Developmental Profile: Infancy

Infancy is an incredible period for development, exploration, and discovery. Throughout

infancy, basic human traits, such as emotional bonds, communication, and motor exploration of
the physical environment are typically developing rapidly. Infants thrive on exploration and
interaction; therefore, strong relationships with caregivers are essential for infants sense of
security as their intellectual curiosity fuels their development and understanding of the world.
This semester I have been placed in the infant room at the CDC in the infant classroom.
The center is modeled on Developmentally Appropriate Practices as Defined by the National
Association for the Education of Young Children. The infant room at the CDC provides a safe
and nurturing environment for children age four to sixteen months. The infant curriculum at the
CDC focuses on building relationships between caregivers and babies and caregivers and
families. The guiding principles of the center are based in Reggio Emilia encouraging the
philosophy of a strong and rich vision of the child where educators evolve through their
experiences with them. Edwards elaborates that from birth babies are social and full of
knowledge, curiosity, and wonder. Relationships are the foundation for education within this
approach. The role of the teacher is to foster and support each childs relationships with other
children, adults, families, society and their environment (2002). The center creates predictable
routines for eating sleeping, play, and exploration. Through play, infants develop physically,
socially, emotionally, and cognitively. For infants, and children of all ages, learning is play. Janet
Gonzalez- Mena and Dianne Widmeyer Eyer, authors of Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers,
explain that play facilitates self regulation. Not only do infants learn about themselves during
play, but their own interests and curiosity is what guides their learning and exploration. Play is a

central focus when considering infant development, as it is the vehicle in which children,
discover, explore, and learn.
The New Hampshire Early Learning Guidelines (NHELG) organize the progressive
development of young children in to seven broad areas of childrens learning (domains). This
encompasses; physical development, social development, emotional development, approaches to
learning, creative development, communication, health and safety, and cognitive development.
Each domain can be explored individually, however they are each an important interconnected
component to a young childs development. This interconnected view of child development is
modeled as a developmental system. Urie Bronfenbrenner focused on the fact that multiple
factors, including both internal and external, combine to influence a childs development. Each
one of the early childhood developmental domains fosters the development of another promoting
learning for the whole child (McDevitt, 2013)
.
Physical development:
During infancy, children develop rapidly establishing the framework for fine and gross
motor abilities. When considering physical development in infancy, we are interested in how
infants use their bodies to explore and participate in the world. McDevitt and Ormrod, authors of
Child Development and Education, explain that infants experience rapid physical growth
building on their natural reflexes (2013). Breathing for example begins before the umbilical cord
is even cut. Infants practice other reflexes in their first months such as grasping objects placed in
their hand and responding to loud noise by flaring their arms. Abnormal reflexes during infancy
can be signs of serious health issues (McDevitt 2013).

As infants grow they build on their fundamental skills and develop a range of physical
abilities that the NHELG categorizes into three interconnected strands; physical development;
body awareness and control, large muscle development and coordination, and small muscle
development and coordination. . During their first months, infants experience consistent growth
and weight gain and as they build their mussels they are increasingly able to move around. They
learn to hold up their heads and are becoming aware of their bodies and what they can do. In
order to develop these gross motor skills, infants need space to move freely. They begin by
squirming on their backs and stretching their bodies before they roll on to their tummies. Once
infants are on their tummies they are on the track to crawling, creeping, scooting and walking
(McDevitt, 2013). Infants vary widely in their development of gross motor skills, but being
provided with enough safe space to explore can tremendously foster their development. During
infancy, children also develop an increased ability to coordinate vision with small muscles in
their hands (McDevitt, 2013). When considering fine motor development, by eight months,
typically developing infants develop manipulation skills of their eyes, mouth, fingers, hands,
toes, and other small muscles (Gonzalez-Mena and Widmeyer Eyer, 2012). These finer motor
skills, similar to gross motor skills develop in every infant at their own rate. Through movement
and play, young children are able to gain increased control of their bodies as they use them to
understand the world.
Social Development
Throughout infancy forming close bonds with responsive and affectionate caregivers is a
critical developmental achievement. Children need to have strong relationships with caregivers
in order to feel safe in their environments and free to explore. Caregivers can foster these
relationships with children by being attentive and caring. As infants become mobile they

typically play side by side with peers interacting occasionally (McDevitt, 2013). In fact, as they
continue to develop many social interactions will occur in play. As infants establish relationships
with others they are simultaneously developing an awareness of themselves. During infancy care
giving is central; Infants are completely dependent on their caregiver for eating, cleaning,
toileting and many other tasks. Therefore, the caregiver plays a critical role in a childs social and
emotional development.
Erik Erikson explained psychological development in eight stages emphasizing that
important changes occur throughout ones lifespan. He believed that people grow through lifes
challenges and crisis. The stages focus on a persons concerns with themselves and their
relationships with other people. Throughout infancy, the primary task is to learn whether or not
to trust other people (McDevitt, 2013). A sense of security and comfortable, dependable
relationships with caregivers is essential to infants. Infants can learn trust when their caregivers
are dependable for food, comfort, and general care. Without developing a sense of trust infants
will experience the world as being unpredictable and dangerous (McDevitt, 2013).
Emotional Development
Children awareness of not only others around them but awareness of themselves plays a
significant role in a childs experiences and learning. Janet Gonzalez- Mena and Dianne
Widmeyer Eyer recognize specific behaviors as demonstrating emotional development in
infancy. Young infants will typically express discomfort and comfort in a recognizable way.
They can typically be comforted by a familiar caregiver when they are experiencing distress.
Young infants show their emotion by laughing out loud. Typically developing young infants can
express a multitude of emotions clearly, including: pleasure, joy, anxiety, fear, sadness, joy, and

