EDUC 50: CHILD AND ADOLESCENT

LEARNERS AND LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Module 1: Basic Concepts and Issues on Child

and Adolescent Development

SUSANA C. SAN PEDRO

Instructor
I. Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, you will be able to:
1. define basic concepts related to child and adolescent
development;
2. state how the developmental tasks affect your role as a
facilitator of learning;
3. explain the strong need for teachers to have a clear
understanding of human growth, development, and learning;
4. determine the role of systematic planning in solving problems
in the variations of human growth and development;
5. take an informed position/stand on the three issues on
development.
II. Content

I. Basic Concepts on Child and Adolescent Development

A. Human Development: Meaning, Concepts, and
Approaches
B. Principles of Human Growth and Development
C. The Stages of Development and Developmental Tasks
D. Issues on Human Development
“By virtue of being born to humanity, every human being has a right to
the development and fulfillment of
his potentialities as a human being.”
-Ashley Montagu

Introduction
Every living creature is called to become what it is
meant to be.The process of development involves
beginnings and endings. A number of researches on
human development have been conducted. A lot of
theories on human development have been forwarded.
Up to the present, several issues on human development
are unresolved and so the search for explanations
continue.
Meaning of human development
Human development is the pattern of movement or
change that begins at conception and continues through
the life span. Development includes growth and decline.
This means that development can be positive or negative
(Santrock, 2002)
CHILDHOOD
DEFINED
• The time for children to be in
school and at play, to grow
strong and confident with the
love and encouragement of
their family and an extended
community of caring adults.
• A precious time in which
children should live free from
fear, safe from violence and
protected from abuse and
exploitation (UN)
• Much more than just the • The state and
space between birth and condition of a child’s
the attainment of life, to the quality of
adulthood. those years. 
The Convention on the Rights of the Child 
was the first international human rights treaty to
bring together the universal set of standards
concerning children in a unique instrument, and
the first to present child rights as a legally
binding imperative. (UNGeneralAssembly,1989)
Childhood according to UN
Convention on the Rights of a Child :
• A separate space from birth to adulthood and recognized that what
is appropriate for an adult may not be suitable for a child.
 CHILDHOOD 
● The age span ranging from birth to adolescence. 
● Consists of two stages: preoperational stage and concrete
operational stage (Piaget).
● Developmentally and biologically, it refers to the period
between infancy and adulthood.
● A concept of play and innocence, which ends at
adolescence.
● According to the National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC), early childhood spans the human
life from birth to age eight.
 ADOLESCENCE DEFINED
● Usually determined by the onset
of puberty.
● Transitional stage of physical
and psychological development
that generally occurs during the
period from puberty to legal
adulthood.
● Most closely associated with
the teenage years, though its
physical, psychological and
cultural expressions may begin
earlier and end later.
● Teens often struggle with their
body changes, mood swings
and social issues.
 ADOLESCENCE

● Awkward stage in a child’s ● The transitional period

life. between childhood and
adulthood, occurring
● A time in a person's life roughly between the ages
when they are called a of 10 and 20.
teenager.
● Referred to as their
rebellious years.
GROWTH DEFINED
● The progressive increase and
continuous advancement of the
child from birth to maturity
● The increment in the bodily
tissues, organs, and structures.
● The period of life from the first
year through the teen years is a
time of great growth.
● Refers not only in an increase in
quality or in size but also in
enlarged capacity and changing
proportions.
● Life-long process that starts with
a single cell.
● Created by joining together one
special cell with another cell
coming from each parent.
DEVELOPMENT DEFINED

● The gradual and orderly

unfolding of the ● Involves changes from
characteristics of simplicity to complexity
individuals as they go and implies an
through the successive increasingly progressive
stages of growth; maturity of behavior as
well as organization of
personality and character.
 Domains of Development
Physical Development defined:
● The changes in body
structure and functions
overtime.
● Includes the development
of the brain.
● Encompasses different
tasks and abilities like
running, jumping, holding
a pencil and drawing.
● Abilities to explore and
interact with the world.
Cognitive Development defined:

● The gradual and orderly ● Talks about how children

changes in the individual’s think, reason, use
mental processes from language and process
simple to complex or information.
sophisticated.
Socio-Emotional Development defined:

● Changes in personal and ● About the development of

interpersonal aspects of the child’s personality,
an individual such as self-concept, identity, and
motives, emotions, social skills.
personality traits and
interpersonal skills.
 Moral Development
● The ability to distinguish or differentiate right from just wrong and
how to behave accordingly to common standard or justice.
● It refers to the process whereby people form a progressive sense of
what is right and wrong, proper and improper.
Maturation
● That part of development controlled from within the “internal ripening”
aspect, indicating that growth has reached its optimal level.
● Designates a process of internal growth consisting chiefly of
structural changes and coordination within the nervous system
together with a level of development of mental functions which is
indicated by a state of readiness to engage in a definite type of
behavior.
 HEREDITY
ENVIRONMENT
● The process of transmitting
biological traits from
parents to offspring through ● The totality of surrounding
genes, the basic units of conditions that influence
heredity; accounts for why the growth, development
off-springs look like their and survival of the
parents. organism.
 Basic Environmental Units

