Chapter 7 Early Childhood: Ages 3 through 5 Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objectives Analyze

Chapter

7Early Childhood: Ages 3 through 5

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objectives• Analyze the physical development of

children ages 3 through 5.• Analyze the cognitive development of

children ages 3 through 5.• Analyze the socio-emotional development of

children ages 3 through 5.

continued


Objectives• Compare and contrast various

developmental theories relating to preschoolers.

• Identify developmentally appropriate guidance techniques for preschoolers.

• Identify developmental milestones preschoolers achieve.


Physical Characteristics and Growth

• Preschoolers are children between the ages of 3 through 5

• By the end of this stage, children’s body proportions are similar to those of an adult

• Individual differences in both height and weight become more apparent during early childhood

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• During early childhood, children are often in

motion• Throughout early childhood, gross-motor

skills are refined• This refinement of skills takes practice and

balance and shows postural control

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Putting simple puzzles together is a good

activity for building hand and eye coordination

• As young children develop their fine-motor skills, the preference for handedness becomes more apparent

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Because young children are so physically

active, good nutrition, or fuel, is essential• The United States Department of Agriculture

created a food guidance system called MyPlate to help people make healthful food choices

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• The MyPlate food guidance system divides

foods into five groups

continued©USDA


Physical Characteristics and Growth• As children expand their food preferences,

caregivers need to be concerned about food intolerances and food allergies

• Read food labels to avoid foods that may trigger intolerances or allergies and remove any offending foods from the diet

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Physical activity and play are important

to a child’s physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development

• Some researchers say play is the main job of young children

continued

©wong sze yuen/Shutterstock.com


Physical Characteristics and Growth• On average, preschoolers need between

11 to 13 hours of sleep each night and about one nap per day

• Establishing a healthy, regular sleep routine is important to ensure the preschooler is getting enough sleep

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• The progress of toilet learning varies among

individual children• By age 3, preschoolers significantly improve

their ability to control bathroom habits• Enuresis, or difficulty in controlling bathroom

habits overnight, is a common condition for preschoolers and improves with time

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• To ensure teeth are healthy and growing in

properly, preschoolers usually visit the dentist twice per year

• There are many illnesses common in childhood

• Many children receive inoculations to help prevent these illnesses, but they can still become sick

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• An allergy is a reaction that develops

because of the immune system’s overreaction to a normally harmless substance in the environment

• Children who suffer from allergies are also more likely to have asthma

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Preventive health care can help reduce the

risk of contracting illnesses• Optimizing the health of preschoolers includes

ensuring preschoolers have sufficient nutrients to properly grow, develop, and strengthen their immune systems

Checkpoint


1. What bodily and facial changes can be expected in early childhood? Children add about 2.5 to 3 inches in height

and 3 to 5 pounds each year; bodies, legs, and arms lengthen; and body fat diminishes. Facial features are slimmer and smiles become gapped as baby teeth fall out.

continued

Checkpoint


2. Describe typical gross- and fine-motor skills of children in early childhood. (Answers will vary, but may include:) gross-

motor skills: running, jumping, twirling, climbing, throwing and catching a ball, riding a bike, shooting a basketball; fine-motor skills: holding a pencil and crayon, putting puzzles together, playing a musical instrument, folding paper, building a tower of blocks, using scissors, brushing their teeth, self-dressing, stringing beads

continued

Checkpoint


3. Define postural controls and give an example. being able to achieve and maintain a state of

balance while performing an activity (Examples will vary.)

4. What is the difference between a food intolerance and a food allergy? A food intolerance is a reaction to food that is

unpleasant, such as digestive problems. A food allergy occurs when a food triggers a response by the body’s immune system, which can cause severe reactions.

continued

Checkpoint


5. List five common types of allergies. (List five:) milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy,

wheat, fish, and shellfish

6. What are three ways to optimize the health of preschoolers? following MyPlate, being physically active, and

scheduling regular health checkups


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Throughout early childhood, children seek

rational answers to explain what they know through observation and experience

• Piaget called this phase the preoperational stage of thinking as it represents a time when children’s use of symbolic and logical thinking grows

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Operations refer to the formal or logical

processes that are organized mental processes

• In this stage, children continue to explore their world, learning more and more as they organize their experiences

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Young children gradually move from using

intuition to more rational and logical thinking• The preoperational stage is marked by three

characteristics– Centration– Lack of conservation– Egocentrism

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Vygotsky believed that children learn what

they know through social interaction

• Parents and caregivers should provide as many opportunities for creative and imaginative play as possible

continued

©Rena Schild/Shutterstock.com


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• As the brain develops, there are windows of

opportunity for optimizing the development of critical skills

• Lengths of time for physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development windows vary

• Providing children with rich experiences and activities will stimulate brain development

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Language is an important part of cognitive

development in early childhood• Children can focus on their inward thoughts,

often referred to as metacognition• Children think about what they remember, or

metamemory

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Typically, young children learn phonology,

followed by morphology, syntax, semantics, and then pragmatics

• Phonology refers to the sounds that make up words

• Morphology includes word structures and formations

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Syntax refers to sentence structure, or when

words are combined to form grammatical sentences

• Semantics refers to the meaning of words• Pragmatics refers to using language properly• Humor can be used positively as a form of

self-expression and language development

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Learning what is considered culturally right or

wrong is a process• Younger children respond to rewards and

punishments instead of making moral decisions

• They are in Kohlberg’s first level of moral development, or preconventional morality

Checkpoint


1. Describe Piaget’s preoperational stage of thinking. Young children begin to use more rational

thought processes, including symbolic and rational thinking.

