Foundations of Child Development

📋 Course Outline

1. Fetal Development and Life
2. Primitive Reflexes
3. Motor Development Milestones
4. Object Permanence
5. Cognitive Development Piaget
6. Language Acquisition Stages
7. Psycho-affective Development Freud
8. Attachment Formation
9. Childhood Motor Skills
10. Cognitive Operations Age 6-12
11. Development of Moral Values
12. Child Play and Games

📖 1. Fetal Development and Life

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Embryonic and Fetal Stages: The phases of prenatal development; the embryo (up to 8 weeks) and the fetus (from 9 weeks to birth).
• Sensory Development: The process by which the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing) develop, beginning in the womb and continuing after birth.
• Reflexes: Involuntary, automatic responses present at birth, such as Moro, grasping, and sucking, which indicate neurological development.
• Attachment: The emotional bond that develops between the infant and caregiver, crucial for psychological development.
• Developmental Milestones: Key physical, motor, cognitive, and emotional achievements, such as head control, walking, and language acquisition, occurring at specific ages.
• Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage: The first stage of cognitive development in infants (birth to 2 years), characterized by learning through sensory experiences and motor actions.

📝 Essential Points