Areas of development

It is important to note that the following is a normative representation of what is developed within each area; it will differ and depend on each individual. 

Physical development: 

This area of development refers to a wide range of aspects related to, as suggested by Early Education (2021), an individual’s brain, body, and mind. It includes gross and fine motor skills, including grip, agility and the ability to perform what the Department for Education (2021) categorises as fundamental movement skills, which are;

• Rolling
• Crawling
• Walking
• Jumping
• Running
• Hopping
• Skipping
• Climbing

Alongside these movement skills, other aspects, such as hand-eye coordination and sensory and spatial awareness, fit into physical development. These include nutrition, sleep, and self-care, such as hygiene, the ability to dress and undress, and physical and mental well-being.   

When exploring physical development, an important aspect to consider is the difference between the commonly used terms of growth and development. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different things. Growth refers to how cells divide, such as bone growth. Growth refers to the biological aspects of physical development. 

Compared with growth, development refers to the skills an individual learns and masters during their lifetime. For example, the development of fine motor manipulation skills. However, many aspects of growth and development are intertwined, such as grasp development. This starts with the more biological response of grasping and controlling an object through the palmar grasp within the first six months of a child’s life. Then, as hand-eye coordination, pressure development, and intellectual growth develop, they move into the second stage of grasp, the pincer grasp, and then the final stage, the tripod grasp. 

Communication and language development: 

Often seen as the underpinning of an individual’s broader holistic development, communication and language development focus on an individual’s acquisition and mastery of speech, language, and communication skills, including but not limited to listening, speaking, reading, writing, and gesturing. It involves understanding and using vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and broader communication skills, such as starting and maintaining a conversation, turn-taking during spoken and sign communication, and maintaining appropriate social connection during an interaction, such as eye contact, spacing, tone, and volume.

For spoken communication and language, repetition of sounds, words, and gestures is a core aspect of this area. This leads to vocabulary development through using and understanding common social phrases, which requires contextual and instructional understanding. However, before an individual can develop vocabulary and use accurately spoken communication, they first need to develop and understand tongue and mouth positioning to promote clear and effective pronunciation. Individuals gradually develop the ability to control their tongue and mouth to form the shapes and positions needed to produce recognisable sounds, letters, and words by acknowledging sounds, responding to stimuli (spoken or unspoken), and mimicking sounds, letters, and single words.

Emotional Development: 

This area of development encompasses understanding, expressing, and regulating emotions. It involves recognising and managing emotions while also understanding and empathising with others’ emotions. Key aspects of emotional development include creating and maintaining a positive self-image, resilience, and the ability to navigate emotions through social relationships. 

Another aspect of this area of development is the ability to express a range of emotions effectively and positively, which supports an individual’s ability to manage emotional transitions. This is supported by the Department for Education (2021), which suggests that an individual will demonstrate and articulate an understanding of their feelings and those of others. Connected to this recognition of their emotions, an individual will also be able to begin to regulate their behaviour based on the situation.

Social Development: 

Social development involves a wide range of skills and has recently become a commonly discussed area, with children seen to be falling behind in expected norms. These include, according to the Department for Education (2021), some of the following aspects;

• The formation of appropriate relationships with others.
• Understanding social norms and roles.
• Understanding cultural norms and roles.
• Developing social skills such as appropriate and sustained communication, cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution. 

Social development includes, as identified above, an individual’s ability to positively and appropriately interact with family members, peers, teachers, and other significant adults in a child’s life. Another aspect of social development is acquiring and understanding societal norms and effectively navigating social interactions within these norms and across a range of social environments.  

Intellectual and Cognitive Development 

Intellectual and cognitive development involves the growth of an individual’s thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, memory, attention, and overall intellectual functioning. This area is seen as the foundation for all other higher-order development areas, such as social, communication and language, and moral development. This means that development and progress in this area will affect development and progress in others. 

Similar to physical development, intellectual and cognitive development are often used interchangeably, though they refer to different aspects. Intellectual development focuses on the individual’s ability to understand and interpret information, ideas and concepts. On the other hand, cognitive development, like physical development, refers to the brain’s biological growth and processes for gathering, organising, and recalling information. One related idea is Cognitive Load Theory. 

Alongside these areas, intellectual and cognitive development also encompasses processes like language acquisition, understanding complex concepts such as time, positional language, and similarities and differences. This area also involves skills such as reasoning and making connections between ideas.  

Creative and Imaginative development: 

Creative and imaginative development focuses on exploring creativity and imagination through play, art, music, and storytelling while also recognising, valuing, and appreciating the variety of artistic, creative and imaginative beauty of local, national, and global culture. It is also seen that, within this developmental area, learning in, through, and about creativity and imagination enables individuals to express themselves effectively, confidently, and accurately in a range of ways. 

Creative and imaginative development develops important skills, both those specific to the expressive arts and those which are transferable;

• Time management
• Attention to detail
• Resilience
• Empathy
• Cultural awareness
• technical proficiency
• Emotional expression
• Artistic interpretation
• Imagination
• Adaptability
• Collaboration and cooperation
• Feedback reception

Cultural development: 

Cultural development focuses on children’s appreciation of diversity, development of a sense of morality, and understanding of ethical concepts. We discuss the impact of cultural development in more detail in our cultural capital explainer.   

Cultural development among children and young people refers to the process through which individuals develop an understanding, appreciation, and engagement with their own culture and with other cultures around them. This development is crucial for fostering identity, empathy, and global awareness. Cultural development encompasses various aspects, and some of the main skills and knowledge gained within this developmental area include:

• Perspective-taking
• Cross-cultural communication skills
• Local, national and international cultural Literacy
• Local, national and international competence
• Global citizenship
• Cultural identity formation

Overall, cultural development among children and young people is essential for promoting social harmony, fostering inclusive communities, and preparing individuals to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.

Spiritual and Moral development: 

Spiritual development, sometimes referred to as religious and moral development, broadly focuses on an individual’s sense of purpose, meaning, and connection to something greater than themselves. It can also touch upon beliefs that contribute to a sense of identity and connectedness with others and the social and natural world around them. It also, as suggested by Education, Scotland (2018), enables individuals to develop and reflect on their capacity for moral or ethical judgement.

Focusing more on the religious aspect of spirituality, within which it is closely intertwined, enables children and young people to explore the world’s major religions and views independent of religious belief, and to consider the challenges posed by these beliefs and values. 

Moral development, as mentioned, is the process of learning individual and societal beliefs surrounding what is considered to be right and wrong behaviour, with some of the following aspects seen as core knowledge and skills to be gained within this developmental area;

• An understanding of right and wrong
• An understanding of ethical and unethical actions, behaviours and practices
• An understanding of moral, ethical and positive social interaction 
• An understanding of how to positively implement their beliefs and values
• An understanding of the diversity of beliefs and religions
• A respect for others based upon the beliefs and practices which are different from their own.

Personal development:

The area focuses on developing a strong, resilient self-identity, enabling an individual to understand who they are internally and externally across a range of situations. It supports understanding and advocating for meeting one’s own deficiencies and growth needs. It also helps develop personal preferences, likes, and dislikes, and make decisions based on them. In order to achieve this, some of the knowledge and skills required are;

• Reflection
• Self-awareness
• Emotional awareness

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NEN Discuss: Holistic Development

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