CPE100 A5

EARLY
CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT
 INTRODUCTION

What is Early Childhood

Development?
Early Childhood Development (ECD) is the time when children grow and learn
the fastest, from 3 to around 6 years old. During this stage, they develop
important skills like moving their bodies, thinking, talking, and understanding
feelings.
Why does it matters?
Talking about ECD helps parents, teachers, and communities know how to
support children’s growth. Giving children the right care and guidance early in
life helps them do well in school and later in life. It builds a strong base for their
future.
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DEVELOPMENT
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DEVELOPMENT
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DEVELOPMENT
 HAPPY
Answers BRAINS

1. Physical
2. Cognitive
3. Emotional
4. Social
5. Language
 PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT
 PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT DURING
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Physical development encompasses the growth of the body,
motor skills, and overall health, laying the foundation for
active engagement with the world.
Physical Development includes:
Gross Motor Skills (Large Muscle Movements)
Fine Motor Skills (Small Muscle Movements)
Brain and Nervous System Development
Factors Influencing Physical Development
 Gross Motor Skills (Large Muscle Movements)
Activities like running, jumping, climbing, and
balancing highlight this stage. Improved coordination
allows children to perform more complex physical
tasks.
Fine Motor Skills (Small Muscle Movements)
Skills such as holding a pencil, cutting with scissors,
buttoning clothes, and drawing emerge, promoting
independence in everyday activities.
Brain and Nervous System Development
Rapid brain growth enhances sensory perception, movement
control, and coordination. The cerebellum's development
aids in balance and the efficiency of physical movements.
Factors Influencing Physical Development
Nutrition: A healthy diet fosters bone growth, muscle strength, and
optimal brain function.
Physical Activity: Regular play and exercise build muscle strength
and improve coordination.
Health and Environment: Access to proper healthcare and a safe
living space significantly impacts overall physical growth.
 COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
WHAT IS COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT?

Cognitive development involves how

children think, learn, and solve
problems as they grow.
According to Piaget's stages of
cognitive development, the Pre-
Operational Stage spans roughly from
ages 2 to 7, which aligns with early
childhood’s cognitive development.
 PIAGET’S PRE-OPERATIONAL STAGE
This stage emphasizes significant mental development, including:
Symbolism: Children begin to use words, images, and objects to
represent ideas, engaging in imaginative play and pretending.
Egocentrism: They find it difficult to see things from perspectives
other than their own.
Animism: Children often believe inanimate objects have feelings
and intentions.
Inability to Conserve: They struggle to understand that altering an
object’s appearance does not change its quantity.
Focus on Appearance: Their thinking is influenced more by what
things look like rather than logical reasoning.
 MEMORY DEVELOPMENT

Generic Memory Autobiographical Memory

Awareness of daily routines Creation of personal
and repeated events. memories through unique
experiences.

EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE:
A child remembers that every A child vividly recalls their birthday party,
evening after dinner, they brush including details like blowing out the
their teeth and go to bed. This candles on their cake, the friends who
routine becomes part of their attended, and the gifts they received.
general memory of daily events. These are unique personal experiences
stored as autobiographical memory.
 THE MOUNTAIN TASK
(PIAGET’S EXPERIMENT):

Children are shown a 3D

model of mountains and
asked to describe what a doll
(or another person)
positioned at a different
viewpoint would see,
revealing their ability to
understand perspectives
other than their own.
Piaget's Aim:
To assess whether children can understand
perspectives other than their own, a concept known
as "decentering" or taking the perspective of others.
Findings:
Younger children (preoperational stage: around
ages 2-7) often struggle with this task, choosing
photographs that match their own view rather than
the doll's perspective, demonstrating egocentrism.
As children mature into the concrete operational
stage (around ages 7-11), they develop the ability to
take other perspectives and succeed in the task.
 PROBLEM-SOLVING AND
LOGICAL THINKING