excitement (Gonzalez-Mena and Widmeyer Eyer, 2012). Mobile infants display emotional
development as well particularly in their recognition of the self. Mobile infants will, show pride
and pleasure in new accomplishments and continue to show pleasure as they master skills
(Gonzalez-Mena and Widmeyer Eyer, 2012). Typically they will express their negative feelings.
Lastly mobile infants begin to assert themselves, indicating their strong sense of self (GonzalezMena and Widmeyer Eyer, 2012). Childrens ability to express their feelings and understand the
behaviors of themselves and others plays a large role in their learning and development in other
domains.
Approaches to Learning:
The NHELG questions the ways in which young children develop and use strategies to
solve problems. Infants learn about their world in many ways and their discovery involves
encountering problems and inventing solutions (NHELG). By interacting with their environment
infants discover their world. The NHELG identifies five strands of learning and development.
Childrens different approaches to learning, their comfort with taking risks, their ability to
engage in activities, and their ability to draw on prior experiences are all components of this
domain. A strand of particular importance however is play. Childrens interaction and
experimentation with materials, objects, and people plays an imperative role in their
development. When infants demonstrate curiosity, use their senses to explore, repeat favorite
behaviors, learn from trial and error, engage in play to explore, and recognize making a
discovery they exhibit development in the domain of learning.
Creative Expression/ Aesthetic Development

The arts- music, dance, drama, visual arts- foster children ability to conceptualize and
solve problems, develop their imagination, and experience joy(NHELG). During infancy,
curiosity guides children to experiment with a variety of colors, textures, movement, sounds and
more. Curiosity is again central to infants progressing in this domain. Infants demonstrate they
are developing when they respond to external stimulus and express themselves using a variety of
facial and bodily movements.
Communication/ Literacy
Long before infants speak their first words the are able to communicate and understand
language. Communication and literacy development for infants, as outlined by the NHELG,
encompasses listening comprehension, nonverbal communication, and verbal expression. Infants
will use their voices, eyes, facial expressions, and bodies to communicate and engage others
(NHELG). Infants demonstrate development in this domain when they engage in face to face
interactions, respond to verbal and nonverbal cues, repeat sounds, and communicate their needs
and ides through verbal and non verbal expression.
Health and Safety:
Health and safety are significant during infancy because children are completely
dependent on care givers for nutrition, hygiene, basic safety, and self-care. However as infants
develop in this domain the typically experience a growing understanding of how food effects
their body, how to keep their bodies clean and healthy, how to keep themselves safe, and their
basic needs. When infants recognize their bodily needs such as hunger, thirst, being dirty, they
are demonstrating development in this domain. Another way they demonstrate development is by

recognizing danger and seeking help when they are afraid. For example a mobile infant may cry
when he has positioned himself into a way I which he is unsure how to get out of.
Cognitive Development:
Cognitive development is fostered by interaction with people and things; particularly
through exploration in an environment rich in sensory experience. Janet Gonzalez- Mena and
Dianne Widmeyer Eyer, authors of Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers identify several behaviors
that show development of cognition. Young infants typically respond to human voices
(Gonzalez-Mena and Widmeyer Eyer, 2012). For example they will gaze at the face of who is
speaking. Young infants typically try and cause things to happen. They are curious about
observing and responding to different causes and effects through there exploration. Young
infants are beginning their understanding of the fact that something can still exist even when you
cannot see it. Mobile infants show cognitive development when they begin to push away
someone or something not wanted, persist in searches for hidden objects, and try and build with
blocks (Gonzalez-Mena and Widmeyer Eyer, 2012).
Jean Piaget developed a stage theory for childrens logical thinking and reasoning,
distinguishing periods of development characterized by particular ways of thinking and
behaving. (McDevitt, 2013). He observed that infants interact through the world primarily
through trial and error. As children grow they begin to manipulate, represent, and make
predictions about objects (McDevitt, 2013). Piaget recognized the importance of play in the
development of logical thinking. As children experiment in their play they are learning through
making new discoveries and incorporating new ideas.
Summary:

Infancy is a magnificent time for development as curiosity fuels children to explore and
discover themselves and the world around them. Infants require space to explore and affectionate
care for security and support in able to flourish developmentally.

References
Bredekamp, S. & Copple, C. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood
programs (3rd ed.). Washington DC: NAEYC.
Gonzalez-Mena, J. & Widmeyer Eyer, D. (2012). Infants, toddlers, and caregivers. (9th ed.) NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Edwards, C. (2002). Three Approaches from Europe: Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia.
Lincoln: University of Nebraska.
McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2013).Child development and education (5th ed.). Boston:
Pearson
New Hampshire Early Learning Guidelines. NH Department of Health and Human Services.