Early Childhood Development: Physical, Cognitive & Socioemotional Growth

Children's Physical, Cognitive & Sociomotional Growth.

The early childhood years are defined as the ages up to 8, where important physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development happens, as a child’s brain is very malleable and responsive to changes through a relationship with genes, environment, and experiences (UNICEF, 2026). Thus, caregivers must be nurturing towards young children as their early years very much shape a child’s life, and in this article, the various areas of development will be understood.

Physical development of young children

Firstly, a child’s physical development will be discussed.

A child grows 2½ inches in height and 5 to 10 pounds in weight every year, while the frontal lobe of the brain grows the fastest, with gross and fine motor skills improving exponentially (Santrock, 2019). To empower children for lifetime success, they need rich early learning experiences, as they help to form new neural connections in the brain when adults are nurturing, and all areas of development are equally important, with changes in one domain affecting other areas, or even show the importance of each area, with an example of how learning to crawl enables a toddler to discover the world (NAEYC, 2026). Thus, parents or teachers should never regard academics as more important than physical or any other areas of development, as they all correlate and enhance each other.

Cognitive development of young children

Secondly, the child’s cognitive development is analysed.

At 2 years old, a child is in the ‘terrible twos’ stage, and at 3 the child is very energetic, then at 4 the child is curious and speaks a lot, and at 5 the child starts feeling responsible, which leads to at 6 the child enjoys learning from reading, storytelling, or from shows like cartoons (SingHealth Group, 2025). A young child has endless potential to learn from the environment.

Young children are in the preoperational stage, so they are unable to do operations, which are reversible mental actions, though they use symbols to understand the world, and they start to ask a lot of questions as they construct knowledge when they interact with people (Santrock, 2019). Children during this stage need more concrete materials as they are unable to imagine concepts in their brains, and they also need nurturing relationships with adults to grow and learn from.

Socioemotional development of young children

Thirdly, a child’s socioemotional development will be discussed.

Erikson explains that early childhood is when the child tries to mediate between initiative versus guilt, as children learn more about themselves in terms of body parts, material objects, and physical activities, and also a deeper understanding of emotions, and parents who are more nurturing will have children who can self-regulate better (Santrock, 2019). It can never be overstated that adults need to be caring towards children, so children never grow up feeling bad about themselves.

Play is crucial for development, in helping imagination, peer relationships, and developing language, motor skills, promotes problem-solving and creates emerging skills (NAEYC, 2026). Hence, play should never be a secondary activity but should be treated equally as important as academics or schoolwork.

Therefore, these areas of development have been discussed: Physical, cognitive, and socioemotional. A common thread that connects all of them is the role of the teacher or parent, whether it is in providing rich learning experiences or being a supportive figure, as they continue to grow and develop into their middle childhood years.

 

References

NAEYC. (2026). Principles of Child Development and Learning and Implications That Inform Practice. Retrieved from NAEYC: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap/principles

Santrock, J. W. (2019). Life-Span Development: Seventeenth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

SingHealth Group. (2025). Child Development Milestones: From Newborn to 6 Years Old. Retrieved from HealthXchange: https://www.healthxchange.sg/child-life-stages/child-development-milestones/child-development-milestones-newborn-six

UNICEF. (2026). Early childhood development. Retrieved from UNICEF: https://data.unicef.org/topic/early-childhood-development/overview/

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What to Say (and Not Say) During Challenging Behaviour

Positive and negative reinforcement.

Sometimes it is not what an adult says but how they say something that matters. The more an adult wants to stop a child’s tantrum, the more the tantrum could escalate even further, and so it is important to understand what not to do (Hershberg, 2024).

Firstly, here are the things adults should do when faced with a child having the biggest tantrum, namely, positive language and positive reinforcement.

Use positive language

Positive language is a great discipline strategy, and adults showcase warmth and care towards students when they use it directly, allowing children to learn actively and stay engaged, while also communicating rules and boundaries clearly, and reinforcing existing positive behaviours (Responsive Classroom, 2024). A parent can commend on a child being neat or doing his homework promptly without reminders. This can reinforce a desirable behaviour.

Use positive reinforcement

Reinforcement is about reinforcing a behaviour through giving or removing something, so positive reinforcement is to add rewards or praise to encourage a child to repeat a desired behaviour, and teachers should focus on the positive to motivate children, so they know that doing well is rewarding, rather than knowing the negative effects of misbehaviour (Martella, Nelson, Marchand-Martella, & O'Reilly, 2012). What someone focuses on will indeed grow, so rather than feel frustrated over the negative behaviour, it is better and easier to celebrate the positive.

Praise is a common positive reinforcement technique, and it can increase a child’s intrinsic motivation, helping the child to gain a sense of competence (Sutherland, Wehby, & Copeland, 2016). Praise has to be specific, helping the child to understand exactly what he or she is being praised for.

Secondly, here are the things adults should never do, namely, focusing only on the negative and undermining a child.

