Psy 351 - Ch 8

Front 1

Physical Development in Early Childhood

Back 1

Body Growth Slows. Shape becomes more streamlined. Skeletal growth continues. New growth centers emerge. Lose baby teeth.

Front 2

Brain Development in Early Childhood

Back 2

Significant brain growth between ages 2 and 8. Grows to 90% of adult size. Synaptic growth and myelination. Overabundance of synaptic connections supports plasticity. Cognitive skills also increase. Physical coordination, perception, attention, memory, language, logical thinking and imagination.

Front 3

Brain Development in Early Childhood (cont)

Back 3

Frontal lobes areas for planning and organization develop. Left hemisphere active - language skills, handedness. Differences in rate of development between the two hemisphere suggest they continue to lateralize during early childhood.

Front 4

Handedness

Back 4

Begins as early as 1 year and strengthens. 90% are right-handed. Affect be experiences (position in uterus, practice, culture) Early damage to left hemisphere may cause shift in handedness. Most left-handers have no developmental problems and are more likely to excel in both verbal and math skills.

Front 5

Influences on Physical Growth and Health

Back 5

Heredity and hormones. Emotional well-being, sleep, nutrition, infectious disease, childhood injuries

Front 6

Low-Level Lead Exposure and Children's Development

Back 6

Elevated blood levels of lead are linker with lower IQs and behavior problems. Persistent childhood exposure can also contribute to antisocial behavior in adolescence.

Front 7

Heredity and Hormones

Back 7

Size and growth related to parents. Genes influence pituitary gland to release: Growth Hormone and Thyroid-stimulating hormone.

Front 8

Growth Hormone

Back 8

Acts directly but also stimulates release of insulin like growth factor 1 which triggers cell duplication.

Front 9

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)

Back 9

Prompts release of thyroxine, necessary for brain development and proper growth.

Front 10

Importance of Sleep

Back 10

Contributes to body growth (GH released during sleep.) Contributes to cognitive performance. Impact of lost sleep more prominent in low-SES children. Children's poor sleep affects parent's sleep and functioning.

Front 11

Differences in Sleep Patterns due to Ethnicity

Back 11

1. Sleep Routines
2. Napping
3. Cosleeping

Front 12

Nutrition in Early Childhood

Back 12

Appetite becomes unpredictable. They like familiar foods.

Front 13

Social Environment Influences Food Choices

Back 13

1. Imitate admired people
2. Repeated exposure to foods
3. Emotional climate, parent pressure
4. Restriction increases desire
5. Poverty

Front 14

Children who have a nutritionally deficient diet have

Back 14

1. more attention difficulties
2. poorer mental test scores
3. behavior problems especially hyperactivity and aggression

Front 15

Infectious Diseases in Childhood

Back 15

1. Poor diet suppresses children's immune systems and makes them more susceptible to disease.
2. Childhood diseases have declined dramatically, largely bc of widespread immunization of infants and young children.
3. About 20% of American infants and toddlers are not fully immunized. Rate is higher for poverty-stricken children.

Front 16

Child Health Care in the US

Back 16

1 in 5 children under 5 in the US have no health insurance and limited access to care. Other nations, free medical examinations are standard. Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding provides care for many, but some eligible children are not enrolled.

Front 17

Factors Related to Childhood Injuries: Individual Differences

Back 17

1. Gender - Boys are 1.5x more likely to be injured than girls and injuries are more severe.
2. Mothers judge chances of preventing injury in sons to be lower- a belief that might keep them from exercising proper controls.
3. Temperament.

Front 18

Factors Related to Childhood Injuries: Risk Factors

Back 18

1. Poverty, single parenthood, low parental education
2. Societal conditions in developing nations
3. Poverty, child-care shortages, teen parents in the US.

Front 19

Preventing Childhood Injuries

Back 19

Laws prevent many injuries (safety seats, child-resistant caps, flameproof clothing)

Front 20

Safety Seats

Back 20

27% of parents don't place their children in safety seats and those that do 84% doesn't use them properly

Front 21

Gross-motor skill development in early childhood

Back 21

walking, running, catching, throwing, swinging, riding

Front 22

Fine-motor skill development in early childhood

Back 22

self-help: dressing, eating; drawing

Front 23

Progression of Drawing Skills

Back 23

1. Scribbles - during 2nd year
2. First representational forms - age 3-4
3. More realistic drawings - preschool to school age
4. Early printing - age 4 to 6

Front 24

Individual Differences in Motor Skills: Body Build

Back 24

Taller and more muscular bodies move more quickly, acquire skills faster

Front 25

Individual Differences in Motor Skills: Gender

Back 25

Boys: better at power and force
Girls: fine-motor skills, balance, foot movement
**Social pressure help channel activities

Front 26

Enhancing Early Childhood Motor Development

Back 26

Mastered through everyyday play. Formal lessons have little impact. Preschoolers should have at least 60 min of unstructured play everyday. Daily routines support fine-motor development. Provide appropriate play space and equipment.