● Family – The basic institution for ● School – An institution for the

the child’s development that continuation of the child’s learning
provides the child with affection, and development of his mental,
sense of belongingness and social and affective skills.
validation; may be nuclear or ✔ Peer group – Composed of members
extended. who share certain social
characteristics such as age class,
● Neighborhood – The community occupation or education with a
within a town or city where the particular child, and is very
important in the socialization
individual resides. process as the individual attempts to
conform to the expectations of the
peer group.
 Principles of Human Growth and Development

1. Nature and Nurture ● Development is influenced by both

heredity (nature) and environment
(nurture).
● The nature (heredity) is responsible for
many of our physical characteristics such
as hair and eye color, facial features and
to some extent, the height and weight.
● Many of our characteristics can be
influenced by environment (nurture).
 Principles of Human Growth and Development
2. Growth and development is a
continuous process.
● As a child develops, he or she
adds to the skill already acquired
and the new skills become the
basis for further achievement
and mastery of skills.
● Most children follow a similar
pattern.
● Also, one stage of development
lays the foundation for the next
stage of development.
3. Development proceeds from the
head
downward or relatively orderly.
● This is called the cephalocaudal
principle. It describes the top to
bottom directions of growth and
development.
● According to this principle, the child
gains control of the head first, then
the arms and then the legs
Principles of Human Growth and Development
4. Development proceeds from the
center of the body outward.
● This is the principle of
proximodistal development .
This means that the spinal cord
develops before outer parts of
the body.
● The child’s arms develop before
the hands and the hands and
feet develop before the fingers
and toes.
5. Development depends on
maturation and learning.
● Maturation refers to the
sequential characteristics
of biological growth and
development.
● The biological changes
occur in sequential order
and give children new
abilities. Changes in the
brain and nervous system
account largely for
maturation.
Principles of Human Growth and Development
6. Development proceeds from
the simple (concrete) to the more
complex.
● Children use their cognitive
and language skills to reason
and solve problems.
● For example, learning
relationships between things
is an important ability in
cognitive development.
7. Growth and development proceed from
general to specific.
● In motor development, the infant will be able to
grasp an object with whole hand before using
only the thumb and forefinger.
● The infant’s first motor movements are very
generalized, undirected and reflexive, waving
arms and kicking before being able to reach or
creep toward an object.
● Growth occurs from large muscle movements to
more refined muscle movements.
Principles of Human Growth and Development

8. There are individual rates of growth and development.

Each child is different and the rates at which individual
children grow is different. Although the patterns and
sequences for growth and development are usually the
same for all children, the rates at which individual children
reach developmental stages will be different.
 Two Approaches to Human Development
Traditional Approach
1. Development is extensive
from birth to adolescence.
2. Development has little or no
change in adulthood.
3. Development shows decline
in late
old age.
Life-Span Approach
1. Development is life-long.
2. Development is multidimensional.
3. Development is plastic.
4. Development is contextual.
5. Development involves growth,
maintenance and regulation.
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
Developmental Stages Age Range
1. Infancy (from birth to 2 years ) 0 – 2 years
old
2. Toddlerhood (learning to walk) 2 – 3 years old
3. Early childhood (play age) 3 – 8 years old
4. Middle childhood (school age) 8 – 10 years old
5. Adolescence (puberty through post-puberty) 10 – 19 years
old
Developmental Stages (Santrock, 2002)
1. Pre-natal Period -referring to pre-natal development.
2. Infancy (from birth to 2 years)
3. Early childhood (3 to 5 years)
4. Middle and Late Childhood ( 6-12 years)
5. Adolescence (13-18 years)
6. Early adulthood (19-29 years)
7. Middle adulthood (30-60 years)
8. Late adulthood (61 years and above)
Developmental Stages (by Havighurst)

1. Infancy and early childhood (0-5 years)

2. Middle childhood (6-12 years)
3. Adolescence (13-18 years)
4. Early adulthood (19-29 years)
5. Middle adulthood (30-60 years)
6. Later maturity (61+)
Activity 2
1. How many developmental stages were described?
Compare Santrock’s stages with that of Havighurst’s.
Are they saying the same things?
2. What is an outstanding trait or behavior of each
stage?
3. What task is expected of each developmental stage?
4. Does a developmental task in a higher stage require
accomplishment of the lower level developmental
tasks?
Developmental Task defined
Havighurst (1972) defines developmental task as one
that arises at certain period in our life, the successful
achievement of which leads to happiness and success
with later tasks while failure leads to unhappiness, social
disapproval, and difficulty with later tasks.
 Developmental Tasks (Havighurst, 1972)
Infancy and Early Childhood (0-5)
5. Acquiring concepts and
1. Learning to walk language to describe social and
2. Learning to take solid foods physical reality

