Infancy and Childhood

It is easy to perceive infants and young children are simple creatures; infants seem to spend most of their time sleeping and eating, toddlers have limited language, and preschoolers think their stuffed animals are real. Despite their limited developmental abilities, there is a flurry of activity inside the minds of these young people. This activity allows their nerve cells to create connections at an astonishing rate. This causes the cognitive, physical, and emotional development of infants and children to occur rather quickly compared to the development after puberty. This development has to be fast, because there is so much to learn. The brains of young children act like sponges, soaking up information as they attempt to make sense of the world.

Essential Questions

• What are the stages of prenatal growth and what can threaten development?
• How do infants and children develop physically, socially, cognitively, and morally?