Child: Kids – Growth – Development
Attention span by age explained

Attention span by age explained

What attention span means clinically In practice, attention span is not just the number of minutes a child can sit still. Clinically, it includes sustained attention, which is the ability to stay with a task; selective attention, which is the ability to filter distractions; and divided attention, which is the ability to manage more than […]

Memory development in children

Memory development in children

What memory means in childhood Memory is not one single ability. In child development, it is useful to think about several interacting systems. Implicit memory supports skills, habits, emotional associations, and familiar routines, often without conscious recall. Explicit memory involves conscious remembering, including facts and personal experiences. Within explicit memory, semantic memory stores knowledge such […]

Problem solving skills development

Problem solving skills development

What problem solving means in childhood In children, problem solving is the coordinated use of attention, memory, language, motor planning, emotional control, and flexible thinking to reach a goal. A toddler turning a box into a step, a preschooler deciding how to share blocks, and a school-age child checking a math answer are all using […]

Visual motor integration development in children

Visual motor integration development in children

What visual motor integration means Visual motor integration, often abbreviated VMI, is the coordinated use of visual information and motor output. It is not simply eyesight, and it is not only hand strength. A child must notice relevant visual details, interpret spatial relationships, plan a movement, adjust posture, coordinate the eyes and hands, and monitor […]

Fine motor skill progression from toddler to teen

Fine motor skill progression from toddler to teen

What fine motor progression really means Fine motor progression is more than a checklist of whether a child can stack blocks, copy shapes, or tie shoes. It describes the gradual integration of multiple systems: cortical motor planning, cerebellar timing, proprioceptive feedback from muscles and joints, tactile discrimination from the skin, visual tracking, postural control, attention, […]

Balance development and postural control by age

Balance development and postural control by age

What postural control means in childhood Postural control is the ability to keep the body oriented and stable while still, moving, or preparing to move. In children, it is built through continuous interaction between the central nervous system, musculoskeletal growth, sensory feedback, and the environment. A baby lifting the head during tummy time, a toddler […]

Physical growth 6 to 9 years

Physical growth 6 to 9 years

Steady growth in middle childhood From 6 to 9 years, most children are in the middle-childhood phase of growth. Compared with the rapid changes of the toddler years and the later acceleration of puberty, this period is usually characterized by slow, steady physical growth. Many children gain approximately 2 to 2.5 inches, or about 5 […]

Coordination development children

Coordination development children

What coordination means in childhood Coordination is the brain’s ability to organize movement so that the body can act smoothly, efficiently, and with the right amount of force. In practice, that means a child can sit upright without collapsing, reach for a toy accurately, use both hands together, adjust when they lose balance, and learn […]

How to help your child speak for themselves during pediatric appointments

How to help your child speak for themselves during pediatric appointments

Why speaking up at the pediatric visit matters Pediatric appointments are not only for diagnosis, screening, immunizations, and treatment planning. They are also repeated opportunities for children to learn the language of their own bodies. When a child says, “My stomach hurts after lunch,” “I feel dizzy when I stand,” or “I am scared of […]

Choosing products preteens

Choosing products preteens

Start with the preteen stage, not the product aisle Preteens are in a transition between childhood and adolescence. Puberty may have started or may still feel distant; either way, many children are becoming more private, more peer-oriented, and more sensitive to embarrassment. Product choices should reflect this developmental reality. A deodorant, acne cleanser, sports bra, […]