Chapter 8 Early Childhood: Physical Development

Early Childhood: Physical Development Truth or Fiction? Some children are left-brained, and others are right-brained. Children’s levels of motor activity increase during the preschool years.

Early Childhood: Physical Development Truth or Fiction? Sedentary parents are more likely to have “couch potatoes” for children. Julius Caesar, Michelangelo, Tom Cruise, and Oprah have something in common? (Hint: They don’t all have book clubs.)

Early Childhood: Physical Development Truth or Fiction? A disproportionately high percentage of math whizzes are left-handed. Infections are the most common cause of death among children in the United States.

Early Childhood: Physical Development Truth or Fiction? It is dangerous to awaken a sleepwalker. More competent parents toilet-train their children by their second birthday.

Growth Patterns Height and Weight

What Changes Occur in Height and Weight During Early Childhood? Growth rate slows 2 to 3 inches per year 4 to 6 pounds per year Individual variation As a group, boys are slightly taller and heavier

Figure 8.1 Growth Curves for Height and Weight, Ages 2 to 6 Years Figure 8.1 Growth Curves for Height and Weight, Ages 2 to 6 Years. The numbers on the curves indicate the percentiles for height and weight at different ages. The growth rate slows down during early childhood. As in infancy, boys are only slightly taller and heavier than girls. Variations in growth patterns from child to child are evident. (Source: Figures 9-12, Kuczmarski, R.J., et.al. [2000, December 4]. CDC Growth charts: United States. Advance data from vital and health statistics, no. 31. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.) Figure 8.1 Growth Curves for Height and Weight, Ages 2 to 6 Years

Development of the Brain Growth Patterns Development of the Brain

How Does the Brain Develop During Early Childhood? Rapid growth in weight due to myelination By age 5 – brain is 90% of adult weight Visual Skills Improved attention and visual processing skills Specialization of hemispheres

What Does It Mean to Be Left-brained or Right-brained? Logical, problem solving, language and mathematical computations Right-brained Visual-spatial functions, recognition of faces, discrimination of color, aesthetic and emotional responses, understanding metaphors, creative mathematical reasoning Functions overlap Myelination of corpus callosum

What Is Meant by “Plasticity of the Brain”? Ability to compensate for injury Greatest plasticity at 1 to 2 years Other areas may assume functions lost to injury Sprouting Growth of new dendrites Redundancy of neural connections

Motor Development

How Do Motor Skills Develop in Early Childhood? Gross motor skills Involve large muscles used in locomotion Differences in gross motor development Little sex differentiation More individual differences Physical Activity Rough and tumble play Activity levels

Developing in a World of Diversity Sex Differences in Motor Activity

How Do Motor Skills Develop in Early Childhood? Fine motor skills Involve small muscles used in manipulation and coordination Proximodistal trend accounts for lag in fine motor skills Children’s Drawing

Figure 8.2 The Twenty Basic Scribbles (Really) Figure 8.2 The Twenty Basic Scribbles (Really). By the age of 2, children can scribble. Rhoda Kellogg has identified these 20 basic scribbles as the building blocks of the young child’s drawings. (Sources: Kellogg, 1970). Figure 8.2 The Twenty Basic Scribbles (Really)

Figure 8.3 Four Stages in Children’s Drawings Figure 8.3 Four Stages in Children’s Drawings. Children go through four stages in drawing pictures. (a) They first place their scribbles in various locations on the page. They then (b) draw basic shapes, and (c ,d) combine shapes into designs. Finally, (e) they draw recognizable objects. (Sources: Kellogg, 1970). Figure 8.3 Four Stages in Children’s Drawings

Lessons in Observation: Gross and Fine Motor Skills Describe the way the 2- and 3-year old children maneuver the stairs in the video. How will stair-climbing skills change over time?