3. Learning to talk 6. Acquiring concepts and

languages to describe social and
4. Learning sex differences and physical activity
sexual modesty
7. Readiness for reading
8. Learning to distinguish right
from wrong and developing a
conscience
 Developmental Tasks (Havighurst, 1972)
Middle Childhood (6-12)
1. Developing fundamental
skills in reading, writing and 6. Learning physical skills
calculating necessary for ordinary games
2. Developing concepts 7. Building a wholesome
necessary for everyday living attitude towards self
3. Developing conscience, 8. Learning to get along with
morality, and a scale of agemates
values
9. Learning an appropriate
4. Achieving personal sex role
independence
5. Developing acceptable
attitudes toward society.
 Developmental Tasks (Havighurst, 1972)
Adolescence (13-18)

1. Achieving mature 5. Preparing for marriage and

relations with both sexes family life
2. Achieving a masculine or 6. Preparing for an academic
feminine social role career
3. Accepting one’s physique 7. Acquiring values and an
ethical system to guide
4. Achieving emotional behaviour
independence of adults
8. Desiring and achieving
socially responsible behavior
 Developmental Tasks (Havighurst, 1972)
Early Adulthood (19-29)

1. Selecting a mate 4. Managing a home

2. Learning to live with a 5. Starting an occupation
partner
6. Assuming civic responsibility
3. Rearing children
 Developmental Tasks (Havighurst, 1972)
Middle Adulthood (30-60)

1. Helping teenage children 4. Developing adult leisure

to become happy and time activities
responsible adults
5. Relating to one’s spouse
2. Achieving adult and as a person
social responsibility
6. Accepting the
3. Satisfactory career physiological changes of
achievement middle age
 Developmental Tasks (Havighurst, 1972)
Later Maturity (61- and over)

1. Adjusting to decreasing 4. Establishing relations with

strength and health one’s own age group
2. Adjusting to retirement 5. Meeting social and civic
and reduced income obligations
3. Adjusting to death of 6. Establishing satisfactory
spouse living quarters
 The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)

1. Prenatal period (from 2. Infancy (from birth to

conception to birth) 18-24 months)
- It involves tremendous - A time for extreme
growth from a single cell dependence on adults.
to an organism complete Many psychological
with brain and behavioral activities are just beginning
capabilities. – language, symbolic
thought, sensorimotor
coordination and social
learning.
 The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)
Early childhood (end of infancy to 5-6 years (Grade 1)
● The preschool years
● Development of school
● Time for learning to readiness skills
become more
self-sufficient and to care ● Spending many hours in
for themselves play with peers
 The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)
Middle and late childhood (6-11 years of age, the
elementary school years)
1. The fundamental skills of reading, writing and arithmetic are
mastered.
2. The child is formally exposed to the larger world and its
culture.
3. Achievement becomes a more central theme of the child’s
world and self-control increases.
The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)
Adolescence (10-12 years of age ending up
to 18-22 years of age)

1. Begins with rapid physical changes

2. Dramatic gains in height and weight
3. Changes in body contour and the development of sexual
characteristics such as enlargement of the breasts, development of
pubic and facial hair, and deepening of the voice.
4. Pursuit of independence and identity is prominent.
5. Thought is more logical, abstract and idealistic.
6. More time is spent outside the family.
 The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)
Early adulthood (from late teens or
early 20s lasting through the 30s)

1. Time of establishing personal and economic

independence,
2. Career development
3. Selecting a mate
4. Learning to live with someone in an intimate way
5. Starting a family and rearing children
 The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)
Middle adulthood (40-60 years of age)

1. Time of expanding personal and social involvement

2. Responsibility of assisting the next generation in
becoming competent and mature individuals
3. Reaching and maintaining satisfaction in a career.
 The developmental tasks (Santrock, 2002)
Late adulthood (60s and above)

1. Time for adjustment to decreasing health and strength

2. Life review
3. Retirement
4. Adjustment to new social roles
« The interaction of heredity and environment is so extensive that
to ask which is more important, nature or nurture,
is like asking which is more important
to a rectangle, height or width.   »
- William
Greenough
REFERENCES

● Acero, V. et al. (2004). Human growth, development, and

learning. Quezon
City: Rex Book Store.
● Corpuz, B. B. et al (2015). Child and adolescent development;
Looking at
learners at different life stages. Quezon City: Lorimar
Publishing, Inc.