ABSTRACT
Early childhood usually refers to the period covering the ages from two to five. In this period there is great accomplishment in growth, development of many types of skills, and the acquisition of information. As the child's experiences expand, percepts tend to be merged into wholes, then wholes into patterns, and, finally, patterns into concepts. As learning proceeds, increased awareness of environmental experience brings further development in perceptual capacity, with the processes of learning and perception contributing to each other. Observation of infant behavior reveals that an infant explores certain objects visually and at the same time listens to sounds that have come to his attention. From exploration and utilization of sensory experience, the child develops concepts about reality. Often these beginning concepts are inaccurate. The child's progress in mastering control of his body and in developing skills leading to his own independence has been of great interest to psychologists.
