Physical Developments of Young Children and Adolescents

Children grow up so quickly, but they grow differently at every age group. Different skills are obtained, and different interests occur. Physical development is a natural occurrence in youth, and they can be categorized by different age groups. The progression of infancy to adulthood is important to study when teaching children and dealing with children on a constant basis. It is also important to know about the physical changes in children and when they occur if you are a parent. From early childhood to adolescence, it is important to understand how a child develops physically.

Early childhood is a developmental age groups that includes children from the age of two to six years old. Early childhood is characterized by physical developments. During early childhood children change physically because they loss their baby features. Their features become less soft and their limbs get longer and become more in proportion to their bodies. At the early childhood level children have large amounts of energy and enjoy "running, hopping, tumbling, climbing, and swinging" (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2004, p. 106). Fine motor skills are developing and the need for afternoon naps are decreasing during this age group.

Adolescence is a developmental age group that encompasses children from the age of ten to eighteen. Early adolescence includes children from the age of ten to fourteen and these children grow rapidly, and this is also the time when puberty begins. Children of this age have more "risk taking behavior", and they are "self- conscious of resulting physical developments" (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2004, p. 107). Late adolescence is the age group that includes fourteen to eighteen year olds. During this age girls "complete their growth spurts" and attain their "mature heights" (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2004, p. 107). Boys are likely to increase in size as well during this age. Both sexes will have extreme appetite increases and increases in sexual activity. Late adolescences are more prone to making risky decisions such as unprotected sex, drug use, and eating disorders during this period of time.

All children are different. All children have their own personalities and grow at their own rates, but there are basic age groups that children can be identified by. These age groups are characterized by certain physical developments. It is important to recognize and understand these developments.

References:

McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J. (2004). Child Development: Educating and Working with Children and Adolescents (2nd ed.). : Prentice Hall

by Sarah Ganly