1. Chapter 14 Physical Growth and Development from 4-6
14.2 Providing Care for Children from 4-6

2. Height and Weight Slightly slower compared to ages 1-3
Average yearly increase in height is 2 ½ to 3 inches
Gain about 4-5 pounds
Smaller or larger gains are common
Boys tend to be slightly taller and heavier than girls

3. Average heights and weights
Years
Height (inches)
Weight (pounds) 4
40.7
36.0 5
43.5
40.5 6
46.0
45.0

4. Teamwork Activity Divide into 4 groups
Measure the height of each person and calculate the group’s average height and range
How do the averages and ranges compare?
Group
Avg Ht
Ht Range 1 2 3 4

5. Proportion and Posture
Body becomes straighter and slimmer between 4th and 7th birthday
Abdomen flattens
Shoulders widen
Chest broadens and flattens
Neck becomes longer
Legs lengthen rapidly, grow straighter and firmer
Balance and coordination improve

6. Think about it
How might caregivers treat a child who is much taller or shorter than average?
How could this affect the child?
What can caregivers do to prevent this problem?

7. Teeth Begin to lose primary teeth around age 6
32 permanent teeth replace primary teeth
First permanent teeth to arrive are “6 year old molars” or “first molars”
2 upper, 2 lower, back of the 20 primary teeth
Act as a lock to keep other teeth in place
Primary teeth are lost in the order they came in

8. Teeth

9. Thumb Sucking 4-6 will continue to suck their thumb
Way to handle tension or comfort themselves
Forcing a child to quit can cause more problems than the habit itself
Usually stop on their own

10. Motor Skills Large and small improve significantly
Love physical activity, very energetic
Learn to throw and catch large and small balls at age 4
Improved speed and coordination by age 5
Movements are smoothly coordinated by age 6

11. Continued
4 and 5 year olds show improved dexterity, improved hand-eye coordination
Children need plenty of opportunities for skill development
Time and space to run, jump, climb for large motor skills
Color, paint, cutting, and writing for small motor skills
Children with well developed small motor skills find learning to read to and write easier

12. How Motor Skills Develop
Age
Small Motor Skills
*Large Motor Skills 4
*lace shoes
*dress and undress self
*cuts on line with scissors
*gallops and hops
*jumps forward as well as in place
*throws overhand with body control 5
*ties shoelaces
*draws recognizable person
*skillfully picks up very small items
*buttons, snaps and zips clothing
*Stands and balances on tiptoes for short period and skips, alternating feet 6
*Build block towers to shoulder height
*Cuts, pastes, molds, and colors skillfully
*Writes entire words
*Throws and catches ball with more ease and accuracy
*Rides a bicycle

13. Tie It Up How would you teach a 5 year old to tie shoelaces?
Make a simple chart and give a visual demonstration of the steps you would use. Make sure your verbal explanation can be understood by a child during the demonstration. Write your verbal explanation with your chart and turn in. You may work with one partner.

14. Hand Preference
What inconveniences might a left-handed person face in a right-handed world?

15. Hand Preference Consistently use the same hand by age 5
Becomes the most skillful
Ambidextrous- use both hands with equal skill
Research still unclear on how hand preference develops
What do you think?

16. Hand Preference Write the following sentence on a sheet of paper:
Mrs. Yarbrough is the best teacher I have ever had.
Now write the same sentence with the opposite hand!
What was the experience like? How did it make you feel? What correlations can you make between writing with your opposite hand and a child learning to write?

17. 14.2 Providing Care for Children from 4-6

18. Feeding
Nutritious foods supply energy needed for growth, learning, and activity
The amount of food needed depends on height, weight, and physical activity
Eating 5-6 small meals and snacks a day rather than 3 can do better for children because they provide a constant level of energy and their stomachs are small

19. Poor Nutrition
Poor nutrition- not getting the key nutrients needed through food
Causes of poor nutrition
Lack of money
Caregiver do not understand the need for good nutrition
Setting an example with poor eating habits
Allowed to choose their own food

20. What are some places that sell prepared food that children can eat?
What makes them popular?
What types of food are available?
Do they provide good nutrition, how can it be improved?

