Growth and development : BASIC CONCEPTS OF DEVELOPMENT and PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT

 Growth and development 

Meaning Of  Growth and development : 

                                                   Sufi was growing taller and heavier. This is known as ‘Growth’, which refers to increase in weight, height (length) and changes in body proportions. Growth takes place in the physical aspect only. It refers to quantitative changes e.g. it is possible to measure how tall a child has grown over a specific period of time.

 Nimrat saw that over the past few weeks, Sufi had become more alert and responsive. While she was growing physically, she was also showing changes in her behavior. All these are signs of development. In other words, we can say that development involves the processes that are genetically programmed as well as those that are influenced by the environment.

 Development takes place in all aspects such as physical, cognitive, language, social, emotional and others. For example child’s increased ability to adjust in groups and make friends is a social aspect of his development. The term ‘development’ refers to qualitative changes in an individual such as change in personality or other mental and emotional aspects. However, very often growth and development are used interchangeably. The process of development continues even after the individual has attained physical maturity (growth).  The individual is continuously changing as he/she interacts with the environment.  

> Difference between growth and development: 

   a) Growth is quantitative and development is qualitative in nature.

 b) Growth refers to physical aspects only; whereas development refers to all aspects such as physical, cognitive, language, emotional, social etc.

 c) Growth is limited to height and weight but development refers to all changes leading towards maturity.

 Growth stops at certain period of life but development continues till death.

> BASIC CONCEPTS OF DEVELOPMENT

1  Maturation and Learning
 2  Heredity and Environment

1  Maturation and Learning:

                                                   Sufi at 8 months of age followed her mother crawling behind her. This was a moment of great happiness in the family. All the family members clapped for her and hugged her. Do you know why she was able to crawl? It was because her body was mature enough for this activity. This is Maturation. It means that the potential traits (for different activities like sitting, crawling, creeping, walking etc.) are present at birth in the individual and are controlled by heredity. This unfolds itself at the appropriate time.

 Acquiring new skills due to environmental stimulation and training is known as Learning. Therefore, the development comes from effort, practice, and training. For example, bicycle riding will be learnt only as a result of effort, practice and training. Therefore, maturation and learning work together to promote the development of an individual. Both of these are important and are related to each other.   

 2  Heredity and Environment: 

                                                       Sufi was born with grey eyes and black hair.She ‘inherited’ the color of her eyes from her mother and her hair was like her father’s. When we use the term inherited, it means the traits which Sufi has acquired from her parents and grandparents. This is called Heredity. It provides the basis for the development of human personality. Heredity is what a person is born with. It is a specific combination of genes we inherit and is shown in characteristics like height and certain habits.

 Parents of Nimrat and Sufi were very affectionate to them. They always encouraged them to explore their potential and served as good role models. They provided them with good books to read and toys to play with. Environment includes all aspects of the surroundings i.e. human and non-human such as parents, family, friends, school, neighborhood, work place and socio- economic conditions to which the individual is exposed since birth. These factors influence the development of an individual. The child’s capabilities/potential are determined by heredity. But the extent to which an individual develops these capabilities depends upon the opportunities in the environment. For example, if a child has inherited talent for music, the talent cannot be developed unless the opportunities in the form of training in music are provided. It is therefore important that the children are given a chance to explore their potential and nurture their talent.  

 PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT : 

   Although Nimrat and Sufi are born in the same family but they are not the same. They differ from each other. Yet, all aspects of their development have followed a particular pattern. Development is governed by certain principles which are applicable to all individuals. Let us learn about these principles in this section. The various principles of development are:

 1. Development involves change: 

 The human being is never static. From the moment of conception to the time of death, the person is undergoing changes. The major changes include changes in size and proportions, acquisition of new mental, motor, and behavioral skills. Each year along with increase in Sufi’s height and weight, her mental abilities also increased. For example Sufi showed language development and better ability to reason and remember.

 2. Development follows a fixed pattern/sequence: 

Each child may have a different rate of development. However, the development of all human beings follows a similar pattern, similar sequence or direction. Sequential pattern of development can be seen in two directions:

(i) Cephalo-caudal sequence: 

means that development spreads over the body from head to foot i.e. individual begins to grow from head region down wards. Sufi first gained control on her head, then she could catch hold of objects, sit, crawl and later she could stand and walk. 

(ii) Proximodistal sequence:    

 means that the development proceeds from central part of the body towards peripheries. In this sequence, the spinal cord of the individual develops first and then outward development takes place. For example, babies cut their front teeth before they cut their side ones. Functionally, Sufi could use her arms before her hands and use her hands before she could control the movement of her fingers. 

 3. Development proceeds from general to specific:

 In all the phases of pre-natal (before birth) development and post-natal (after birth) life, the child’s responses are from general to specific. General activity proceeds to specific activity. For example when Sufi was less than 3 months of age and was shown a rattle, she would get excited and move her arms and kick her legs. This is a general response. At 5 months of age she would reach out to hold it in her hand. This is a specific response.

4. Development is correlated:

All types of developments, i.e. physical, mental, social and emotional, are related to each other e.g. a child, who is physically healthy is likely to have superior sociability and emotional stability. The child develops as a unified whole. Each area of development is dependent on the other and thus influences the other developments. Sufi has appropriate weight and height for her age. She also has well developed language ability that enables her to communicate with everyone. She is loved by all and has positive self esteem. 

5. Development is predictable:

 Because the rate of development is constant for a child, so it is possible to predict certain development outcomes at an early age. The X-ray of the wrist will predict the approximate height of the child. 

6. Development occurs at different rates for different parts of the body: 

The development of different physical and mental traits is continuous but, all parts of the body do not grow at the same rate. In some areas of the body, growth may be rapid while in others, growth will be slow. For example brain attains its full maturity around the age of 6 to 8 years; feet, hands and nose reach their maximum size in early adolescence, whereas heart, liver and digestive system grow during adolescence also. 

7. Development proceeds stage by stage:

 The development of the child occurs in different stages. Each stage has certain unique characteristics. There are individual differences in the rate of growth and development. Therefore, the age limit for different stages should be regarded as just approximate. All children pass through these stages of development at or around the age levels suggested for them. Speech gradually develops from cooing, babbling, monosyllabic sounds to complete sentence formation. 

8. Early development is more important than later development:

 Early childhood experiences have more impact on the development of a child. Examples include nutritional, emotional, social and cultural experiences.

9. Development is continuous:

 From the moment of conception till death the individual is continuously changing. There is no break/discontinuity in development, in some stages development is fast and in some it is slow.

10. There are individual differences in development:

 Interaction between heredity and environmental influences leads to individual differences in the developmental pattern. These differences are caused by the genes one inherits and the environmental conditions like food, medical facilities, psychological conditions and learning opportunities.

11. Development is the product of maturation and learning:

 You have already learnt that maturation is unfolding of characteristics potentially present in the individual. For example, creeping, crawling, walking comes with maturation. These characteristics come from individual’s genetic inheritance. Learning is the development that comes from efforts and practice. We know that interaction of maturation and learning is important for development. Maturation sets limits to development. It means because of limitation in heredity endowment, development cannot go beyond a certain point even when learning is encouraged. On the other hand, deprivation of learning opportunities also limits development. When environment limits opportunities, children will be unable to reach their potential.