‘He sorted out those of the largest size’
‘I weep for you,’ the Walrus said
‘I deeply sympathise.’
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Introduction
The focus on characterizing beginning and end states has resulted in a shortage of research on the process of developmental change
(Adolph & Robinson 2008, p. 1648).As noted by Adolph and Robinson any discussion of growth and development tends to focus on the organism’s progress from beginning to end and there is a paucity of research into what underpins or drives this change.
Everyone understands in a general way what is meant by growth. You only have to walk into a nursery or school and see the wall charts that enable parents or teachers to assess the heights of children. Listening in on any conversation between parents and grandparents about a grandchild will also generally reveal a reference to the child’s growth at some point.
The British Medical Dictionary defines growth as ‘the progressive development of a living being or part of an organism from its earliest stage to maturation including the attendant increase in size’. In the same dictionary the defi nition of development is ‘the series of changes by which the individual embryo becomes a mature organism’.
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