Skeletal growth
Skeletal growth continues.
New growth centers emerge, new epiphyses.
(new growth center hardens into bone, emerge in various parts of the skeleton)
Loose baby teeth.
Plasticity
Overabundance of synaptic connections supports plasticity.
Synaptic pruning occurs as neurons that are infrequently stimulated lose their connective
fibers and the number of synapses is reduced.
The ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, i
Changes in cognitive skills
Frontal lobe areas for planning and organization develop.
Significant brain growth, 90% of adult size.
Physical coordination, perception, attention, memory, language, logical thinking, and imagination INCREASE!
Lateralization
LEFT hemisphere growth (active) - language, handedness.
Differences in rate of development between the two hemispheres suggest they continue to lateralize during early childhood.
Handedness
Begins as early as 1 year and strengthens.
90% are right-handed.
biological and environmental causes; Position in uterus(the way most fetuses lie in the uterus-turned toward the left-
may promote greater postural control by the right side of the body), Pr
Brain areas
cerebellum - is located at the rear and base of the brain and aids in balance and control
of body movement.
reticular formation- maintains alertness and consciousness; it myelinates throughout early childhood and continues growth into adolescence.
hippoca
Heredity and hormones
impact of genes- Children's physical size and rate of growth
are related to that of their parents.
Genes influence pituitary gland to release GH that acts directly, Also stimulates release of insulin like growth factor 1, which triggers cell duplication.
Emotional well being
Preschoolers with very stressful home lives suffer more respiratory and intestinal
illnesses, as well as unintentional injuries.
psychosocial dwarfism - is a growth disorder observed between 2 and 15 years of age that is caused by emotional deprivation. I
Sleep
GH - Sleep contributes to body growth, since GH is released during sleeping hours.
Total sleep declines from 12 to 13 hours at ages 2 and 3 to 10 to 11 hours at ages 4 to 6.
impact on school performance;
Differences in ethnicity: sleep routines, napping,
Nutrition
change in appetite - Preschoolers' appetites decrease because growth has slowed. in addition, they become picky eaters. This
is adaptive as young children are still learning which items are safe to eat and which are not.
Appetite becomes unpredictable.
Li
Infectious disease
In well-nourished children, ordinary childhood illnesses have no effect on physical growth. In developing nations, many children do not receive a program of immunizations.
Poor diet suppresses children's immune systems and makes them more susceptible to d
Childhood injuries
individual differences - Gender, mother judge chances of preventing injury in sons to be lower. Temperament.
risk factors - Poverty, single parenthood, low parental education. Societal conditions in developing nations. Poverty, child-care shortages.
Auto
Gross-motor development
Walking, running, Catching, throwing, swinging, riding
reasons for improved coordination - As children's bodies become more streamlined and less top-heavy, their center of gravity shifts downward toward the trunk and, as a result, their balance improves.
Fine-motor development
Self-help: dressing, eating
Drawing.
During early childhood, children gradually become self-sufficient at dressing and feeding. Shoe tying, mastered
around age 6, requires a longer attention span, memory for an intricate series of hand movements, and the
Individual differences
body build - Taller and more muscular bodies move more quickly, acquire skills faster.
gender - Boys: better at power and force. Boys are slightly ahead of girls in skills that emphasize force and power. Girls: fine-motor skills, balance, foot movement. S
Enhancing development
everyday unstructured play;
daily routines - support fine-motor development.
appropriate play equipment and space
Preschools, day care centers,
and playgrounds need to accommodate a wide range of
physical abilities by offering a variety of pieces of equip