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(Unit 8) Topic 1: The Whole Child 

4 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

A Good Start

​Topic 1 Page 5

​Child growth and development begins even before birth!​ 

The prenatal stage of development is just as important as the development times that we witness with a child in our care or classroom. Prenatal development begins at the moment of conception and continues through the embryonic and fetal development stages. Throughout this time there is a great deal of rapid growth and complicated development in all domains. The body and brain change drastically to become more complicated and advanced.  

During prenatal development, there are opportunities for positive and negative effects due to many factors. Genetics, maternal factors (substance use, health, nutrition, health conditions, etc.), or a prenatal error in development contribute to the overall development of the child throughout their life. Negative influences during the prenatal development stage can lead to prolonged challenges that children will likely have to work through.   

After the prenatal stage comes the newborn stage where infants and their caregivers are adjusting to this new world. Children develop and grow first with their families and the people that they interact with on a regular basis. Children with added challenges or atypical development will likely incur more challenges and rely even more on their caregivers.

The period of development between birth and age three shows the most rapid and important development for the whole child. 

Think about how much infants change in a month and then consider the changes between birth and toddlerhood! It is incredible how fast they grow! After the toddler years, children experience more rapid development until about the age of eight where things start to plateau a bit.   ​

​Early childhood educators are an integral part in supporting and documenting this period of growth and development for children. A strong foundation both at home and in care are ideal for a child’s development and to support lifelong positive attributes. Let’s dive into these concepts more in depth.  

• The Science of Early Childhood Development, Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
• ​InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University​

(Unit 8) Topic 1: The Whole Child ​ * Navigation Menu