Never focus on the negative

When teachers focus only on negative behaviours, they reinforce such disruptive behaviours (Mundschenk, Miner, & Nastally, 2011). In every school, there is a teacher who seems to be angry or fierce all the time, and these teachers are both feared and revered by adults and children alike. However, how often do their techniques work? To children, bad attention is better than no attention, and thus, even if they can behave at their best when disciplinary teachers are around, difficult children quickly go back to their normal states when they are gone.

Never undermine a child

It is easy to undermine a child’s reactions to trivialise their emotions, but adults should respond to tantrums seriously and honestly to teach them that even difficult emotions are part of life and learn to cope with them (Hershberg, 2024). Adults have countless years of experience, and just like how it is unreasonable to expect a newbie at the job to learn everything quickly, children need the time to grow and develop, to understand themselves and others.

Therefore, whether it is teachers or parents, the spiral towards deep resentment and disappointment is easy to fall into when it comes to taking care of young children. Sometimes it is better to take a step back, try to see the child’s positive side and emphasise it through positive reinforcement, understand the child is still learning, and will someday display the appropriate behaviour with the proper guidance.

References

Hershberg, R. S. (15 August, 2024). What NOT to Do When Your Child Is Having a Tantrum: Tips on responding to difficult toddler behavior. Retrieved from Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/article/what-not-to-do-when-your-child-is-having-a-tantrum/

Martella, R. C., Nelson, J. R., Marchand-Martella, N. E., & O'Reilly, M. (2012). Comprehensive behavior management: Individualized, classroom, and schoolwide approaches. Los Angeles: Sage.

Mundschenk, N. A., Miner, C. A., & Nastally, B. L. (2011). Effective Classroom Management: An Air Traffic Control Analogy. Intervention in School and Clinic, 47(2), 98-103. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451211414190

Responsive Classroom. (9 October, 2024). Want Positive Behavior? Use Positive Language. Retrieved from Responsive Classroom: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/want-positive-behavior-use-positive-language/

Sutherland, K. S., Wehby, J. H., & Copeland, S. R. (13 September, 2016). Effect of Varying Rates of Behavior-Specific Praise on the On-Task Behavior of Students with EBD. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8(1), 2-8. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/106342660000800101

 

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Why Young Children “Misbehave”

Why Young Children “Misbehave”

Your child is not giving you a hard time; they are having a hard time.

What is behaviour?

Firstly, we need to understand what behaviour is, whether it is positive or negative. Your child is trying to communicate with you, just not in words that you would have liked. During your child’s seemingly endless meltdowns and tantrums, look beyond the screaming or kicking, and try to understand why this behaviour is happening. What emotions is your child going through right now?

What is emotional development?

Emotional development is about emotions, responses, and communicating through behaviours, and because children use behaviour to communicate, they need adults to help them regulate their emotions by being affirmative and calm, and sometimes adults need to change themselves before expecting children to change (Children First, 2026). Children lack the skills to tell you what they need and want, so as an adult, you are responsible for deciphering their behaviours.

Children are still developing

Secondly, we have to understand that children are still developing. They are learning things that adults have themselves taken many years to master, such as impulse control, language, and emotions. Admittedly, there are moments in our lives when we do not have everything in control, what more our young children? Parents and teachers can work together to guide children.

Adults' role in behavioural management

Teachers have to understand their roles in behavioural management, find out the reasons behind behaviours, understand that children are still developing, learning is complicated, but most importantly, to switch mindsets from misbehaviour to mistaken behaviour, and to use a positive approach (Gartrell, 1995). Traditional methods of teaching state that teachers are the ones teaching children and children are the ones learning, but contemporary approaches towards early childhood education disagree.

Traditional discipline uses punishment when children face difficult problems, which leads to reducing children’s self-esteem and negative emotions, whereas guidance provides positive alternatives for children to learn problem-solving in socially acceptable manners (Gartrell, 1995). The teacher has to guide the child positively on appropriate behaviour, never to punish because it will lead to dire consequences.

Stubborn behaviour? Or mistaken behaviour?

Thirdly, there is also the idea of mistaken behaviour. Children’s behaviour has any of these four reasons behind it: seeking attention, seeking power, seeking revenge, and showing incompetence, and they all aim to have social acceptance (Gartrell, 1995). At the end of the day, if the basic needs of a child are met, the negative behaviour should stop. If a parent were to shout at a child in a public place, it is inevitable that the child throws a tantrum and makes a big scene.

There are also three levels of mistaken behaviour: Strong-needs is at level three, socially influenced is at level two, and experimentation is at level one. Strong-needs refers to the most serious stage because the child, when he or she has psychological or physical pain and displays certain behaviours in a safe environment, and as for socially influenced, which is about the child learning from peers or adults in terms of actions or speech, and experimentation is when a child is still learning about the world around him or her by engaging with it (Gartrell, 1995). It is up to the discretion of the teacher to understand that the first two levels are merely imitation or exploration, and such behaviours can be guided. But the third level means a deeper level of understanding is required.

