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Introducing Caring for Children and Young People
The development of young children in the first three years
of life
Q. What is child development?
A. Child development is a term used to refer to the way children grow, develop and
learn. Understanding child development can help carers and parents to provide
the best care for young children.
Child development
Children develop in different ways and at different rates, but there are general trends
and milestones in child development. For example, a baby will typically sit before
crawling, a young child will usually play alone before beginning to play with others.
There is a pattern or sequence to children’s development.
Knowing and understanding this sequence of child development is important for
adults caring for children, because:
• They can see that children are growing and developing as expected
• They can plan interesting activities to help children learn and develop.
Key Facts
• Child development is a term used to refer to the way children grow,
develop and learn
• Sequence of development is the pattern or order of the way
children grow and develop.
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