21. Negative Effects of Poor Nutrition
Less resistance to colds and illness
Growth can be limited
Learning can be difficult because they are tired and easily distracted

22. Weight Problems Can look chunky or slim and still be healthy
Doctor or dietitian can determine if there is a weight problem
Can decide what eating and activity changes need to be made
What works for adults may not be appropriate for children

23. Continued
When a child consistently consumes more calories than the body uses, the extra calories are stored as fat
A child who is underweight is not eating enough food to supply energy needs
Overweight and underweight result from long term eating habits
Depends not only on quantity, but quality as well
Eating healthy and physical activity go together

24. Promoting Health
Create a poster that promotes and shows some type of physical activity that children ages 4-6 would participate in.
Imagine that the poster will hang up inside a gym, PE classroom, childcare center, or after school program.
The design should be eye catching, colorful, and appeal to ages 4-6.

25. Teaching Children About Nutrition
Nutrition lessons learned between 4-6 will stay with children through life
Children make nutrition decisions on their own when they attend school

26. Nutrition at Home Help grocery shop and put away groceries
Help care for a garden
Wash fruits and vegetables
Help with simple cooking tasks
Makes them feel proud of their contributions
Positive time working with caregiver
Improve small motor skills

27. Nutrition at School Eat lunch from home or one from school
What they are given to eat and what they actually eat can be different
Traded or thrown away

28. How to Help Pack a Lunch Let them choose their own lunch box
Send different foods each day
Make foods easy to eat
Finger foods are convenient
Sandwiches can get boring
Sweets don’t have to be “sugary” foods
Surprise such as a note or special treat

29. Design a Healthy Lunch
Create a lunch that you would pack for your 5-6 year old child.
The lunch should demonstrate balanced nutrition, be colorful, have a variety of shapes and textures, and be easy to eat.
Decorate your lunch bag to make it appealing to the child. What else can you add to make it special?

30. Teaching Self-Care Skills
Keeping clean, dressing themselves, and caring for clothes increasingly improves

31. Washing and Bathing Bathing has lost its “fun” by this age
Set up and maintain a hygiene routine
Behavior will become more accepted
Need praise to continue with tasks
Find ways to make it fun

32. Brushing Teeth Should develop into a routine
Instruct how to effectively brush and floss teeth
Tooth decay is a concern because permanent teeth are coming in
Dentist might recommend sealants- thin plastic coatings that prevent plaque from developing
Use a toothpaste with fluoride- strengthens the outer coating of the teeth

33. Basic Rules of Cleanliness

34. Dressing and Choosing Clothes
Can easily dress themselves
Have difficulty in matching clothes
Can help select coordinating outfits and store them together
Comfort, durability, and economy are guidelines for choosing clothes

35. Continued Two other factors in selecting clothes:
Definite likes and dislikes
Can become attached to a favorite garment
Group identification- a feeling of belonging
Desire to wear clothes that are popular with others

36. Caring for Clothes
Once they begin to care about what they wear, they will want to care for their clothes
They can fold and hang up clothes
Put dirty items in a certain place
Make sure storage is within reach to put clothes away
Helps increase independence and responsibility

37. Sleeping Afternoon naps no longer exist
Generally more cooperative about going to bed
Usually do not use a lot of delaying tactics
Might still want a bedtime story
Helps develop an interest in reading

38. Toileting Few accidents
If accidents do occur, the child is usually concentrating fully on an activity
Might be in a new place and scared to ask where the bathroom is
Sickness can lead to accidents
Persistent problems should be checked by a doctor

39. Steps to Minimize Accidents
Have the child go to the bathroom before leaving home
Help the child find the bathroom at a new place
Keep an extra outfit available in case an accident does happen

40. Nightly Self-Care Routine
Develop a plan for your child’s nightly routine
It can include self-care skills and some skills that require parental help
Make it attractive so that you would hang it in your child’s room