Lessons in Observation: Gross and Fine Motor Skills Describe Olivia’s hopping and jumping skills and her performance with the ball. How will Olivia’s hopping and jumping skills change over time? How will her throwing and catching skills change? How does Olivia’s attempt to catch a ball illustrate the proximodistal trend in development?

Lessons in Observation: Gross and Fine Motor Skills Outline the developmental changes in the drawing and writing skills of children between the ages of 2 and 5. How do the children in the video illustrate these changes? What activities are the children in the video participating in that facilitate fine motor development? What are the relative roles of maturation and learning in the development of fine motor skills, and how do these interact?

When Does Handedness Emerge? Emerges and shows preference during infancy Becomes strongly established during early childhood Majority of people are right-handed

Are There Problems Connected With Being Left-handed? Connections have been made with Language problems Dyslexia and stuttering Health problems Migraine headaches and allergies Psychological problems Schizophrenia and depression Higher frequencies of left-handers have been made with Mathematical abilities Athletic abilities Artistic, musical and architectural

What Are the Origins of Handedness? Genetic component Seems to run in families Identical twins Frequently differ in handedness Mirror opposites

Nutrition

What Are Children’s Nutritional Needs and Their Eating Habits Like in Early Childhood? Need more overall calories than toddlers Slower growth rate - less calories per pound Patterns of Eating Appetite decreases and becomes erratic Preference for sugar and salt with exposure

Health and Illness

What Are Some of the Illnesses and Environmental Hazards Encountered During Early Childhood? Minor illnesses Respiratory infections Colds, sore throat Gastrointestinal upsets Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea In developing countries, diarrheal illness is leading killer of children Major illnesses Immunizations, antibiotics reduced major illness in US One-third of children in US under 18 years suffer from some type of chronic illness Globally 13 million children die each year Two-thirds die of pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, tetanus, whooping cough and tb

Ten Things You Need To Know About Immunizations A Closer Look Ten Things You Need To Know About Immunizations

Figure 8.4 Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule, United States, 2001. Vaccines are listed under routinely recommended ages. Bars indicate range of recommended ages of immunization. Ovals indicate vaccines to be given if previously recommended doses were missed or given earlier than the recommended minimum age. For more information, go to the National Immunization Program home page at www.cdc.gov/nip or call the National Immunization Hotline at 800-232-2522 (English) or800-232-0233 (Spanish). Source: Centers for Disease Control. Figure 8.4 Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule, United States, July-December, 2004

Lead Poisoning: Assessing the Risk A Closer Look Lead Poisoning: Assessing the Risk

Developing in a World of Diversity Ethnicity, Level of Income, and Immunization  USA

Accidents and Prevention of Accidental Injury Most common cause of death in young children in US Motor vehicle accidents Low-income children most likely to die from accidents Legislation to prevent accidents Child safety seats in cars Window guards in apartment buildings Toy and clothing safety standards

Sleep

How Much Sleep is Needed During Early Childhood? Preschoolers average 10 to 11 hours per 24 hour period 9 to 10 hours at night 1 to 2 hour nap

Developing in a World of Diversity Cross-Cultural Differences in Sleeping Arrangements

Sleep Disorders

What Kinds of Problems or Disorders Disrupt Sleep During Early Childhood? Sleep terrors Occur early in night during deep sleep May be associated with stress Nightmares Occur later in night during REM sleep Insomnia Somnambulism (sleepwalking) Onset between ages 3 and 8 Occurs early in night during deep sleep

Elimination Disorders

When Are Children Considered To Be Gaining Control Over Elimination Too Slowly? Maturation plays a critical role in toilet training Most US children are trained between 3 and 4 Enuresis Based on age of child and frequency of “accident” Bed-wetting More frequent in boys than girls Numerous causes Organic, psychological, stress, sleep disorder

What To Do About Bed-Wetting A Closer Look What To Do About Bed-Wetting

When Are Children Considered To Be Gaining Control Over Elimination Too Slowly? Encopresis More common in boys than girls Less common than enuresis, more common in daytime Causes may be physical or psychological