
Development – the gradual process
through which babies become adults
◦ Begins at conception and continues until
death


Child Development – the scientific
study of children from conception to
adolescence
Why?
◦ To learn more about how children grow




Physical Development – involves growth of the
body and the development of both large and
small motor skills
Intellectual Development – includes how people
learn, what people learn, and how people express
what they know through language
Social-emotional Development – concerns
interactions with people and social groups,
disposition, and emotions
They constantly interact



How children’s bodies grow and mature
How children’s large muscle’s develop and
aid movement
How children’s motor skills aid perception
and vice versa (called perceptual motor
development)
 How
children learn
 What children learn
 How language skills develop




How children
with others
How children
How children
How children
develop and sustain relationships
develop a sense of self
become dependable
develop morals and character



How children identify and understand their
feelings
How accurately children can read the
emotional states of others
How children manage strong emotions and
express their feelings in constructive ways
(called self-regulation)



Heredity – includes all the traits that are
passed to a child from blood relatives
Environment – includes all conditions and
situations that surround and affect a child
(can be called Nurture)
The way these factors combine makes
children different from one another





Genes – sections of the DNA
molecule found in a person’s cells
that determine his or her individual
traits
Carry inborn instructions that help
make you who you are
Often called the structural genome
Genetics – the study of the factors
involved in the passing of traits in
living beings from one generation to
the next
◦ Meaning – the study of heredity
Almost every physical, intellectual,
and social-emotional trait is
affected by genes


Genes affect some parts of growth and
development more than others
Genes determine body features
◦ Blood type, facial structure, color of hair/eyes/skin


Other traits such as intellectual ability are
influenced by genes and environment
Some genes determine whether or not a
person will have a trait
◦ Example: whether someone is considered albino or
not (white skin, almost white hair, and pink eyes)

People live in both a physical and social
environment







How would the environmental impact be different
in the home if parents…
How would the environmental impact be different
in child care programs and schools if they…
How would the environmental impact be different
in the community of peers if children…
How would the environmental impact be different
in health care if staff members…
How would the environmental impact be different
in the community if agencies…
How would the environmental impact be different
in the mass media if children…
How would the environmental impact be different
in the parents’ workplace if the job…



Genes control height potential, but a proper
diet is needed to reach this height
Potential intelligence is inherited, but physical
factors (nutrition and rest) and the quality of
experiences determine whether the potential
will be reached
Basic social-emotional traits are inherited,
but greatly affected by experiences