Mental development of children: the main stages, features and conditions, age norms

The mental development of the child is a complex, lengthy, continuous process that occurs under the influence of various factors. They are hereditary, biological, social. The development of the psyche is an uneven process. Conventionally, it can be divided into several stages. In our article, we dwell in detail on the features of the mental development of children and the mental processes characteristic of different age groups. Be sure to consider the factors affecting the formation of the psyche and diagnostic methods to determine the level of development of the child.

Features of the formation of the child’s nervous system

The development of the psyche of the baby begins a few months before its birth, even in the womb. The fetus reacts to various sounds and other external stimuli in a certain way: it begins to behave more actively or, conversely, subsides. This happens due to his nervous system, which, in turn, is reflected in the psyche of the baby. These two concepts are inextricably linked.

The development of the nervous system in the first year of a child’s life is rapidly, several times faster than in all subsequent years of his life. So, if the brain of a newborn weighs 1/8 of its body mass, then by the age of one year, its weight doubles. And although further the pace of development slows down, they acquire a slightly different character, and are aimed more at the development of mental skills. After the baby is born, his brain not only does not stop growing, but also continues to be actively formed.

It is safe to say that the psyche is a response to the activity of the human nervous system, and the child’s mental development is a complex and vulnerable process. Initially, hereditary-biological factors influence it. Later, the social spectrum and parental relationships in the family are connected. Different ages are characterized by their own characteristics of the mental development of the child. We will dwell on age norms in more detail.

Stages of the formation of the child psyche

As he grows up, the child develops not only physically. Simultaneously with the growth of the body, the formation of its psyche also occurs. In practice, the following stages of children's mental development are distinguished:

1. Infancy: from birth to 1 year. At this stage, there is an active growth and development of the child’s brain. The first year of the baby's life is characterized by its increased activity, the acquisition of motor skills.
2. Early childhood: 1 to 3 years old. During this period, the development of sensory motility - the basis for the rest, more complex mental functions.
3. Preschool age: 3 to 7 years. At this and the next stage, the actions of the child will acquire an individual character, the personal sphere of the psyche will develop.
4. Younger school age: from 7 to 11 years. By the beginning of this period, significant changes are taking place in the life of the child, directly related to the development of the intellectual-cognitive function of the psyche.
5. Adolescence: 11 to 15 years. This stage is characterized by the following age-related features of children's mental development: self-esteem, communication with peers, the desire to find their place in the group.

Features of the development of the psyche in infancy

In the period from birth to one year, the development of the basic motor functions of the child occurs. With each passing month, the helpless baby is becoming more active, is studying with interest his body and motor capabilities. The baby learns to interact with surrounding people, expressing their desires and reacting to external stimuli in various ways: sounds, facial expressions, intonation.

The most significant figures for him at this stage are his parents - mom and dad. Their task is to provide the child with both physical and mental development. It is the parents who teach the baby to "communicate" with the outside world, to know it. At this stage, it is important to pay enough attention to the child, to promote the development of large and fine motor skills, the perception of the color scheme, shape, volume, texture of objects. Even with a six-month-old baby, you must definitely do it.

Properly selected toys and regular exercises aimed at the development of sensory-motor functions will stimulate the further development of the senses. But there is no need to require the child to comply with the rules established by the parents. While he is still too small to assimilate them.

Mental development at the age of 1 to 3 years

In the period of early childhood, a small and defenseless baby, who recently made his first steps, becomes more independent. At first he learns to walk actively, then run, jump, study objects around him, and to meaningfully talk. But even at this stage of his life, his possibilities are still limited.

The mental development of children aged 1 to 3 years is based on imitation of adults. In order for a child to learn to do something, he must first see how his mother or father performs the same action. The child will be happy to play different games and study subjects with parents. But as soon as mom or dad gets distracted and begins to go about their business, the baby will immediately leave the game.

The mental development of young children is inextricably linked with new discoveries. The kid begins to understand that different objects perform certain actions, for example, you can turn on the TV with the remote control, and if you press the computer button, the monitor lights up, etc. But most importantly, the child begins to separate his own actions from those performed by adults. During this period, the child becomes aware of his “I”, self-esteem begins to form, confidence in his own abilities appears, and at the same time, the child’s unwillingness to do what the parents say. By the end of the period, mothers and fathers may face the so-called crisis of three years.

Mental processes of development of a preschool child

The next stage is just in time for the end of the crisis of three years. At this point, the child has a certain self-esteem, feels confident on his feet and can talk more or less normally. Sometimes he even feels “on the same wavelength” with adults. That's just to understand why adults perform certain actions, the baby still can not. And in this he will be helped by role-playing games. When modeling various life situations in a game, a child better assimilates information and develops his abstract thinking. Parents need to take note of this feature of the mental development of their children.

