Brain Development
The brain is probably the most important part of physical development, because all the other aspects stem from it. In order to better understand brain development, it is important to know the general structure of the brain. First off, the brain is made up of two hemispheres. Both the left and right brain have their own complex responsibilities in the body. In terms of motor movement, the right side of the brain controls the left side and the left side of the brain controls the right. Another important aspect of the brain structure is the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is defined as the band of fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain (Levine & Munsch 191). We will discuss more specific parts of the brain in the language development section. Sometimes, there are disabilities that occur during brain development. Two common and well known disabilities are cerebral palsy and autism. Cerebral palsy, is defined as a chronic condition that appears early in development and primarily involves problems with movement and muscle coordination (Levine & Munsch 197). That being said, children with cerebral palsy may just have some issues moving around and could have little to no brain disabilities. Majority of the people with this condition had some kind of problem occur during prenatal development to cause it. The other disability is autism. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that is characterized by difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and deficits in symbolic and imaginative play (Levine & Munsch 198).
Motor DevelopmentThe very simplest form of motor development starts with infant reflexes. Reflexes are almost a way of starting up the nervous system and motor movement. Next are the development of gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills refer to movement of large muscles (e.i. arms and legs) while fine motor involve the smaller muscles (examples being fingers, hands, toes, etc.). An example of a gross motor skill may be kicking a ball, while an example of a fine motor skill would be writing your name. The gross motor skills are usually develop first, and the fine develop over time and take longer to perfect. A prime example of how fine motor skills change is watching your child's handwriting change as they get older. It usually becomes neater and more legible proving that they are perfecting that fine motor skill.
Sensation and Perception
Also as a child grows up, their 5 senses start to develop more and more.
The five senses are:
Vision
Hearing
Smell
Taste
Touch
Body Growth and Changes
As children age, their body goes through quite a few changes. These physical changes range from losing teeth to going through puberty. Children start losing teeth around age 6, and get to experience the excitement of the tooth fairy and getting their "big kid teeth". Before and during puberty children experience growth spurts. On average, girls start their growth spurts earlier while boys grow later. This can lead to an awkward time period of really tall girls and short boys during the middle school age. As the children go through puberty each the boys and girls go through changes with their bodies.
Nutrition
Nutrition is key when it comes to physical growth and development. Breastfeeding is a good way to jump start the nutrition in infants. Because it's natural, breast-milk has a lot of vitamins and fats needed to support the rapidly growing infant. Unfortunately, breastfeeding is sometimes a difficult option for mothers, especially if they work. There are becoming more options in order to work around the work schedule, and technology is making it possible for women to still breastfeed if they so choose. Past infancy, it's important that children eat health diets rich in things like calcium and iron to promote healthy growth. Problems like malnourished can stunt growth or delay it. Another problem that is becoming more and more of a problem is the issue of obesity. Obesity is defined as being 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight (Levine & Munsch 225). Obesity can later lead to other health concerns like heart problems. On the other end of the spectrum, eating disorders are another trend in our society. Especially with our media's obsession with thin and skinny, people with low self-esteem or other issues may develop an disorder in which they obsess about what what they eat in an unhealthy way, sometimes leading to more severe health problems. All in all, it is important for children to understand nutrition not only because it is important for growth, but also because it can lead to healthy habits later in life.
The brain is probably the most important part of physical development, because all the other aspects stem from it. In order to better understand brain development, it is important to know the general structure of the brain. First off, the brain is made up of two hemispheres. Both the left and right brain have their own complex responsibilities in the body. In terms of motor movement, the right side of the brain controls the left side and the left side of the brain controls the right. Another important aspect of the brain structure is the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is defined as the band of fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain (Levine & Munsch 191). We will discuss more specific parts of the brain in the language development section. Sometimes, there are disabilities that occur during brain development. Two common and well known disabilities are cerebral palsy and autism. Cerebral palsy, is defined as a chronic condition that appears early in development and primarily involves problems with movement and muscle coordination (Levine & Munsch 197). That being said, children with cerebral palsy may just have some issues moving around and could have little to no brain disabilities. Majority of the people with this condition had some kind of problem occur during prenatal development to cause it. The other disability is autism. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that is characterized by difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and deficits in symbolic and imaginative play (Levine & Munsch 198).
Motor DevelopmentThe very simplest form of motor development starts with infant reflexes. Reflexes are almost a way of starting up the nervous system and motor movement. Next are the development of gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills refer to movement of large muscles (e.i. arms and legs) while fine motor involve the smaller muscles (examples being fingers, hands, toes, etc.). An example of a gross motor skill may be kicking a ball, while an example of a fine motor skill would be writing your name. The gross motor skills are usually develop first, and the fine develop over time and take longer to perfect. A prime example of how fine motor skills change is watching your child's handwriting change as they get older. It usually becomes neater and more legible proving that they are perfecting that fine motor skill.
Sensation and Perception
Also as a child grows up, their 5 senses start to develop more and more.
The five senses are:
Vision
Hearing
Smell
Taste
Touch
Body Growth and Changes
As children age, their body goes through quite a few changes. These physical changes range from losing teeth to going through puberty. Children start losing teeth around age 6, and get to experience the excitement of the tooth fairy and getting their "big kid teeth". Before and during puberty children experience growth spurts. On average, girls start their growth spurts earlier while boys grow later. This can lead to an awkward time period of really tall girls and short boys during the middle school age. As the children go through puberty each the boys and girls go through changes with their bodies.
Nutrition
Nutrition is key when it comes to physical growth and development. Breastfeeding is a good way to jump start the nutrition in infants. Because it's natural, breast-milk has a lot of vitamins and fats needed to support the rapidly growing infant. Unfortunately, breastfeeding is sometimes a difficult option for mothers, especially if they work. There are becoming more options in order to work around the work schedule, and technology is making it possible for women to still breastfeed if they so choose. Past infancy, it's important that children eat health diets rich in things like calcium and iron to promote healthy growth. Problems like malnourished can stunt growth or delay it. Another problem that is becoming more and more of a problem is the issue of obesity. Obesity is defined as being 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight (Levine & Munsch 225). Obesity can later lead to other health concerns like heart problems. On the other end of the spectrum, eating disorders are another trend in our society. Especially with our media's obsession with thin and skinny, people with low self-esteem or other issues may develop an disorder in which they obsess about what what they eat in an unhealthy way, sometimes leading to more severe health problems. All in all, it is important for children to understand nutrition not only because it is important for growth, but also because it can lead to healthy habits later in life.