Monica OliverFMSC 332Section 1301Project #2

Active play is important for good health and building gross motor skills. Preschoolers develop goal-directed motor behaviors and combine movement patterns to sequence a series of movements to achieve a desired goal. (Sporns & Edelman, 1993) Motor skill development plays an important role in childhood when growth, development, and learning center on play and physical activity. (Williams & Monsma, 2006).

Instructions: Get an appropriate sized helmet and bike with training wheels. Run alongside the child and verbally reassure them that an adult is nearby. Practice for 30 minutes or as long as the child is interested. Planning several practices until riding independently is achieved is the best way to avoid frustration.

Physical Activity # 1:

Morning Activites That Promote Physical Development

PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP THE

MIND,

BODY & SPIRIT

Why Biking: Preschoolers are so proud when they are able to ride independently. Biking is a great activity that families can enjoy even into teenage years. Bike riding can also be social with other children in the community as well as a family activity. Meeting a child’s zone of proximal development for the cognitive requirements of focus, balance, and coordination required to ride allows children to accomplish as much as they can with adult support and the confidence needed to try new tasks. (DeHart, Sroufe, & Cooper, 2004) Preschoolers should be able to ride a bike with training wheels but riding without trainers will take a little more time and practice.

Instructions: Find kid appropriate music. Dance like no one is watching. Free style or instructed songs with movements, such as “I’m a Little Teapot,” or “The Hokey Pokey” both get kids moving. Even babies of the youngest ages start moving when they hear music. There are lots of child-oriented songs and finger plays that kids enjoy. Hints for added success:

Play instruments and parade in a marching band to increase movement and interest. Listen to wide varieties of music to expose children to different dances and sounds.Adding streamers, a disco ball, moving lights, hoola-hoops all make the party more fun.

Why A Dance party: Easy, fun, and everyone can dance. According to social learning theory, a majority of learning results from observation and interactions. (DeHart, Sroufe, & Cooper, 2004) When parents model active behaviors they act as role models for healthy living. There is little equipment required and dancing can be done anywhere.

References:DeHart, G., Sroufe, A. & Cooper, R. (2004). Child development: Its nature and course. (5th ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw, Hill.Sporns, O., Edelman, G.M. (1993). Solving Bernstein’s problem: A proposal for the development of coordinated

movement by selection. Child Development. 64:960–981.Williams, H. & Monsma, E. (2006). Assessment of gross motor development in preschool children: The

Psychoeducational Assessment of Preschool Children. Hillsdale, NJ. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Kids love helping. Making family time enjoyable encourages involvement while teaching organization, following directions, and honoring customs when gathering with family and friends. Preschoolers want to engage emotionally and understand their socially expanding world. Developing a general understanding of the social world is an important task for preschoolers to accomplish. (DeHart, Sroufe, & Cooper, 2004)

Instructions: At meal time include the preschooler in helping set the table. Simple preparation steps like gathering ingredients, stirring, finding a bowl, or measuring are all ways preschoolers can help in the kitchen. Hints for success:

Let the child do as much preparation as they are able or interested. Include a simple dish that they can proudly present as their own creation.

How Being a Meal Time Helper Encourages Social and Emotional Growth: Involving children in household chores that benefit the entire family promotes prosocial behavior in preschoolers. Including even the smallest family members provides a sense of identity of being members of a family unit. (Goodnow, 1988) The attitude of cooperation to prepare a meal demonstrates togetherness and support amongst family members. Being involved with family chores is more about socialization than it is about the actual tasks.

Instructions: 1. Contact a local library, post office, fire

house, etc. and ask for a behind the scenes tour.

Afternoon Activities that Promote

Social & Emotional Development

Social/Emotional Activity # 1: Meal Time Helper

Social/Emotional

Physical Activity # 2:

2. Prepare for the visit by talking to your child about community workers.Hints for added success:

Often libraries have open story time for pre-school aged children providing an opportunity to interact with other same aged peers. Having a variety of story tellers provides different approaches to books.Encourage your child to ask the worker questions.Getting a few preschool friends together may make the institution more open to a group tour.

