An overview and definitions of terminology used in this report. This definition applies to both typical and atypical development. The study of this field is often divided into areas of development, generally labeled cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional. The degree of readiness profoundly affects success in later schooling and in life.
Children have difficulty learning to read, write, problem solve, etc.
For example, motor skills, like hand-eye coordination, are needed to learn to read, and language development requires a child being read and spoken to as well as appropriate brain growth. Current research demonstrates the early and lasting effects of children's environments and experiences on brain development and cognition. Developmentally appropriate teaching in preschool is also known to predict greater success in the early grades. This kind of teaching, whether by parents or teachers, requires a knowledge of when a child is ready to learn specific skills. A child may be ready to read, for example, before acquiring the emotional skills necessary to make and keep friends, or the cognitive skills necessary to understand number concepts.