Changes through the developmental stages

Early childhood is a time of huge growth: from birth to three, a child roughly doubles in height and quadruples in weight, and learns to sit, walk, use a spoon, scribble and catch.

From three to five, fine-motor control develops (pencils, crayons, scissors) and gross skills such as skipping and balancing on one foot; from five to eight growth slows and skills are refined, while language and thinking grow fast.

Middle childhood brings slow, steady growth and thinking; children gain enthusiasm for learning and achievement. Puberty, earlier in girls, has been starting earlier over time, sometimes at eight or nine.

Adolescence (about 12-18 in this chapter) is a second growth spurt; its timing varies, girls usually earlier. Sexual maturity comes around 13 for girls and 15 for boys.

Adolescence is also an important period for cognitive development.