Growth and development depend on many factors such as:

(i) Heredity

These are the characteris­tics which the children receive from their parents. Their growth and development de­pend on these traits.

(ii) Environment

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Environment plays important role in growth and development of the children. Environment provides opportunity to the children to develop their traits which they have received from their parents.

(iii) Maturation

It is very necessary for the child to get matured to a certain level to learn and receive any progressive change in him. Without that maturity level it is not possible to receive new progressive changes in oneself.

(iv) Learning

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Growth and development depend upon the learning capacity of the person. The more qualitative and quantitative learning is, the better is the growth and development.

“Milestones are the indicators of growth and development during the process of development. They tell us about the direction and rate of development.”

Psychologists have fixed these indicators after doing thorough studies. The development of every child is different from each other.

These indicators decide the pattern of development and the age at which these developmental changes take place. But the fact is that all the children develop differently though they follow the same path. For example babies are able to hold their head first, and then sit with support and only after 6 months, they can sit without support.

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This is the pattern of development. But one child can sit a 5 ½ month of age, while other at 6 ½ months. This is due to the individual difference in them. They develop between the normal ranges, but at different times.