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The Play Years: Biosocial Development
Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D., Grand Rapids Community College
The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence by Kathleen Stassen Berger
Chapter 8
Seventh Edition
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Growth Patterns from 2-6 years Children become slimmer, more muscular,
and gain almost 3˝ and 4½ lbs per year.
Growth is influenced by:Ethnic and cultural practicesSocioeconomic statusGenesNutrition
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Make It Real: Memories of Meals
How did your caregivers handle mealtimes when you were little? (e.g., Were you required to clean your plate?)
Do you think the mealtime practices affected your eating habits as an adult in any way?
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Eating Habits in the Play Years Young children tend to be picky eaters
who insist on rituals.
Example: a toddler refuses to eat foods that are touching each other, or she wants to drink only from a certain cup
Too much fat and sugar, and too little iron, calcium, and zinc are problems.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
It must be “just right.”
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Brain Development
There is considerable brain development in the play years.
For example, by age 5, the brain is 90% of its adult weight.
PHOTODISC
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
The Importance of Myelination Myelination speeds up neural transmission,
leading to improvements in memory, impulse control, and contemplation.
Both maturation and practice affect this process.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Connecting the Brain’s Hemispheres
The corpus callosum myelinates rapidly during the play years.
This leads to more efficient communication between hemispheres.
Therefore, kids can more easily perform actions that involve both halves of the brain or body.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
The Left-Handed Child
Along with genes, experience affects hand preference…just ask any “natural” left-hander whose teacher forced him to be right-handed!
Most societies favor right-handedness.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
The Whole Brain
Although each hemisphere of the brain specializes in certain functions (i.e., lateralization), the whole brain is involved in every cognitive skill.
The brains of young children compensate more easily for the effects of brain damage, should it occur.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
The prefrontal cortex (or frontal lobe) is essential for higher order cognition, including planning and impulse control.
This begins to develop during the play years But is not fully mature until early 20s
Development helps with impulse control (e.g., “Simon Says”).
Planning and Analyzing
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Attention
The prefrontal cortex helps regulate attention, influencing impulse control.
Perseveration is the tendency to stick to one thought or action. Example: Your niece sings the “Barney” song
the entire ride across town.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
The Limbic System
The limbic system is crucial for the expression and regulation of emotions.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Parts of the Limbic System
Amygdala: registers emotions, especially fear and anxiety
Its increased activity in early childhood can lead to nightmares, irrational fears
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Parts of the Limbic System
The hippocampus processes memory, especially of locations.
However, memories of location are fragile in childhood, and young children might forget where, when, or how a fact was learned.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Hypothalamus: produces hormones that regulate the body, including stress hormones
Too much stress in childhood can destroy neurons of the hippocampus, leading to permanent memory and learning deficits.
Parts of the Limbic System (cont.)
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Brain Damage
Shaken baby syndrome leads to brain damage or death.
A mother’s clinical depression can lead to neglect, altering the child’s brain and increasing his/her risk of depression.
Institutionalization creates underactive limbic systems and lack of lateralization.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Development of Motor
Skills
TONY FREEMAN / PHOTOEDIT
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Gross Motor Skills
These involve large muscle movementsExamples: crawl, walk, run, jump, skip
They develop through maturation and practice (especially play with peers).
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Fine Motor Skills
These involve small muscle movementsExamples: holding a spoon, buttoning, tying
shoes, pouring juice, cutting food, scribbling, etc.
These are more difficult to master, requiring muscular control and patience
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Artistic Expression
Young children love to draw, dance, build, and often show perseveration in doing so!
Their artistic abilities increase with age.
Example: Many children first draw a “tadpole”: a face and two sticks for the body.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Artistic Expressio
n
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Avoidable Injuries
Young children ages 1−4 yrs are the most vulnerable age group to accidental death.
Examples: Falls, swallowing poison, burning, drowning, and choking are common causes.
Parents, legislators, and others can help provide injury control.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Primary prevention: actions that prevent injury
Secondary prevention: reduces dangers of high-risk situations
Tertiary prevention: actions taken after an adverse event occurs to reduce harm
Three Levels of Prevention
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Example: Prevention of Pedestrian Deaths
Primary: sidewalks, speed bumps, etc.
Secondary: requiring flashing lights on school buses, using crossing guards
Tertiary: laws against hit and run drivers, well trained ambulance drivers
Three Levels of Prevention (cont.)
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Educating parents is important.
But laws seem to be most effective.e.g., fences around swimming pools, child
safety seats, etc.
Parents, Education, and Protection
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Make it Real: Child Maltreatment Have you ever
wondered whether a particular child was being maltreated? Have you ever confronted a parent about it?
MISHAWAKA POLICE DEPARTMENT / GETTY IMAGES
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Terminology
Child maltreatment: harm or neglect of children under age 18 years
Child Abuse: Deliberate harm
Child Neglect: Inaction that leads to harm
Neglect is twice as common as abuse
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Reporting Child Maltreatment Teachers, social workers, doctors, etc. are
required by law to report cases
Substantiated maltreatment: means a reported case was investigated and verified
In the U.S., there are about 3 million reported and 1 million substantiated cases per year
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Warning Signs of Maltreatment
Failure to thrive: an otherwise healthy infant or young child does not gain weight
Post-traumatic stress disorder: easily startled, nightmares, headaches, etc.
Hypervigilance: excessive watchfulness
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Consequences of Maltreatment Abused and neglected children are at
higher risk of:
Death, sickness, brain damage, malnutrition, lack of stimulation, poor social skills (aggressive or withdrawn), substance abuse, depression, behavioral problems
Not to mention the intense feelings of loss of the “perfect” family…
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Prevention Primary: stable neighborhoods, income
equality, social support
Secondary: home visits, high-quality child careThese must consider cultural values, and
strengthen parenting skills
Tertiary: remove the child from the home
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8
Permanency Planning
Permanency planning involves setting goals and a timetable for long-term care of a child.
Foster care is legally sanctioned care of a child by nonrelatives.
Kinship care is care by relatives.
Adoption is an option, but is difficult to achieve.