Visiting Community Workers Develops Social/Emotional Skills: Visiting community related facilities helps children see beyond their immediate microsystem. Since they will be vastly expanding their social network once school begins this will be an introduction of exposure to the community in which they live. Involving community adults to share in familiarizing and educating children about their services allows society to be included in collective socialization at a time when many youth are disconnected. (Brendtro, 2006) This activity brings layers of the child’s social environment (mesosystem) together. This furthers preschoolers’ awareness of the culture of their community.

ReferencesBrendtro, L. K. (2006). The vision of urie bronfenbrenner: Adults who are crazy about kids. Reclaiming Children and

Youth, 15(3), 162-166. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214193852?accountid=14696DeHart, G., Sroufe, A. & Cooper, R. (2004). Child development: Its nature and course. (5th ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw, Hill.Goodnow, J. J. (1988). Children's household work: Its nature and functions. Psychological Bulletin, 103(1), 5-26.

doi:10.1037/0033-2909.103.1.5.

Memory abilities and attention skills are well developed by this age. Preschoolers begin to reason quantity and learn to count. Stable order is the expectation that numbers will follow a certain order and items can be numbered. (Gelman & Gallistel, 1978) The ability to expand their sequential order of numbers continues throughout the preschool years. Preschoolers are eager to identify words but normative development progress allows fluent reading around 6 years of age.

1. Cut out construction paper shapes. Having hearts in February or jack-o-lanterns in October keeps the game current while acknowledging upcoming holidays that are important to kids.

2. Count the number of shapes. 3. Hide the shapes around the house (under a chair, on picture frames, etc) and let the child take a turn hiding. 4. Count how many shapes are found adding a math element to increase cognitive skills. Hints for success:

For younger children the item can often be “hidden” in plain sight so the child has the gratification of success. If the child is having trouble finding pieces they can be clued as to when they are “hot” (shape is nearby) or “cold” (shape is further away). This game is a fantastic way to celebrate holidays or spend a rainy day frantically searching for the most pieces.

Why Search & Find? This game challenges memory, gives awareness to details, requires attention to cues, and teaches counting. According to a National Association for the Education of Young Children article play allows children to expand their limitations, communication, and self-control. (Pica, 2009) Search and find can be easily modified to be developmentally appropriate for all ages. The game does not have a winner and loser it allows children to participate continually and to develop cognitive and practice social skills. (Pica, 2009) It also provides familiarity of the sequential order of events throughout the year.

Evening Activities that Promote Cognitive Development

Cognitive Activity #1:

Cognitive Activity #2: Reading/Books on CD

Instructions: Find a subject that interests your child whether it is cars, butterflies, sharks, or princesses. Visit your local library and find as many age appropriate books, on your child’s favorite subject, as you can. Children are more engaged with topics that keep their interest. As an alternative find books on CD so that your child can listen to another narrator who often brings the book alive with animated voices and music. Turning the page when the beep sounds gives the child independence and practice following directions.

How Literature Affects Development: Reading books is a great way to bond and spend quality time. According to DeHart, Sroufe, & Cooper (2004) parents can prepare children for school by providing multiple activities and environments that are rich in literacy conveying the importance and enjoyment that is derived from reading. Providing a variety of ways to tell stories, promoting independence, and interest begins the journey of the love of books that may last a lifetime. An interest in reading opens the possibility of an education on a variety of subjects.

References:DeHart, G., Sroufe, A. & Cooper, R. (2004). Child development: Its nature and course. (5th ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw, Hill.Gelman, R., & Gallistel, C. R. (1978). The child's understanding of number. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University

Press.Pica, R. (2009). What Makes a Game Developmentally Appropriate?. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 66-67.