The Growing BodyThe Growing BrainMotor Development

Looking Ahead

Physical Growth Growing Body By age 2, 25 to 30 pounds and close to 36 inches tall By 6 years old, about 46 pounds and 46 inches tall

Individual Differences in Height and Weight Averages mask great individual differences in height and weight Gender differences National and global economic differences

Changes in Body Shape and Structure Bodies vary in height, weight, and shape Toddler fat burns off Internal physical changes occur

Gaining Height and Weight

Nutrition: Eating the Right Foods Slower growth = lower caloric requirements Children can maintain appropriate intake of food if provided with nutritious meals. Inappropriate encouragement to increase food intake beyond an appropriate level may cause obesity. Encouraging children to eat more than they seem to want naturally may lead them to increase their food intake beyond an appropriate level.

Health and Illness 7 to 10 colds and other minor respiratory illnesses each of year between ages three and five Runny nose due to common cold is most frequent Majority of US preschoolers are reasonably healthy

Injury During the Preschool Years Accidents are greatest risk. Danger of injuries –High levels of physical activity –Curiosity –Lack of judgment Individual differences –Gender –Cultural –Socioeconomic The danger of injuries during the preschool years is in part a result of children’s high levels of physical activity. It is important to take protective measures to reduce the hazards.

Silent Danger: Lead Poisoning Some 14 million children are at risk for lead poisoning (Centers for Disease Control). U.S. DHHS calls lead poisoning most hazardous health threat to children under the age of 6. High levels of lead are linked to higher levels of antisocial behavior in school age children. Aggression Delinquency

The preschool period is marked by steady physical growth and rapid advances in physical ability. Preschoolers tend to eat less than they did as babies, but generally regulate their food intake appropriately, given nutritious options and the freedom to develop their own choices and controls.

The preschool period is generally the healthiest time of life, with only minor illnesses threatening children. Accidents and environmental hazards are the greatest threats.

During the preschool years, boys on the average start becoming taller and heavier than girls. True False

Which of the following suggestions is NOT recommended for preventing obesity in children? a. Provide food that is high in nutritional value. b. Make sure meals are low in fat. c. Ensure a consistent diet with little variety. d. Allow children to develop their own food preferences.

Which of the following benefits was NOT included in the discussion of minor illnesses in preschoolers? a. Prevents the development of empathy b. Builds up immunities c. Permits children to understand their bodies d. Helps children develop coping skills

What are some ways that increased understanding of issues relating to the physical development of preschoolers might help parents and caregivers in their care of children? Do you think the fact that preschool boys are more risk-prone than girls is genetic, environmental, or both? Why?

Growing Brain Brain grows at faster rate than any other part of the body. Increase in interconnections among cells and myelin Corpus callosum becomes thicker Lateralization improves

Left Hand, Right Hand This series of PET brain scans illustrates that activity in the right or left hemisphere of the brain differs according to the task in which a person is engaged. How might educators use this finding in their approach to teaching?

Ya gotta hand it to him…or her! Gender-related lateralization differences Boys –Greater lateralization of language in left hemisphere –Higher autism incidence (Baron-Cohen’s theory) OR Gender predisposition to functioning differences Girls –Language is more evenly divided between two hemispheres OR Verbal abilities emerge earlier in girls because girls receive greater encouragement for verbal skills than boys

Brain Growth and Cognitive Development Growth spurts Myelin increases Cerebellum and cerebral cortex connection growth According to one study, electrical activity in the brain has been linked to advances in cognitive abilities at various stages across he life span. In this graph, activity increases dramatically between ½ and 2 years, a period during which language rapidly develops. Source: Fischer, K. W., & Rose, S. P. (1995).

So…does brain development produce cognitive advances or do cognitive accomplishments fuel brain development?

In addition to physical growth, the preschool period is marked by rapid brain growth. The increase in myelin in the brain is particularly important for intellectual development. Among other changes, the brain develops lateralization, a tendency of the two hemispheres to adopt specialized tasks.

During the preschool years, the two halves of the brain become more specialized in a process called ______________. a. homogeneity b. myelination c. brain fusion d. lateralization

Language differences between male and female brains may not be just the product of genetics, but also the environment. For example, females may have better language skills because____________. a. their brains are different in size b. males are not equipped to learn language at the same pace as are females c. they listen to language more intently when in the womb d. they receive more encouragement for verbal skills than do males

Does brain growth cause cognitive development, or does cognitive development cause the brain to grow? Pick a side in this endless argument and defend it. What do you imagine thinking, planning, and reflection might be like if the two hemispheres of the brain could not communicate with each other (as is the case in some individuals with severe head injuries)?

Gross Motor Skills By the time they are 3, children have mastered a variety of skills Let’s take a closer look.

Gross Motor Skills in Early Childhood

The Potty Question: When—and How— Should Children Be Toilet Trained? Current guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest There is no single time to begin toilet training Training should begin only when children are physically and emotionally ready.

Keeping Preschoolers Healthy Eating well-balanced diet Exercising Getting enough sleep Avoiding contact with others who are ill Following appropriate schedule of immunizations

Fine Motor Skills

Handedness Preference by end of preschool years No scientific basis of myths that suggest there is something wrong with being left-handed

Gross and fine motor development advances rapidly during the preschool years. Boys’ and girls’ gross motor skills begin to diverge, with boys typically doing better at tasks requiring strength and girls doing better at tasks requiring coordination. Also during this period, children develop handedness—a decided preference for one hand over the other.

During the preschool years, there is significant pruning in the nerves connecting the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance and movement to the cerebral cortex, the structure responsible for sophisticated information processing. True False

In addition to changes in myelination, another reason that motor skills develop so rapidly during the preschool years is because children spend a great deal of time________. a. using mental imagery b. practicing them c. observing adults performing the same behaviors d. sleeping

To what extent do you think that gender differences in the development of gross motor skills are genetic versus environmental? If it could be shown that left-handers had a greater likelihood to be gifted than right- handers, would it make sense to train children to use their left hands for everyday tasks? Why?