The academic writing is going to critically Explain in details the Stages of Childhood and all this

will be done by putting into consideration some of the good gather information which is in
support of the approached notion.

According to Allen (1989) Children can go through a lot of changes as they get older. If you’re
taking care of a child in some way, whether as a parent, caregiver, nanny, or teacher, it can be
helpful to have a sense of the various stages a child may go through to help you to prepare for
what lies ahead and to understand what types of developmental milestones may be common at
different ages. There are different opinions and theories on the exact number of stages of
development children may go through, and these stages can be divided in different ways. In this
article, we’ll focus on six different stages: infants, toddlers, preschoolers, middle childhood,
young teens, and teenagers.

Bowman (2001) suggested that Infants (Birth To One Year) is first stage of a child's
development, a child generally begins to react to external stimuli such as touch and sound, can
discern objects that are close to their vision, and may start to communicate using different
sounds. Throughout their first year, a child may begin to develop more complex responses to the
world around them. Some of the most notable developments include an infant's ability to control
the way that their head moves, their ability to sit up without the support of their parent, and their
ability to recognize and respond to their name. They may also start making babbling or squealing
sounds, which typically occur around six months. At around the nine-month mark or up to
around the twelve-month mark, an infant may begin to be able to crawl and stand up on their
own as well as grasp objects with their hands.

According to Allen (1989) During the toddler stage, children are beginning to learn more about
their surroundings and themselves. Toddlers may be able to do things such as walk on their own,
jump around, climb on things, follow two- or three-step directions, construct simple sentences,
and eat with a spoon. They may also follow simple routines when told to, like cleaning up toys or
bedtime routines.  In the preschool stage, children start to improve their motor skills as well as
their vocabulary and conversational skills. A child at this stage may begin to be able to do things
such as say sentences with four or more words, serve themselves food or water with supervision,
count to 10, write some letters, and button some buttons. 
Bransford (1999) suggested that this stage of childhood, a child can often become a bit more
independent. They can often tie their shoes, dress themselves, and catch a ball more easily by
around six to eight years, for example. Attending school also often brings opportunities for more
connections with others. During this stage, children may pay greater attention to friendships,
form stronger friendships, become more aware of their body, have an increased attention span,
and more. They will often have a better grasp on the motor skills that they developed in the
previous stages, and their conversational skills may also begin to improve as they attend school
and learn more about the world around them.

Collins (1984) stated that This is a period of major and sometimes confusing or difficult change.
In this stage, puberty typically begins, which can bring a host of changes. During this time, a
child may also experience more peer pressure. A child of this age is also able to make more of
their own choices, and they continue to become more independent. Individuality is often a major
theme during these years, and you may notice your child is starting to develop their personality
as well as form their thoughts and opinions. As they continue to grow older, they may focus
more on their friends and relationships and focus less on their family to develop their
independent lifestyle. It is not always a difficult time, but young teens are often faced with a lot
of pressure and can often use support while they are going through this stage of their life.

Chall (1990) suggested that When a child reaches this stage, they may show increased
independence from their parents. Some teenagers may start working and prepare to leave the
house. In this stage, a teen may develop more interest in romantic relationships and sexuality,
spend more time with friends and less with parents, have more concern about future plans, and
develop clearer work habits. Some teens may experience challenges during this time such as
eating disorders, depression, or alcohol or drug use.   Early childhood is a time of tremendous
growth across all areas of development. The dependent newborn grows into a young person who
can take care of his or her own body and interact effectively with others. For these reasons, the
primary developmental task of this stage is skill development.

Knowles (2000) stated that Physically, between birth and age three a child typically doubles in
height and quadruples in weight. Bodily proportions also shift, so that the infant, whose head
accounts for almost one-fourth of total body length, becomes a toddler with a more balanced,
adult-like appearance. Despite these rapid physical changes, the typical three-year-old has
mastered many skills, including sitting, walking, toilet training, using a spoon, scribbling, and
sufficient hand-eye coordination to catch and throw a ball. Between three and five years of age,
children continue to grow rapidly and begin to develop fine-motor skills. By age five most
children demonstrate fairly good control of pencils, crayons, and scissors. Gross motor
accomplishments may include the ability to skip and balance on one foot. Physical growth slows
down between five and eight years of age, while body proportions and motor skills become more
refined.

Gullotta (2000) stated that Physical changes in early childhood are accompanied by rapid
changes in the child's cognitive and language development. From the moment they are born,
children use all their senses to attend to their environment, and they begin to develop a sense of
cause and effect from their actions and the responses of caregivers. Over the first three years of
life, children develop a spoken vocabulary of between 300 and 1,000 words, and they are able to
use language to learn about and describe the world around them. By age five, a child's
vocabulary will grow to approximately 1,500 words. Five-year-olds are also able to produce
five-to seven-word sentences, learn to use the past tense, and tell familiar stories using pictures
as cues.

According to Knowles (2000) Language is a powerful tool to enhance cognitive development.

Using language allows the child to communicate with others and solve problems. By age eight,
children are able to demonstrate some basic understanding of less concrete concepts, including
time and money. However, the eight-year-old still reasons in concrete ways and has difficulty
understanding abstract ideas. A key moment in early childhood socioemotional development
occurs around one year of age. This is the time when attachment formation becomes critical.
Attachment theory suggests that individual differences in later life functioning and personality
are shaped by a child's early experiences with their caregivers. The quality of emotional
attachment, or lack of attachment, formed early in life may serve as a model for later
relationships.

