Preschool – Chapter 8 What is a preschool? Programs for three to five-year-old children, before they enter kindergarten. 41 states currently invest in preschool programs.

Growing Popularity Helps to balance family and work Intervention Behavioral and social problems Quality of American workforce Responsible and trustworthy Foundation for learning – “brain research” Change in purpose Old – socialization and kindergarten readiness! New – support and develop innate capacity for learning, centralized agency to deliver health, social, economic, and academic services, and solve and find solutions for pressing social problems; ex. Dropouts, children’s health, and preventing substance abuse and violence.

What are preschoolers like? Text page 235.

The Preschool Years: Physical and Cognitive Development

Physical Growth… The Growing Body Preschool age children’s physical abilities advance significantly (compared to infancy stage) Children grow steadily during the preschool period

Changes in body shape and structure occur during the preschool years A. Boys and girls become less chubby and roundish and more slender (“slimming down”). B. Arms and legs lengthen. C. Children grow stronger as muscle size increases and bones become sturdier. D. Body proportions are more similar to those of adults (relationship between head and body more adultlike).

Nutritional needs change during the preschool years (& effect development!). The growth rate slows during this age, thus preschoolers need less food to maintain their growth. Encouraging children to eat more than they want to, may lead to increased food intake.

(Nutrition during the preschool years, continued)  Increased food intake may lead to OBESITY, ( defined as a body weight more than 20 % higher than the average weight for a person of a given age and height ; a. Obesity is more common among older preschoolers than it was 20 years ago b. Obesity is brought about by both biological (genetics, responsiveness to sweets) and social factors (parental encouragement).

Health & Illness during the preschool years The majority of children in the United States are reasonably healthy. For the average American child, the common cold is the most frequent, and most severe, illness. The proportion of children immunized in the U.S. has fallen during some portions of the last two decades.

Although physical illness is typically a minor problem during the preschool years, more children are being treated for emotional disorders

Brain Growth  Brain connections increase in strength at a faster rate than any other part of the body! By age 3, children's brains weigh 90 % of average adult brain weight. Brain growth is so rapid because of the increase in the number of interconnections among cells, and the increase in myelin (the protective insulation that surrounds parts of neurons).

The 2 halves of the brain begin to become more differentiated and specialized The left hemisphere focuses on verbal competence (speaking, thinking), and considers information sequentially (focus on parts). The right hemisphere concentrates on nonverbal areas (spatial relations, music, emotional expression), and considers information more globally (focus on wholes).

Cognitive Development Give them materials to see and experience concepts. Ex. Apple Hands-on activities for active involvement in their learning. Ex. Water play – measurement, volume, sink/float, evaporation, etc. Many and varied experiences. Ex. Indoor/Outdoor play Modeling appropriate tasks and behaviors. Print-rich environment. Label everything!! Allowed periods of uninterrupted time to engage in self-chosen tasks.

Language Development Infants and toddlers – holophrases, ex. “Milk!” One Year – two or more words Second Year – about 275 words! Telegraphic speech – “Amy go” Third Year – Add helping verbs and negatives, ex. “No Touch!” or “I don’t want milk!” Fourth and Fifth Year – Complete their sentences using laws of grammar.

Motor Development in the Preschool Years (ages 3—5) Both gross and fine motor skills become increasingly fine-tuned during this age. Preschoolers' level of activity is extraordinarily high. According to research, the activity level at age 3 is higher than at any other point in the lifespan!

(Motor Development in the Preschool Years continued)  Girls and boys differ in certain aspects of motor development. Boys, because of increased muscle strength, tend to be somewhat stronger. Girls tend to surpass boys in tasks of dexterity or those involving the coordination of limbs.

Some major gross motor skills in early childhood Hopping Skipping Running Throwing

Fine Motor Skills are also developing during this period Using utensils to eat Cutting things with scissors Tying shoelaces Drawing shapes Puzzles Require much more practice than gross motor skills!

A final component of motor development: Handedness Preference begins in infancy, but more finalized in the preschool years Most preschool children show a clear preference for the use of one hand over another - the development of HANDEDNESS.

(Handedness Continued) 90 % of preschoolers are right- handed more boys than girls are left-handed (so there IS a gender difference) There is no scientific basis for myths that suggest there is something wrong with being left-handed.