Stages of Human

Development & Its

Implications to Learning

There are superstitious beliefs regarding the

human development which are oftentimes
baseless. But the truth is that the life in the
mother’s womb is a living fetus in the process of
growth and development.
Superstitions and Maternal
Impressions
Twin Bananas
The belief that eating twin bananas during
pregnancy will result in twins is a common
superstition.

Eggplant and Blue Babies

The idea that eating eggplant during
pregnancy can lead to a "blue baby" is
another unfounded belief.
Superstitions and Maternal
Impressions

Fright and Birthmarks

The belief that a pregnant woman's fright
can cause a birthmark on her child is a
persistent superstition.

Reading and Intelligence

The notion that a pregnant woman
reading a lot will produce an
intelligent child is a traditional belief
about maternal impressions.
Prenatal Development
Pre-natal period-is the period before
the child is born. Pre-natal
development is divided in to three(3)
periods, the germinal, embryonic and
the fetal.
1. Germinal Period

Fertilization to 2 weeks,
including the creation of the
zygote, continued cell
division, and the attachment
of the zygote to the uterine
wall.
 2. Embryonic Period

By the 14th day after fertilization,

the blastocyst is already
implanted in the uterus. This
mark the beginning of the second
or embryonic stage of prenatal
development, the umbilical cord
attaches to the placenta
functionally to the mother. In this
stage, the name of the mass cells
, zygote, become embryo, cells
differentiation intensifies, life
support systems for the embryo
 3. Fetal Period
Growth and development continue
dramatically during this period
(Santrock, 2002). Three months after
conception, the fetus is about 3 inches
long and weighs about 1 ounce, and
become active, moves its arm and
legs, opens and closes his mouth, and
moves its head; the face, forehead,
eyelids, nose, chin can move to be
distinguished and also the upper
arms, lower arms, hands, and lower
limbs; the genitals can now be
identified as male or female.
Hazards to Prenatal Development
Teratology- is the field that investigates the causes of congenital (birth)
defects. A teratogen is that which causes birth defects. It comes from the Greek
word “tera” which means “monster”.

Prescription and Psychoactive Drugs Environmental Hazards

Non-prescription
Drugs Nicotine, caffeine, Radiation, environmental
Antibiotics, diet pills, aspirin, marijuana, cocaine, and pollutants, toxic waste, and
and caffeine are examples of heroin can have detrimental prolonged exposure to heat
drugs that can be harmful to effects on the developing can pose risks to prenatal
prenatal development. fetus. development.
Infancy and Toddlerhood
The period that comes after the pre-natal or antenatal is infancy which, in turn, is
followed by toddlerhood. Infancy and toddlerhood span the first 2 years of life.

1 Cephalocaudal Pattern
Development starts from head to foot, with infants
learning to use their upper limbs before their lower
limbs.
2 Proximodistal Pattern
Growth and development starts from the inside part of
the body outwards, with the trunk and arms maturing
before the hands and fingers.
3 Brain Development
The brain grows rapidly during the first two years of life,
with the spreading connections of dendrites and the
process of myelination increasing the speed of
information processing.
Myelination or myelinization –is the process by which
the axons are covered and insulated by layers of fat cells,
begins prenatally and continues after birth.
Infancy and Toddlerhood
5. Height and Weight
Its normal for newborn babies to drop 5 to 10
percent of their body weight w/in a couple of
weeks of birth. That is due to the baby’s
adjustment to neonatal feeding. Once they
adjust sucking, swallowing and digesting, they
grow rapidly.
6. Motor Development
Infants and toddlers progress from reflexes to gross
motor skills (large muscle movements) and fine motor
skills (small muscle movements).
 Reflexes

The newborn has some basic reflexes which

are automatic, and serve as survival
mechanisms before they have the opportunity
to learn. Many reflexes which are present at
brith will generally subside within a few
months as the baby grows and matures.
Infancy and Toddlerhood
Infants Some common Reflexes

• Sucking Reflex- the strongest reflex of

infants which is initiated when the when
something touches the roof of an infant’s
mouth.
• Rooting Reflex- is most evident when an
infant’s cheek is stroked. The baby responds
by turning his or her head in the direction of
touch and opening their mouth for feeding.
• Gripping Reflex- babies will grasp
anything that is placed in their mouth. This
grip is strong, and most babies can support
their entire weight in their grip.
• Curling Reflex-when the inner sole of
baby’s foot is stroked, the infant respond by
curling his or her toes. But when the outer
sole of the baby’s foot is stroked, the infant
will respond by spreading out their toes.
Infancy and Toddlerhood
Infants Some common Reflexes

• Startle/Moro Reflex-an infant’s response

to sudden sounds or movements by
throwing their arms and legs out, and
throwing their heads back. Most infants will
usually cry when startled and proceed to
pull their limbs back into their bodies.
• Galant Reflex- is hwon when an infant’
middle or lower back is stroked next to the
spinal cord. The baby will respond by
curving his or her body toward the side
which is being stroked.
• Tonic Neck Reflex- this is demonstrated in
infants who are placed in their abdomens.
Whichever side the child’s head is facing,
the limbs on that side will straighten while
the opposite limbs will curl.
Linguistic and Cognitive
Development
Cognitive development of infancy refers to development in
the way a baby thinks. This includes his/her language,
communication and exploration skills. Paying attention,
remembering, learning to talk, interacting with toys and
identifying faces are examples of cognitive activities.

1 Language Development
Infants progress through stages of language production, from
cooing and babbling to one-word utterances, two-word
utterances, and basic adult sentence structure.

2 Sensorimotor Stage
The first of Piaget's four stages of cognitive development,
where infants construct an understanding of the world by
coordinating sensory experiences with physical actions.

3 Learning and Remembering

Infants are capable of learning and remembering, as
evidenced by classical and operant conditioning, although
they experience infantile amnesia, the inability to recall
events from early childhood.
Socio-Emotional Development
Much have been said about the importance of the first three years in human
development. They are are so-called formative years that is why, parents and other
caregivers at this stage of human development play a significant role in the
development of infants and toddlers.
1 Attachment
Infants need to establish an enduring emotional bond with a caregiver,
typically their mother, for healthy socio-emotional development.

2 Temperament
Temperament refers to individual differences in emotional reactions, activity
level, attention span, and ability to regulate emotions, with three basic
types: easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up.

3 Emotional Development
Infants and toddlers develop a range of emotions, from pleasure and
laughter to fear, anger, and later, shame, embarrassment, and pride.

4 Encouraging Emotional Development

Nurturing and responsive adults play a crucial role in helping infants and
toddlers learn how to be in relationships, meet their needs, and regulate
their emotions.
Early Childhood
The years before formal schooling begins is called “preschooler years”. It roughly covers 3-5 years of age. The preschool years is
very important as it lays foundation to later development. At this stage, preschoolers achieve many developmental milestones.
As such pre-service teachers who might be interested to teach and care for pre-schoolers need to be knowledgeable about them
to be truly an intentional and effective teachers.

Artistic Development Nutrition and Sleep

Preschoolers enjoy artistic expression, progressing through Proper nutrition and sufficient sleep are essential for
stages of scribbling, preschematic, and schematic drawing. preschoolers' physical and cognitive development.