Physical Development

A Changing Body and Brain

• Add 2-3 inches• 5 pounds• Average 5 yr. old N.

American boy is 43 inches tall & weighs 42 pounds

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Skeletal Growth

• Epiphyses-growth centers in which cartilage has hardened into bone

• Between ages 2-6 approximately 45• Skeletal age• Baby teeth

– Genetic– Malnutrition/ Obesity– Diseased– Tobacco

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Brain Development

• 70%-90%• High energy need• Preschooler skills• Frontal-lobe, Left vs. Right hemisphere• Dominant cerebral hemisphere

– Handedness: 90% vs. 10%– Reasons

Brain Development

• Cerebellum• Reticular formation• Hippocampus• Corpus Callosum

Cerebellum

• Located at the rear and base of the brain• Aids in balance and control of body

movement– Fibers– Thinking– Damaged

Reticular Formation

• A structure in the brain stem that maintains alertness and consciousness– Synapses– Generated neurons

Hippocampus

• An inner brain structure• Vital to memory and images of space

– Dramatic gains in memory and spatial understanding

Corpus Callosum

• A large bundle of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres

• Smooth coordination of movements– The more complex the tasks, the more

essential communication is between the hemispheres

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Influences on Physical Health and Growth

• Heredity and Hormones• Emotional Well-Being• Nutrition• Infectious Disease

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Heredity and Hormones

• Genes• Pituitary Gland

– Growth Hormone (GH)– Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

Emotional Well-Being

• Cohen & Herbert, Kemeney• Psychosocial dwarfism

– Is it permanent?

Nutrition

• Preschooler’s appetites• Smaller amounts• Adults & peers• Bribes• High Quality Food

– Iron– Calcium– Vitamin A & Vitamin C– ½ to 1 inch shorter

Infectious Disease

• And Malnutrition– Industrialized vs. Developing

• Vicious Spiral– Diarrhea– Humanitarian Help

Immunization

• 23%-26%– vs. 10% Denmark and Norway– vs. 7% Canada, Great Britain, and the

Netherlands

• Media• Outbreaks

Childhood Injuries

• Unintentional injuries– 35%, 50%– Drowning, burns

• What’s the leading cause of death among children older than 1yrs?

• Accidents or preventable occurrences– Temperamental and personality characteristics– Developing countries– Other factors

Preventing Childhood Injuries

• Many causes= Variety of Approaches– Laws– Modify physical environments– Parent interventions

Motor Development

• Gross-Motor Development

• Fine-Motor Development

Gross-Motor Development

• Bodies become more streamlined– Their center of gravity shifts downward

• Normal progression– Age 2 thru the end of preschool years

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Fine-Motor Development

• Self-Help Skills– Gradual progression– Shoe tying (age 6)

• Drawing– Realization– Progression sequence: Scribbles, 1st representational

forms, More realistic drawing– Cultural variations

• Early Printing– Between 4 and 6

Individual Differences

• Tall vs. Short• Boys vs. Girls-Social or Genetic• Overall social climate

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Information Processing• Mental Strategies• Attention

– Inhibition– Vygotsky’s– Planning

• Memory– Recognition vs. Recall– Familiar events vs. One-time events

• Theory of Mind/Metacognition• Childhood Literacy & Mathematics

• Mathematical Reasoning22

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Language Development

• Vocabulary• Grammar• Conversation & Support

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Vocabulary

• Fast-mapping• Types of Words• How?

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Grammar

Basic

Over-regularization

Complex

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Conversation & Support

• Pragmatics• Interaction• Recasts & Expansions

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