Psychology 1100: Lifespan Development - Early Childhood

Chapter 4: Early Childhood

Physical Development in Early Childhood

Growth Patterns

• Growth Rate:
  • Rapid growth in infancy slows during preschool years.
  • Average growth: 2-3 inches and 4-6 pounds per year.
  • Children become taller and more slender.
• Brain Development:
  • Brain grows faster than any other body part.
  • By age 5, the brain reaches 90% of adult weight.
  • Myelination aids brain development, linking cerebellum and cerebral cortex.
  • Enhances fine motor skills, balance, coordination, visual skills.
• Hemisphericity (Lateralization):
  • Some brain functions occur more in one hemisphere but both are used.
  • Left Hemisphere: Logical analysis, language, and computation.
  • Right Hemisphere: Visual-spatial functions, emotional responses, metaphors.
  • Men show more uneven lateralization; less in women and left-handed individuals.

Brain Plasticity

• Plasticity: Ability of the brain to compensate for injuries.
• Greatest plasticity at ages 1-2; declines with age.
• Enabled by dendrite growth and redundancy of neural connections.
• Hemispherectomy can be compensated if done young enough.

Motor Development

Gross and Fine Motor Skills

• Gross Motor Skills:
  • Older preschoolers can coordinate multiple tasks.
  • Skills acquired by self-teaching and observation.
  • Boys slightly better at throwing and kicking; girls at balance and precision.
• Fine Motor Skills:
  • Develop gradually; slower than gross motor skills.
  • Enable holding pencils, dressing, stacking blocks, drawing.

Handedness

• Established in early childhood.
• Most are right-handed; about 10% are left-handed.
• Left-handed individuals may excel in math, sports, and fine arts.
• Possible disadvantages: language problems, certain health and psychological disorders.

Nutrition in Early Childhood

• Children's appetite decreases and becomes erratic.
• Development of strong food preferences and aversions.
• Strategy: introduce disliked foods in small amounts multiple times.

Health and Illness

Minor and Major Illnesses

• Minor Illnesses:
  • Respiratory infections, gastrointestinal upsets common.
  • Frequency decreases over time.
• Major Illnesses:
  • Vary by region; serious in areas with limited resources.
  • Common causes of death: pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles.
  • In affluent areas (e.g., US), car accidents, obesity, diabetes are prevalent.

Sleep in Early Childhood

• Sleep Requirements:
  • Preschoolers need 10-11 hours of sleep (including naps).
• Sleep Disorders:
  • Sleep Terrors: Sudden wake-up, heart rate surge, incoherence, no memory of event.
  • Nightmares: Bad dreams during REM sleep.
  • Sleepwalking: Includes actions like arranging toys or going to the bathroom.
  • Incidence decreases with brain maturation.