M

Me a nin g
s
O
ce pt
Con che s D
p p ro a
A
U
L
E
CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
The study of human development is often required for many
college students taking up Education Courses.

 Are you thinking about taking a class in development?

 Why are such classes so important?
 If you are enrolled in Education courses, some background knowledge of
how people grow and change throughout life is essential. However,
understanding how humans develop throughout the lifespan can be helpful
for anyone.
The growth and development
of a person plays an
important role in the behavior
of every individual. It is
indeed necessary that as a
future educator, you need to
have a wider understanding
of those varied changes that
may occur in a child as they
grow.
 Human Development
- Is the scientific study of the quantitative and qualitative
ways by which people change overtime. The study of
human development is enormously frustrating,
fascinating, and almost bewildering phenomena that
produces physical and psychosocial throughout the
lifespan.
Growth
-It refers to a quantitative change that happened and
experience by an individual.

These changes happened in number or in physical

nature, like height, weight, increase number of teeth,
improvement or growth on hair.
Development
-it is the qualitative changes, increase of skills and
complexity of function and specialization.

This also involves a progressive series of changes that is

orderly, coherent and constantly changing as a result of
maturation and experiences encountered. These changes are:
behavior, attitudes, skills or specialization of someone.
Development
-it is the qualitative changes, increase of skills and complexity
of function and specialization.

This also involves a progressive series of changes that is

orderly, coherent and constantly changing as a result of
maturation and experiences encountered. These changes are:
behavior, attitudes, skills or specialization of someone.
 These are changes that are directional, leading forward rather than backward.
1 Progressive

Orderly and There is a definite relationship between each stage and the next stage in the
2 Coherent
developmental sequence.

The general process of growing up in relation to heredity. It is also the

3 Maturation biological process that it is in relation to age, changes in growth and
development and requires favorable support from the environment.

An aspect of human development that comes from past experiences,

4 Learning
modifications of behavior, a result from practice or daily living.
 JUST GIVE ME 5 REASONS:
It helps you to better
understand how to interact

It is one way to learn more Gaining a greater appreciation

about children or your of development throughout life
learners

To better understand
Have a deeper
our self
understanding of
what’s normal and
what’s not
 Principles of Development:

1. Development follows a pattern

2. Development proceeds from general to specific responses
3. Development is continuous
4. Development proceeds from the simple to more complex
5. Development has the characteristics of continuity, differentially, sequentially, and
generality to specificity
6. Development depends on maturation and learning
7. Development is a product of the interaction
8. Different aspects of development are interrelated
9. Development is individualized process
10.Development is cumulative
11.Rate of development differs in male and female child
12.Each phase of development has hazards
Student 1
1. Development follows a Pattern
Development in every species follows
a pattern in rate and it has its limit.

The same pattern is followed from pre-

natal up to the post-natal period and up to
adolescent stage. A baby cannot stand first
without going through creeping and
crawling. He must stand first before he
walks.
a. Cephalo-caudal sequence development
- Development proceeds from the Head downward.

This principle describes the direction of

growth and development :

Facts:
The head region starts growth at first, following by
which other organs starts developing.
The child gains control of the head first, then the arms
and then the legs.
Infants develop control of the head and face
movements at first two months.
They gain control over leg and able to crawl, stand,
walk, run, jump, climb, day by day.
b. Proximo-distal sequence development
- Development proceeds from the center of the body outward.
- The directional sequence of development during both
prenatal and postnatal stages may either be (i) from head to
foot, or (ii) from the central axis to the extremities of the body
Facts:
The spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body
The child’s arms develop before the hands, the hands and feet
develop before the fingers and toes.
Fingers and toe muscles are the last to develop in physical
development.
Student 2
2. Development proceeds from general to specific
responses
 In all phases of development, whether motor and
mental, the child development and responses starts
from general then later on learn to do the specific tasks.
 Facts:
 A baby moves his whole body at one time then later on
learn to move one part of his body as he grow older.
 A baby can see first the large objects before he sees the
small ones.
 A baby produces first babbling sounds before he
produces specific words that could be understand by
adults.
3. Development is continuous.
 Facts:
 Growth and development continues from the moment of
conception until he/she reaches maturity. The learning
abilities is continuous until he reaches her/his senescence
period or until death.
 In the early years of life, development consists of changes
that lead the child to maturity not only of body size and
functioning, but also of behavior. Even after maturity has
been attained, development does not end.
 Changes continue which lead to the period of life known as
senescence or old age
4. Development proceeds from the simple to more complex.

