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ABSTRACTION/GENERALIZATION‌  ‌
From‌‌ the‌‌ activity,‌‌ you‌‌ were‌‌ be‌‌ able‌‌ to‌‌ see‌‌ a ‌‌glimpse‌‌ of‌‌ preschoolers’‌‌ physical‌‌ development.‌‌ They‌‌ 
love‌  ‌to‌  ‌move.‌  ‌They‌  ‌enjoy‌  ‌being‌  ‌active.‌  ‌They‌  ‌are‌  ‌also‌  ‌interested‌  ‌to‌  ‌work‌  ‌with‌  ‌their‌  ‌fingers,‌  ‌like‌  ‌with‌‌ 
blocks.‌  ‌They‌  ‌have‌  ‌a ‌ ‌more‌  ‌balance‌  ‌stance‌  ‌than‌  ‌toddlers.‌  ‌Read‌  ‌on‌  ‌and‌  ‌you‌  ‌will‌  ‌learn‌  ‌more‌  ‌about‌  ‌the‌‌ 
typical‌‌  physical‌‌   development‌‌   of‌‌
  preschoolers,‌‌   the‌‌
  important‌‌ concerns‌‌ and‌‌ issues,‌‌ and‌‌ how‌‌ teachers‌‌ and‌‌ 
caregivers‌‌can‌‌help‌‌maximize‌‌the‌‌preschoolers’‌‌growth‌‌and‌‌development.‌  ‌
 ‌
Big‌‌Ideas‌‌about‌‌the‌‌Physical‌‌Development‌‌of‌‌Preschoolers‌  ‌
1. There‌‌are‌‌significant‌‌changes‌‌in‌‌physical‌‌growth‌‌of‌‌preschoolers.‌  ‌
2. The‌  ‌preschoolers’‌  ‌physical‌  ‌development‌  ‌is‌  ‌marked‌  ‌by‌  ‌the‌  ‌acquisition‌  ‌of‌  ‌gross‌  ‌and‌  ‌fine‌‌   motor‌‌ 
skills.‌  ‌
3. Preschoolers‌‌can‌‌express‌‌themselves‌‌artistically‌‌at‌‌a‌‌very‌‌early‌‌age.‌  ‌
4. Proper‌‌nutrition‌‌and‌‌the‌‌right‌‌amount‌‌of‌‌sleep‌‌are‌‌very‌‌important‌‌for‌‌the‌‌preschoolers.‌‌   ‌
5. Caregivers‌‌and‌‌teachers‌‌can‌‌do‌‌a‌‌lot‌‌in‌‌maximizing‌‌the‌‌growth‌‌and‌‌development‌‌of‌‌preschoolers.‌  ‌
6. Preschoolers‌  ‌with‌  ‌special‌  ‌needs‌  ‌in‌  ‌inclusive‌  ‌classrooms‌  ‌can‌  ‌thrive‌  ‌well‌  ‌with‌  ‌the‌  ‌appropriate‌‌ 
adaptations‌‌made‌‌in‌‌the‌‌classroom,‌‌materials‌‌and‌‌activities.‌  ‌
 ‌
Significant‌‌Changes‌‌in‌‌Physical‌‌Growth‌  ‌
Physical‌  ‌growth‌  ‌increases‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌years,‌  ‌although‌  ‌it‌  ‌is‌  ‌much‌  ‌slower‌  ‌in‌  ‌pace‌  ‌than‌  ‌in‌‌ 
infancy‌  ‌and‌  ‌toddlerhood.‌  ‌At‌  ‌around‌  ‌3 ‌ ‌years‌  ‌of‌  ‌age,‌  ‌preschooler‌  ‌move,‌  ‌form‌  ‌the‌  ‌remaining‌  ‌baby-like‌‌ 
features‌‌   of‌‌
  the‌‌   toddler,‌‌   toward‌‌   a ‌‌more‌‌   slender‌‌   appearance‌‌   of‌‌
  a ‌‌child.‌‌   The‌‌ trunk,‌‌ arms‌‌ and‌‌ legs‌‌ become‌‌ 
longer.‌  ‌
The‌  ‌center‌  ‌of‌  ‌gravity‌  ‌refers‌  ‌to‌  ‌the‌  ‌point‌  ‌at‌  ‌which‌  ‌body‌  ‌weight‌  ‌is‌  ‌evenly‌  ‌distributed.‌  ‌Toddlers‌‌ 
have‌  ‌their‌  ‌center‌  ‌of‌‌   gravity‌‌   at‌‌   a ‌‌high‌‌   level,‌‌   about‌‌   the‌‌   chest‌‌   level.‌‌   This‌‌   is‌‌
  why‌‌   they‌‌   have‌‌  difficulty‌‌   doing‌‌ 
sudden‌‌   movements‌‌   without‌‌   falling‌‌   down.‌‌   Preschooler‌‌   on‌‌   the‌‌   other‌‌ hand,‌‌ have‌‌ their‌‌ center‌‌ of‌‌ gravity‌‌ at‌‌ 
a‌‌
