P H Y S I C A L D E V E LOPM ENT O F T H E PRE -S CHOOLE R BODY GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT PRESCHOOL CHILDREN GROW MORE SLOWLY THAN TODDLERS MOST PRESCHOOL CHILDREN GROW STEADILY AT ABOUT 2 ½ INCHES TO 3 INCHES EACH YEAR BONES & TEETH BONES CONTNUE TO GROW LARGER AND LONGER BABY TEETH BEGIN TO FALL OUT BETWEEN AGES 4-5 , AND PERMANENT TEETH MAY NOT ERUPT UNTIL SCHOOL-AGE YEARS BONE AND TEETH DEVELOPMENT CAN BE HARMED BY MALNUTRITION AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS DURING PRESCHOOL YEARS.

ORGANS AS THE TRUNK OF THE BODY GROWS, MORE SPACE IS CREATED FOR INTERNAL ORGANS AND THE ABDOMEN PROTUDES LESS DIGESTIVE TRACT IS MATURING LESS RAPIDLY THAN OTHER ORGANS, AND IS MORE IRRITATED BY HIGH-FIBER FOODS AND SEASONINGS THAN THE ADULTS

F A T & M U S C L E T I S S U E S THE RATIO OF FAT OF MUSCLE TISSUE CONTINUES TO DECREASE SLOWLY. BOYS LOSE FAT MORE QUICKLY THEN GIRLS PRESCHOOLER’S ACTIVITY LEVEL AFFECTS MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT GROSS MOTOR DEVELOPMENT PRESCHOOLERS HAVE AN INCREASE IN MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOP MORE REFINED EYE-HAND COORDINATION

FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT PRESCHOOLERS ABLITY TO MANIPULATE, OR WORK WITH THEIR HANDS IS STILL AWKWARD. HOWEVER; AS THEY PLAY WITH SMALL OBJECTS THEIR FINE MOTOR SKILLS WILL IMPROVE AGE 3 MOST CHILDREN CAN FEED THEMSELVES USING A FORK AND SPOON, THOUGH THEY CAN STILL BE MESSY THEY CAN BUILD TOWERS FROM SMALL BLOCKS, BUT THE TOWERS ARE CROOKED DRAW STRAIGHT LINES AND COPY CIRCLES THEY CAN UNBUTTON BUTTONS AND PULL LARGE ZIPPERS

AGE 4 MOVEMENTS ARE STEADIER 4-YR OLDS MAY TRY TO USE KNIVES WHEN THEY FEED THEMSELVES THEY CAN BUILD STRAIGHT TOWERS THEY BEGIN TO CUT ALONG LINES WITH SCISSORS THESE CHILDREN CAN COMB THEIR HANDS AND WASH THEIR HANDS

AGE 5 EYE HAND COORDINATION IS GREATLY IMPROVED RIGHT OR LEFT HAND PREFERENCE IS DEFINITE THEY CAN MAKE SIMPLE DRAWINGS FREE HAND FASTEN BUTTONS AND WORK ZIPPERS, MIGHT BE ABLE TO TIE SHOELACES