Glencoe Health

Introduction:
In this lesson, you learned about how children generally develop physical, mental, and social skills. Children progress through several stages between infancy, when they are completely dependent on others for all of their needs, to their preteen years, when they can handle many things on their own. At this Web site, you can learn more about the patterns of physical development in early childhood.

Links to Explore:
Human Growth and Development—A Matter of Principles
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/family/350–053/350–053.html

Directions:

• Click on the link and read the page.
• Answer the following questions:

1			According to the cephalocaudal principle, in what order does an infant gain control of his or her body parts?
2			According to the principle of proximodistal development, which muscles develop last?
3			Define "readiness" and give an example.
4			How does a child's environment affect his or her development?
5			Should parents be concerned about a child who does not begin walking until 18 months old when an older sibling was able to walk at 11 months? Why or why not?