Did you ever hear a teacher or someone refer to the whole child? They are talking about the 5 areas of child development.
Teachers work with the “whole child” by making sure they are taking each need and skills into consideration.
When lesson planning all areas of child development should be met.
What are the five areas of development?
There is so much to our children. Never let someone get away by saying a child is weak or slow or stupid! A child may have difficulty in one areas but that does not mean they are not brilliant in another!
When children grow and learn new skills they are developing in one of the areas of development. Each age group has different expectations or milestones that we expect them to meet.
- Cognitive Development- This is the child’s ability to learn and solve problems ( math, science…)
- Social Emotional Development- this is the child’s ability to interact with others or with themselves. ( feelings, control, emotional IQ)
- Speech and Language Development- This is the child’s ability to use and understand language. (reading, writing, talking)
- Fine Motor Development- This is the child’s ability to use small muscles (hands-cutting, grasp)
- Gross Motor Development- This is the Child’s ability to use their large muscles such as balance, running and jumping
Meeting Milestones in Child Development:
When a child can perform a certain skill expected of them in one of the areas of development, that is called meeting a milestone.
Such as between the ages 9 months to 15 months we expect the child to meet the milestone of walking in the area of gross motor development. Usually a child needs to meet one milestone before reaching another. A child needs to know how to walk before they can run, therefore running will be a milestone for an older child.
So how can you help your child meet developmental milestones?
- interact with the children- show love, care and concern
- read and talk to children
- learn about the milestones and work with your child
- speak to your child’s teacher and plan together
Know that each child develops differently! Some children will meet milestones earlier than others and that is not a cause for concern. If you are concerned be in touch with your physician.