in early childhood
physical development:
•growth rate slows in early childhood but still most obvious
physical change
•2-3 inches per year, 5-7 pounds per year
•girls slightly smaller and lighter
•heads are still somewhat large
•body fat... slow steady decline
- girls more fatty tissue boys more muscle tissue
- increased posture and balance
the brain
•maturation combined with opportunities for experience ass to
emerging cognitive abilities
- increased myelination and synaptogenesis
- synaptic blooming and pruning continues
- by age 2, 70 to 75 % of adults brain weight
- by age 6 90%+
•cerebellum - advanced myelination leads to improve posture
balance coordination and overall gross motor proficiency
•reticular formation - network of nerves cells scattered
throughout the brain stem
- improvements in attention concentration alertness
consciousness, etc.
increased myelination and synaptogenesis
•corpus callosum - large bundle of fibers connecting the two
hemispheres
- increased myelination facilitates thinking efficiency and info
processing between hemispheres