Summarise the main development of a child aged range 0-2 years, 3-5 years and 5-8 years.
Most children go through the same development but some may go through them at different rates for a numerous amount of factors. When a child is first born they will lie on their backs for the first3 months, towards the end of this stage the child will begin to lift their head and kick their feet. The child will begin to recognise bright lights, loud noises and the face of their main carer, they will respond by crying or gurgling. As the child gets older they will begin to smile, they focus on object a few inches away from them and ‘root’ and turn to the breast. A child around the age of 6 weeks will enjoy feeding and cuddling times. By the time the child is around 6 months they will have good control over their head movements and enjoy grasping toys and sitting unaided, the child will begin to put toys and other objects in their mouth. They start to focus on their coordination, play simple games such as peek a boo, from about 9 months the child will be more stimulated and imitate other such as waving goodbye, copying a laugh. Also copying the sounds of animals such as ‘moo’ or ‘woof’. Another thing the child may imitate is moods, as the child is aware of moods from others they can copy these feelings and can become distressed when unsure of things. They enjoy nursery rhymes and music but also enjoy playing on their own providing their own entertainment. As they get older their independence will increase and enjoy carrying out small tasks. They will begin to talk saying simple sounds such as ‘dada’ or ‘mama’ but their speech will increase to a rapid speed and understanding. By the age of 2 the child will be very mobile and able to walk and run and able to negotiate their steps when walking or climbing up the stairs. The child will also be able to start to throw and kick a ball but may not understand how to catch the ball.
A child aged 3-5 has learnt most way of movement such as running, skipping, hopping, jumping, walking, they will be able to start to walk down steps, one foot at a time, catching, kicking and bouncing a ball. Their concentration will have increased and their fine motor skilled developed by having good control when using pencils, paint brushes and scissors. By the age of 3 children will be able to start speaking in sentence using the past tense, listening to stories and singing songs to increase their vocabulary. A child will also begin to be able to express their feelings as well as aware of other people’s feelings around them, they may be able to describe the feeling and explain why they are feeling this way. A child at the age of 3 is very sociable and capable of making their own friends but some don’t understand the concept of sharing and sorting conflicts. As they get older around aged 4 some children prefer to be alone or only have one ‘special’ or ‘best’ friend but will soon become comfortable to who they want to be friends with. A child aged 5 will understand their background and aware of genders, as well as understanding the right and wrong choices. They will also want to expand the knowledge by starting to ask questions such as ‘how?’ or ‘why?’ and becoming a very confident speaker, they will be able to recognise simple words and begin to count to 10 and beyond. By the age of 5 their fine motor skills will be more improved and be able to recognise and give meaning to drawings.
During the ages of 5-8 children’s development becomes more complex. They are confident to jump from heights, ride a bike without stabilisers. Their balance and agility will be hugely increased. At around 6 years the child will have increased skills in reading and mathematics skills and be able to being to write independently and have ways to express their ideas. They can describe different things and begin to notice in opposites and similarities in others, they have a wider vocabulary. A child at this age can become very competitive and