Age & Stage Booklet

Child Development Snapshots

Children go through certain predictable stages of growth, and each stage builds on the success of the previous stage (we walk before running, trust before independence). Each child has their own unique timetable for development, yet there are useful broad benchmarks. Development is not linear or even, but full of regressions (a first sleepover brings renewed anxiety), and disequilibrium is part of normal development. Mistakes are, too, and children grow in different realms at different rates at the same time. Development unfolds in separate, predictable stages and is a measure of individuality, not conformity.

By trusting the natural intelligence of children, recognizing our own conditioning and pairing that knowledge with accurate information based on a child’s age and stage, we are able to shape our responses to children in meaningful ways. The intention of this type of exploration is to consider the whole child – cognitive, social, and physiological – as functional knowledge, balanced with the understanding that each child’s journey of self-inquiry is unique.

Continue reading as a flipbook below, pick up a copy at school, or download a digital copy here.