  lower‌‌   level,‌‌   right‌‌   about‌‌   near‌‌   belly‌‌   button.‌‌   This‌‌   gives‌‌ them‌‌ more‌‌ ability‌‌ to‌‌ be‌‌ stable‌‌ and‌‌ balanced‌‌ than‌‌ 
the‌‌   toddler.‌‌   The‌‌   preschoolers‌‌   move‌‌   from‌‌   the‌‌   unsteady‌‌   stance‌‌   of‌‌ toddlerhood‌‌ to‌‌ a ‌‌more‌‌ steady‌‌ bearing.‌‌ 
They‌  ‌no‌  ‌longer‌  ‌“toddle”,‌  ‌that‌  ‌wobbly‌  ‌way‌  ‌that‌‌   toddler‌‌   walk.‌‌   This‌‌   also‌‌   allows‌‌   the‌‌   preschooler‌‌   to‌‌
  move‌‌ 
more‌‌   “successfully”‌‌   than‌‌   the‌‌  toddler.‌‌   Some‌‌   say‌‌   that‌‌   the‌‌   later‌‌   part‌‌   of‌‌
  the‌‌   preschooler‌‌   years‌‌ at‌‌ around‌‌ 5 ‌‌
or‌‌6‌‌is‌‌the‌‌best‌‌time‌‌to‌‌begin‌‌learning‌‌skills‌‌that‌‌require‌‌balance‌‌like‌‌riding‌‌a‌‌bike‌‌or‌‌skating.‌  ‌
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   permanent‌‌   teeth‌‌   which‌‌   will‌‌   begin‌‌   to‌‌ come‌‌ out‌‌ by‌‌ age‌‌ six‌‌ 
are‌‌also‌‌developing.‌‌The‌‌preschooler‌‌years‌‌are‌‌therefore‌‌a‌‌time‌‌to‌‌instill‌‌habits‌‌of‌‌good‌‌dental‌‌hygiene.‌  ‌
Gross‌‌and‌‌Fine‌‌Motor‌‌Development‌  ‌
Gross‌  ‌motor‌  ‌development‌  ‌refers‌  ‌to‌  ‌acquiring‌‌   skills‌‌   that‌‌   involve‌‌   the‌‌   large‌‌   muscles.‌‌   These‌‌   gross‌‌ 
motor‌  ‌skills‌  ‌are‌  ‌categorized‌  ‌into‌  ‌three:‌  ‌locomotor,‌  ‌non-locomotor‌  ‌and‌  ‌manipulative‌  ‌skills.‌  ‌Locomotor‌‌ 
skills‌  ‌are‌  ‌those‌  ‌involve‌  ‌going‌  ‌from‌  ‌one‌  ‌place‌  ‌to‌  ‌another,‌  ‌like‌  ‌walking,‌  ‌running,‌  ‌climbing,‌  ‌skipping,‌‌ 
hopping,‌‌   creeping,‌‌ galloping,‌‌ and‌‌ dodging.‌‌ ‌Non-locomotor‌‌ ‌ones‌‌ are‌‌ those‌‌ where‌‌ the‌‌ child‌‌ stays‌‌ in‌‌ place,‌‌ 
like‌  ‌bending,‌  ‌stretching,‌  ‌turning‌  ‌and‌  ‌swaying.‌  ‌Manipulative‌  ‌skills‌  ‌are‌  ‌those‌  ‌that‌  ‌involve‌  ‌receiving‌‌ 
objects,‌‌like‌‌throwing,‌‌striking,‌‌bouncing,‌‌catching‌‌and‌‌dribbling.‌ 
Preschoolers‌  ‌are‌  ‌generally‌  ‌physically‌  ‌active.‌  ‌Level‌  ‌of‌  ‌activity‌  ‌is‌  ‌highest‌  ‌around‌  ‌three‌  ‌and‌‌ 
becomes‌  ‌a ‌ ‌little‌  ‌less‌  ‌as‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschooler‌  ‌gets‌  ‌older.‌  ‌Preschoolers‌  ‌should‌  ‌be‌  ‌provided‌  ‌with‌‌   a ‌‌variety‌‌   of‌‌ 
appropriate‌  ‌activities‌  ‌which‌  ‌will‌  ‌allow‌  ‌them‌  ‌to‌  ‌use‌‌   their‌‌   large‌‌   muscles.‌‌   Regular‌‌   physical‌‌   activities‌‌   help‌‌ 
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 
for‌‌learning.‌  ‌
Fine‌  ‌motor‌  ‌development‌  ‌refers‌  ‌to‌  ‌acquiring‌‌   the‌‌   ability‌‌   to‌‌   use‌‌   the‌‌   smaller‌‌   muscles‌‌   in‌‌  the‌‌   arm,‌‌ 
