Santrock_edpsych_ch02. Reflection. Why Social Skills Are Key to Learning. Reflection. Early Childhood Development. Early childhood development is defined as “a set of concepts, principles, and facts that explain, describe and account for the processes involved in change from immature to mature status and functioning” (Katz, 1996, p. 137). Development is generally divided into three broad categories: physical development, cognitive development, and social emotional development (Berk, 2000). Physical development addresses any change in the body, including how children grow, how they move, and how they perceive their environment. Cognitive development pertains to the mental processes (e.g., language, memory, problem solving) that children use to acquire and use knowledge. Emotional and social development addresses how children handle relationships with others, as well as understand of their own feelings.
Early childhood development is generally divided into three age categories (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). Practices for enhancing children's development are influenced most by child development theories. Reflection. Reflection. Reflection.