The document discusses the physical development of preschoolers aged 3-5 years old. It covers their significant growth in motor skills, both gross and fine, ability to express themselves artistically, and importance of proper nutrition and sleep. Caregivers play an important role in maximizing preschoolers' development by providing stimulating environments and activities that develop their motor, cognitive and self-help skills.
The document discusses the physical development of preschoolers aged 3-5 years old. It covers their significant growth in motor skills, both gross and fine, ability to express themselves artistically, and importance of proper nutrition and sleep. Caregivers play an important role in maximizing preschoolers' development by providing stimulating environments and activities that develop their motor, cognitive and self-help skills.
The document discusses the physical development of preschoolers aged 3-5 years old. It covers their significant growth in motor skills, both gross and fine, ability to express themselves artistically, and importance of proper nutrition and sleep. Caregivers play an important role in maximizing preschoolers' development by providing stimulating environments and activities that develop their motor, cognitive and self-help skills.
The Preschooler PRESCHOOLER’S PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT PRESCHOOLER’S PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
The preschooler years is commonly known as
It roughly covers 3-5 years of age.
The preschool years is very important as it lays foundation to later development. Preschoolers achieve many developmental milestones. BIG IDEAS ABOUT THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOLERS:
1. There are significant changes in physical
growth of preschooler. 2. The preschoolers’ physical development is marked by the acquisition of gross and fine motor skills. 3. Preschoolers can express themselves artistically at a very early age. 4. Proper nutrition and the right amount of sleep are very important for the preschoolers. 5. Caregivers and teachers can do a lot in maximizing the growth and development of preschoolers 6. Preschoolers with special needs in inclusive classrooms can thrive well with the appropriate adaptations made in the classroom materials and activities. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PHYSICAL GROWTH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PHYSICAL GROWTH
Physical growth increases in the preschool years,
although it is much slower in the pace than in infancy and toddlerhood. Around 3 years of age, preschoolers move, from the remaining baby-like features of the toddler, toward a more slender appearance of a child. Toddlers have their center of gravity at a high level, about the chest level. This is why they have the difficulty doing sudden movements without falling down. Preschoolers on the other hand, have their center of gravity at a lower level, right about near the belly button. This gives them more ability to be stable and balanced than the toddler. The preschooler moves from the unsteady stance of toddlerhood to a more steady bearing. They no longer “toddle”, that wobbly way that toddlers walk. This allows the preschoolers to move more “successfully” than the toddler. At the later part of the preschooler years at around 5 or 6 is the best time to begin learning skills that require balance like riding a bike or skating. By the time the child reaches three years old, all primary or deciduous, or what are also called “baby or milk” teeth are already in place. The preschooler years are therefore a time to instill habits of good dental hygiene. GROSS AND FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT GROSS AND FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT
Gross motor development refers to
acquiring skills that involve the large muscles. These gross motor skills are categorized into three: LOCOMOTOR, NON – LOCOMOTOR, MANIPULATIVE SKILLS. LOCOMOTOR SKILLS - are those that involve going from one place to another, like walking, running, climbing, skipping, hopping, creeping, galloping, and dodging. NON - LOCOMOTOR SKILLS - ones are those where the child stays in place, like bending, stretching, turning, and swaying. MANIPULATIVE SKILLS - are those that involve projecting and receiving objects, like throwing, striking, bouncing, catching and dribbling. Preschoolers are generally physically active. Level of activity is highest around three and becomes a little less as the preschooler gets older. They should be provided with a variety of appropriate activities which will allow them to use their large muscles. Regular physical activity helps preschoolers build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, control weight and build lean muscles, prevent or delay hypertension, reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and increase capacity for learning. Fine motor development refers to acquiring the ability to use smaller muscles in the arm, hands, and fingers purposefully.
Some skills included are picking,
squeezing, pounding, and opening things, holding and using a writing implement. Different environment provide different experiences with fine motor skills. For example, the availability of information and communications technology in largely urban areas makes younger and younger children proficient in keyboarding and manipulation of the mouse and the use of smart phones and tablets. Other children use their fine motor skills in digging in soil, making toys out of sticks, cans and bottle caps. Still, others enjoy clay, play dough, and finger paint. By the end of the preschool years, most children manage to hold a pencil with their thumb and fingers, draw pictures, write letters, use scissors, do stringing and threading activities. They can also do self - help skills like eating and dressing up independently. Handedness, or the preference of the use of one hand over the other, is usually established around 4 years of age. PRESCHOOLERS’ ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT At the heart of the preschooler years is their interest to draw and make other forms of artistic expressions.
