1. Physical Development Early Childhood

2. 2 BODY GROWTH 2 to 3 inches (6-7cm) in height and about 5 pounds (2-3kg) in weight are added each year. Children become thinner. Children lose primary teeth by preschool years.

3. 3 Asynchronies in Physical Growth General growth curve  Rapid growth during infancy  Slower middle childhood  Rapid during adolescence  Exceptions: Reproductive and lymph systems

4. 4 BRAIN DEVELOPMENT The brain increases to 90 percent of adult weight between 2 and 6 years.  Increase in synaptic connections  Increase in myelination The two hemispheres of the cortex develop at different rates.  The left hemisphere shows dramatic activity between 3 and 6 years and then levels off. WHY?  Activity in the right hemisphere increases slowly throughout early and middle childhood. Significant development occurs in the prefrontal cortex

5. 5 Nutrition Slowed growth leads to an appetite decrease  Picky eaters seen as adaptive,safe  Need a high-quality diet  By 7, low-SES about 1 inch shorter

6. 6 Childhood Injuries Accidents are the leading cause of childhood mortality.  Auto, fires, and drowning are the most common.  Motor vehicle collisions first cause of death for children over 1 Injury Mortality for Children

7. 7 MOTOR DEVELOPMENT Gross Motor Development  Center of gravity shifts downward to the trunk, and balance improves.  Preschooler's gait becomes smooth and rhythmic.  Now steadier New skills like throwing and catching balls, tricycles, and swinging on bars and rings  High level of activity

8. 8 Fine Motor Development Self-Help Skills  Gradually become self-sufficient at dressing and feeding Shoe-tying around age 6 Drawing and Writing  First drawings of a person by age 3 or 4

9. 9 Cultural Variations in Drawing In cultures that emphasize art, children's drawings are more sophisticated. Schooling supports drawing. Figure drawing varies by culture but follows the same sequence. U.S. Child’s Drawing New Guinea Child’s Drawing

10. 10 Printing Exposure to lines and shapes leads to trying to print letters and, later on, words. Not until reading do kids distinguish between mirror-image forms.