CHAPTER 4: EARLY CHILDHOOD:
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
GENERAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
Height & weight = Increases and baby fat is lost.
Physical proportions = Start to resemble a young child.
Muscle & bone growth = Many of the changes in the child’s body are caused by muscle and
bone growth. It can be promoted by activities such as running, jumping, handling of object.
Teeth = Baby teeth are replaced by the end of the preschool years.
Brain Development = At the age of 3, the brain is already 75% of the adult brain weight and by
age 5 it is approximately 90%.
-The frontal lobes develop rapidly,
-Language skills expand.
-Alertness, consciousness, balance and motor control are also enhanced.
-The possibility of plasticity is still high. (One area of the brain taking over the function of
another area due to damage)
Perceptual Development = Rapid improvement in the ability to distinguish detail.
-Figure-ground perception improves rapidly between 4 & 6. (Object on which the focus
is on and the rest of the perceptual field.
-Able to distinguish between different letters by 6.
-Consistently label colours correctly at age 4.
-Young children tend to be farsighted as the eyeball hasn’t fully developed yet.
-Auditory acuity takes place at around 2/3 years old. (Able to hear soft sounds as well as
adults do)
-Ability to distinguish between sounds of different intensities is nearly as good as that of
adults at age 5.
Motor Development = There are 3 kinds of motor skills that are important during preschool
years.
, -Gross Motor Skills: Involves the use of large muscles (running, climbing, jumping, riding
a bike, etc.)
-They enjoy such activities and will repeat them over and over (high activity
levels)
-Fine Motor Skills: Use of small muscles in the hands and fingers (writing, cutting with
scissors, painting, etc.)
-Develops slower than gross motor skills.
-Bilateral Coordination: The coordination of the right and left halves of the body (hold
pencil in one hand and the paper with the other)
-Hand preference is clear by age 5.
INFLUENCES ON PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
A. Hereditary & Hormones:
-Physical size and growth rate are related to those of their parents.
-Genes play a role in hormone release.
-The pituitary gland = Releases 2 hormones that influence growth.
-The growth hormone (GH) = necessary for the development of body tissue.
-Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) = Releases thyroxin which is necessary for
the normal development of the nerve cells for the brain and for GH to have it’s
full impact.
, B. Nutrition:
-Nutrition is optimal to physical and psychological growth.
-Malnutrition = A lowered resistance to infection & death (Not eating the right foods)
-Undernourishment = Impair cognitive functions (Not eating enough food)
-Obesity = Excessive body fat.
-Physical consequences = gastrointestinal / endocrine / neurological
-Psychological consequences = low self esteem / lack of confidence / depression.
C. Emotional Well-Being:
-Environmental factors also influence the physical growth of the child.
-Such as divorce of the parents, marital conflict in the home, poverty, parent’s unemployment.
-The resulting stress will have an effect on the child.
-Stress may influence the functioning of the pituitary gland.
-Stress influences the digestion process and has an effect on the secretion of digestive
juices.
-Stress influences the immune system.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT & THE MEDIA:
Criticisms of children’s TV watching:
Displaced-Time View: It takes time away from other activities that are more beneficial.
Passivity View: Habitual inactivity may result.
Shallow- Information Processing: Quick, short segments lead to shorter attention span/
focus.
Visual-Iconic View: Promotes visual processing instead of verbal processing which can
lead to a lowered ability to imagine.
Research:
-What children watch is more important than what they watch.
-Educational programs can actually be very good for children.
-Other media (PlayStation/YouTube) has the same effects as TV.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
GENERAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
Height & weight = Increases and baby fat is lost.
Physical proportions = Start to resemble a young child.
Muscle & bone growth = Many of the changes in the child’s body are caused by muscle and
bone growth. It can be promoted by activities such as running, jumping, handling of object.
Teeth = Baby teeth are replaced by the end of the preschool years.
Brain Development = At the age of 3, the brain is already 75% of the adult brain weight and by
age 5 it is approximately 90%.
-The frontal lobes develop rapidly,
-Language skills expand.
-Alertness, consciousness, balance and motor control are also enhanced.
-The possibility of plasticity is still high. (One area of the brain taking over the function of
another area due to damage)
Perceptual Development = Rapid improvement in the ability to distinguish detail.
-Figure-ground perception improves rapidly between 4 & 6. (Object on which the focus
is on and the rest of the perceptual field.
-Able to distinguish between different letters by 6.
-Consistently label colours correctly at age 4.
-Young children tend to be farsighted as the eyeball hasn’t fully developed yet.
-Auditory acuity takes place at around 2/3 years old. (Able to hear soft sounds as well as
adults do)
-Ability to distinguish between sounds of different intensities is nearly as good as that of
adults at age 5.
Motor Development = There are 3 kinds of motor skills that are important during preschool
years.
, -Gross Motor Skills: Involves the use of large muscles (running, climbing, jumping, riding
a bike, etc.)
-They enjoy such activities and will repeat them over and over (high activity
levels)
-Fine Motor Skills: Use of small muscles in the hands and fingers (writing, cutting with
scissors, painting, etc.)
-Develops slower than gross motor skills.
-Bilateral Coordination: The coordination of the right and left halves of the body (hold
pencil in one hand and the paper with the other)
-Hand preference is clear by age 5.
INFLUENCES ON PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT:
A. Hereditary & Hormones:
-Physical size and growth rate are related to those of their parents.
-Genes play a role in hormone release.
-The pituitary gland = Releases 2 hormones that influence growth.
-The growth hormone (GH) = necessary for the development of body tissue.
-Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) = Releases thyroxin which is necessary for
the normal development of the nerve cells for the brain and for GH to have it’s
full impact.
, B. Nutrition:
-Nutrition is optimal to physical and psychological growth.
-Malnutrition = A lowered resistance to infection & death (Not eating the right foods)
-Undernourishment = Impair cognitive functions (Not eating enough food)
-Obesity = Excessive body fat.
-Physical consequences = gastrointestinal / endocrine / neurological
-Psychological consequences = low self esteem / lack of confidence / depression.
C. Emotional Well-Being:
-Environmental factors also influence the physical growth of the child.
-Such as divorce of the parents, marital conflict in the home, poverty, parent’s unemployment.
-The resulting stress will have an effect on the child.
-Stress may influence the functioning of the pituitary gland.
-Stress influences the digestion process and has an effect on the secretion of digestive
juices.
-Stress influences the immune system.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT & THE MEDIA:
Criticisms of children’s TV watching:
Displaced-Time View: It takes time away from other activities that are more beneficial.
Passivity View: Habitual inactivity may result.
Shallow- Information Processing: Quick, short segments lead to shorter attention span/
focus.
Visual-Iconic View: Promotes visual processing instead of verbal processing which can
lead to a lowered ability to imagine.
Research:
-What children watch is more important than what they watch.
-Educational programs can actually be very good for children.
-Other media (PlayStation/YouTube) has the same effects as TV.
