CHAPTER 8 Early Childhood: Physical Development. Learning Outcomes LO1 Describe patterns of growth in early childhood. LO2 Describe development of motor

CHAPTER 8

Early Childhood:

Physical Development

Learning Outcomes

LO1 Describe patterns of growth in early childhood.

LO2 Describe development of motor skills in early childhood, including drawing and handedness.

LO3 Describe nutritional needs in early childhood.

LO4 Describe health problems in early childhood, focusing on minor and major illness and on accidents.

LO5 Describe sleep patterns and sleep disorders of early childhood.

LO6 Describe elimination disorders, including their origins and possible treatment.

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TRUTH OR FICTION?

• T-F Some children are left-brained, and others are right-brained.

• T-F A disproportionately high percentage of math whizzes are left-handed.

• T-F Some diseases are normal.• T-F It is dangerous to awaken a sleepwalker.• T-F Competent parents toilet train their children

by their second birthday.

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LO1 Growth Patterns


Growth Patterns

• Early Childhood / Preschool Years– Ages 2 - 6 years– Physical growth becomes slower– Children become leaner and taller

• Both boys & girls grow about 2-3 inches per year• And gain about 4 - 6 lbs per year• Boys overall tend to become slightly taller and heavier.• Both begin to look more like smaller adults than infants.

– Motor skills develop• Becoming stronger, faster, and better coordinated

Figure 8.1 – Growth Curves for Height and Weight, Ages 2 to 6 Years

Development of the Brain

• The Brain grows faster than rest of body during the Early Developmental Years.– Age 2 years: brain is 75% adult weight– Age 5 years: brain is 90% adult weight

• Body weight is only about 1/3 that of adult size.

– Increase in brain size due to:• Continuing myelination of nerve

fibers• Facilitating development of

fine motor skills, balance, and coordination

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• The Brain grows faster than rest of body during the Early Developmental Years.– Visual skills are also facilitated by brain development.

• Enables learning to read• By ages 4-7 most children experience increase in ability to

focus on schoolwork.


• Right-Brain * Left-Brain– Left Hemisphere functions

• Logical analysis, problem-solving, language, computation

– Right Hemisphere functions• Usually superior in visual/spatial functions, aesthetic and

emotional responses, and understanding metaphors

– But brain functions are not completely separated as to hemisphere.• Children are neither Right-Brained nor Left-Brained

– The functions of both hemispheres overlap via the corpus callosum (the nerve fibers connecting the hemispheres).


• Plasticity of the Brain– Refers to the ability to compensate for injuries to the

brain– Plasticity is greatest about age 2 years then gradually

declines– “Sprouting” (growth of new dendrites) and redundancy of

neural connections enable plasticity– If adults suffer damage causing loss of speech, they may

not recover it, but preschoolers may regain functions.

LO2 Motor Development


Motor Development

• Gross Motor Skills– Involve the large muscles used in locomotion

• Preschoolers average 25 hrs a week in large muscle activity

• Motor activity slows after age 2-3– Acquired through self-teaching and observing other

children• Imitation of peers more important than adult instruction at

this age.• Rough-and-Tumble play helps develop physical and

social skills.– Boys and girls are similar

• Boys show advantage in throwing and kicking.• Girls better at balance and precision.

Motor Development

• Gross Motor Skills, con’t– Individual differences larger than sex differences

• Children who have physically active parents are more active also.

• Twin studies also point to a genetic tendency for activity levels.

– Experiences in infancy seem to have effect of development of advancing motor skills.

• Early crawlers do better in early childhood motor skills development.

Table 8.1 – Development of Gross Motor Skills in Early Childhood

Motor Development

• Fine Motor Skills– Involve the small muscles used in manipulation and

coordination• Control of wrists and fingers enable learning:

– To hold a pencil– Dress themselves– Stack blocks– Tie shoelaces – Use zippers

Table 8.2 – Development of Fine Motor Skills in Early Childhood

Note: The ages are averages; there are individual variations.

Motor Development

• Children’s Drawings– Development of drawing linked to motor and cognitive

skills• Age 2: scribbling begins

– The building blocks of art– 20 basic scribbles such as:

» Vertical » Horizontal» Diagonal» Circular, curving, waving» Zigzagging lines» Dots» Etc.

Figure 8.2 – The Twenty Basic Scribbles

Motor Development

• Children’s Drawings, con’t.– Four Stages:

• Placement– 2 yr olds scribble in various

locations on a page.• Shape

– 3 yr olds begin using basic shapes: circles, squares, triangles, etc

• Design– As soon as they master shapes, they begin to combine them

into designs.• Pictorial

– 4-5 yr olds begin to develop designs to resemble recognizable objects.

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Motor Development

• Children’s Drawings, con’t.– Overall:

• Early drawing tends to be symbolic of broad categories rather than specific themes.

• Between 3-5 they are more likely to draw first and name after.

• After 5 become able to draw object they have in mind.• Also increase skills at copying figures

Figure 8.3 – Four Stages in Children’s Drawings

Motor Development

• Handedness– Hand preference

• Genetic Component– Both parents Right-Handed: 92% chance child will be

also– Both parents Left-Handed: 50% chance child will be

also• Early establishment

– 2-3 months infants will hold items longer in one hand than the other

– By 4 months will show a clear preference– 7-11 months grasping with one hand or the other

increases

Motor Development

• Handedness, con’t.– Left-handedness: once seen as a deficiency

• Disadvantages– Appears to be connected by language problems (dyslexia

and stuttering)– Also health problems (high blood pressure and epilepsy)– And psychological disorders (schizophrenia and

depression) • Advantages

– A disproportionately high percentage of math whizzes are left-handed (20% of highest scoring 12-13 yr olds taking SAT)

– Left-handed and ambidextrous people seem to have more success at athletic sports involving hand use (handball, fencing, boxing, etc.

