Physical Development of Early Childhood

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Physical Development ofEarly Childhood

• Psychology 333
• Child DevelopmentDennis H. Karpowitz, Ph.D.

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Time Period

• Ages two to six
• Preschool
• Kindergarten
• First Grade

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Changes in Body Sizeand Proportions

• 2-3 inches in height per year
• About 5 pounds per year
• Posture balance improve
• Individual differences increase

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Skeletal Growth

• 45 epiphyses - Cartilage to bone
• Skeletal age determined by x-ray
• Best measure of physical maturity
• By 5 primary teeth start to come in
• Care of teeth
• Poor among the disadvantaged
• Excellent in the middle class

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Asynchronous Physical Growth

• General growth curve
• Rapid in infancy
• Slow in early childhood
• Slow in middle childhood
• Rapid in adolescence

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Brain Synaptic Growthand Pruning

• Brain metabolism peak _at_ 4 years of age
• Accounts for plasticity of the child brain
• Synaptic pruning
• Infrequently stimulated neurons loosetheir
  connective fibers
• Rapid bursts of synaptic growth
• High rates of cell death
• Plasticity reduced by 10 years of ageto near
  adult levels.

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Brain lateralization

• Hemispheres develop at diff. Rates
• Specialization
• Left Hemisphere
• Dramatic activity between 3 6
• Right Hemisphere
• Slow increases between 3 6
• Slight spurt between 8 10

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Handedness

• By age 2 handedness is fairly stable
• Dominant cerebral hemisphere
• Responsible for skilled motor action
• Right handedness Dominant LEFThemisphere.

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Handedness Cont.

• Left handedness - Motor and language skill
  shared between hemispheres.
• Less strongly lateralized
• More likely to be ambidextrous
• Outstanding verbal mathematical skills
• Most fetuses lie turned toward the leftin the
  uterus - this may promote greaterpostural
  control by the right side ofthe body.

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Other brain advances

• Cerebellum
• Controls balance body movement
• Myelinization not complete until 4
• Reticular formation
• Maintains alertness consciousness
• Myelinates throughout early childhood,middle
  childhood and adolescence
• Corpus callosum
• Myelinization doest not begin until year 2.

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Hormones - Pituitary gland

• Growth hormone (GH)
• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
• Stimulates the release of thyroxinenecessary for
  growth brain develop.

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Emotional Well-Being

• Stressful home
• Respiratory illnesses
• Intestinal illnesses
• Unintentional injuries
• Deprivation dwarfism

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Sleep

• GH released during sleeping hours
• 12-13 hours for ages 2 to 3
• 10 to 11 hours for ages 4 to 6
• Nightmares common between 3 6
• 15 children have sleep problems

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Nutrition

• Appetites decrease due to slower growth
• Picky eaters
• Need a high-quality diet
• Iron, calcium, Vitamins C A impt.
• Disadvantaged children 1 inch shorterby age
  seven.

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Infectious Diseases

• Malnutrition
• Immunizations
• Day care middle ear infections

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Childhood Injuries

• Auto accidents, drowning, burns
• Complex ecological system
• Higher activity levels
• Irritability, inattentivenessand negative mood
• Poverty low parent education
• US highest in childhood injuriesamong
  industrialized nations.

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Prevention of ChildhoodInjuries How?
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Motor Development

• Gross motor development
• Balance improves
• Runs, jumps, hops, throws and catches, skips
• Fine motor development
• Self-help skills
• Drawing and writing
• Body build influences
• Enhancing motor development.

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Perceptual Development

• Differentiation theory
• What is the same?
• What is unique?
• Reading to the child is important
• The child will take an increasing active role.
• .