ECE 497: CHILD DEVELOPMENT CAPSTONE

Early Childhood
Amanda Monteiro
Social Factor:
Depending on
the pre-school,
daycare, or other
environments
will determine a
childs positive
or negative
development
(Berk, 2013).

Developmental Strategy
There are several strategies that families can use to influence
their childrens learning and development during early childhood. These
include engaging in activities with the child such as make believe play.
Interestingly enough, Piaget believed that through pretending, children
practice and strengthen newly acquired representational skills (Berk,
2013). One idea is to set up a pretend bakeshop and allow children to
use kitchen utensils to bake a cake. Another idea is to bring out some
paper and pencils and pretend to play school together, or build a fort and
pretend to be animals in a cave. All of these ideas will foster a childs
imagination and enhance their development in all areas.

Developmental Milestones
Physical:

Language:

Children in this age group enjoy play

and seek out new ways to move their
bodies (i.e. dance, jump, skip).
Movements are coordinated and
children are able to maintain balance
(Pathways, n.d.).

By this stage of development,

children normally have good
communication skills and can initiate
in play with peers of the same age.
Enjoys interacting in small groups
with others (Pathways, n.d.).

Cognitive:

Social-Emotional:

These young children can easily

adapt to changes in routines. They
are able to complete everyday tasks
with multiple steps. Identifies
several colors, shapes, and
numbers (Pathways, n.d.).

When confronted with a new

environment, such as a playground
or friends house, they are excited
to explore the surroundings. They
can adapt and play in new social
situations easily (Pathways, n.d.).

Cultural Factor:
A childs
diversity in
culture may
spark bilingual
development in
language and
cognitive
thinking (Berk,
2013).

Atypical Development
One sign of atypical
development in early childhood are
sensory issues. Children with
developed sensory issues under or
over react to certain stimuli. They are
fearful and disorganized when
exposed to different stimulating
experiences (Pathways, n.d.). As
children enter into preschool, those
who show signs of inattention,
distraction, and hyperactivity may be
at risk for ADHD (Berk, 2013).

Resources:
Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development.
Boston: Pearson Education.
Pathways (n.d.). Growth and
Development. Retrieved from:
https://pathways.org/growth-

development/

Moral Reasoning/
Self-Regulation:
In Early Childhood, children
suddenly open a whole new door
to talking about their emotions.
Preschoolers are able to verbalize
self-regulation strategies and are
often very blunt about their
emotions Berk, 2013).