Learning Objectives

 Describe development during early childhood

  • Describe physical changes in early childhood
  • Explain cognitive changes in early childhood
  • Describe key emotional and social developments of early childhood

Welcome to the story of development from infancy through toddlerhood; from birth until about 2 years of age. Researchers have given this part of the life span more attention than any other period, perhaps because changes during this time are so dramatic and so noticeable and perhaps because we have assumed that what happens during these years provides a foundation for one’s life to come. However, it has been argued that the significance of development during these years has been overstated (Bruer, 1999). Nevertheless, this is a period of life that contemporary educators, healthcare providers, and parents have focused on most heavily. We will examine growth and nutrition during infancy, cognitive development during the first 2 years, and then turn our attention toward attachments formed in infancy.

baby girl
Back to: Developmental Psychology > Chapter 4: Infancy and Toddlerhood