Typically Developing Children
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Typically developing children are those considered to be representative of most children in a population. The developmental progression of typically developing children is often expressed in terms of norms, benchmarks, or milestones. Growth and development are usually described with respect to specific domains, such as physical, social/emotional, cognitive, or creative.
However, researchers and curriculum specialists also emphasize that growth and learning occur as an integrated process across multiple domains (Alvior, 2014; Gestwicki, 2011; Hull, Goldhaber, & Capone, 2002; Levine & Munsch, 2011). For example, as Maria interacts with the story of Curious George in our opening vignette, she is using cognitive skills and language in different ways and demonstrating symbolic representation in her use of the monkey as a puppet and by pointing out letters. She uses fine motor skills to point, clap, and manipulate her puppet. Her attentiveness and engagement indicate emotional connection with the characters in the story and emerging understanding about the social roles of reader and listener.
A brief summary of typical developmental progression follows. Developmental progression will be discussed with respect to curriculum in greater detail later in the chapter.