Preschoolers

Ages 3 to
6 years old
Haleigh Brooks, Victoria Coppola, Haley
Duncan, Iqra Imran, Justin Marrie,
Jennifer Reebel, Reagan Todd

This Photo by Unknow n author is licensed under CC BY-ND.

 Physical
Growth and
Development

This Photo by Unknow n author is licensed under CC BY-ND.

 Physical Growth

 Weight: Growth in children from

3-5 years old is fairly steady in
nature. These children gain
roughly 3-5 lbs per year.
 Height: During this stage of
growth children increase in height
by about 2-3 in per year.
 Most of the child's growth occurs
in the long bones; these include
the arms and legs.

This Photo by Unknow n author is licensed under CC BY.

Physical Skills Performed
by Preschool Children

 Ties shoes
 Brushes teeth
 Buttons clothes
 Can throw a ball
 Draws circles and squares
 Tricycle riding
 Increased writing ability
 Cognitive,
Growth, and
Development
 Preoperational
Thought

 Symbols or words are used to represent

objects and people
 Enables children to think
 Milestone in intellectual development
Freud's Theory of Psychosocial
Development
 Phallic Stage
 Sexual energy becomes
centered

 Nursing Interventions:
 Be alert
 Encourage parental involvement
in care
 Plan for play time
 Offer variety
 Piaget's Theory of
Psychosocial
Development

 Child is increasingly verbal

 Causality is confused
 Nursing Interventions:
 Offer explanations
 Clearly explain the child is
not responsible for the
illness
Psychosocial
Development
Erikson's Theory of
Psychosocial
Development
 Initiative vs. Guilt Stage
 Initiates play activities and
projects
 Exposure to others not in the
family
 Interest in exploring new things
 Effects of constant criticism
 Guilt
 Lack of purpose
 Erikson's Theory of
Psychosocial
Development

 Nursing Interventions:
 Offer medical equipment for
play to lessen anxiety
 Assess child's concern as
expressed through their
drawings
 Accept the child's choices
and expressions of feelings
 Methods of Play for
the Preschooler

 Associative play
 Includes others in play
 Puzzles, simple games, songs
 Dramatic play
 Fantasy play using props
 Dress up and clothing,
dolls, playhouse, puppets
 Gross motor activities
 Swinging, riding a tricycle,
throwing a ball
 Fine motor activities
 Arts and crafts, drawings
 Personality and
Communication of
Preschool Aged Children

 Adaptation to structured learning and

preschool setting
 Rapid growth of language skills and
vocabulary
 Endless talking and questions
 Understand very literal meaning of
words
 Collective Monologue
 Difficulty focusing on a
conversation
 Unable to consider and understand
other perspectives
 Use of concrete visual aids to focus
attention and guide conversation
Review

 In Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, what is the stage called that

describes the 3-6 year old age group?
A. Preschoolers
B. Initiative vs. Guilt
C. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
D. Phallic
Review

 Growth in children from the ages 3-6 is fairly steady. On average, what is the
weight, in pounds, these kids will gain in one year?
A. 1-3 lbs.
B. 5-10 lbs.
C. 5-7 lbs.
D. 3-5 lbs.
Review

 Most of children's growth in the preschool age period happens in

A. Spine
B. Short bones
C. Long bones
D. No specific area, it is distributed evenly
Review

 Which of the following is NOT a skill that is expected to be performed by a

preschooler?
A. Drawing circles and squares
B. Placing importance on privacy
C. Tricycle riding
D. Brushes teeth
E. Buttons clothes
Review

 What personality and communication skills are expected as normal from a

preschooler?
A. Endless talking and questions
B. Able to understand others' perspectives
C. Can easily focus on a conversation
D. Slowly progressing vocabulary