hands‌  ‌and‌  ‌fingers‌  ‌purposefully.‌  ‌Some‌‌   of‌‌   the‌‌   skills‌‌   included‌‌   here‌‌   are‌‌   picking,‌‌   squeezing,‌‌   pounding,‌‌   and‌‌ 
opening‌  ‌things,‌  ‌holding‌  ‌and‌  ‌using‌  ‌a ‌ ‌writing‌  ‌implement.‌  ‌It‌  ‌also‌  ‌involves‌  ‌self-help‌  ‌skills‌  ‌like‌  ‌using‌  ‌the‌‌ 
spoon‌‌and‌‌fork‌‌when‌‌eating,‌‌buttoning,‌‌zipping,‌‌combing‌‌and‌‌brushing.‌‌   ‌
Different‌  ‌environments‌  ‌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   or‌‌  gaming‌‌   console‌‌   like‌‌  the‌‌ 
Play‌‌  Station‌‌   Portable‌‌   (PSP).‌‌   While‌‌   other‌‌   children‌‌ use‌‌ their‌‌ fine‌‌ motor‌‌ skills‌‌ in‌‌ digging‌‌ in‌‌ soil,‌‌ making‌‌ toys‌‌ 
out‌‌of‌‌sticks,‌‌cans‌‌and‌‌bottles‌‌caps.‌‌Still‌‌others,‌‌enjoy‌‌clay,‌‌play‌‌dough,‌‌and‌‌finger‌‌paint.‌  ‌
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.‌‌   Significant‌‌   progress‌‌   in‌‌  fine‌‌   motor‌‌   skills‌‌   can‌‌ be‌‌ 
expected‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌especially‌  ‌if‌  ‌they‌‌   are‌‌   aptly‌‌   supported‌‌   and‌‌   appropriate‌‌   activities‌‌   are‌‌   provided‌‌ 
for‌‌them.‌  ‌
Handedness,‌  ‌or‌  ‌the‌  ‌preference‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌use‌  ‌of‌  ‌one‌  ‌hand‌  ‌over‌  ‌the‌  ‌other,‌  ‌is‌  ‌usually‌  ‌stablished‌‌ 
around‌  ‌4 ‌ ‌years‌  ‌of‌  ‌age.‌  ‌Earlier‌  ‌than‌  ‌this,‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌can‌  ‌be‌  ‌observed‌  ‌to‌  ‌do‌  ‌tasks‌  ‌using‌  ‌their‌  ‌hands‌‌ 
interchangeably.‌‌ We‌‌ can‌‌ observe‌‌ a ‌‌preschooler‌‌ shifting‌‌ the‌‌ crayon‌‌ from‌‌ left‌‌ to‌‌ right‌‌ and‌‌ back‌‌ again‌‌ while‌‌ 
working‌‌on‌‌a‌‌coloring‌‌activity.‌  ‌
 ‌
Preschoolers’‌‌Artistic‌‌Development‌ 
At‌  ‌the‌  ‌heart‌  ‌of‌‌   the‌‌   preschooler‌‌   years‌‌   is‌‌  their‌‌   interest‌‌   to‌‌  draw‌‌   and‌‌   make‌‌   other‌‌   forms‌‌   of‌‌   artistic‌‌ 
expressions.‌  ‌This‌  ‌form‌  ‌of‌  ‌fine‌  ‌motor‌  ‌activity‌  ‌is‌‌   relevant‌‌   to‌‌   preschoolers.‌‌   ‌Viktor‌‌   Lowenfeld‌‌   ‌studies‌‌   this‌‌ 
and‌‌came‌‌up‌‌with‌‌the‌s‌ tages‌‌of‌‌drawing‌‌‌in‌‌early‌‌childhood.‌  ‌
Stage‌  ‌1.‌  ‌Scribbling‌  ‌stage.‌  ‌This‌  ‌stage‌  ‌begins‌‌   with‌‌   large‌‌   zig-zag‌‌   lines‌‌   which‌‌   later‌‌   become‌‌   circular‌‌ 
markings.‌‌   Soon,‌‌   discrete‌‌   shapes‌‌   are‌‌   drawn.‌‌   The‌‌ child‌‌ my‌‌ start‌‌ to‌‌ name‌‌ his/her‌‌ drawing‌‌ towards‌‌ the‌‌ end‌‌ 
of‌‌this‌‌stage.‌  ‌
Stage‌  ‌2.‌  ‌Preschematic‌  ‌stage.‌  ‌May‌  ‌already‌  ‌include‌  ‌early‌  ‌presentations‌  ‌(this‌  ‌also‌  ‌becomes‌  ‌very‌‌ 
significant‌‌   when‌‌   we‌‌   discuss‌‌   about‌‌   cognitive‌‌   development).‌‌   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 
