Child Development in Early Years Training Course

Child development describes how children gain skills and understanding over time. It includes changes in movement, thinking, communication, relationships and independence. Growth refers to physical change, such as increases in height, weight and body proportions. In early years practice, understanding both development and growth helps practitioners support children in ways that are appropriate, responsive and inclusive.

This free course introduces the principles of child development in the context of early years practice in England. It explains the main areas of development from birth to five, the role of play and observation, and how safeguarding, inclusion and partnership with families support children’s progress, wellbeing and participation.

Why Take This eLearning Course?

A secure understanding of child development is central to high-quality early years practice. It helps practitioners notice progress, recognise when support may be needed, plan meaningful experiences and respond to children as individuals. It also supports more confident communication with families and better day-to-day decision-making across the setting.

This free course will help you to:

• Understand the difference between child development and growth.
• Recognise the purpose of age-related expectations and how to use them appropriately.
• Understand the difference between typical development and individual differences.
• Identify factors that influence children’s development, including health, family and environment.
• Explore physical development from birth to five, including gross and fine motor development.
• Understand the importance of physical activity and play in supporting physical development.
• Recognise cognitive development and how children learn through play and exploration.
• Explore early problem-solving, curiosity and thinking skills.
• Understand stages of communication and language development.
• Recognise verbal and non-verbal communication in the early years.
• Learn how adults can support speech, language and communication.
• Understand social and emotional development, including attachment, self-awareness and emotional regulation.
• Explore the importance of play in supporting all areas of development.
• Learn how observation and assessment support planning and early identification.
• Understand basic safeguarding responsibilities in early years settings.
• Recognise how inclusive practice and partnership with families support children with a wide range of needs.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define child development and growth.
• Explain the concept of age-related expectations.
• Describe the difference between typical development and individual differences.
• Identify factors that influence development, including environment, family and health.
• Describe gross motor development from birth to five years.
• Describe fine motor development from birth to five years.
• Outline the importance of physical activity and play.
• Give examples of activities that support physical development.
• Define cognitive development.
• Explain how children learn through play and exploration.
• Outline early problem-solving and thinking skills.
• Give examples of ways to support learning and curiosity.
• Describe stages of communication and language development.
• Identify verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Explain the role of adults in supporting language development.
• Give examples of activities that promote speech and language.
• Define social and emotional development.
• Describe attachment and bonding.
• Explain the development of self-awareness and emotions.
• Identify ways to support positive behaviour and emotional wellbeing.
• Define play and explain its importance in early years.
• Identify different types of play.
• Explain how play supports all areas of development.
• Give examples of age-appropriate play activities.
• Define observation in early years practice.
• Outline why observations are important.
• Identify simple methods of observing children.
• Explain how observations support planning for development.
• Identify basic safeguarding responsibilities in early years.
• Describe inclusive practice in relation to child development.
• Explain how to support children with additional needs.
• Outline the importance of working with parents and carers.

Child Development Birth to 5 Years Course Outline

Module 1: Understanding Child Development and Growth
Learners will explore what is meant by child development and growth and how these concepts relate to early years practice. This module explains child development as the process through which children gain skills, understanding, and independence over time, across physical, cognitive, communication, social, emotional, and self-care areas. Growth is explained as physical change, including height, weight, and body proportions, showing how growth and development often happen together but are not the same. Learners will also examine the concept of age-related expectations, understanding that these are broad guides rather than fixed standards, and will consider the difference between typical development and individual differences. The module also explores the range of factors that can influence development, including environment, family relationships, health, nutrition, sleep, emotional wellbeing, and wider life circumstances, helping learners understand children’s progress within the context of their everyday experiences.

Module 2: Physical Development from Birth to Five
This module focuses on physical development in the early years, including both gross motor and fine motor progress. Learners will examine how gross motor development supports posture, balance, coordination, and whole-body movement, from early head control and rolling in infancy through to running, hopping, climbing, and controlled landing by age five. The module also explains fine motor development, showing how children move from reflex grasping and reaching towards more precise hand and finger control for tool use, mark-making, dressing, and early writing tasks. Learners will explore the importance of physical activity and play in supporting healthy growth, coordination, brain development, communication, self-regulation, social skills, and confidence. The module also covers examples of practical activities that support physical development, such as obstacle courses, ball play, ride-on toys, dancing, playdough, threading, and hand-based tasks.

Module 3: Cognitive Development and Early Thinking Skills
Learners will explore what is meant by cognitive development and how young children learn through play and exploration. This module explains cognitive development as the growth of skills linked to thinking, attention, memory, perception, reasoning, and early concept formation. Learners will examine how children build understanding through sensory experience, repeated actions, exploration, and active engagement with routines, objects, and people. The module also explains how early problem-solving and thinking skills develop over time, including curiosity, cause and effect, trial and adjustment, memory and recall, planning, prediction, and flexible thinking. Learners will also explore practical ways to support learning and curiosity, such as using open-ended resources, shared talk, simple thinking prompts, repetition, stories, songs, and real-life problem-solving opportunities that help children make connections and extend their understanding.

