Childhood Development Stages: Why they matter

Childhood development stages are measurable in terms of cognitive, emotional, social and physical development, between the ages of 3 to 9. These formative years lay the foundations for later adult development.

Childhood Skills: 3 -4 years: The Exploratory Stage

Children become increasingly curious about their environment. They also have an ever-increasing vocabulary and need to communicate with others, in the form of simple conversations. Children have wonderful imaginations, and this should be encouraged as it develops creativity and expands boundaries. Play with other children is also essential because this age group tends to be ego-centric, and so they must learn how to interact and cooperate with others.

Childhood Development Stages 5 – 6 Years: The Transition to Formal Learning

Children start school in many countries from the age of 5, as they now can absorb information, retain information and fit within a system. This age group can form friendships and cooperate with others.

Childhood Development Stages 7 – 8 Years: The Development of Self-Concept

Children begin to develop a stronger sense of their own identity, by understanding their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, a child might be the best runner in the class but struggle with maths. Conversely, maths might come easily to another student, but they might not be so good at running. Understanding strengths and weaknesses can affect a child’s confidence, and self-image, which could affect them in later life.  This age group can assimilate more complex subjects and communicate better with their peers. 

Childhood Development Stages 9 Years: The Pre-Adolescent Stage

Children now develop rapidly physically and mentally. Peer relationships become increasingly important as children develop social networks outside of the family. This age group can think critically and develop their own opinions.

Play is essential for children aged 3 – 9 because this teaches them to cooperate with their peers, think logically, and aids physical development. As humans, we must know how to read other people’s emotions and then regulate our behaviors accordingly. These vital life skills can’t be learnt in isolation playing computer games or staring at screens. Physical activity is essential for future health and playing with others teaches resilience. Life can be tough, and children need to learn resilience, the ability to keep going, when things seem to be against us.

In some educational environments competition has been eliminated, and children are taught that there are no winners and losers. Whilst this is laudable in some ways, it is not so good in others. Unfortunately, life is one huge competition, whether we like it or not. We compete with our fellow beings for the best partners, jobs and position within society. Research consistently shows that emotional intelligence often trumps intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise the needs of other people and then work towards a solution that benefits all parties. Research also shows that the formative years between 0-9 teach vital childhood skills, that will have a big impact in later life.

Emotional intelligence in children can be developed by learning to cooperate with their peers. Sport and team games are obviously great in this respect, and individual sports teach self-discipline, which is also very important. Not all children like sports, but there are plenty of ways to stimulate them too. Board games like Monopoly and Scrabble teach strategy and improve vocabulary. And stackable dolls teach valuable childhood skills, including how to differentiate sizes, recognize patterns and interact with others