Physical Development from One to Three Chapter 10-1

Toddlers to Preschoolers After the fast pace of the first year of life, physical growth slows somewhat but children’s skills improve dramatically between their first and fourth birthdays. Need lots of space and room to move around so they can exercise their muscles and use their stored up energy. Preschoolers refers to children age 3 - 5 years old. Children at this age are very steady on their feet and can also run, jump, and skip. Toddlers refers to children one and two years old. Unsteady on their feet at first.

Growth from One to Three Height and weight Weight – gain less than half the average weight they did during the first year. Height - slows by half. A doctor will use a growth chart to judge whether a baby’s height and weight are increasing at a healthy pace. Heredity and environment influence the rate at which children grow in height and weight. These size differences will continue through life. Ex: A tall two year old often grows to be a tall adult.

Growth from One to Three Proportion and Posture Changes in physical proportion allow posture to improve. Up until age two, the circumference (measurements around) of a child’s head, abdomen and chest are about the same. However, this slowly changes and the chest becomes larger around, causing them to stand straighter. These changes in proportion allow a child’s balance and motor skills to rapidly improve.

Growth from One to Three Teeth Form before birth Diet and heredity affect the quality of a child’s teeth. Children begin going to the dentist around this age. Discuss: How does the prenatal health of the mother affect the child’s baby teeth? What does she need to eat to help them develop?

Baby Tooth Decay

Motor Development - Age One to Three The three patterns of development are evident in this age span. When you compare the skills of children age one to age three, you can see major differences. Developmentally Appropriate Activities that keep in mind developmental milestones of children. i.e. a one and a half year old can grasp a crayon with a fist and scribble.

Motor Development - Age One to Three At this time, toddlers are becoming increasingly autonomous (independent)! They are continually practicing their newly found skills and it is important for caregivers to help toddlers explore their world with the use of developmentally appropriate activities…..

“I can do it myself…” Answer the following questions. After, discuss & share your response with your partner…. Why do you think that at this age children want to help their caregivers with tasks? What are some ways caregivers can help children do this?

Gross Motor Skills Skills that control the large muscles of the back, legs, shoulders and arms. Skills such as walking, climbing stairs and kicking a ball. These skills give a child freedom and a sense of independence.

Fine Motor Skills Skills that control small fingers of the hands, and feet. Skills such as picking up small objects, self-feeding, and throwing a ball.

Promoting Motor Development Motor Skill Development is a primary goal for toddlers! Look over the list of age-appropriate motor skills on page 315. Create 2 different activities for toddlers to engage in. 1 activity should promote gross motor skill development 1 activity should promote fine motor skill development Explain how each can benefit each type of development

Motor Skills, cont. Dexterity - the skillful use of the hands and fingers. Usually after the age of two, children show some preference to right handedness or left. Hand-eye coordination improves at this age - The ability to move hands in relation to what they see. Both of these allow child to further explore their world.

Sensory Integration Senses grow as children grow Gives them greater awareness of environment Sensory integration- brain combines information taken in through senses to make a whole

Safety… What do caregivers need to do in order to make sure the environment is safe? Do you remember an event from your childhood where safety played a large role (positively or negatively) Ex: Touching stovetop