What is Normal Child Development?
Child development refers to how a child becomes able to do more complex things as they get older. Development is different than growth. Growth only refers to the child getting bigger in size. When we talk about normal child development, we are talking about developing skills like: • Gross motor: using large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run, etc., keeping balance, and changing positions. • Fine motor: using hands to be able to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and do many other things. • Language: speaking, using body language and gestures, communicating, and understanding what others say. • Cognitive Thinking skills: including learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering. • Social: Interacting with others, having relationships with family, friends, and teachers, cooperating, and responding to the feelings of others.
