Periods of Development

As children move from infancy to young adulthood, they go through key periods of development. Ages and Stages is a term used to describe these periods of development. Although what defines these periods of childhood has varied widely throughout history and across cultures, The American Academy of Pediatrics defines these periods as follows:

Prenatal Period which begins with conception and ends with birth

Infancy which is marked by the months from birth through fifteen months

Toddlerhood which encompasses sixteen months through a child’s third birthday

Early Childhood, spanning three to five years of age

Middle Childhood, which spans the ages of five to twelve

Adolescence, which includes the ages of twelve to eighteen

Each age and stage is characterized by its own set of expected characteristics and changes. As we seek to provide the best possible care and education for children, these distinct time periods provide a helpful framework in which to study childhood (Bee & Boyd, 2009; Berk, 2017; Childhood defined, n.d.).

Domains of Development

Within these five time periods, we are then able to study primary areas in which change occurs, referred to as the domains of development. We will examine child development across four major domains: Physical/ Biological, Cognitive (including intelligence), Social (relationships and self-awareness), and Emotional (encompassing internal states such as temperament, emotional regulation, and understanding the emotions of others).