– Plus higher frequencies of left-handed people are found among (musicians, architects, and artists)

LO3 Nutrition


Nutrition

• Caloric Needs– 4-6 year olds increase caloric needs to approx. 1,400

calories a day (opposed to about 1,000-1,300 at 1-3 yrs)– During 2nd - 3rd years appetite becomes erratic

• Taste Preferences– Early preference for sugar and salt increases with

exposure.• Many children eat too much sugar and salt.• Parents serve as role models and should encourage

eating healthy vegetables and fruits.– Beginning with tiny amounts 8-10 times a week to

familiarize tastes to child

LO4 Health and Illness


Health & Illness

• Minor Illness– Typically: colds, stomach upsets, and diarrhea– Most illnesses in children are minor.– Most children experience minor illnesses.

• These are considered “normal” childhood illnesses.• Usually last a few days or less; not life threatening• Ages 1-3 years: average 8-9 a year• By ages 4-6 years: average drops to 4-6 a year• Exposure can lead to creation of antibodies that help

prevent the illnesses in adulthood when they can be more serious.

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Health & Illness• Major Illness

– Chronic Illnesses• Arthritis; Diabetes; Cerebral Palsy; Cystic Fibrosis• Approx. 1/3 or 20 million children under 18 yrs suffer from

a chronic illness– Major Illnesses

• Rubella (German Measles); Tetanus; Mumps; Whooping Cough; Diphtheria; Polio; Pneumonia; Tuberculosis

• In U.S. and other Industrialized Countries– Dramatically reduced due to widespread immunizations and

development of antibiotics and other medications– Lead poisoning found in paint and water pipes can cause

neurological damage in early childhood. • In Developing Nations

– 8-9 million children die from major illnesses.– Air pollution causing respiratory infections: 1 death in 5 in

children under 5 yrs– Diarrhea kills nearly 2 million due to unsafe water, poor

sanitation, and hygiene.

Health & Illness• Accidents

– Cause more deaths in early childhood than the next 6 most frequent causes combined

– Motor Vehicle Accidents: single most common cause of death in early childhood

– Ratio by Sex:• Boys most likely regardless of SES

– By Socioeconomic Status (SES):• Poor children are 2 times more likely to die in vehicular

accidents.• Poor children 5 times more likely to die from fires.• High incidence attributed to living in dangerous housing

and neighborhoods.

LO5 Sleep


Sleep

• Normal Sleep– Hours

• Preschoolers: 10-11 hours per 24 hr period– Pattern

• 9-10 hrs per night + 1-2 hours napping during day– Routine

• Typically includes: putting on PJs, brushing teeth, and being read a story

• Many youngsters also take a “transitional object” (favorite blanket or stuffed animal) to bed with them.

– Resistance• Many children typically resist going to bed and/or to sleep.• Can be a problem for preschoolers since they tend to not

make-up lost sleep

Table 8.3 Sleep Obtained by Children during a 24-Hour Period

Sleep

• Sleep Disorders– Sleep Terrors

• Usually begin in early childhood or early adolescence but are outgrown by late adolescence

• Sometimes associated with stress (moving, divorce, etc.)• Occur during deep sleep• Symptoms include sudden awakening accompanied by

high heart and respiration rates, incoherent talking, and thrashing about

• Recovery includes child falling back to a more restful sleep• If persistent or very severe, seek profession guidance.

Sleep

• Sleep Disorders, con’t.– Sleep Walking: Somnambulism

• Onset between ages 3-8 years• Behaviors include going to bathroom, getting food from

refrigerator, arranging toys, etc. and then returning to bed• Cause:

– Reflects immaturity of nervous system• Myths: (all false)

– Their eyes are closed; they will naturally avoid harm; they will become violent if awakened during an episode

LO6 Elimination Disorders


Elimination Disorders

• Toilet Training– The process by which parents teach children to inhibit

reflexive elimination of waste products.– Child’s maturity plays critical role in successful training.– Most U.S. children are toilet trained by age 3-4 years.


• Enuresis– Failure to control the bladder– Classified as disorder if wetting is still evident at least

twice a month past age 5-6 years– Night time occurrences: bed-wetting is more difficult to

control• 8-10% of children: 2 times more common in boys• Occurs during deep sleep cycles

– Causes• Organic: immaturity of motor cortex in brain

– Outcomes• Usually outgrow problems by age 8 and almost always by

teens


Tips to Stop Bed-Wetting1. Limit fluid intake late in day

2. Wake child during the night

3. Try a night-light

4. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule

5. Use a “sandwich” bed

6. Have the child help clean up

7. Reward the child’s successes

8. Show a positive attitude

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• Encopresis– Lack of control over the bowels– More common among boys– 1-2% of children age 7-8 experience continuing

problems with bowel control.– Unlike bed-wetting more common at night, encopresis

is more likely to occur during day– Causes:

• Physical: chronic constipation• Psychological: following harsh punishment of toileting

accidents especially in stressed/anxious children

Documents

CHAPTER 8 Early Childhood: Physical Development. Learning Outcomes LO1 Describe patterns of growth in early childhood. LO2 Describe development of motor