Explain the difference between sequence of development and rate of development

Explain the difference between sequence of development and rate of development and why is this difference important. Sequence of development refers to the normal sequence in which children learn different skills, and the rate of development refers to the speed in which a child will develop. However, according to Burnham et al (2010) the difference between the sequence of development and the rate of development is that the sequence refers to the normal or expected sequence in which children learn different skills. The rate of development refers to the speed in which a child will develop.

However the sequences are common among most children but the rate in which they develop the skills changes. The sequence and rate of child development run through the areas of child development these are, physical, social, intellectual and language. (Burnham et al 2010) The difference between the sequence of development and the rate of development is that the sequence never changes, it remains the same, yet the rate of development tends to change in most cases. This is due to factors such as the child’s social background, pattern of growth, disability and learning difficulties, and health and nutrition.

However all these can only affect the rate of development but cannot affect the sequence of development. Meggitt et al (2011) suggests that the work of Mary Sheridan on developmental suggests that children go through a set stage, according to their age, they start by sitting, then crawling, then standing, and then walking, however it is arguable that not all children can crawl, the visually impaired children often do not. Children with special educational needs tend to go through sequence in an uneven way, for instance they may walk at the expected age but they may not talk at the usual age.

In addition, the sequence of development suggests that, for instance children 0 to 3 years, physical development when born they have limited control over their bodies, and by 12 months they will be able to crawl or roll over. However the difference with the rate of development is that at the same age, some children will not be able to be crawling or rolling over, due to the fact that’s some children do not move from stage to stage faster than other children. It is the same with all the other areas of child development, such as social, intellectual and language some children do not go through the expected sequence of evelopment. However, it is important to observe and note the difference between sequence of development and rate of development, when working with children so that the child’s needs are met. For instance if a child shows delays in any aspect of their growth, taking into account their background, health and environment in which they are growing up, as these factors will affect all areas of development. Tassani et al (2010) states that the difference between sequence of development and rate of development helps identify child’s needs during their stages of their school years.

This will help the school to plan and ensure that the child has enough support they require in areas they are struggling with. It is important to be aware of each child’s development as this will give us the knowledge and understanding on how a child is developing so that any concerns or problems are easily spotted , and then investigated and offer the required support. For instance a child with language problems can then be referred to a speech therapist who would then work with the school to implement ways or skills that will help the child.

If they are serious concerns about the child’s emotional development, a series of assessments are done and maybe the child might end up needing the professional help of a psychiatrist. Therefore it is important to note the difference of the sequence and rate of child development. In conclusion the sequence of development refers to the normal expected sequence in which children learn different skills, and the rate of development refers to the speed in which the child will develop.

However the difference between the sequence of development and the rate of development is that the sequence stays the same, hence the rate varies or changes. The other reason is that other children move from stage to stage faster than other children, because each child is unique and develop in their own way, therefore the child’s development is to be viewed in a holistic way. In addition when observing the stages of child’s development all areas has to be viewed these are physical, social, intellectual and language.

However, the difference between the sequence of development and the rate of development is important because, it helps identify where children need help or may be at risk of having special education need. In addition identifying the problem will help the school work with other professional to help the child learn the skills they are struggling with. It will also help the school plan and implement ways to ensure that the child has enough support they require. In most cases the child is referred to an appropriate professional to make sure their needs are met effectively.