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Child Development & Early Education vocabulary · Social and Emotional Development

Attachment

Meaning in child development & early education, with examples

/əˈtætʃmənt/nounCore term

In child development & early education, attachment means: The deep emotional bond a young child forms with the main people who care for them, which gives the child a sense of safety and comfort.

In Turkish: bağlanma

How it is used

A key idea from the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Researchers describe secure and insecure attachment, and nurseries use the key person system to help children form attachments with staff.

Example sentences

  1. A secure attachment helps children feel confident enough to explore.

  2. Babies usually form attachments to a few familiar adults, not only to their mother.

Common collocations

  • secure attachment
  • insecure attachment
  • attachment theory
  • form an attachment
  • attachment figure
  • key personThe member of nursery staff who has special responsibility for a small group of children, builds a close bond with each child and is the main contact for the family.
  • separation anxietyDistress a young child shows when separated from a parent or main carer, such as crying or clinging; in babies and toddlers it is a normal stage of development.
  • co-regulationThe process in which a calm, caring adult helps a child manage strong feelings, for example by staying close, speaking softly and naming the emotion.
  • social and emotional developmentA child's growing ability to understand and manage feelings, build relationships, get along with others and develop a sense of self.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Social and Emotional Development

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