 Facts:
 Children use their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve problems.
 Children at first are able hold the big things by using both arms, In the next part able to
hold things in a single hand, then only able to pick small objects like peas, cereals etc.
 Children when able to hold pencil, first starts draw circles then squares then only letter
after that the words.
a. Growth is a personal matter - Each child grows in his own personal
manner. He/she should be permitted to grow at his/her own rate. If we
expect too much, he/she may do even less than he/she is able to do

b. Growth comes from within: One or surrounding environment can

encourage or can hinder the energy of a child, but the drive force can
push a child to grow

c. Growth has certain characteristics that are common at particular

stages and it is in gradual and orderly but uneven.
5. Development has the characteristics of continuity,
differentially, sequentially, and generality to specificity.

Sequentially: All children follow a development pattern with one

stage leading to the next.

Facts:
Infants stand before they walk; draw circles before they make
squares
The directional sequence of development stages may either be:
(A) from head to foot, or
(B) from the central axis to the extremities of
the body.
6. Development depends on maturation and learning.

Facts:
• Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth
and development.
• The biological changes occur in sequential order and give children
new abilities.
• Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for
maturation. And help children to improve in thinking and motor skills.

• Children must mature to a, certain point before they can progress to

new skills.

• Maturation and learning play important roles in development of a

human being. Maturation is the unfolding of the individual's inherent
traits. Learning is development that comes from exercise and effort on
the individual's part.
7. Development is a product of the
interaction
Facts:
Development is a process resultant from a
constant flux or interchange of energy
within an organism and his environment.

Hereditary forces inherent in the genetic

constitution of the individual and
environmental forces influence the
development of the organism.
8. Different aspects of development are
interrelated
Facts:
Different aspects of development are interrelated
and interdependent.

Child's early social behavior is interrelated with his

physical development. If the child is physically
handicapped his social behaviors will be related.

The child whose intellectual development is above

average is generally above average in size,
sociability and special aptitudes.
9. Development is an individualized
process
Facts:
All individuals develop in their own way.

Each child has own rate of physical, mental,

emotional and social development. If we
observe six-year old children, we find great
differences in their height, weight, social,
emotional, and learning readiness.
10. Development is cumulative
Facts:
Development is a cumulative process. Certain
changes impress the observer with their dramatic
suddenness but actually these changes do not
emerge all of a sudden.
The child's first word, first step is the result of
cumulative progress for the child has
continuously been preparing for these functions.
Each change is the culmination of his prior
growth and experience.
11. Rate of development differs in male
and female child
Facts:
There is a difference in the growth rate of boys
and girls.

Girls mature earlier in comparison to boys.

Girls are taller and heavier than boys during

pre-adolescence but by the end of adolescence
boys surpass them.
12. Each phase of development
has hazards
Facts:
Each phase of development has its
hazards. There is ample evidence that
each period in the life span has
associated with it certain developmental
hazards, whether physical,
psychological, or environmental in
origin and these inevitably involve
adjustment problems.
WHY IS THERE A NEED TO KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT?
 It helps us to know and understand what to expect and when to expect the
development.
 It gives the adult a wider information and understanding as to when to stimulate and
when not to stimulate growth in the child.
 Knowing the normal development of a child, it helps us to prepare the child ahead of
time the changes that may occur in his body, interests, behavior or attitudes.
 Having a wider understanding of a normal growth and development of a child, it helps
parents or teacher to deal properly on the changes of moods, likes, preferences of
children.
 It gives the future teachers great ideas on how to deal on the individual differences of
children, their tantrums and anger.
Factors Which Influence Human Growth and Development
It is important for you to know these factors, for you to have a wider
understanding on the uniqueness of each child.

Always remember, no one is alike, every human being is different from

each other.

The following are a list of factors which influence human growth and
development:
2. Sex
- Sex is a very important factor which influences
human growth and development. There is lot of
difference in growth and development between girls
and boys.
3. Socioeconomic
- Socioeconomic factors definitely have some affect. It has
been seen that the children from different socioeconomic levels
vary in average body size at all ages. The upper level families
being always more advanced.
4. Nutritional
- Growth is directly related with nutrition. The human
body requires an adequate supply of calories for its
normal growth and this need of requirements vary with
the phase of development.
5. Hormones
-There are a large number of endocrine glands present
inside our body. These glands secrete one or more
hormones directly into the bloodstream.
6. Pollution
- According to studies, air pollution not only affects the respiratory organs
but also have harmful effects on human growth.

.
7. Race
-Racial factors also influence height, weight, color, features,
and body constitution of a human being. The body growth and
development differences show a relationship with varied
cultural groups.