Human Growth and

Development - A Matter of
Principles
Human Growth
It includes changes in terms of height, weight,
body proportions and general physical
appearance.
Growth is quantitative in nature.
It starts with conception but ends at some
particular age.
Human Development
It is a pattern of movement or changes that
begins at conception and continues through
the life span.
Implies the overall change in shape, form or
structure, along with the function of the organ.
Principles of
Growth and
development

CEPHALOCAUDAL
PRINCIPLE
Development proceeds from
the head downward
This principle describes the direction of growth and
development.
The child gains control of the head first, then the
arms, and then the legs.
Infants develop control of the head and face
movements within the first two months after birth. In
the next few months, they are able to lift themselves
up by using their arms. By 6 to 12 months of age,
infants start to gain leg control and may be able to
crawl, stand, or walk. Coordination of arms always
precedes coordination of legs.
PROXIMODISTAL
Development proceeds from the

center of the body outward.

 The general tendency for the development of motor skills to
start at the center of an organism and radiate outwards from
there.

This means that the spinal cord develops before outer parts of
the body.

The child’s arms develop before the hands and feet develop
before the fingers and toes.

Finger and toe muscles (used in fine motor dexterity) are the
last to develop in physical development.
Development depends on
maturation and learning
Maturation refers to the sequential
characteristic of biological growth and
development.
The biological changes occur in sequential
order and give children new abilities.
Changes in the brain and nervous system
account largely for maturation. And help
children to improve in thinking and motor
skills.
 Principle of Continuity
Growth and development is a
continuous process from
conception to death.
In the early years of life,
development consists of changes
that lead the child to maturity not
only of body size and functioning
but also the behavior.
These changes continues until
death end the life cycle.
Principle of lack of uniformity in
development rate
Often so silent and gradual as to be
1
almost invisible.

Sometimes as fast to be noticed

2
quiet easily

For example, shooting up in height and sudden

change in social interest, intellectual curiosity

3
and emotional make-up.
Principle of predictability

Development is predictable, which means that, to a great extent, we can

forecast the general nature and behavior of a child in one or more aspects or

dimensions at any particular stage of its growth and development.

We can know the particular age at which children will learn to walk, speak

and so on.
Development proceeds from the simple
(concrete) to the more complex.
Children use their cognitive and language skills
to reason and solve problems.
As children develop further in cognitive skills,
they are able to understand a higher and more
complex relationship between objects and
things.
The child cognitively is then capable of
classification.
Principle of individual
difference
There are individual rates of growth and
development
 Some children will This does not mean
Each child is walk at ten months that the passive
different and the while others walk a child will be less
rates at which
individual

few months older

at eighteen months
intelligent as an
adult. There is no
children grow is of age. Some validity to comparing
different. children are more one child’s progress
active while others with or against
are more passive another child.
 Growth and
development proceed
from the general to
specific

While developing in relation
to any aspect of personality.
The child first pickup or
exhibit a general response
and learn how to show
specific and goal-directed
responses afterwards.
For example, a baby starts by
waving his arms in general
random movement and
afterwards these general motor
responses are converted into
specific responses like grasping
or reaching out.
Principle of spiral The path followed in development by

versus linear
the child is not straight and linear and

advancement
development at any stage never takes

place with a constant or steady pace.

After the child had developed to a

certain level, there is likely to be a

period of rest for consolidation of the

developmental progress achieved till

then. In advancing further, therefore,

the development turn back and then

moves forward again in a spiral

pattern
Thank you!