Chapter 7 Notes GP 1, 2 and 3

Human Development
1. How much do children's’ bodies
change btw ages 3-6, and what are
their nutritional needs?
• No longer a toddler,
three-year-olds are
less top-heavy and
move with greater
sureness. The head is
still somewhat large in
comparison to adults
but the body is
catching up
1. How much do children's’ bodies
change btw ages 3-6, and what are
their nutritional needs?
• They are more
coordinated at
running, climbing, and
other large-muscle
activities. They can
ride a tricycle or pump
a swing. They can
catch a large ball
using two hands and
their bodies.
1. How much do children's’ bodies
change btw ages 3-6, and what are
their nutritional needs?
• Improved finger
dexterity (fine motor)
allows them to put
together simple
puzzles, use tools,
hold crayons with
fingers instead of
fists, make balls and
snakes out of clay
and undress without
assistance.
1. How much do children's’ bodies
change btw ages 3-6, and what are
their nutritional needs?
• Nutrition: It’s
important to allow
preschoolers to
regulate their own
caloric intake and not
insist that they “clean
their plate”
• Children over 2 years
should get only about
30% of their calories
from fat
1. How much do children's’ bodies
change btw ages 3-6, and what are
their nutritional needs?
• Teeth Most children will
have all 20 of their
primary teeth by age 3
Most children will start
losing their primary teeth
between ages 6 and 8
years. These teeth are
replaced by permanent
teeth starting around age
5 or 6.
2. What sleep patterns and problems
tend to develop during early
childhood?
• The average 3-year-
old sleeps about 12
hours each day. This
usually means 10 or
11 hours at night and
a one- to two-hour
nap. Naptimes are
more variable for 3-
year-olds than for 2-
year-olds.
2. What sleep patterns and problems
tend to develop during early
childhood?
• A 3-year-old may need
more or less sleep
depending on the day's
events, an illness,
changes in her routine, or
any developmental
changes s/he's going
through. Whatever
amount of time a child
naturally sleeps in a day
is the amount s/he needs.
2. What sleep patterns and problems
tend to develop during early
childhood?
• A 3-year-old leads a very
busy life which can set
the stage for vivid dreams
and nightmares. You
can't and shouldn't want
to prevent wild dreams;
they help the child deal
with the challenges of the
day. Bedtime routines
should be calm and
simple. Persistent
nightmares may signal
excessive stress or
stimulation before bed
(eg too much television).
2. What sleep patterns and problems
tend to develop during early
childhood?
• Night terrors are
different than
nightmares – a child
seems to wake from a
deep sleep directly
into a panicked state.
They generally do not
remember the
episode in the
morning.
2. What sleep patterns and problems
tend to develop during early
childhood?
• Bedwetting (enuresis)
• Wetting the bed at
night is fairly common
at this age. It seems
to have a genetic
component.
3. Whatare the main motor
achievements of early
childhood?
 3. What are the main motor
achievements of early
childhood?

(also see table 7.1 on page 242)

 3. What are the main motor
achievements of early
• Handedness
childhood?
• Preference for one hand
over the other is usually
evident before age 3
• Most are right-handed since
the left brain controls right
side and left brain is
generally more dominant. In
people whose brains are
more symmetrical the right
hemisphere will generally
dominate making the person
left handed.

Boys are more likely than girls to be left handed

 3. What are the main motor
achievements of early
childhood?
• Artistic development
• Note figure 7-1 on page
244
• The changes in
children’s art reflects
not only the differences
in brain development
but also the differences
in small muscle control
 3. What are the main motor
achievements of early
childhood?
• Shape stage
(approx age 3)
• Design stage
• b-1 combines
shapes
• b-2 aggregates
• c. Pictorial stage
(age 4-5)
• LINK