Content area
Full Text
The development of a young child is multifaceted with each child showing a unique pattern of strengths and challenges across developmental domains (i.e., cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and academic). Given this natural variability across children, it sometimes seems as though there is no such thing as "typical" development.
Consider the following snapshots of two young children:
* Janelle, at 3 years of age, was able to "read" many of the signs in her neighborhood and could identify the shops, streets, and parks. She was outgoing and made friends with everyone she met - talking non-stop with anyone who would listen. Now at age 4, she is "reading" simple books that have been read to her many times, and she seems to be a leader in her pre-K class.
* Benjamin has never seemed interested in words or reading. He was not much of a talker and seemed to focus more on doing things like building with blocks and riding a tricycle. At age four he can sing the A-B-C song, but he does not yet recognize letters - let alone words. In the company of others, Benjamin often waits until he is approached and even then he seems a bit hesitant to join in group activities. (Gillis, West, Coleman, 2010, p. D
The developmental patterns for Janelle and Benjamin are so different that we may wonder if both fall within an expected range for 4-year-olds - and this is sometimes hard to determine! Often it is the child's parents who have the first concerns about whether a child's development is "on target." These concerns may be just a "gut feeling" that something is not quite right; that somehow the child is different from his or her peers. It can be difficult to express these feelings in words so parents may be reluctant to raise their concerns. But concerns about a child should not be ignored because they may be early warning signs that the child needs extra support to succeed. These concerns may in fact show us that early intervention is critical for the child.
Some learning difficulties, if left unattended, may worsen over time. Because of this, it is essential that we provide young children with a program of carefully targeted opportunities for...