Knowles (2000) stated that From ages three to five, growth in socioemotional skills includes the
formation of peer relationships, gender identification, and the development of a sense of right
and wrong. Taking the perspective of another individual is difficult for young children, and
events are often interpreted in all-or-nothing terms, with the impact on the child being the fore-
most concern. For example, at age five a child may expect others to share their possessions freely
but still be extremely possessive of a favorite toy. This creates no conflict of conscience,
because fairness is determined relative to the child's own interests. Between ages five and eight,
children enter into a broader peer context and develop enduring friendships. Social comparison is
heightened at this time, and taking other people's perspective begins to play a role in how
children relate to people, including peers.

Gullotta (2000) stated that Implications for in-school learning. The time from birth to eight years
is a critical period in the development of many foundational skills in all areas of development.
Increased awareness of, and ability to detect, developmental delays in very young children has
led to the creation of early intervention services that can reduce the need for special education
placements when children reach school age. For example, earlier detection of hearing deficits
sometimes leads to correction of problems before serious language impairments occur. Also,
developmental delays caused by premature birth can be addressed through appropriate therapies
to help children function at the level of their typically developing peers before they begin school.

Goldberg (1995) stated that An increased emphasis on early learning has also created pressure to
prepare young children to enter school with as many prerequisite skills as possible. In 1994
federal legislation was passed in the United States creating Goals 2000, the first of which states
that "All children will enter school ready to learn" (U.S. Department of Education, 1998). While
the validity of this goal has been debated, the consequences have already been felt. One
consequence is the use of standardized readiness assessments to determine class placement or
retention in kindergarten. Another is the creation of transition classes (an extra year of schooling
before either kindergarten or first grade). Finally, the increased attention on early childhood has
led to renewed interest in preschool programs as a means to narrow the readiness gap between
children whose families can provide quality early learning environments for them and those
whose families cannot.

Gullotta (2000) stated that Historically, middle childhood has not been considered an important
stage in human development. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory labeled this period of life
the latency stage, a time when sexual and aggressive urges are repressed. Freud suggested that no
significant contributions to personality development were made during this period. However,
more recent theorists have recognized the importance of middle childhood for the development
of cognitive skills, personality, motivation, and inter-personal relationships. During middle
childhood children learn the values of their societies. Thus, the primary developmental task of
middle childhood could be called integration, both in terms of development within the individual
and of the individual within the social context.

According to Allen (1989) Perhaps supporting the image of middle childhood as a latency stage,
physical development during middle childhood is less dramatic than in early childhood or
adolescence. Growth is slow and steady until the onset of puberty, when individuals begin to
develop at a much quicker pace. The age at which individuals enter puberty varies, but there is
evidence of a secular trend–the age at which puberty begins has been decreasing over time. In
some individuals, puberty may start as early as age eight or nine. Onset of puberty differs across
gender and begins earlier in females.

Goldberg (1995) stated that As with physical development, the cognitive development of middle
childhood is slow and steady. Children in this stage are building upon skills gained in early
childhood and preparing for the next phase of their cognitive development. Children's reasoning
is very rule based. Children are learning skills such as classification and forming hypotheses.
While they are cognitively more mature now than a few years ago, children in this stage still
require concrete, hands-on learning activities. Middle childhood is a time when children can gain
enthusiasm for learning and work, for achievement can become a motivating factor as children
work toward building competence and self-esteem.

Collins (1984) stated that Middle childhood is also a time when children develop competence in
interpersonal and social relationships. Children have a growing peer orientation, yet they are
strongly influenced by their family. The social skills learned through peer and family
relationships, and children's increasing ability to participate in meaningful interpersonal
communication, provide a necessary foundation for the challenges of adolescence. Best friends
are important at this age, and the skills gained in these relationships may provide the building
blocks for healthy adult relationships.

Adolescence can be defined in a variety of ways: physiologically, culturally, cognitively; each

way suggests a slightly different definition. For the purpose of this discussion adolescence is
defined as a culturally constructed period that generally begins as individuals reach sexual
maturity and ends when the individual has established an identity as an adult within his or her
social context. In many cultures adolescence may not exist, or may be very short, because the
attainment of sexual maturity coincides with entry into the adult world. In the current culture of
the United States, however, adolescence may last well into the early twenties. The primary
developmental task of adolescence is identity formation (Bowman, 2001).

In conclusion, the academic writing has critically Explained in detail the Stages of Childhood
and all this has been done by putting into consideration some of the good gather information
which is in support of the approached notion. The paper is well summarized such that each and
every scholar or reader is able to make sense out of it easily.

REFERENCES

Allen, K. (1989), “Developmental Profiles: Birth to Six”, Albany, NY: Delmar.

Bowman, eds (2001), “ Eager To Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers”, Washington DC:
National Academy Press.
Bransford, (1999), “How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School”, Washington
DC: National Academy Press.
Chall (1990), “The Reading Crisis: Why Poor Children Fall Behind”, Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.
Collins, W. (1984), “Development During Middle Childhood: The Years From Six to Twelve”,
Washington DC: National Academy Press.
Goldberg (1995), “Attachment Theory: Social, Develop-mental, and Clinical
Perspectives. Hillsdale: Analytic Press.
Gullotta (2000), “The Adolescent Experience, 4th edition. San Diego: Academic Press.
Knowles (2000), “What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know”, Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.