Viktor Lowenfeld studied this and came up with
the STAGES OF DRAWING in early childhood: Stage 1. Scribble Stage This stage begins with large zig – zag lines which later become circular markings. Soon, discrete shapes are drawn. The child may start to name his/her drawing towards the end of this stage. Stage 2. Preschematic Stage May already include early representations. At this point, adults may be able to recognize the drawings. Children at this stage tend to give the same names to their drawings several times. Drawings usually comprise of a prominent head with basic elements. Later, arms, legs, hands, and even facial features are included. Stage 3. Schematic Stage More elaborate scenes are depicted. Children usually draw from experience and exposure. Drawings may include houses, trees, the sun, and sky and people. Initially, they may appear floating in air but eventually drawings appear to follow a ground line Everyone who observes a preschooler go through these stages of drawing would surely say one thing: that the preschooler drew the same drawing maybe a hundred times! Repetition is the hallmark of early drawing. Also important to remember is that the preschoolers’ representation or drawing does not only involve fine motor skills, but also cognitive skills. Children’s drawings allow us to have a glimpse of how they understand themselves and the world around them. PRESCHOOLERS’ NUTRITION AND SLEEP The kind of nutrition a preschooler gets has far – reaching effect on his physical growth and development. The preschoolers’ nutritional status is the result of what nutrients he or she actually takes in checked against the nutritional requirement of his/her age. Here in our country, we can see extreme of the preschoolers not having enough food an those on the other end of the extreme where we find preschoolers who are not just overweight but obese. The celebration of the Nutrition Month every July is aimed at advocating for proper nutrition. Each year, a theme is put forth to advocate good nutritional habits while government programs on giving fortified bread, milk and even noodles aim to address malnutrition among children. It is important for preschoolers to get sufficient amount of rest and sleep. Preschoolers benefit from about 10 – 12 hours of sleep each day. It is when they are asleep that vital biological processes that affect physical and cognitive development take place. During sleep, especially in the dream state (rapid eye movement stage), growth hormones are released. Blood supply to the muscles are likewise increased helping preschoolers regain energy. At this state while dreaming, increase brain activity is also attained. A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT PRESCHOOLERS CAN DO: List of preschoolers’ Physical Skills lifted from the Physical Domain component of the Philippine Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS). This sets of standards was based on a study commissioned by UNICEF and the Child Welfare Council (CWC). This is now adopted for use by the Early Childhood Care and Development Council Gross Motor: 36 – 48 months • Hops 1 – 3 steps on preferred foot • Skips (with alternating feet) • Jumps and turns • Stands on one leg without falling for at least 5 seconds • Throws a ball overhead with control of direction • Throws a ball overhead with control speed • Kicks a ball with control speed. Fine Motor Skills: 36 – 48 months • Consistently turns pages of a picture or a story book one page at a time, looking at the pictures with interest • Purposefully copies diagonal line • Purposefully bisects a cross • Purposefully copies a triangle • Cuts with scissors following a line Fine Motor Skills: 49 – 60 months • Copies a simple pattern of different basic shapes • Draws a human body figure (head, eyes, mouth, trunk, arms, legs, etc.) without prompts • Draws a house without prompts using geometric forms • Colors with stroke staying within the line. Personal Care and Hygiene (Self-Help Skills) : 36 – 48 months • Pours from pitcher without spillage • Feeds self using spoon without spillage • Dresses without assistance except for buttons and tying laces • Puts on socks independently Personal Care and Hygiene (Self-Help Skills) : 49 – 60 months • Feeds self using fingers without spillage • Prepares own food • Dresses without assistance, including buttoning and tying • Wipes/cleans him/herself after a bowel movement • Brushes teeth after meals without having to be told • Washes and dries face independently without having to be told • Takes a bath independently without having to be told The Roles of Caregivers in the Growth and Development of Preschooler Optimum physical development of preschoolers is largely influenced by the supportive caregivers (parents and teachers) who provided a stimulating environment and appropriate activities for the children Tips for Caregivers: For all Preschoolers a. Engage preschool children in simple games that involve running and walking b. Provide them with toys for catching and throwing such as soft large balls and bean bags. c. Have balancing activities. Use low balance beams and lines on the classroom floor or playground. Montessori schools have blue or red lines on their preschool classroom floors d. Allow opportunities for rough and tumble play like in a grassy area or soft mats. Keen observation and monitoring is, of course expected to keep them safe from injury. e. Ensure that preschoolers get enough rest and sleep. Setting a routine for bed time ideal. f. Model good eating habits to preschoolers. Encourage more fruits, vegetables, water and fresh juices, rather than processed foods, sugary snacks and sodas. For Three – years – old g. Encourage development of hand – eye coordination by providing large buttons or old beads to string on a shoe lace. h. Play ball. Show children how to throw, catch, and kick balls of different sizes. i. Show children how to hop like a rabbit, tiptoe like a bird, waddle like a duck, slither like a snake, and run like a deer. j. Encourage free expression in art projects. Avoid asking “what” children are drawing. Three – years – olds may not know or care but simply enjoy the process of drawing k. Provide a variety of art experiences. Make play dough. Create collages from magazine pictures, fabric, wallpaper, and newsprint. Encourage children to experiment with new media like wire, cork, soda, straws, string or yarn. Teach children to mix different colors with paint. For Four – years – old l. Encourage physical development. Play follow the leader. Pretend to walk like various animals m. Set up an obstacle course indoors with challenges such as crawling, climbing, leaping, balancing and running across stepping stones. n. Encourage walking with a beanbag on the hand For Five – years – old o. Encourage body coordination and sense of balance by playing “Follower the Leader” with skipping, galloping and hopping. Skip or jump rope to music, teach folk dances and games, provide a balance beam, a tree for climbing, and a knotted rope suspended from a sturdy frame. p. Teach sack – walking and “twist – em”, “statue”, or “freeze” games to provide an outlet for their drive for physical activity q. Play games that can teach right and left directions, “Hockey-Pockey”, “Looby – Loo”, and “Simon Says” r. Help children learn to use a pair of scissors by letting them cut out coupons Thank you!