Developing a basic understanding of cause-and-

effect relationships.
Example: A child learns that if they push a button on a toy, it
lights up or makes a sound. Similarly, they realize spilling
water on the floor makes it wet.
Gaining skills in classification, sorting, and early
number concepts
Example: A child sorts blocks by color (e.g., red and blue) or
shape (e.g., circles and squares). They also learn to count
objects, like saying "1, 2, 3" while pointing to apples on a table.
 SOCIAL - EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Social-emotional development in early
childhood refers to the gradual changes that
kids go through as they develop the ability to
understand, express, and manage their
emotions and social relationships.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Developing Friendships
The ability to form meaningful
relationships with peers through
communication, shared activities, and
trust.
Learning to Share and Take Turns
Understanding fairness and the need to
wait or share resources with others in
social settings.
 Understanding and Managing
Emotions
The ability to re c o g n ize , e x p re s s, an d
regu late on e ’s em o tio n s in s oc ia l
interactions.
Engaging in Group Activities
Participatin g in co lla b o ra tiv e pla y or
struc tu red a cti v itie s th a t re q u ir e
team w ork a nd c o m m u n ic ati on .
 Developing Empathy
The ability to understand and respond to
the emotions of others with care and
concern.
Resolving Conflicts
The ability to handle disagreements calmly,
find solutions, and maintain positive
relationships.
Emotional Development

Recognizing and Expressing Emotions

Young children learn to identify and label
their emotions, such as happiness,
sadness, anger, and fear.
Emotion Regulation
They begin developing self-control and
coping skills to manage frustration,
disappointment, and excitement.
 Building Self-Confidence
Developing a positive self-image and belief
in one's abilities.
Forming Attachments and Relationships
Establishing strong emotional bonds with
caregivers, family members, and peers.
 Coping with Separation and Change
Adapting to new situations and managing
feelings related to separation from
familiar people or environments.
Handling Conflict and Frustration
Managing disagreements and overcoming
obstacles in a socially acceptable manner.
LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
 WHAT IS LANGUAGE DEVELOPENT?
Language development is the process through
which children acquire the ability to understand
and express themselves using speech, gestures,
and written symbols. It begins early in life, even
before birth, as infants recognize sounds and
rhythms, and continues as they progress from
babbling to forming words and sentences.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT DURING EARLY CHILDHOOD:

Vocabulary Expansion
Grammar and Sentence Structure
Pragmatics (Social Use of Language)
Private Speech
Fast Mapping
VOCABULARY EXPANSION
Vocabulary expansion refers to the rapid growth of a child's
word bank, enabling them to express themselves more precisely
and understand a wider range of conversations. By age six,
children can understand up to 20,000 words.
Example: A child hears the word "butterfly" while looking at
a picture book and quickly learns to associate the word
with the colorful insect. Later, the child uses the word in
sentences like, "I saw a butterfly in the garden."
GRAMMAR AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE
This involves learning the rules of language, such as plurals,
possessives, and past tense. Children also begin forming more
complex sentences, improving their ability to communicate
effectively.
Example: A child learns to say, "I went to the park"
instead of "I go to the park yesterday." They also begin
forming sentences like, "This is my sister's toy,"
demonstrating possessive forms.
PRAGMATICS (SOCIAL USE OF LANGUAGE)
Pragmatics is the ability to use language appropriately in social
contexts. It includes understanding conversational rules, adapting
speech to different situations, and interpreting indirect speech or
sarcasm.
Example: A child adjusts their speech when talking to a
teacher versus a peer. They say "Please, may I borrow a
pencil?" to the teacher and "Hey, pass me that pencil!"
to a friend.
 PRIVATE SPEECH
Private speech is when children talk to themselves to guide
their actions and thoughts. This self-directed speech helps with
problem-solving and gradually becomes internalized as inner
thought.
Example: While solving a puzzle, a child mutters,
"This piece goes here... No, not here, maybe there."
This self-talk helps them plan and stay focused.
 FAST MAPPING
Fast mapping is the process by which children quickly learn new
words after minimal exposure, often by associating them with
known concepts. This ability supports rapid vocabulary growth
during early childhood.
Example: After hearing an adult say, "Look at that
flamingo!" while pointing to the bird, the child
quickly learns the new word "flamingo" by
connecting it with the unfamiliar animal.
 CONCLUSION
Early childhood development is important because it builds
the foundation for a child's future learning, behavior, and
relationships. Understanding and supporting physical, cognitive,
social, emotional, and language growth helps children succeed
in school and life. Discussing this topic is essential because it
shows how caregivers, educators, and society can work together
to create a safe and nurturing environment where children can
grow and thrive.
THANK
YOU