continued

Checkpoint


2. Describe Vygotsky’s ideas of how children learn new skills through play. Children learn through social interaction.

Gross-motor skills develop as brain pathways are pruned and refined. As children play, the objects they use encourage imaginative thinking, and their concepts move from more realistic to abstract.

continued

Checkpoint


3. What are windows of opportunity? ideal time frames for optimizing the

development of critical skills because the brain is most receptive to learning

4. Give two examples of how language develops in early childhood. Children learn phonology, morphology, syntax,

and semantics, followed by pragmatic use of language.

continued

Checkpoint


5. According to Kohlberg’s theory, how do children in early childhood solve moral problems? by using preconventional morality, in which

children respond to rewards and punishments instead of making moral decisions


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• In their eagerness to do a task independently,

children often fail• This failure can cause guilt, lowering their

self-esteem• Erikson called this stage of socio-emotional

development initiative versus guilt

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Giving choices and encouraging children to

practice decision making is part of the democratic parenting style

• An authoritarian parenting style tends to be controlling and corrective

• A permissive parenting style tends to let children control situations

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Especially in the preschool years, frequent

conflicts between siblings occur• Modeling problem solving and conflict

resolution to young children is effective• Guidance and discipline are used to redirect

children into a safe or socially acceptable manner

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Three main types of discipline are

– power assertion, which involves using physical means to punish or deny children privileges

– love withdrawal, which includes threatening to remove love, even temporarily, from the caregiver and child relationship

– induction, which uses logic and explanation to address a child’s action or behavior

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Preschoolers are not used to experiencing

strong feelings and do not always control their emotions

• Preschoolers seek emotional approval and attention from others

• Understanding the preschooler’s concerns can help adults address the cause of the preschooler’s emotions

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Young children play differently with friends

than they do with adults• Often, 3-year-olds use functional play• By age 4, they begin more constructive play • Children move from associative play to

cooperative play

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• By 3 years of age, most children identify their

gender• Gender identity is a child’s sense about

being a girl or a boy• Gender roles are expectations about how

boys or girls should act, how they should feel, and what should be of interest to them

Checkpoint


1. According to Erikson, what socio-emotional tasks do children in early childhood need to solve? initiative versus guilt

2. What are social relationships like in early childhood? Family relationships provide support,

encouragement, and instruction to become independent. Friendships are important and help children learn how to interact socially.

continued

Checkpoint


3. Describe the three main types of discipline. Power assertion involves using physical

means to punish or deny children privileges. Love withdrawal involves threatening to remove love, even temporarily, from the caregiver and child relationship. Induction uses logic and explanation to address a child’s action or behavior.

continued

Checkpoint


4. Describe four types of play. functional play—uses repetitive motions such

as rocking a doll; constructive play— involves creating something; associative play—when children interact while involved in parallel play; cooperative play—when children participate in constructive play together

continued

Checkpoint


5. What is gender identity? Give an example of a gender role. a child’s sense about being a boy or a girl

(Examples will vary.)


Special Needs

• During the preschool years, special needs become more evident

• Preschoolers have certain physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional developmental milestones they reach during early childhood

continued


Special Needs

• Most elementary schools have screening tests for preschoolers to detect special needs

• Although screening is usually a formal or standardized procedure, informal observation is equally important

• The best person to informally observe a child is the caregiver

continued


Special Needs

• One behavioral disorder that can become evident during preschool is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• ADHD does not have a cure, but can be treated with therapy and medications

• At the preschool age, therapy is chosen before medications

continued


Special Needs

• Another common disability that is apparent by early childhood is autism

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad term that describes a developmental disability that leads to problems with social behaviors and communication

continued


Special Needs

• Autism disorders often affect a child’s ability to communicate verbally and nonverbally

• ASD can range from Asperger’s syndrome, a relatively mild form of autism, to autistic disorder, a more severe variation

• There is no cure for ASDs, but therapies and medications may help treat some symptoms

Checkpoint


1. Which types of special needs typically surface during early childhood? giftedness; physical, cognitive, or behavioral

issues; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also become evident during preschool

2. What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a

behavioral disorder that includes hyperactivity, difficulty staying on task, and impulsiveness over time.

continued

Checkpoint


3. List five symptoms of ADHD. (List five:) difficulty focusing, impulsive

behavior, hyperactivity (fidgets, has trouble waiting), eager to speak and shows little to no hesitation to speak, lacks attention to detail, does not listen when directly addressed

4. What is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? a broad term that describes a developmental

disability that leads to problems with social behaviors and communication


Development of School-Readiness Skills• Preparation for school takes more than

learning colors, saying the alphabet, or writing a name correctly

• Age-appropriate cognitive skills are important• In addition to cognitive skills, social and

physical development readies a child for school

continued


Development of School-Readiness Skills• Important social skills that help a young child

prepare for later school years include– learning to share– following simple instructions– verbalizing thoughts and needs– interacting with other children

continued


Development of School-Readiness Skills• Appropriate physical development as seen in

gross- and fine-motor skills is also important• Socially, motor skills help a child to fit in with

his or her peers• Cognitively, motor development is related to

learning

continued


Development of School-Readiness Skills• Preschool programs are available to children

who are at risk for not being ready for school• Head Start is a government preschool

program that serves the needs of young children, especially those who are disadvantaged

Checkpoint


1. List three important social skills that help a young child prepare for later school years. (List three:) learning to share, following simple

instructions, verbalizing thoughts and needs, and interacting with others

2. How are motor skills related to social and cognitive abilities? Socially, motor skills help a child to fit in with

his or her peers. Cognitively, motor development is related to learning.

continued

Checkpoint


3. Describe the Head Start program. Head Start is a government preschool program

that serves the needs of young children, especially those who are disadvantaged.

Documents

Chapter 7 Early Childhood: Ages 3 through 5 Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objectives Analyze