Principles of Growth and Development

1. Principles of Growth and
Development
By:
Encinas, Bea Marie Doños, Axzl Ian
Edjoc, Arjelly Ann Del Rosario, Ryan

2. What is Growth?
It is the progressive increase and continues advancement of the
child from birth to maturity (Kelly, 1965).
Structural Change - referred as physical change, like height,
weight, and breadth.
Functional Change - Involves slowing down of mental
processes like the ability to perceive things, to reason, increase
in vocabulary, agility and etc.

3. What is Development?
A progressive series of orderly coherent changes.
What is Maturation?
 The process of attaining a level of development at which
some specified mental function or type of behavior ordinarily
appears. It is the unfolding of traits potentially present in the
individual because of heredity (Harmon, 1951).
 It refers to the process of change of an individual which
occurs primarily s a function of aging or time. It excludes the
effects of practice and experience (Edwards, 1968).

4. 6 MATURATION PRINCIPLES
according to Cox (1970)
1. Learning depends upon the biological basis being
present as well as the opportunity to practice.
2. Chronological age and maturational age although
related are not synonymous.
3. Although overall maturational development is forward
and continuous, the parent should expect to see
plateaus and regression in the child’s development.

5. 4. The more biologically mature a child is, the
easier for him to learn a given task.
5. The child usually gives signals indicating his
maturational readiness for a given task.
6. Training given after the maturation readiness
may be less efficient.

6. 7 Principles of Development
• Describes the direction of growth and
development
• Proceeds from head downward
• Control comes in this order :
HEAD >> ARMS >> LEGS
1. Development is Cephalocaudal

7. 2. Development is Proximodistal
• This also describes the direction of growth & development
• The direction is Centre to Outwards
• Spinal cord develops first, then the other parts
of the body
• The sequence is like : ARMS >> HANDS >> FINGERS

8. 3. Depends on Maturation and Learning
• Maturation stands for biological growth and
development.
• These occurs in sequence.
• Prepares the child to accept new skills and
progress on it.
• Like, a six month old child cannot use language as the infant’s brain
has not yet attained that maturity label to talk.

9. 4. Simple to Complex
• Children use their cognitive and language skills to
reason and solve problems.
• Children at first are able to hold the big things by
using both arms. In the next part able to hold the
big things in a single hand, then only able to pick
small objects like peas, cereals and etc.
• Children when able to hold pencil, first starts draw
circles then squares then only letters after that the
words.

10. 5. Continuity
• From conception to death (Womb to Tomb)
• Leads child to be an adult in respect of body size, functioning,
behavior.
• Adulthood changes to old age.
• Then comes the death which ends the life cycle.

11. 6. Generality to Specificity
• Development proceeds from general to specific.
• Growth occurs to large muscle movements to
smaller muscle movements.
• This resembles with the whole and part. We first
see the whole then comes the parts.
• Infant grasps the object with his whole hand
before using thumb or forefinger.

12. 7. Growth & Development are personal matter
• Rate and amount of growth is not same for
all.
• This is caused by both heredity and
environment.
• There is no two individual whose
development rate is name.
• There is no validity in comparing one child’s
progress with or against another child.

13. ERICKSON’S EIGHT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
ERIK ERICKSON
1902 - 1994

14. Stage 1 Infancy (birth to 18 months)

15. Infant (birth – 18 months)
•At this stage, an infant develops their sense of
trust. With proper care and attention, the child
will be able to trust. However, if this does not
happen, it leads to mistrust in the child’s life.
•Important events: Feeding
•Basic Virtue: Hope and Drive
•Basic conflict: Trust vs. Mistrust

17. Stage 2. Early Childhood (toddler)
18 months to 3 years

18. Early Childhood (2 – 3 years)
• Child needs to develop a certain level of
independence through exploration.
• Important Events: Toilet training, bodily
functions, muscular control, walking
• Basic Virtue: Willpower and Self-Control
• Basic Conflict: Autonomy vs. Shame and
Doubt(Will)

20. Stage 3. Preschool (3 to 6 years)

21. Preschool (3 – 5 years)
• A sense of control and power is important in a
child’s life at this stage. They feel a sense of
purpose if they succeed in this.
• Important Events: Exploration, and discovery,
adventure and play
• Basic Virtue: Purpose and Direction
• Basic Conflict: Initiative vs. Guilt

23. Stage 4. School Age (6 to 12 years)
School Age (6 – 12 years)
• Children are forced to cope with school and other
social demands.
• Important Events: School
• Basic Virtue: Competence and Method
• Basic Conflict: Industry vs. Inferiority

25. Stage 5.Adolescence (12 to 18 years)

26. Adolescence (13 - 19 years)
• Teens develop a sense of self. If they
accomplish this, they can stay true to
themselves and what they believe.
• Important Events: Social Relationships
• Basic Virtue: Fidelity and Devotion
• Basic Conflict: Identity vs. Role Confusion

