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Primary Science · Year 5Chapter 4 · Growing up to old age
Year 5 Science · Growing up to old age · Lesson 4.2

Year 5 Science: Babyhood

Part of the Year 5 Science growing up to old age chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

4.2

Babyhood

Year 5
A1: babyhood, the changes in the first stage of life
Story. Ruby’s baby brother, Leo, was born last spring. He can’t walk or talk yet, and he needs help with everything. “He has grown so much already,” says Ruby’s mum. “In his first year, he will change more than in any other year.”

Babyhood begins at birth. In the first year of life a baby grows very quickly. It needs an adult to feed it, keep it warm and clean, and keep it safe. A baby cannot yet walk, talk or feed itself.

During babyhood a baby learns to lift its head, to sit, to crawl, and then to stand and walk. It also learns to make sounds, and then words.

babyhoodchildhoodpubertyadulthoodold ageschematic figures, not to scale
The first figure, babyhood, is highlighted. It has the largest head compared with its body.

Key ideas

  • Babyhood is the first stage of life, from birth.
  • A baby grows very quickly, and needs an adult for feeding, warmth and care.
  • A baby learns to sit, crawl, stand and walk, and then to talk.
  • A baby has a large head compared with its body.
Worked example 4.2.1
Which kind of care does a newborn baby need from an adult? Write one word.

Method. Think about what a baby cannot do yet.

  1. Think about feeding. A baby cannot feed itself, so it needs an adult to feed it.
    needs feeding
  2. Name the care. So the care it needs is feeding.
    feeding
  3. Write the answer.
    feeding

Check. A baby also needs warmth and cleaning. ✓

Worked example 4.2.2
Name one thing a baby learns to do during babyhood. Write the word.

Method. Read the list of things a baby learns.

  1. Read the list. A baby learns to sit, crawl, stand and walk.
    sit, crawl, walk
  2. Name one. One thing a baby learns is to walk.
    walk
  3. Write the answer.
    walk

Check. Accept any one of: sit, crawl, stand, walk, talk. ✓

Worked example 4.2.3
In which stage does a baby grow very quickly? Write the word.

Method. Read the description of babyhood.

  1. Read the description. In the first year of life a baby grows very quickly.
    grows very quickly
  2. Name the stage. That stage is babyhood.
    babyhood
  3. Write the answer.
    babyhood

Check. Babyhood is the first stage. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a baby is not a small adult. It has a larger head compared with its body, and it needs an adult to care for it.

Try it (with your teacher or a grown-up). Look at a photo of a baby, with a grown-up. Name three things the baby can do, and three things it cannot do yet. Talk about who helps the baby.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask: “What could a baby do when it was born? What can you do now that you could not do then?” Keep it positive and warm.

Exercise 4B  Babyhood

1
FCan a newborn baby feed itself? Write yes or no.
2
FFill in the gap: during babyhood, a baby grows very ___. Write one word.
3
FWhich stage of life is the first stage, from birth? Write the word.
4
FName one thing a baby learns to do, from the list in section 4.2. Write one word.
5
PSWhich part of a baby’s body is large compared with the rest of its body? Write the word.
6
PSDoes a baby need an adult to keep it warm and clean? Write yes or no.
7
PSWhich of these does a baby learn to do first, and before walking? Write the word: crawl or talk.
8
PSTrue or false: a baby cannot walk, talk or feed itself at birth. Write true or false.
9
RWorking scientifically. Describe a change. Write one change a baby goes through in its first year. Write one sentence.
10
RExplain why a baby needs an adult to care for it. Write one sentence.

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