Developmental Stages:  How Do Children Develop?

(Ages 15 months to 19 years)

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Lagoni, L. S., Martin, D. H., Maslin-Cole, C., Cook, A., MacIsaac, K., Parrill, G., Bigner, J., Coker, E., & Sheie, S. (1989). Good times with toddlers. In *Good times with child care* (pp. 14-27). Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University Cooperative Extension.

AGE	PHYSICAL	INTELLECT	EMOTIONAL	SOCIAL	
15 Months	Walks alone with feet wide apart. Runs on toes. Walks sideways and backwards. Tries to go up and down stairs.	Uses 6 to 20 words. Short attention span. Can stack blocks on top of one another. Can hold pencil and scribble.	Unpredictable. Normal to be fearful, anxious, resentful. Self-centered.	Plays alone. Recognizes other children and tries to get attention. Copies others.	
18 Months	Can pull and throw objects. Walks upstairs with hand held. Squats to pick up objects. Can kick, stack and carry toys.	Is curious. Says "NO". Understands words. May say a few words. May put two or three words together.	Shows affection. Selfish. Cries when toys are taken away. Is impatient and can be easily frustrated.	Tends to be rebellious. Points to objects and pictures named. Plays alone. Recognizes other children. Tries to copy other children.	
2 Years	Can kick. Stands on tip toes. Jumps with both feet. Walks up and down stairs.	Refers to self by name. Begins to have imagination. Can scribble. Uses simple sentences. May begin to know short rhymes and songs.	Easily frustrated. Strives for independence; uses "NO". Can be stubborn. Needs routines.	Joins in short songs, games, story time. Plays simple "Pretend" games.
Learning to share, but still not very cooperative.	
AGE	PHYSICAL	INTELLECT	EMOTIONAL	SOCIAL	
3 Years	Runs easily. Feeds self. May ride tricycle and turn somersaults. Can cut with scissors.	Understands simple concepts like hello, goodbye, back, front, up, down. Recognizes letters and numbers, can count. Creates imaginary friends.	Begins to show emotion in more acceptable ways. Is more concerned with pleasing people.	Makes friends of similar ages. Likes to help. Shows no preference for same sex friends.	
4 Years	Can hop, skip, turn sharp corners, run, roll, climb ladders and trees, and throws balls. Thinks too old to rest or take naps. Can cut on line. Draws pictures of people with head, body, legs and arms. Laces shoes, but cannot tie them.	Longer attention span. Asks questions. Is interested in death. Begins to understand time concept and to know seasons. Likes dress up and dramatic play. Interested in TV. Interested in letters. Can count to 30.	Likes to brag and boast. Interested in rules. Acts silly if tired. Behaviour sometimes out-of -bounds. Has many fears. Understands danger. Shows temper. Beginning awareness of good and bad. Very noisy.	Strong need for friends. Enjoys being silly.  Tags along with older children. Likes being in a group. Starts to grasp sharing. Can take turns. May pick up things that do not belong to them. May tell tall tales.	
5 to 7 Years	High energy level. Attempts all kinds of physical feats. Dances and can keep beat. Permanent teeth coming in. Girls ahead of boys in physical development. Physical skills becoming important in influencing status among peers and positive self concept. Has physical skills for game playing. Likes to build and create things.	Line between fantasy and reality more clear. Attention span by age 7 shows dramatic increase. Can shift attention. Able to give more thought to decisions. Great imagination. Very interested in collecting things. Enjoys jokes, rhymes, riddles and nonsense songs. Begins to see others' point of view. Shows interest in books, and music. Questions are fewer but more meaningful.	Wants to be treated like an adult. Can accept fair punishment. Feels hurt when called names. Proud and possessive of belongings. Worries about being liked. Enjoys talking more than cuddling with parents. Has 2 or 3 best friends, which change frequently. Boys and girls begin to play less together.	Can be tattletale. Needs adult supervision. Wants to please adults. Becomes competitive. Doesn't like to lose. Can be bossy. Finds 1 or 2 best friend(s). Needs approval of friends and adults. Wants to do everything right. Asks for lots of directions.	

AGE	PHYSICAL	INTELLECT	EMOTIONAL	SOCIAL	
8 to 10 Years	Physical skills are becoming important in status among peers and for self-esteem. Girls are ahead of boys in physical development. High energy level, need opportunities to be active. Girls begin adolescent growth spurt toward end of this period. Able to take responsibility for personal hygiene.	Can apply logical thought to practical situations. Beginning to understand cause and effect. Understands concept of money and can make change correctly. Understands concept of time; has ability to plan ahead.	Reacts to feelings of others. Sensitive to criticism and ridicule. Seeks warm and friendly relationship with adults. Worries about personal safety, loss of parents, family finances and personal self-esteem issues.	Parental guidance and support are a major influence upon school 
achievement. Parent involvement plays important role in interests and activities outside the home. Parents help child in assuming personal and social responsibility. Peer group and cliques more important. Peers share sexual 
(mis-)information.	
11 to 13 Years	Boys begin adolescent growth spurt. Early physical maturing in boys and girls is related to a more positive self-concept. Growth spurt at peak for girls, may result in awkwardness.	Begin to think in abstract as well as concrete. Uses abstract words. Beginning of independent, critical thinking. Can apply logic to solve problems. Can consider alternatives in problem solving.	Tends to lack self-confidence, may be self-conscious, shy, introspective. Worries about other's opinions, especially peers. Sometimes moody and unpredictable but emotional outbursts less frequent.	Needs opportunity to make decisions. Parent influence on behavior outside the home is decreasing. Child's negativism or rebellion does not diminish importance of parents for development of self value. School is major setting for social experiences.	
14 to 16 Years	Growth spurt peak for boys, resulting in awkwardness. Early or late physical maturing has less impact on girls than on boys, especially related to self concept.	Concerned with the hypothetical, the future and the remote. Better able to plan for the future. Tests ideas and considers all possible ways a problem can be solved. Goals often exceed capabilities.	Competitive peer relationships produce some distrust. Daydreaming is common. Confides more in friends than parents. Acceptance and security from parents is still necessary. Developing socially responsible behaviour.	Resents limitations imposed by parents. Expresses need for independence. Preoccupied with acceptance by peers. Groups continue to be same gender but more heterosexual interaction begins.	

AGE	PHYSICAL	INTELLECT	EMOTIONAL	SOCIAL	
17 to 19 Years	Full physical development for boys and girls. Most have had physical contact of a sexual nature. Struggling to learn socially approved outlets for sexual arousal.	Refining language and thinking skills. Life experiences provide opportunities for further development of reasoning-thinking skills.	Worries about career choice and other future plans. Anxious about meeting and cultivating relationships with the opposite sex. Developing personal philosophy including ethical and moral standards to be used in adult life.	Parental advice and support important in transition to adulthood. May be leaving home for extended period; enjoys freedom, but feel doubts. Choice and decisions reflect continuing peer influence. Exploring possibilities of becoming more desirable mate.	

Developmental Stages 1 to 19 years.rtf Feb 2008