhood.

A condition of inadequate or unbalanced food intake that can impair physical growth, weaken immunity and hinder cognitive development, especially when it occurs in early childhood.

The entitlements recognised for all children, including survival, protection, development and participation, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Measures taken by families, communities and the state to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of children, ensuring their safety and well-being.

The range of services and programmes, governmental and voluntary, intended to promote the health, education, nutrition and safety of children, particularly those in difficult circumstances.