Principle 3 — Development is continuous describes which idea?

• A. In children who develop normally, earlier skills form the basis for new skills.
• B. Development occurs in isolated steps with no connection.
• C. Children never reuse earlier skills.
• D. Development stops after toddlerhood.

Answer: (A)

Development is continuous means that new abilities build on what children already know and can do, creating a connected, evolving progression rather than isolated, unrelated steps. In practice, this means earlier skills form the foundation for later ones and are reused and refined as development moves forward.

The best description is that earlier skills form the basis for new skills. For example, a child’s babbling lays the groundwork for words, and early movements like reaching and rolling set the stage for sitting, crawling, and walking. This ongoing, cumulative process shows how development advances through the continuous integration of prior skills.

Choosing that development happens in isolated steps with no connection isn’t accurate because it ignores how current abilities rely on prior experiences. The idea that children never reuse earlier skills is also incorrect, since reusing and adapting previous skills is a hallmark of growth. Finally, development stopping after toddlerhood is false, as growth continues throughout childhood and beyond.