P RESCHOOLERS

I NTELLECTUAL D EVELOPMENT Preschoolers find it hard to look at things from another person’s point of view. Their favorite question it “Why?” They need to understand before they are ready to believe.

I NTELLECTUAL D EVELOPMENT Preschoolers are most interested in their immediate surroundings and what is happening at the moment. 3-year-olds are intent upon finding out about the size and shape of everything, what purpose each thing serves, and how it works. They have the language skills to listen and the intellectual skills to understand. They are beginning to understand cause and effect.

I NTELLECTUAL D EVELOPMENT 3-year-olds have vivid imaginations. They are not always sure where reality ends and fantasy begins. 4-year-olds are aware of their growing abilities. They may even remind their parents they are not babies anymore. The line between fact and fiction is still hazy for 4-year-olds.

I NTELLECTUAL D EVELOPMENT 4-year-olds like to answer the telephone. They may pick up the phone even when it doesn’t ring and listen to the dial tone or dial numbers until they find someone to talk to. Time is a difficult concept for preschoolers to understand, many relate the word “yesterday” with any time in the past. 5-year-olds are ready to learn right and wrong. They understand that if they disobey rules they will be punished.

I NTELLECTUAL D EVELOPMENT Preschoolers are inquisitive, and they want to figure things out. Learning games during these years can provide valuable intellectual growth opportunities. This is also the age that they start attending school or childcare centers, this may be the first time that they experience spending time with adults other than their family members and the first time they spend time with their peers.

Q UESTION 1. What is a preschoolers favorite question?

L ANGUAGE D EVELOPMENT During the preschool period, children’s speaking vocabularies will grow from about 900 words to about 2200 words. Preschoolers use language to ask questions, talk about imaginary situations, and exchange ideas. Misinterpretations and misunderstandings are common among preschoolers because they are learning literal meanings of words and do not understand exaggerations or slang expressions. Stuttering may appear in some children’s speech patterns during the preschool years. Lisping may also occur because preschools still have difficulty pronouncing some sounds.

R EADING AND M ATH S KILLS A good way to enhance children’s language development and further their reading skills is to read to them. Reading to children gives parents opportunities to expand their children’s awareness and curiosity. Most preschoolers learn to recite numbers long before they can actually count.

Q UESTION 2. How much does a child’s vocabulary grow during the preschool years? 3. What 2 things might appear in a preschoolers speech?

E MOTIONAL AND S OCIAL D EVELOPMENT 3-year-olds usually have sunny and cooperative personalities. Their frustrations lessen as their physical skills improve. They make friends easily and prefer cooperative play. 4-year-olds are learning more about how to express their emotions verbally, which takes time and effort. They may feel moody or upset longer as they try to deal with their feelings. They are more independent and want to do things for themselves. They show an increased interest in friends, but a still bound to their homes and families.

E MOTIONAL AND S OCIAL D EVELOPMENT 5-year olds are more patient, generous, and conscientious. They continue to depend on parents for emotional support and approval They are very sociable and talkative. They seem to prefer friends their own age and gender. They are more respectable of playmates property, so there is less quarreling.

Q UESTION 4. At what specific age do preschoolers seem to be more moody? 5. At what specific age do preschoolers seem to be more generous?

D EVELOPING G ENDER R OLES By the end of the preschool period, most children have developed a clear sense of being male or female. They learn to distinguish a man from a woman, or a boy from a girl based on visual clues. They also begin to form their gender roles during the preschool period. A person’s gender role includes his or her behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs about men and women. They model their behavior and attitudes after those of their parents and family members.

T HE I MPORTANCE OF P LAY Children learn as they play and play as they learn. Children need to play, just as they need to eat and sleep. Preschoolers typically reveal alternate play behavior. They do something and then wait for a response from their playmates. They will then repeat the activity again and again, waiting each time for a response before continuing.

T HE I MPORTANCE OF P LAY Many preschoolers spend quite a bit of time in solitary play, where they use their imagination to think of play activities. Playing with siblings and peers is fun and educational for preschoolers, but disagreements are bound to happen. Preschoolers are competitive in their play activities. Each tries to outdo the others. Preschoolers often use imaginative play where they pretend to be persons or objects other than themselves.

Q UESTIONS 6. A person’s ________ _________ includes his or her behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs about men and women. 7. Children need to _______, just as they need to eat and sleep.

S IBLING R IVALRY 9rru3Ro&feature=fvsr