Child Growth and Development Flashcards

A 2-year-old insists on doing everything 'by myself.' This behavior best reflects which developmental stage according to Erikson?

Answer: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Erikson's Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt stage (ages 1–3) is characterized by toddlers asserting independence and self-control.

Which theorist described the 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD) as the gap between what a child can do alone versus with guidance?

Answer: Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky introduced the ZPD to describe tasks a child cannot yet do alone but can accomplish with adult or peer support.

A 4-year-old creates an elaborate story about why the sun goes to sleep. This is an example of which Piagetian concept?

Answer: Animism

Animism is the preoperational belief that inanimate objects have human-like qualities such as feelings or intentions.

Fine motor development in early childhood is best supported by which activity?

Answer: Threading large beads onto a string

Threading beads requires precise finger control and hand-eye coordination, directly building fine motor skills.

Which milestone is typically expected of a child by 18 months of age?

Answer: Walks independently

By 18 months, most children are walking independently, which is a key gross motor milestone for that age.

The principle of 'proximodistal' development means that growth proceeds:

Answer: From the center of the body outward

Proximodistal development describes the pattern where body parts closest to the center (trunk) develop before those at the extremities (hands, fingers).

A caregiver notices that a 5-year-old can sort blocks by color but becomes confused when asked to sort by both color and shape simultaneously. This reflects which limitation?

Answer: Inability to decenter

Preoperational children have difficulty decentering—focusing on more than one attribute of an object at the same time.