Principles of Child

Development
Activity

How children view the world

12 Principles of Child
Development
 General principles taken from a review
of the early childhood literature
 Principles should be considered when
making decisions about children
Principle 1: Interrelatedness
 Development in one domain influences
and is influenced by development in
other domains
 Example: Language skills impact social
relationships
 Example: Crawling increases development due

to increased ability to explore

Principle 2: Orderly Sequence
 Development occurs in a relatively
orderly sequence, with later abilities,
skills, and knowledge building on those
already acquired
 Example: crawl, pull to stand, steps, walking
 Example: cooing, sounds, approximations,
words, phrases, sentences
Principle 3: Varying Rates
 Development proceeds at varying rates
from child to child as well as unevenly
within different areas of each child’s
functioning
 Own pattern and timing of growth
 Unique personality, temperament and learning

style
 Varied experiences and family background
Principle 4: Long Term Effects
 Early experiences have both cumulative
and delayed effects on individual
children’s development; optimal periods
exist for certain types of development
and learning
 Example: Responding to infants cries
 Example: Early literacy experiences

 Example: First 3 years optimal for verbal

language
Principle 5: Increasing Complexity
 Development proceeds in predictable
directions toward greater complexity,
organization, and internalization
 Example: Self talk before abstract thinking
 Example: Using real items in play before being
able to substitute a pretend or other object for
that item
Principle 6:
Social and Cultural Influence
 Development and learning occur in and are
influenced by multiple social and cultural
contexts
 Learning is additive
 We need to help connect what children already
know with what we want them to know
 Example: Children whose primary language is not
English develop a new language well when
provided opportunities to learn English while
continuing to learn new concepts in home language
Principle 7: Active Learners
 Children are active learners
 Example: Learning addition through play with
toys and games
 Example: Learning spatial concepts through

play with toys rather than worksheets

Principle 8:
Biological and Environmental
 Development and learning result from
interaction of biological maturation and
the environment
 Example: The language that children are
exposed to is the one that they will learn even
though they are born with capacity to learn any
language
 Example: A child with typical physical abilities
but not exposed to bikes will not learn to ride a
bike
Principle 9: Play
 Play is an important vehicle for
children’s development, as well as a
reflection of their development
 Organizing the play environment with themes
and props can enhance language development

 Providing many motor toys will give you

opportunities to observe children's motor
development
Principle 10:
Practice and Challenge
 Development advances when children
have opportunities to practice newly
acquired skills as well as when they
experience a challenge just beyond the
level of their present mastery
 Allowing a child to put on own coat with needed
assistance
 Leaving recently mastered puzzles in the
classroom
Principle 11: Learning Modes
 Childrendemonstrate different modes of
knowing and learning and different ways
of representing what they know
 Example: After a walk around the
neighborhood one child may come back and
draw a picture, another act out what they saw
and another talk about it
Principle 12: Needs Met
 Childrendevelop and learn best in the
context of a community where they are
safe and valued, their physical needs
are met, and they feel psychologically
secure.
 Example: If children are well fed they will be
able to concentrate on learning activities.
 Example: If children are living in violent home
environments they may have trouble interacting
positively with peers.