What is the relationship between different areas of development in a child?

What is child development? As children get older, they develop in various different ways which cover physical, intellectual, social and emotional changes. It's the process that every child goes through and includes everything from physical skills such as sitting and standing, to social and emotional skills such as smiling or forming relationships with others.

How your child behaves, thinks, moves, and speaks are big clues about his development. Every child progresses at their own pace but there are certain skills they should each by a certain age, and these are known as developmental milestones.

The early years are the most important time to start building a strong foundation for your children as they strive to reach their developmental milestones. Once your baby is born, every day will bring on wonderful changes as she grows physically and mentally Children grow and develop so quickly in the first five years of their lives that it’s important to track where they're at developmentally. (Download our free key developmental milestones checklists today to help track your child's progress).

These milestones or skills are built across the main areas of child development which are:

Click on each of the links above for more information on each of the areas of child development. 

Play is an important way for a child to develop mentally, emotionally, and physically. Check out our blog post on the Value of Learning Through Play to see how play-based learning can enhance your child's growth and development. 

Holistic Development is a learning approach that emphasizes the importance of children's physical, mental, and psychological well-being, especially in early childhood. This refers to the child's overall growth or the whole process of development. Via active learning and social interactions, early childhood educators use a holistic approach to align children's growth with their natural environment and to create strong relationships.

Although it is natural to concentrate on a child's intellectual ability during the early years, it is also important for a child to learn skills such as emotional intelligence, self-assurance, Social capacity, compassion, fine and gross motor control, responsibility, imagination, and a variety of other abilities! 

What is Holistic development in Early years?

Holistic development essentially means developing whole child: socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually in a child so that he or she is capable of facing the demands and challenges of everyday life. These abilities are vitally important for success in professional fields of work. 

Children's development and learning learnings is complex which is why we take a holistic view and highlight the importance of their physical, emotional, social and cognitive and creative an dhow these complement and interact with one other.

 Cognitive development is generally associated with a child’s ability to learn, remember, and solve problems. Cognition refers to intellect or mental abilities and involves processing and using information. The skills in the cognitive domain, along with language skills, are those usually associated with readiness for academic activities. When children struggle to understand or remember facts, they can find it difficult to communicate with other children who play differently. 

 How it may affect other areas of development  

 Communication and cognitive development are closely related because they both involve understanding and expressing information. Children who experience delays or difficulties in the development of cognitive skills might have difficulty processing and understanding the expectations associated with social interactions and group activities. They may require more time or repetition to grasp concepts. They may make slower development in math, reading, and writing than typical children. They may lose interest in learning over time. 

 Skills in communication development relate to a child's ability to both understand and use language. As communication skills develop there are increases in a child’s ability to respond to adult directions. There is also an increase in a child’s expression of his/her wants and needs, varying with age and ranging from crying and fussing to using spoken sounds and words. 

 How it may affect other areas of development  

Language development and effective communication capabilities are highly dependent on other developmental areas. Communication capability includes a wide range of social behaviors and skills, making the acquisition of communication milestones a complicated process. The development of communication and language concepts has a considerable impact on not only personal-social interactions but on the ability to understand and complete many learning tasks. Communication difficulties might impact a child’s pre-academic skills in tasks such as discriminating letter sounds, comprehending stories, and following directions. Language is also related to cognitive growth because talking and naming items helps with memory. Children use language in their play and to communicate their feelings and ideas as they develop. This means that language development will have an effect on children's social skills. Children with lower levels of language may find it difficult to follow instructions, pick up new concepts, and ask for help. Children with lower levels of language may find it difficult to learn to read and write if they do not comprehend what is being said. 

 Personal-Social skills are those which allow a child to engage in meaningful social interaction with adults and peers and to develop his/her own self-concept. Milestones in this domain are centered on children gaining better understandings of their own emotions and the emotions of others. Engaging in play activities is an important aspect of the development of personal-social skills because it is through play that children learn how to interact with others. As personal-social skills develop there are increases in a child’s understanding of relationships, self-awareness, empathy, and coping strategies. Children who have good social development are more likely to have positive feelings towards themselves. 

 How it may affect other areas of development  

 The development of personal-social skills is a key factor in school readiness and significantly impacts the development of skills in other development. Delays in the development of personal-social skills impede a child’s opportunities to benefit from participation in group activities. The development of personal-social skills is impacted by a child’s skills in other domains. For example, a child who has not developed communication skills or who has difficulties with motor tasks might experience difficulties in social interactions such as playing in small groups. Children who enjoy being around others imitate skills such as learning to throw a ball. 

They will be able to learn more as their play opportunities become more complex. Children with delayed social development may have an impact on their academic and emotional development. If a child struggles to control his or her behavior, he or she may be barred from participating in particular activities. This may restrict their learning potential.

Physical development is related to a child’s ability to control and use large and small muscles of the body. During infancy, motor abilities typically develop in a specific sequential order. However, it is important to note that the rate of motor development differs among children (e.g., standing, walking). As a child’s motor skills develop there are likely to increase in his/her interest in and attention items in the environment. This allows them to learn more about their surroundings. This subject is often related to social development. Many games involving other children (including board games) necessarily require physical abilities. 

How it may affect other areas of development  

Physical development also aids in the development of independence in children. Adaptive skills such as eating (holding utensils) are interrelated with the use of small muscles and fine motor skills. Personal-social skills are interrelated because children’s play is usually active and requires the use of large muscles as well as balance.     

Children require a wide range of physical talents in order to progress. Once kids start school, kids must be able to sit and control their body. They'll also need good fine motor abilities to write and operate instruments like scissors and keyboards. Children require self-care skills such as the ability to feed themselves in order to participate in activities such as PE and going outside to play.

Emotional growth is related to social development, and where there is a pause, there is a problem. It is often related to feelings of competence and where there is a high level of competence.

How it may affect other areas of development  

Delay in emotional development impact a child to benefit from making friends. It can be difficult for children to make friends. Children are more likely to try new things and learn new skills, including physical ones. Children with poor self-esteem are less likely to maintain or try new activities.

Similarly, children who believe that certain subjects or play possibilities are reserved for boys or girls may not try them out and thus miss out on learning possibilities. Children with excellent emotional development are more likely to cope with changes during the day in early childhood settings and at school, including saying goodbye to their parents at the start of sessions. This helps children to feel good about themselves and is therefore related to emotional development. 

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