Module 4: Communication and Language Development
This module focuses on the stages of communication and language development from birth to five. Learners will examine how children move from early crying, facial expression, eye contact, and shared attention towards gestures, single words, short phrases, and longer spoken sentences used for thinking, learning, and social interaction. The module also explores verbal and non-verbal communication, including spoken words, vocal sounds, facial expression, eye contact, gestures, posture, movement, and the use of touch and space. Learners will examine the important role of adults in supporting language development through responsive interaction, modelling language, extending meaning, supporting attention, respecting home language, and identifying possible delays early. Practical examples of activities that promote speech and language are also covered, including interactive story and rhyme sessions, role play, small-world play, and talk-rich routines such as mealtimes and tidy-up time.

Module 5: Social and Emotional Development
Learners will explore what is meant by social and emotional development and why it is central to children’s wellbeing and learning. This module explains social and emotional development as the process through which children build relationships, manage feelings, develop confidence, and begin to understand themselves and others. Learners will examine the meaning of attachment and bonding, including how children develop trust, seek reassurance, respond to separation, and use familiar adults as a secure base from which to explore. The module also explains how self-awareness and emotional development grow over time, including recognising the self, naming feelings, understanding causes of emotions, showing empathy, and developing early self-regulation. Learners will also explore ways to support positive behaviour and emotional wellbeing through warm relationships, emotional language, co-regulation, clear boundaries, and environments that help children feel safe and understood.

Module 6: The Role of Play in Development
This module focuses on play as a foundation for learning and development in the early years. Learners will examine what play is and why it is important, understanding it as children’s natural way of exploring, practising skills, expressing feelings, and making sense of the world. The module explains the different types of play, including physical, exploratory, imaginative, constructive, social, and creative play, and shows how children move between these forms depending on age, interest, and context. Learners will also explore how play supports all areas of development by combining movement, thinking, language, relationships, emotional expression, and problem-solving in meaningful situations. Examples of age-appropriate play activities for babies, toddlers, and preschool children are also included, showing how sensory play, role play, construction, outdoor challenge, and shared games can support steady progress across development.

Module 7: Observation and Assessment in Early Years
Learners will explore the purpose of observation and assessment in understanding and supporting child development. This module explains observation as the ongoing process of noticing, recording, interpreting, and reviewing what children do, say, and show through their behaviour across everyday routines and play. Learners will examine why observations are important for understanding progress over time, recognising interests, identifying additional needs early, supporting inclusive practice, strengthening partnerships with families, and meeting EYFS duties. The module also explores simple methods of observing children, including narrative observations, tick lists, development summaries, time sampling, and event sampling, showing how different methods can help staff understand learning, wellbeing, and behaviour. The role of observations in planning is also covered, including how they support next steps, environmental changes, targeted support, challenge, wellbeing, and review of what has helped.

Module 8: Safeguarding, Inclusion, and Working with Families
In the final module, learners will explore how safeguarding and inclusive practice support children’s development in early years settings. This module explains the basic safeguarding responsibilities of practitioners, including following procedures, recognising signs of harm, reporting concerns promptly, keeping clear and accurate records, promoting safe practice, and sharing information appropriately. Learners will also examine inclusive practice in relation to child development, understanding how barriers can sit in environments, routines, or adult expectations rather than within the child, and how reasonable adjustments and a graduated response support participation and progress. The module also covers how to support children with additional needs through observation, practical adjustments, predictable routines, co-regulation, environmental adaptations, and partnership with SENCOs and other professionals. Finally, learners will explore the importance of working with parents and carers, including sharing information, agreeing consistent approaches, supporting early identification, strengthening wellbeing, promoting inclusion, and meeting safeguarding duties through respectful and effective partnership.

Target Audience

This course is suitable for:

• Early years practitioners.
• Nursery and preschool staff.
• Childminders and childminding assistants.
• Reception staff and teaching assistants.
• SENCOs and staff supporting children’s development.
• Managers and supervisors.
• Anyone involved in supporting babies’ and young children’s learning and development.

No previous specialist knowledge of child development is required.

FAQ

Is this course relevant to Early Years practice in England?

Yes. The course is designed for Early Years practice in England and reflects the EYFS, inclusive practice expectations, safeguarding responsibilities and observation-led planning.

Does the course cover all the main areas of development?

Yes. It covers physical, cognitive, communication and language, social and emotional development, as well as self-care, independence and the role of play.

Will this course help with observation and assessment?

Yes. The course explains what observation is, why it matters, simple methods practitioners use, and how observations support planning, inclusion and early identification.

Does it include safeguarding and inclusive practice?

Yes. The course includes basic safeguarding responsibilities, inclusive practice, support for children with additional needs, and the importance of working in partnership with families.

Is play covered as part of development?

Yes. The course explains why play is central to learning in the early years and how different types of play support all areas of development.

Will this course help me understand age-related expectations without treating them as fixed targets?

Yes. It explains age-related expectations as broad guides rather than pass-or-fail measures, helping practitioners keep the focus on the whole child and their individual pattern of progress.

How long does the course take?

The course is self-paced and typically takes 1 hour to complete.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.

Is the course CPD accredited?

Courses are not currently CPD accredited, but accreditation is planned.

A strong understanding of child development helps early years practitioners recognise children’s strengths, respond to their needs and create environments where they can grow, learn and feel secure. By combining observation, play, inclusive practice and partnership with families, practitioners can support development in ways that are thoughtful, consistent and child-centred.

Enrol now to build your understanding of the principles of child development.