It is important for educators and future educators to know the principles of growth and development.

1. Principles of growth and development
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2.  Define growth: Growth refers to an increase in physical size of the whole body or any of its
parts. It is simply a quantitative change
in the child’s body. It can be
measured in Kg, pounds, meters, inches, …..etc
 Development: Development refers to a progressive increase in skill and capacity of function .
It is a qualitative change in the child’s
functioning. It can be measured through
observation.
 Principle: A fundamental, primary or general law or truth from which others are derived.

3. 1. Cephalocaudal

4. CEPHALOCAUDAL
 This principle describes the direction of growth and development.
 The head region starts growth at first, following by which other organs
starts developing.
 The child gains control of the head first, then the arms and then the
legs.
 Infants develop control of the head and face movements at first two
months. In next few months they are able to lift themselves up by
using their arms. Next gain control over leg and able to crawl, stand,
walk, run, jump, climb, day by day.

5. 2. Proximodistal

6. PROXIMODISTAL
 The directional sequence of development during both prenatal and
postnatal stages may either be (i) from head to foot, or (ii) from the central
axis to the extremities of the body.
 The spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body.
 The child’s arms develops before the hands, the hands and feet develops
before the fingers and toes.
 Fingers and toe muscles are the last to develop in physical development.

7. 3. Growth and development is a
continuous process

8. Continuous process
 Growth and Development is a continues process from conception to
death.
 In the early years of life, development consists of changes that lead
the child to maturity not only of body size and functioning, but also of
behavior.
 Even after maturity has been attained, development does not end.
Changes continue which lead to the period of life known as
senescence or old age.
 These changes continue until death, ends the life cycle.

9. 4. Growth and development is orderly or
sequential process

10. Orderly or sequential process
 Every species, whether animal or human, follows a pattern of
development peculiar to it. This pattern in general is the same for all
individuals.
Social and behavioral, scientists increasingly have come to see
development as a relationship between organism and environment in
a transaction or collaboration.
All children follow a development pattern with one stage leading to
the next.
Ex - Infants stand Before they walk; draw circles before they make
squares

11. 5.Influenced by environmental and genetic
factor.
Environmental
Individuals work with and affect their
environment, and in turn the environment
works with and affects them.
Genetic
 A person inherits a complete set of genes from each parent,
as well as a vast array of cultural and socioeconomic
experiences from his/her family. Family history is thought to
be a good predictor of an individual’s disease risk because
family members most closely represent the unique genomic
and environmental interactions that an individual experiences

12. 6. Growth and development is predictable
Promoting child development through parental
training, among other factors, promotes excellent
rates of child development. Parents play a large
role in a child's life, socialization, and
development. Having multiple parents can add
stability to the child's life and therefore
encourage healthy development. Another
influential factor in a child's development is the
quality of their care. Child care programs present
a critical opportunity for the promotion of child
development.

13. 7. Development proceeds from simple to
complex
Babies first develop their large muscle
groups – such as those in legs, neck, arms,
and torso.
As they strengthen and gain control over
these muscle, they learn to do increasingly
complex task.Theses tasks begin with
controlling the head, rolling, reaching,
crawling and continue through to walking.
More complex movements that require small
muscle development come later.
Coloring for example:
requires good control of the fingers
to grasp, hold, and direct a crayon.

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

15. 8. Certain stage of Growth and
development are more critical
For example;
the critical period for the
development of a human
child's binocular vision is thought
to be between three and eight
months, with sensitivity to
damage extending up to at least
three years of age. Further critical
periods have been identified for
the development of hearing.

16. 9. Growth is uneven
Ex;
The gifted child's
intellectual development can
be more advanced than her
physical and emotional
development, which progress
at a different rate.

17. 10.There is co-ordination between
increase in size and maturation

18. Co-ordination between increase in size and
maturation
Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth
and development.
The biological changes occur in sequential order and give children new
abilities.
Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation.
And help children to improve in thinking and motor skills.
Children must mature to a certain point before they can progress to new
skills.

19. 11.Principle of individual difference

20. Individual difference
The tempo of development is not even. Individuals differ in the rate of
growth and development.
Boys and girls have different development rates. Each part of the body
has its own particular rate of growth. Development does not occur at an
even pace.
There are periods of great intensity and equilibrium and there are
periods of imbalance.
Development achieves a plateau and this may occur at any level or
between levels.

21. 12. Proceeds from general to specific

22. General to Specific
Development proceeds from general to specific. In all areas of
development, general activities always precedes specific activity.
For example;
-The fetus moves its whole body but incapable of making
specific responses
-Infants wave their arms randomly.They can make such specific
responses as reaching out for an object near them.

23. Thank’s