Movement and Coordination

Movement and coordination  These skills take a long time, and a lot of practice, to develop. The development of movement and coordination for a child is linked to communication and cognitive development.

Confidence, Creativity and Curiosity.

 Confidence can be described as a set of beliefs that we can do for ourselves, or as part of a group, that are worth doing. It includes being able to keep going even if things are difficult at first, as well as having a realistic sense of when help is needed. Curiosity, as well as creativity, is an innate part of being human. It is the urge to learn and develop, to see what is around the corner, in the box or what happens next. 

Self Regulation and Executive Function

Self-regulation covers all the skills and processes that help us to stay safe and to get through the day. 

 young children often need to “borrow” our ability to manage stress, whether it is the adult’s understanding that all is well, or help to manage the strong feelings, or to work out what to do about it. There is a connection here, too, with executive function. Babies and young children cannot attend to much more than one thing at a time. They can switch their attention from a strong feeling of fear or sadness to feeling reassured with our support 

Executive Function is sometimes referred to as the brains "air traffic control" one  example is  the ability to concentrate.

Communication and Language

 The importance of communication and language development for all aspects of children’s lives cannot be overstated. Communication underlies our ability to manage behaviour and emotions, by expressing what we need or using language to regulate how we feel. Language is also much more than words. It is understanding and using patterns and cues for interaction, sequencing thoughts and ideas, and making stories that help us understand what is happening, and what is next. 

Self and Social Development 

Humans are a social species, which means that day to day we have to keep getting the right balance between what we want to do and what we need to do with others. As children develop, they have the dual task of building a secure sense of self, and of discovering how to be with others and do things collectively. This is not easy, and it does not happen quickly. We can see development happening most clearly in children’s play. Co-operative play requires executive function and self-regulation.