Unlike a child of 4-5 years old, a senior preschooler has his own psyche characteristics. At this age, he has a great need for communication with peers. This age period is directly related to the following mental processes of child development:

1. Memory - the assimilation of new knowledge, the acquisition of useful skills and habits.
2. Thinking is the development of logic, the ability to establish connections between various phenomena and their causes.
3. Speech - the ability to cope with the correct pronunciation of all the sounds of the mother tongue, adjust the volume and pace, express emotions.
4. Attention - the ability to concentrate consciousness on a specific object.
5. Imagination is the ability to create and manipulate various images in the head with the help of already known facts.
6. Perception - the development of the ability to perceive colors, shapes, sounds, objects in space and a holistic image.

The development of the above mental processes is the key to successful schooling.

The development of the psyche in primary school students

This age period covers the interval between 7 and 11 years. At this time, the development of the intellectual-cognitive sphere takes place. It is worth noting that with the beginning of school, the child's life changes almost dramatically. The student is required to observe discipline and daily routines, the ability to build relationships in the team, plan and control their actions.

At this stage, there are features of the child’s mental development:

1. A student older than seven years old has sufficient perseverance to concentrate on completing a task for a long time. He can calmly sit the whole lesson, listening carefully to the teacher.
2. A child can or learns to plan his time and control actions. He performs homework in a certain sequence, and he goes for a walk only after he has done all the lessons.
3. A child can determine the level of his knowledge and determine what he lacks in order to solve a particular problem.

The task of parents at this stage of development is to support the child emotionally, to help him find new friends, to adapt faster to the new daily routine and life in the team.

Psychology of adolescents

According to most psychologists, children's age from 7 to 15 years is critical. During this period, there is a sharp leap in both the physical and mental development of the child. He is overcome by a great desire to commit adult acts, but he does not want to bear responsibility for them, to part with child impunity. The following features are characteristic of adolescence:

• unconscious acts contrary to parents;
• systematic violations of the boundaries of what is permitted;
• the emergence of new authorities among adults and their imitation;
• desire to stand out from the team, from the crowd.

Depending on the model of behavior that the parents choose, the child can either find his place in the world and decide on his life position, or he can constantly struggle with the system of prohibitions, defending his desires and his own opinion. The task of mom and dad is to protect the teenager from rash acts, to find a common language with him.

Children with mental disabilities

Everyone at school or in everyday life at least once encountered a child who, in terms of the level of development of the psyche, is very different from “normal” children. Moreover, it can be physically well-built, but it reads extremely slowly, does not know how to build logical chains between actions, or simply communicate with peers. Such children are often diagnosed with mental retardation.

The whole complexity of the situation lies in the fact that parents can, until a certain point, not suspect this feature of mental development. Children with such a diagnosis are no different from peers. But they often have problems with adaptation in the team and problems with school performance.

Parents should be alert for the following points in the child’s mental development:

1. Speech. This item includes not only problems of a logopedic nature, but also a lexico-grammatical one.
2. Inattention. Children with mental retardation usually have increased motor activity, they are constantly distracted, they cannot concentrate on any one subject.
3. Impaired perception. The child does not perceive and cannot find objects familiar to him in the new environment, does not remember the names of people.

Children with mental disabilities require increased attention from parents and teachers. To study the material, they need much more time and patience than classmates.

What affects the development of the psyche?

There are the following prerequisites for the mental development of the child:

1. The normal functioning of the brain.
2. Communication of the child with adults. Parents, older brothers and sisters, kindergarten teachers and teachers at school are carriers of social experience for the child. Everyone has a need for communication. And the child is no exception. Through communication with adults, he learns to know himself and other people, to evaluate actions and deeds. The need for communication is manifested through interest and attention to the adult, the desire to show him their skills and abilities.
3. The activity of the child. After the baby is born, his motor activity does not stop, but only increases. As they grow older, the child learns to crawl, then walk, jump, run, participate in games with other children, compete, etc. That is, a normally developing child is always active.

At each stage of the development of the child, and especially at the first, the family has a huge impact on the psyche, namely the atmosphere that prevails in it. If the child grows in kindness, surrounded by attention, does not see the quarrels of his parents, does not hear screams, he will have all the conditions for the realization of his physical abilities.

Diagnosis of mental development

How to understand whether the child is developing as it should? Today, there are many methods to assess the level of mental development. Diagnosis of the child is aimed at studying all aspects of the psyche. Then, the data obtained are compared so that a holistic view of the child can be obtained. So, distinguish assessment methods:

• physical development of the child;
• intellectual development;
• qualitative development of personality;
• development of individual skills.

When conducting diagnostics, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

1. When compiling a psychological profile, at least 10 tests must be used.
2. Do not forget that each technique is designed for a certain age. If there are no age restrictions, the tests may differ from each other in the ways of presenting information.
3. You never need to put pressure on the child, test him without voluntary desire. Otherwise, the results of the study may be unreliable.