YEAR OLDS

What are we learning today? Standard – ET-ECE-8: Explore the growth, development, and care of the preschool child. EQ – How do 4, 5, and 6 year old children develop physically?

Heredity and Environment play important roles in a child’s growth and development Heredity or “nature” Strong influence on physical development Includes the physical make up the child inherits from parents Environment or “nurture” Everything that surrounds and influences a child

Physical Growth: Slightly slower than toddlers 2 ½ -3 inches taller each year Gain 4-5 pounds each year Boys tend to be slightly taller and heavier than girls

Motor Skills Basic gross and fine motor skills improve significantly! The timetable for the development of these skills varies Remember: Remember: some children may master one skill and struggle with another!

Fine Motor vs Gross Motor VERY energetic Love to: run, jump, climb, and tumble/flip At age 4: throw and catch large and small balls At age 5: improved speed and coordination At age 6: start balancing and learning how to ride a bike Improve gross motor skills with physical exercise! Can use their hands and fingers skillfully At age 4: learn to lace shoes At age 5: can print letters At age 6: draw detailed picture/write their name Improve fine motor skills by cutting with scissors

Hand Preference: Around age 2: some children start using one hand over the other and most switch hands Around age 5: most children consistently use either their right or left hand Very few people are ambidextrous – Able to use both hands with equal skill

DAILY GRADE BREAK Let’s see who is ambidextrous! Choose a scene from “Daddy Daycare” to draw a picture of You will draw this picture AND write a sentence about it THREE times! – Once with your RIGHT hand, once with your LEFT hand, and once with NO HANDS! Then, write a paragraph describing which hand was easiest to draw/write with and which hand was hardest to draw/write with – Do you believe your dominate hand is your dominate hand because of Nature or Nurture? Why?