Physical Demands in Early Childhood

Growth is used for the physical characteristics of individuals and refers to the physical changes of the organism. In this respect, lengthening of the individual, increase in weight, and enlargement of the body are included in the concept of growth. Development and growth should not be confused. For example, a person's body grows and his mind develops.

Growth is the change in the physical structure of the individual in the quantitative dimension that occurs over time. Cell proliferation in the prenatal period and changes in the physical structure according to months or years after birth are the result of growth. Growth is age-related changes.

Maturation

Maturation is the biological changes seen in a living thing as a result of the interaction of the genetic structure of the individual with the environment. In short, it is the organism's growth to a level where it can do a job.

Unless an organism has reached sufficient maturity to achieve a certain behavior, it cannot learn that behavior or perform it properly. For example, unless the child's finger muscles reach the required level of maturity, we should teach him to hold a pencil with external influences. In order for the organism to perform some of the functions expected of it, it must reach a certain maturity. A child who has just learned to hold a pencil cannot be expected to write properly. No matter how many walking exercises we do before the child's muscle and bone structure is mature enough, the child cannot learn to walk. Maturation is quite independent of environmental factors. The influence of the environment does not affect maturation under normal conditions. Children learn to walk when stimulus deprivation is not intense in environmental conditions. Human biological equipment is programmed for walking behavior.

Maturation is a spontaneous process. A fruit doesn't need to make an effort to mature. The maturation of a person likewise occurs over time. When a behavior is requested from the child, it is necessary to know in advance whether the maturation required for that behavior has taken place. It is important that parents and educators know the maturity level of the child. A parent who wants the child to write properly should consider whether the child's finger muscles have reached the writing maturity.

Learning

One of the most important concepts of development is learning. Learning is essential for the development of the individual. People acquire certain knowledge and skills with the help of others. The knowledge and skills gained are the result of the interaction of the individual with his environment. As a result of this interaction, each of the permanent traces that occur on the individual creates the lives of the individual. It includes permanent changes in behavior as a result of learning, repetition and experience. There are three important elements in this definition.

• Learning is a change in behavior that is good or bad.
• Learning can occur through experience or practice.
• Behavior change as a result of learning is a very permanent change.

What is essential in learning is behavior that has a very permanent quality. The support of the environment is important for the child to acquire a new behavior. In order for a child to write properly, he must first be able to hold the pen properly and reach a certain level of maturity. Even if maturation occurs, it is necessary for the child to learn by being helped by someone else. If the individual is able to learn as a result of the effort he puts into that subject, although he does not have any skills or knowledge, then learning has taken place here.

Readiness

Readiness encompasses all of the pre-existing characteristics of an individual in a new learning situation . The age, development, maturity level, attitude, motivation and health status of the individual are the factors that are effective in the new learning environment. Trying to teach a child who is not ready to learn about a life can leave some permanent and negative behaviors in the child. Readiness is the person's readiness to show a certain behavior as a result of maturation and learning. In order for a life to be learned at the desired level, the person who will learn the subject must have the basic pre-experiences required by that subject. As well as the age and development of a child who has reached school age, the motivation of his attitude towards school determines his school readiness . For example, the child who will learn to do diving should both reach the maturity to comprehend the features of diving tools, be ready to learn and have the basic knowledge and skills necessary for diving. Trying to teach a child who is not ready to learn about a life can leave some permanent negative behaviors in the child.

Development Principles

Researches and observations in the field of development show that development occurs according to certain rules. If people dealing with education know these relationships, they will be more successful in realizing their goals. It is possible to list these principles, which are valid for everyone in human development, as follows.

Who this course is for:

• Educators
• Child Development Experts
• Psychologist
• Preschool Theachers
• Students
• Parents
• Mothers
• Fathers