Selecting An Age Group Or Developmental Stage

Selecting An Age Group/Developmental Stage

Child development is mainly the method in which individuals normally develop and age from infant until they reach adulthood. There are dissimilar features when it comes to aging and maturing, which consist of physical growth, cognitive growth, and social growth. Child development emphasizes the differences that occur in individuals as they age from newborn to 17 years old. Piaget’s childhood phases of cognitive development include the preoperational stage (ages 2 to 7) and the concrete operational stage (ages 7 to 12). During the preoperational stage, young children’s thoughts about things are symbolic, and their communication skills become more mature. They can memorize and imagine elements, recognizing the difference between past and present, and engage in make-believe activities. However, their thoughts are based on intuition and are not fully logical. Young children in this stage do not have a clear understanding of complex ideas such as cause and effect, time, and comparison. The hallmark of preoperational thought is the child’s capacity to engage in symbolic thought (Hockenbury, 2006).

Symbolic thoughts relate to the ways individuals communicate, describe, and exemplify their environment. Many children develop communication skills during this stage and display a great use of fantasy and imagination in play. For example, a child may use a shoebox for a dollhouse or spaceship; their imagination may assume the roles of different characters. In doing so, children mimic performances they have seen days or weeks earlier. Preoperational children at this stage still struggle with connecting symbols to the correct objects they represent. They often exhibit egocentrism, irreversibility, centration, and conservation. Egocentrism means children cannot consider events from perspectives other than their own. They believe others share their interests and feelings. Irreversibility refers to the inability to mentally reverse procedures or rational tasks back to the starting point.

By the time children enter the concrete operational stage, they begin using logical thinking skills. They are much less egocentric, can reverse mental operations, and focus on multiple aspects of a problem simultaneously (Hockenbury, 2006). For example, they understand that the number of cars in a line remains the same despite changes in spacing—a concept known as conservation. However, children in this stage sometimes struggle with logical reasoning related to abstract and hypothetical situations. A typical 9-year-old might define friendship as “people that play with me,” indicating concrete understandings. Their ability to handle theoretical concepts is limited to their individual experiences and actual circumstances.

Freud’s psychosexual theory suggests that early childhood experiences, particularly related to primary sexual and aggressive drives, influence later behavior and personality development. He outlined stages such as Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital. The anal stage (ages 18 months to 3 years) centers around toilet training, during which children learn control over bodily functions. Freud believed strict or lenient toilet training could lead to personality traits such as messy or compulsively orderly adults, respectively (Burns, 2017). The phallic stage (ages 4-5) involves children’s fascination with their own and the opposite-sex parent, with some experiencing conflicts related to these feelings. The latency period, from age 6 until puberty, involves repression of sexual urges and a focus on peer relationships and skill development (Burns, 2017).

Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory emphasizes external influences like caregivers and social environments on development across eight stages. During the initiative versus guilt stage (ages 3-6), children imitate adults and create play scenarios, often asking “Why?” when faced with challenges. This stage builds foundational confidence and social roles. Erikson, influenced by Freud, downplays biological sexuality, focusing instead on social and cultural interactions. By resolving the psychosocial conflicts, children develop a sense of initiative and purpose (David, 2014).

In the industry versus inferiority stage (ages 6-12), children acquire new skills and knowledge, fostering competence and self-confidence. Success in this stage depends on positive feedback from peers, teachers, and family. If children experience persistent inadequacy or failure, they may develop feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. As children grow, their primary relationships expand beyond family to include peers and their immediate community. While parents remain important, children increasingly rely on external sources of validation and social interactions that shape their developmental trajectory (Hockenbury, 2006).

The development of the brain during these stages involves hereditary factors and environmental influences. Genes provide a blueprint for physical and cognitive growth, while social interactions, education, and cultural context profoundly affect a child's developmental outcomes. For example, environmental enrichment through educational opportunities can enhance cognitive development, and positive social interactions can boost emotional resilience (Gopnik et al., 2017). Understanding the interplay of genetics and environment is vital for creating effective developmental support strategies.

References

• Burns, E. (2017). Freud's Five Stages of Development. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com
• David, L. (2014). Erikson’s Stages of Development: In Learning Theories. Retrieved from https://www.learningtheories.com
• Gopnik, A., Meltzoff, A. N., & Kuhl, P. K. (2017). The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, and How Children Learn. HarperCollins.
• Hockenbury, D. (2006). Psychology (4th ed.). New York: Woods Week.
• Piaget, J. (1952). The Origins of Intelligence in Children. International Universities Press.
• Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2014). Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Cengage Learning.
• Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Crain, W. C. (2011). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. Pearson.
• Siegel, D. J. (2012). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Guilford Press.
• Blakemore, S.-J., & Frith, U. (2005). The learning brain: Lessons for education. Blackwell Publishing.