Role of the teacher

The role of the teacher is to set boundaries through leadership, and when teachers punish misbehaviour, hoping to bring positive change, it actually creates negative emotions within children, as they believe they are bad and hence their behaviour will display such thoughts (Gartrell, 1995). Being a parent or preschool teacher is never easy, and more often than not, they may lose their patience during behavioural management. However, it is important that during such moments, adults are still nurturing and positive towards the young children in order to guide them appropriately.

 

References

Children First. (2026). Children's behaviour and feelings: Emotional development in children. Retrieved from Children First: https://www.childrenfirst.org.uk/get-support/advice-for-families/guidance-advice/articles/behaviour-and-feelings/

Gartrell, D. (1995). Misbehavior or Mistaken Behavior? NAEYC, 50(5), 27-34. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/42727062

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3 Ways to Teach Your Child Reading

3 Ways to Teach Your Child Reading.

I am sure, as a parent, you prioritise teaching your child concepts, and one such popular concept is reading. I have seen parents stress over their child being weak in their reading of sight words, and I have also seen how parents put in tremendous effort in teaching their child to read. Whether you are just starting out in your teaching journey or somewhere in the middle, I hope this short checklist can offer you some clarity.

1. Reading is not memorising

I have seen a video that a mother recorded of her daughter "reading". Immediately, I could tell she had memorised the words on the pages and was not actually reading. Children's books are easy to consume, and even for a small child, it is an easy task to memorise the whole book.

2. Focus on letter sounds

If memorising is not reading, then what is reading? It is about understanding the letter sounds. We are adults, so we know how to read, but when we started reading, we had to learn what sound each letter made. The letter "a" makes the short 'a' sound (like in apple, /æ/) and the long 'a' sound (like its name, ay, /eɪ/), but also sounds like in car (/ɑː/), call (/ɔː/), or even a short 'e' sound (/ɛ/).

3. Provide a print-rich environment

Lastly, you can label the things in your house, such as "Table", "Chair", "Drawer", etc. This creates an interest in your child in reading and also provides relevance. Your child can then understand that words make sense and are used in everyday life; they are not just to be memorised to score well in Spelling tests.

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Theories of Language Development

Language development.

How do we understand how a child learns language? Is it through the environment, the child himself, or a mix of both? In this article, language development is analysed through developmental theories.

There are three main theories in language development for young children: Behaviourist, Maturationist/Nativist, and Constructivist/Interactionist. In this article, these theories will be articulated and referenced with real-life examples.

Behaviourist

Firstly, the behaviourist understands that children learn language through the environment, be it through conditioning or reinforcements, and that children are mere learners of knowledge (Chen, 2020). John Watson and B. F. Skinner were two such proponents for this school of thought. A child learns language as he or she receives conditioning, reinforcement, and imitates others through the words and behaviours of adults in a repetitive manner (Lemetyinen, 2023). Rewards and punishments are often used in a behaviourist teacher’s classroom, so to teach writing or spelling, a teacher might give rewards such as stickers. This is a common occurrence in Singapore.

Maturationist or Nativist

Secondly, the maturationist or nativist believes that children are born with a Language Acquisition Device or LAD, that every child is capable of mastering any language and that certain milestones happen between 40 weeks and 5 years, so every child should be respected in terms of their individual growth and development (Chen, 2020). Arnold Gesell is one such psychologist who subscribed to the maturationist theory. A key difference between the maturationist and behaviourist educators is that the behaviourist puts more emphasis on the stimuli outside of the child. However, language could never be learned through external sources without internal elements, since the LAD predisposes children to learn language during a critical period, because even in poor learning environments, a child could still acquire languages (Lemetyinen, 2023). In a maturationist classroom, the teacher does not in any way force a child to do writing until the child is developmentally ready. Rarely does this happen in Singapore.

Interactionist or Constructivist

Lastly, the interactionist or constructivist theory believes that a child learns through his or her exploration and discovery within the learning environment, and as such, they are not mere passive learners but active discoverers of knowledge (Chen, 2020). Two of such well-known theorists are Vygotsky and Piaget. Constructivists understand that children create their own knowledge as they interact and experience the world around them, so the curriculum has to be more learner-centred with teachers acting as facilitators rather than givers of knowledge, while providing a rich learning environment with social interactions (McLeod, 2025). A constructivist classroom has the teacher not giving the answers but allowing children to explore and learn. Learning centres will be print-rich with writing tools, so children will explore writing on their own terms.

References

Chen, D. (2020). ECE108 Supporting communication and emergent literacy through play. Singapore: Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Lemetyinen, H. (2023, September 7). Language Acquisition Theory. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/language.html

McLeod, S. (2025, March 31). Constructivism Learning Theory & Philosophy of Education. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/constructivism.html

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