6.20.2011

Developmental Trends: Physical Development at Different Age Levels

Age of Child
What You Might Observe
Infancy
(Birth - 2 Years)
* Emergence of reflexes
* Rapid growth and change in proportions of body parts
* Increasing ability to move around, first squirming; then rolling, crawling, creeping, or scooting; finally by walking.
* Increasing ability to coordinate small muscles of hands and eyes 
* Increasing self-help skills in such areas as feeding, dressing, washing, toileting, and grooming. 



Early Childhood
(2 - 6 Years)
* Loss of rounded, babyish appearance, with arms and legs lengthening and taking on more mature proportions. 
* Boundless physical energy for new gross motor skills, such as running, hopping, tumbling, climbing, and swinging. 
*Acquisition of fine motor skills, such as functional pencil grip and use of scissors.
* Transition away from afternoon nap, which may initially be marked by periods of fussiness in the afternoon. 

Middle Childhood
(6 - 10 Years)
* Steady gain in height and weight
* Loss and replacement of primary teeth
* Refinement and consolidation of gross motor skills and integration of such skills into structured play activities. 
* Participation in organized sports
* Increasing fluency in fine motor skills, such as handwriting and drawing




Early Adolescence
(10 - 14 Years)
* Periods of rapid growth
* Beginnings of puberty
* Self-consciosness about physical changes
* Some risk-taking behavior
Late Adolescence 
(14 - 18 Years)


* In girls, completion o growth spurts and attainment of mature height
* In boys, ongoing increases in stature
* Ravenous appetites
* Increasing sexual activity
* Some serious risky behavior




Sources: Bredekamp & Copple (1997); Gallahue & Ozmun (1998); V.F. Reyna & Farley (2006); Steinberg (2007); J.M. Tanner (1990); and Wechsler (2002, 2003).

Posted by: Elizabeth Gonzalez

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