Characteristics of Human Development from Life-span Approach

1. Development is lifelong. It does not end in adulthood. No developmental

stage dominates development.
2. Developmental is plastic. Plasticity refers to the potential for change.
Development is possible throughout the life-span.
3. Development is multi-dimensional. Development consists of biological,
cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions. Development as a process is
complex because it is the product of biological, cognitive and socio-emotional
processes.
4. Development is contextual. Individuals are changing beings in a changing
world. Individuals respond to and act on contexts. These contexts include
individual’s biological make up, physical environment, cognitive processes,
historical, social and cultural contexts.
5. Development involve growth, maintenance and regulation. Growth,
maintenance and regulation are three goals of human development. The goals
of individuals vary among developmental stages.

Major Principles of Human Development

1. Development is relatively orderly. The muscular control of the trunk and the
arms comes earlier as compared to the hands and fingers. This is the
proximodistal pattern. During infancy, the greatest growth always occurs at
the top – the head – with physical growth in size, weight and future
differentiation gradually working its way down from top to bottom. This is the
cephalocaudal pattern.
2. While the pattern of development is likely to be similar, the outcomes of
developmental process and the rate of development are likely to vary
among individuals. If the child comes from a good home with loving and
caring parents, he/she may develop into warm and responsible child,
adolescent and adult. If the child comes from a deprived environment, he/she
may develop into carefree and irresponsible adolescent and adult.
3. Development takes place gradually. Individuals won’t develop overnight. It
takes years before they become one. In fact, that’s the way of nature. The bud
does not blossom suddenly. The seed does not germinate overnight. While
some changes occur in a flash of insight, more often it takes weeks, months or
years for a person to undergo changes that result in the display of
developmental characteristics.
4. Development as a process is complex because it is the product of
biological, cognitive and socio-emotional processes. Biological processes
involve changes in the individual’s physical nature. Cognitive processes
involve changes in the individual’s thought, intelligence and language. Socio-
emotional processes include changes in the individual’s relationships with
other people, changes in emotions and changes in personality. These
biological, cognitive and socio-emotional processes are inextricably
intertwined.
Principles of Child Development and Learning (National Association for the
Education of Young Children, 2009)

1. All domains of development and learning – physical, social and emotional, and
cognitive – are important, and they are closely interrelated. Children’s
development and learning in one domain influence and are influenced by what
takes place in other domains.
2. Many aspects of children’s learning and development follow well documented
sequences, with later abilities, skills and knowledge building on those already
acquired.
3. Development and learning proceed at varying rates from child to child, as well
as at uneven rates across different areas of a child’s individual functioning.
4. Development and learning result from a dynamic and continuous interaction of
biological maturation and experience.
5. Early experiences have profound effects, both cumulative and delayed, on a
child’s development and learning; and optional periods exist for certain types
of development and learning to occur.
6. Development proceeds toward greater complexity, selfregulation, and
symbolic or representational capacities.
7. Children develop best when they have secure, consistent relationships with
responsive adults and opportunities for positive relationships with peers.
8. Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social and
cultural contexts.
9. Always mentally active in seeking to understand the world around them,
children learn in a variety of way; a wide range of teaching strategies and
interactions are effective in supporting all these kinds of learning.

10. Play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation as well as

for promoting language, cognition, and social competence. 11.
Development and learning advance when children are challenged to
achieve at a level just beyond their current mastery, and also when they
have many opportunities to practice newly acquired skills.
12. Children’s experiences shape their motivation and approaches to
learning, such as persistence, initiative and flexibility; in turn, these
dispositions and behaviors affect their learning and development.

Now that you have read the text above, it is expected that you are

ready to answer the following exercises. Please answer them with sincerity.
Direction: Provide your answers briefly and concisely below.

1. Define human development in your own words.

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2. Explain briefly the two approaches to human development.

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3. Explain briefly the characteristics of human development.
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4. Explain briefly the different major principles of human development in
your own words.
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5. According to NAEYC (2009), there are different principles of child
development. Give the summary using your own words.
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Directions: Write inside the circle the appropriate information being

asked for. You can list down as many as you can.

Directions: Give at least 3 situations where the two approaches

become evident.
 Approaches to Human Development

Traditional Approach Life - Span Approach

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Since you are done with all the activities above, it’s time for you to
reflect about the topic. Are you ready?
Directions: Write 3 most important things that you have learned from this
module. Limit your ideas to 150 words only.

From the topic about human development, I realized that…

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1. Corpuz, B.B., Lucas, MR. D., Borabo, HD. L. & Lucido, P. I. (2018). The
Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles, Lorimar
Publishing Inc., Quezon City, Philippines.
2. Corpuz, B.B., Lucas, MR. D., Borabo, HD. L. & Lucido, P. I. (201 0). The
Child and Adolescent Development: Looking at Learners at
Different Life Stages , Lorimar Publishing Inc., Quezon City,
Philippines.
3. Hurlock, E. B. (1982). Developmental Psychology: A Life -span
Approach, 5 th
ed., McGraw -Hill, Inc., Philippine Copyrig ht by
National Book Store, Manila, Philippines.

Prepared by:

Jun P. Dalisay, LPT, RGC, Ph.D.-Psy

Maria Charmaine R. Gaa, LPT, MA-SPED
Jacquelyn Rose A. Fajilagutan, LPT, MAEd-GC
Charry F. Mayuga, LPT, MA-Psy
Precelita G. Manliguez Ph.D.
Professors/Instructors