Lifespan Development in Early Childhood - Essay Example

Life Span Development in Early Childhood Early childhood is a time of massive development is all areas (Thornton 55). From dependent newborns, infants grow into toddlers who slowly learn to take care of themselves and interact with their surroundings. This is a stage where skill development is at its most significant stage. Along with physical changes, language and cognitive skills also develop, beginning with the simple and basic use of senses to the more complex sense of cause and effect developed from recognizing their actions and the responses given by their caregivers (Thornton 57).

The development of a child’s learning to use the language is also a significant process in this stage because language is a dominant means in enhancing the cognitive skills. Another important learning about this early childhood stage is the socio-emotional development that begins around the first year of an infant. It is said that personalities are shaped by an infant’s early attachment experiences with the caregiver (Thornton 65). It is therefore important to emphasize the significance of quality emotional attachment early in a child’s life because it serves as a powerful model in that child’s adult relationships and interactions with people.

What is surprising about the socio-emotional development in early childhood is a tendency to think that character and personality are developed at a time when an individual has fully developed logical reasoning and critical thinking. One would think that remembered past experiences define a person’s responses to their surroundings. It is a startling fact to learn that something that is barely remembered, like an early childhood event, plays an important role in the individual differences of adults.

It is an interesting part that I would like to focus on particularly because it involves a deeper study of individuals who cannot reason out yet.Works CitedThornton, James E. "Life-span Learning: a Developmental Perspective." International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 57.1 (2003): 55-76. Print.