This document summarizes children's development from birth to 12 years across four domains: physical, cognitive, emotional/social/personal, and linguistic. It describes that physical development follows a set order and involves growth in height, weight, bone and muscle strength. Cognitive development refers to how children's thinking processes develop. Emotional/social/personal development involves how children express feelings and interact with others. Linguistic development covers the growth of children's verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

1. Children’s Development
Birth to 12 Years

2. Linguistic
(speech)
Cognitive Physical
(thought
(movement)
processes)
Emotional, social and
personal

3. GROWTH and PHYSICAL
development

4. Growth: Refers to an increase in physical size, and
can be measured by height (length), weight and
circumference
Development: ‘Development is concerned with
the possession of skills. Physical development
proceeds in a set order, with simple behaviours
occurring before more complex skills’
Bruce, T and Meggitt, C. (1996) Child care and Education Hodder and
Stoughton

5. Ossification - the strengthening
and lengthening of bones
The increase in muscle strength
and size
The gradual development of control and
co-ordination

6. Principles of Physical development
cephalo-caudal
proximodistal
Outwards – arms
Downwards – head and legs, then hands
to toe and feet

7. EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL and
PERSONAL
development

8. Emotional, personal and social
development
Emotional development and Personal
development: relates to how children cope with
and express different feelings and how they
learn to look after themselves
Social development: refers to how children
interact with others

9. COGNITIVE development

10. Cognitive development: the way our thought
processes develop. It is about the ways in
which we organise our thinking and come to
an understanding of our environment.’ (Tassoni, Beith
and Eldridge, 1998)

11. LINGUISTIC development

12. Linguistic Development :The
development of Children’s language and
Communication skills – verbal and non-
verbal