4.6 Chapter Conclusion
Angela Blums, Ph.D.
Summary
Understanding child development is a vital skill for all early childhood teachers. Knowing the key features of the developmental domains–physical, cognitive, social, and emotional is a good start. Making sure that both typically developing and atypically developing children’s needs are met is a requirement of good early childhood education. Implementing developmentally appropriate practice is critical to quality teaching. As with all things, understanding child development and its connection to developmentally appropriate practice takes time. It means seeking new knowledge and staying connected to the children in your care.
Review Questions
- Consider the four main areas of child development. How could you describe these four areas of development to a parent? What examples would you use?
- What benefits are there for children when they play outdoors in natural areas?
- What types of questions can an adult use to promote children’s problem solving?
- How can caregivers best support a healthy relationship with infants?
- Around what age might children be able to regulate their emotions in socially acceptable ways?
- What are some ways in which teachers in early childhood classrooms can support children in the four developmental domains?