Human Development

In this section of Insights For Parents you will find a wealth of information about the kinds of thinking, behavior, social qualities and personality growth that are characteristic of children during different points in development. You will also find a section on adult development that has a particular focus on parenting. New material is added several times a week, creating a continually expanding guide of useful up-to-date knowledge from the broad interdisciplinary field of developmental science.

The emphasis is on explaining sequences, phases and processes, along with clear suggestions for how you can use the information in guiding your child. It is deeply respectful of individual and cultural variation, and it invites you to notice and capitalize on your child’s strengths.

You can pursue a particular topic across different ages or explore various aspects of a particular age range.

The information is divided into the following broad developmental phases:

Infants (birth to 24 months)
Young Children (2 years to 5- or 6- years)
Middle Childhood (6 years to around 11 years)
Teens and Young Adults (around 12 years with the onset of sexual maturity to adulthood at about 24 years)
Adults (from 25 years on, with particular focus on parenting)
General Development (topics that span across different ages)
Blog (commentary on various issues)

More articles are available to members.