Development in Early Childhood (VCE SSCE Health and Human Development): Revision Notes

Development in Early Childhood

Early childhood spans from a child's second birthday until six years of age, typically known as the preschool years. Although this period covers only a few years, it is marked by significant developmental changes across all areas: physical, social, emotional and intellectual.

This stage is also important for learning cooperation, helping, sharing and making choices, as well as developing self-control, persistence and self-worth.

Physical development

Growth

Early childhood is characterised by slow and steady growth patterns. Children typically grow at a predictable rate, though individual variations exist:

• Height: Increases by approximately 6 centimetres per year
• Weight: Increases by around 2.5 kilograms per year
• Bones: Continue to lengthen and ossify (harden), resulting in height increases
• Body proportions: The limbs and torso become more proportionate to the head, and children appear less top-heavy
• Body fat: Decreases, giving the child a leaner appearance
• Brain growth: Slows down but remains significant, reaching 75% of adult size by age three and 90% by age five

Between ages three to five years, children become less toddler-like as growth occurs predominantly in the trunk and legs.

Changes to systems

An important milestone during early childhood is the completion of the first set of teeth by the third year of age.

Motor skill development

Large muscle groups, particularly in the legs and arms, develop extensively during early childhood. Motor skill development continues at a rapid pace during this stage.

Gross motor skills become more refined and fluid:

• Walking becomes smoother and more coordinated
• Climbing stairs is possible, though children initially place both feet on each step before progressing to alternating feet
• Kicking, catching and throwing skills develop
• Skipping may be learned
• Coordination improves enough to pedal and steer a tricycle

Fine motor skills progress significantly, enabling children to:

• Manipulate buttons on clothing
• Hold crayons with increasing control
• Use scissors
• Tie shoelaces

Through these various activities, children begin to show preference for left- or right-handedness in certain tasks.

Social development

Relationship and communication skills

The family remains the primary social contact during early childhood and plays a vital role in a child's social development achievements. Children begin participating in a wider range of family routines, including:

• Attending social functions
• Eating meals at the table
• Helping with shopping
• Participating in household activities

These experiences help develop communication skills and teach acceptable social behaviours.

As children grow, they need opportunities to socialise with other children beyond the family. Attending playgroups, kindergarten or childcare centres provides valuable experiences for developing social skills such as:

• Sharing with others
• Taking turns
• Spending time away from family members
• Developing independence

During this stage, children often begin wanting to do things independently, such as dressing or washing themselves, although they may not yet be completely successful in these attempts.

Behaviours and social roles

Play provides the primary context for learning many social skills, including sharing and taking turns. These experiences occur with siblings and parents at home, as well as with peers at childcare or playgroup.

Through social interactions, children learn culturally acceptable behaviours, such as:

• Listening to parents and caregivers
• Not using physical aggression towards others
• Following basic social rules

Children also begin imitating social roles through play, such as pushing a pram with a doll inside, mimicking parental or caregiver behaviours.

Play becomes more advanced than in infancy. Children may develop particular friendships and prefer certain playmates. Some children create imaginary friends. Make-believe play helps children learn about social roles and expected behaviours in different situations.

Emotional development

Experiencing a range of emotions

Emotional development occurs rapidly during early childhood. Play often provides children with a way to express their feelings and work through different emotional experiences.

Children take pride in their achievements and often want to display them to everyone. As they enjoy positive feedback from others, they may also experience jealousy when another child receives attention.

Learning appropriate ways of expressing and communicating emotions

The emotional development of a two-year-old differs significantly from that of a six-year-old. During early childhood, children:

• Begin developing a sense of empathy, showing care for people who are crying or upset
• Are still learning to manage emotions appropriately
• May use physical violence to express frustration, particularly with other children or siblings
• Experience rapid mood changes, switching from happy to upset and back again quickly, as they lack fully developed emotional regulation skills

Developing self-concept

Children begin developing an identity that will continue forming for years to come. They learn to see themselves as separate individuals from others and start associating certain things with themselves, such as ownership of toys or personal possessions.

Intellectual development

Language

Learning new words and how to use language occurs fairly rapidly during early childhood and represents a key aspect of intellectual development. By age five, most children have a vocabulary of approximately 1,500 to 2,500 words.

Knowledge, memory and attention

As children's interest in their environment increases, they begin questioning many aspects of the world around them. Common characteristics include:

• Frequently asking parents or caregivers "why?" questions
• Enjoying sharing knowledge about colours, objects and animals
• Following basic instructions as their attention span lengthens
• Demonstrating improved memory capabilities

Classification skills develop progressively during this stage:

• Initially, children can classify objects based on one aspect, such as colour (separating orange blocks from green blocks)
• Classifying items according to multiple aspects, such as both colour and size, proves more difficult but develops over time

Benefits of types of play

Different types of play support various aspects of development. Understanding these benefits helps caregivers provide appropriate play opportunities:

Thought patterns and problem solving

Children in early childhood may begin learning to:

• Write basic letters
• Read simple books
• Count to 10 or 20 (though often memorised without fully understanding number formation)