ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of early childhood and families as an area of study and practice, starting with an introduction to the development of young children from birth through age 5. It highlights some of the major developmental milestones of the lifespan stage, as well as current areas of research and study. Language development during the first 2 years of life is generally associated with cognitive development, as language is the most clear evidence of children being capable of symbolic thought, or the ability to think using words or images. The study of young children's intellectual development has been approached from a number of disciplines within the cognitive sciences. Of the many experiences that contribute to healthy child development, one of the most important is play. Healthy physical growth and development begins before birth, and arguably even before conception. Research on infant cognition has shown that very young infants demonstrate several noteworthy cognitive competencies.