28. Stage 6. Young Adulthood (20 to 24 years)

29. Young Adulthood (20 – 24 years)
• Intimate, loving relationships need to form in
this stage. If this fails to happen, people feel
alone and isolated.
• Important Events: Relationships
• Basic Virtue: Love and Affiliation
• Basic Conflict: Intimacy vs. Isolation

31. Stage 7. Middle Adulthood (25 to 64 years)

32.  Middle Adulthood (25 – 64 years)
• Adults need to create things that they can nurture that will outlast them; generally,
children. If they do not accomplish this, they will feel as though they did nothing
good for the world.
• Important Events: Work and Parenthood
• Basic Virtue: Care and Production
• Basic Conflict: Generativity vs. Stagnation

34. Stage 8. Maturity (65 to death)

35. Maturity (65 – death)
• Adults look back onto their life and need to be
able to feel fulfilled. If they do not feel this,
they will feel bitter and defeated.
• Important Events: Reflection on Life
• Basic Virtue: Wisdom and Renunciation
• Basic Conflict: Ego Integrity vs. Despair

37. Various Stages of Development
Prenatal Development
Motor Development
Language Development
Cognitive Development
Moral Development

38. Neonate is the newly born individual.
1. Germinal Stage – this stage starts from conception and ends
after the second week.
2. Embryonic Stage – this begins when the zygote implants
itself in the uterine wall and it lasts until the eighth week. This
is the most critical period of development.
3. Fetal Stage – this is the stage when the motor behaviour
begins and extends up to the period of birth. The
developing infant become known as a fetus.
1. Prenatal Development

39. Factors affecting Prenatal Development
According to Hurlock (1969)
1. Maternal Nutrition – mother’s diet must contain
sufficient proteins, fats and carbohydrates to keep
the child healthy.
2. Vitamin Deficiency – deficiency of vitamin C, B6,
B12, D, E and K is likely to interfere with the normal
pattern of prenatal development.
3. Maternal Health – this is known to have great effect
on unborn child.

40. 4. Drugs – pregnant women are advised to take no drugs
without doctor’s knowledge.
5. X-ray – x-ray and radium are damaging to the unborn child
when used in early pregnancy.
6. Alcohol – it is likely to damage the child’s physical and
mental development if used frequently and heavily.
7. Tobacco – this affects the fetal heart rate and the chemical
content of the fetal blood.
8. Maternal emotions – in mild maternal stresses, fetal activity
and fetal heart rate increases.
9. Uterine Crowding – in multiple births, crowding may limit
fetal activity which is important for normal development.

41. 2. Motor development depends on maturation
and learning. Trying to teach a child skilled
movements like walking before his nervous
system and muscles are well developed will a
waste of time and effort

42. 3. Language development, this includes every means
of communication in which thoughts and feelings are
symbolized so as to convey meaning to others.
Factors that influence speech development:
1. Sex
2. Socioeconomic Status
3. Family Relationship
4. Number of Siblings
5. Health

43. 4. Cognitive Development – involves changes in how the
children understand and think about their world as they grow.
4 Stages of Development
According to Jean Piaget (1960):
1. Sensorimotor Stage
2. Preoperational Stage
3. Concrete Preoperational Stage
4.Formal Preoperational Stage

44. Stage 1—Cognitive Development Theory
Sensorimotor Stage
Birth to age 2
During this stage, the child begins to develop:
 Reflexes
 Habits
 Hand-eye coordination
 Object Permanence (knowing something exists, even though it
can’t be seen)
 Experimentation and creativity. Piaget referred to the children
in this stage as “little scientists.”
 Trial and error experiments

45. Stage 2—Cognitive Development Theory
Preoperational Stage
Age 2-7
During this stage, the child begins to develop:
 Ability to represent objects with images and words
 Language skills
 Imagination
 Children learn through imitation and play during this stage.
They begin to use reasoning, however it is mainly intuitive,
instead of logical.

46. Stage 3—Cognitive Development Theory
Concrete Operational Stage
Age 7-12
During this stage, the child begins to develop:
The fundamentals of logic
Ability to sort objects
Ability to classify objects
Understanding of conservation (physical quantities do not
change based on the arrangement and/or appearance of
the object)

47. Stage 4—Cognitive Development Theory
Formal Operational Stage
Age 11-15
During this stage, the child begins to develop:
 Ability to hypothesize, test and reevaluate
hypotheses
 Children begin thinking in a formal systematic
way

48. 5. Moral Development refers to knowing right
from wrong and to resist the temptation to go
against the rules of acceptable behavior.

49. Thank you for listening! 