Unit 4

Physical Growth: ◦ Preschool Age: Loss of baby fat, gain in

length/height◦ Early childhood growth should be 3 inches and 4.5

pounds per yearSlower growth relative to later years indicates that

small appetites are normal

Brain Growth: ◦ 90% of the lifetime neurons are present by age 6. ◦ Brain continues to increase in size◦ New pathways develop◦ Brain eventually “trims” unneeded neurons and

organizes quick reactions

Motor Skills: ◦ Gross motor skills increase◦ Fine motor skills slow during early childhood due

to increased weight of hands and fingers and lack of neural control of muscles

Centration: Focusing on one aspect of a situation◦ Egocentrism◦ Past-age centrism

3 Principles of Numbers: ◦ Stable-Order Principle: 1,2,3…◦ One-to-One Principle: 1 is always 1, 2 is always

2…◦ Cardinal Principle: The last number is the sum

total

Semiotic Function aka Abstract Symbolism: The ability to use symbols to represent something

Transductive Reasoning: Two objects sharing qualities are the same

Conservation: Changing the shape doesn’t change the quantity◦ Irreversibility: Unable to understand that

reversing an action takes the object back to the original state

Private Speech Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Intergenerational Transmission: The likelihood that an abused child will commit the same behaviors as an adult. ◦ NOT common!

Identify emotional needs Increase community support Help parents find coping mechanisms

Self-confidence and social skills are developed in early childhood

The Self: The child still has difficulty understanding the concept of self, but can distinguish themselves physically from others in a picture.

Erkison: Initiative vs. Guilt Freud: Oedipal vs Electra Complexes Learning Theorists: Children model the

behaviors seen around them.

Diana Baumrind’s Parenting Styles

Only Children: ◦ More verbal◦ More creative◦ More likely to continue to college◦ Weaker in social skills, but will develop normal

social skills if exposed to other children

6 Types of Play◦ Unoccupied Behavior: Observing but not participating◦ Solitary Play: Playing next to another child without

interacting◦ Onlooker Behavior: Observing others play while

commenting, but not participating. ◦ Parallel Play: Playing with the same toys as another

child, often while next to each-other, but playing independently

◦ Associated Play: Play with other children in a disorganized manner

◦ Cooperative Play: Playing with other children in an organized manner

Piaget’s 3 Levels of Play◦ Functional Play: Repetitive motions, with or

without toys, to develop coordination◦ Constructive Play: The use of objects to create

things, to develop imagination and abstraction◦ Dramatic Play: Using imaginary situations with

prearranged rules to play a game, to mimic and practice social roles

Overall, beneficial!◦ Better foundation for education allows children to

be.. Less likely to repeat a grade More likely to finish high school More likely to continue to college More likely to maintain a steady work position

◦ Increased social skills◦ Increased ability to handle new situations

Ability to cope directly tied to stability and emotional state of the parent◦ The more positive the parents stay the better◦ The more stable the child’s life the better◦ Children are better after a divorce if the marriage

was high-conflict

Learning theories state that exposing a child to any behavior, media or life, will influence their knowledge

There is a link between violence on television and aggressive behavior, but which came first?

Stranger Wariness Separation Anxiety School Anxiety Avoidant Behaviors Fears tend to be adapted as learned

behaviors!