Child Development
Experts provide that child development in ages 2 to 6 occur at a significantly slower rate as compared to the infancy stage. They also tend to show haphazard ability and vulnerability, ignorance and insight as well as magic and logic. Children in this developmental stage also seem to develop unique theories in an attempt to understand the environment around them. They project short concentration spans and require a lot of assistance and guidance from adults and older siblings. They also exhibit great awareness though this is often shadowed by greater uncertainties. Fears relative to their smallness are often overcome through wishful and magical thinking.
Psychologists have separated these developmental stages into four broad categories. These are social, physical language and cognitive development. The development of each category however, tends to interact and more so affect the development of the other. Cognitive development leads to refined speech so as to exhibit new ken. Language development enables for learning of new words that allow for the development of new ideas. Physical development allows for greater social development.
Another great factor that plays a critical role in child development is the child’s immediate environment. A child environment can be broken further into 4 interconnected systems. These include the nuclear and extended family, immediate neighbors and peers, social institutions and cultural ethos. The complexity and frequency of these interactions condition a child’s development. Children are either from advantaged or disadvantaged environments. Children in advantaged environments are in a position to develop more consistently compared to children from disadvantaged environments. Child developmental costs in disadvantaged environments are therefore high. Realization or the sense of self is however best nurtured in disadvantaged environments and thus present higher child development outcome successes.