Child Development: Growth, Milestones, Play and Early Care
Questions cover the growth-development distinction, milestones from birth to five years, types and value of play, and the care of the young child.
Growth and development
Growth is quantitative and measurable (height, weight, head circumference). Development is qualitative and functional (sitting, speaking, social behaviour). Development is continuous and sequential, follows cephalocaudal (head to foot) and proximodistal (centre to periphery) direction, moves from general to specific, and shows individual differences.
Milestones
- 2-3 months: social smile, raises head when prone, follows a moving object.
- 6 months: sits with support, rolls over, grasps objects.
- 9 months: sits alone, crawls, babbles.
- 12 months: stands with support, pincer grasp, first words.
- 18 months: walks well, ten to twenty words, points to body parts.
- 2 years: runs, climbs stairs, two-word sentences, parallel play.
- 3-5 years: tricycle, dresses with help, cooperative play, toilet trained.
Play
Functional or practice play (infancy), constructive play (blocks, clay), dramatic or imaginative play (house-house), and games with rules for older children. Play builds muscles, language, social skills, emotional control and problem solving; it is the child's work.
Care
Breast milk alone to six months, complementary feeding after that, full immunisation, clean water, toilet training without punishment, consistent discipline, safe surroundings, and stimulation through talk and play.
Worked example
A mother reports that her 18-month-old walks well, says about ten clear words, points to his nose and eyes when asked, and plays beside other children. Reasoning: walking, a ten-word vocabulary, body-part pointing and parallel play all lie inside the 18-month range, so no referral is needed; the worker should still confirm immunisation and diet.
Traps
Growth and development are not the same; development runs head to foot, not the reverse; parallel play is not cooperative play; delay is judged against a range, not a single date; punishing toilet lapses is not training.