Final answer:
Development can be understood through three clear and distinct steps: continuous development, discontinuous development, and prenatal development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Development can be understood through three clear and distinct steps: continuous development, discontinuous development, and prenatal development.
- Continuous development: This view sees development as a cumulative process, where skills gradually improve over time. For example, a child's physical growth, adding inches to their height year by year.
- Discontinuous development: This view believes that development occurs in unique stages at specific times or ages. An example is an infant's sudden ability to understand object permanence.
- Prenatal development: It encompasses three stages: germinal, embryonic, and fetal. During these stages, the developing baby undergoes significant growth and formation.
Understanding these three steps helps to comprehend the various aspects of development and how it progresses over time.