Science · Year 5 · Animals Including Humans · Spring Term

Infancy and Early Childhood

Learning about the basic function of the heart as a pump and the role of blood in carrying oxygen and nutrients around the body.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• NC-KS2-Science-Y5-AIH-3

About This Topic

Year 5 students examine human development in infancy and early childhood, identifying key milestones that show growth. Newborns have limited abilities, such as reflexive grasping, while six-month-olds can lift their heads, roll over, and reach for objects. Between ages one and five, children progress from first steps and single words to running, climbing, and forming simple sentences. These changes highlight how the body and brain mature together through practice and experience.

This topic fits within the Animals including Humans unit of the National Curriculum, supporting statutory requirements for describing changes from birth to old age. It encourages skills in observation, comparison, and sequencing, while linking to PSHE discussions on healthy development. Students also connect physical growth to nutrition and exercise, laying groundwork for puberty and aging studies.

Active learning approaches suit this topic well. When students create personal timelines with drawings and photos or role-play milestones in pairs, they internalize sequences visually and kinesthetically. Group debates on 'what if' scenarios for delayed development build empathy and critical thinking, making abstract life stages relatable and memorable.

Key Questions

1. What can a baby do at six months that a newborn cannot?
2. Describe three ways a child's body changes between the ages of one and five.
3. How does a young child's ability to move and talk develop as they grow?

Learning Objectives

• Compare the motor skills of a newborn with those of a six-month-old infant.
• Describe three significant physical or cognitive changes a child experiences between the ages of one and five.
• Explain how practice and experience contribute to a young child's developing abilities in movement and speech.
• Sequence key developmental milestones from birth to age five.

Before You Start

Life Cycles of Different Animals

Why: Students have previously learned about distinct stages of growth in animals, providing a foundation for understanding human developmental stages.

Basic Human Body Parts

Why: Understanding fundamental body parts is necessary before discussing their developing functions and abilities.

Key Vocabulary

Reflex	An automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus, such as the grasping reflex in newborns.
Milestone	A significant point or stage in development, marking a new ability or achievement, like sitting up or walking.
Gross Motor Skills	Abilities that involve large muscle groups, such as running, jumping, and climbing, which develop significantly in early childhood.
Fine Motor Skills	Abilities that involve small muscle groups, such as grasping objects or using utensils, which also develop during early childhood.
Cognitive Development	The growth of thinking, problem-solving, and language skills, which progresses rapidly from infancy through early childhood.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All children reach milestones at exactly the same age.

What to Teach Instead

Development varies due to genetics, environment, and opportunities. Active timeline activities let students plot real baby examples from videos, revealing ranges and sparking discussions on healthy variation.

Common Misconception

Growth is only about getting taller; movement and talk do not change.

What to Teach Instead

Motor and language skills develop alongside height through neural and muscular growth. Role-play stations help students experience and compare these integrated changes, correcting views of isolated physical growth.

Common Misconception

Changes happen suddenly overnight.

What to Teach Instead

Milestones build gradually with practice. Sequencing games with peer teaching show progression, helping students visualize steady development over weeks or months.

Active Learning Ideas

Timeline Build: Infancy Milestones

Provide card templates with ages from birth to five. In small groups, students research and draw one milestone per card, such as 'sitting up at 6 months,' then sequence them on a class timeline. Discuss influences like play on development.

45 min·Small Groups

Role-Play Relay: Growth Stages

Divide class into stations for ages 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 1-3 years, 3-5 years. Pairs act out typical movements and sounds at each, rotating stations. Peers record observations on clipboards for plenary share.

35 min·Pairs

Comparison Charts: Newborn vs Six Months

Hand out tables listing body parts and abilities. Individually, students fill in differences using videos or images, then pair up to add language and movement examples. Class votes on most surprising change.

30 min·individual then pairs

Milestone Matching Game: Whole Class

Prepare cards with photos/descriptions of milestones and matching ages. Students work whole class to match and sort into timelines on the floor, justifying choices with evidence from prior learning.

25 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Pediatricians use developmental checklists based on milestones to assess a child's health and progress during regular check-ups, identifying potential developmental delays early.
• Early years educators in nurseries and preschools design activities specifically to encourage the development of gross and fine motor skills, language, and social interaction in young children.
• Toy manufacturers create products like building blocks, shape sorters, and ride-on toys designed to support specific stages of physical and cognitive development in infants and toddlers.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with a list of actions (e.g., 'grasps finger', 'lifts head', 'walks independently', 'says first word'). Ask them to sort these actions into 'Newborn', 'Six Months', or 'One Year Old' categories and explain their reasoning for one placement.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Imagine a child who could not practice walking or talking. How might their development be different from a child who has lots of opportunities to practice?' Facilitate a class discussion focusing on the role of experience.

Exit Ticket

Give each student a card with a picture of a child at a different age (e.g., baby, toddler, preschooler). Ask them to write one sentence describing a key skill that child has developed and one skill they are likely to develop next.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you teach Year 5 students about infancy milestones?

Use videos of real babies alongside milestone charts to compare newborns and six-month-olds. Students note abilities like head control or reaching in tables, then create illustrated timelines. This visual approach, combined with group shares, reinforces sequences and addresses variations in development effectively.

What active learning strategies work for early childhood development?

Role-play relays and timeline builds engage kinesthetic learners by letting students mimic crawling or first words. Small group matching games with photos build collaboration, while plenary discussions connect observations to curriculum standards. These methods make timelines tangible, boost retention, and develop empathy for diverse growth paths.

Common misconceptions in human growth for Year 5?

Pupils often think milestones are uniform or sudden. Correct this with evidence from baby videos in comparison charts, showing gradual, variable progress. Hands-on sorting activities help revise mental models through peer debate and visual evidence.

How does this topic link to other curriculum areas?

Connects to PSHE on healthy lifestyles and PE through movement milestones. In English, students write milestone narratives; in maths, sequence ages on number lines. These cross-curricular ties deepen understanding of holistic child development.