facial‌‌features‌‌are‌‌included.‌  ‌
Stage‌  ‌3.‌  ‌Schematic‌  ‌stage.‌  ‌More‌  ‌elaborate‌  ‌scenes‌  ‌are‌  ‌depicted.‌  ‌Children‌  ‌usually‌  ‌draw‌  ‌the‌‌ 
experience‌‌   and‌‌   exposure.‌‌   Drawings‌‌ may‌‌ include‌‌ houses,‌‌ trees,‌‌ the‌‌ sun‌‌ and‌‌ sky‌‌ and‌‌ people.‌‌ Initially,‌‌ they‌‌ 
may‌‌appear‌‌floating‌‌in‌‌air‌‌but‌‌eventually‌‌drawings‌‌appear‌‌to‌‌follow‌‌a‌‌ground‌‌line.‌  ‌
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 a ‌‌hallmark‌‌ of‌‌ 
early‌‌ drawing.‌‌ One‌‌ wonders‌‌ if‌‌ the‌‌ supply‌‌ of‌‌ scratch‌‌ papers,‌‌ crayons‌‌ and‌‌ pens‌‌ will‌‌ ever‌‌ be‌‌ enough.‌‌ Adults‌‌ 
should‌  ‌remember‌  ‌to‌  ‌have‌  ‌a ‌ ‌neat‌  ‌supply‌  ‌of‌  ‌these‌  ‌or‌  ‌they‌  ‌will‌  ‌find‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschoolers’‌  ‌drawings‌  ‌on‌‌   the‌‌ 
furniture‌  ‌and‌  ‌walls‌  ‌this‌  ‌affords‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschooler‌  ‌opportunities‌  ‌to‌  ‌gain‌  ‌mastery‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌fine‌‌   motor‌‌   skills‌‌ 
involved.‌  ‌
Also,‌‌ important‌‌ to‌‌ remember‌‌ is‌‌ that‌‌ the‌‌ preschoolers’‌‌ representations‌‌ or‌‌ drawings‌‌ does‌‌ not‌‌ only‌‌ 
involve‌  ‌fine‌  ‌motor‌  ‌skills,‌‌   but‌‌   also‌‌   cognitive‌‌   skills.‌‌   Children’s‌‌   drawing‌‌   allow‌‌   us‌‌   to‌‌
  have‌‌   a ‌‌glimpse‌‌   of‌‌
  how‌‌ 
they‌‌understand‌‌themselves‌‌and‌‌the‌‌world‌‌around‌‌them.‌‌   ‌
 ‌
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Preschoolers’‌‌Nutrition‌‌and‌‌Sleep‌  ‌
The‌  ‌kind‌  ‌of‌  ‌nutrition‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschooler‌  ‌gets‌  ‌has‌  ‌far-reaching‌  ‌effect‌  ‌on‌  ‌his‌  ‌physical‌  ‌growth‌  ‌and‌‌ 
development.‌‌   The‌‌   preschooler’s‌‌   nutritional‌‌   status‌‌   is‌‌ the‌‌ result‌‌ of‌‌ what‌‌ nutrients‌‌ he‌‌ or‌‌ she‌‌ actually‌‌ takes‌‌ 
in‌‌
  checked‌‌   against‌‌   the‌‌   nutritional‌‌   requirement‌‌   for‌‌   his/her‌‌   age.‌‌   Obviously,‌‌ having‌‌ too‌‌ much‌‌ or‌‌ little‌‌ both‌‌ 
have‌  ‌their‌  ‌negative‌  ‌effects.‌  ‌Here‌  ‌in‌  ‌our‌  ‌country,‌  ‌we‌  ‌can‌  ‌see‌  ‌the‌  ‌extreme‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌not‌  ‌having‌‌ 
enough‌  ‌food‌  ‌and‌  ‌those‌  ‌on‌  ‌the‌  ‌other‌  ‌end‌  ‌of‌‌   the‌‌   extreme‌‌   where‌‌   we‌‌   find‌‌   preschooler‌‌   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  ‌out‌  ‌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,‌‌   specially‌‌   in‌‌
  the‌‌   dream‌‌  state‌‌  (rapid‌‌ 
eye‌‌ movement‌‌ state),‌‌ growth‌‌ hormones‌‌ are‌‌ released.‌‌ Blood‌‌ supply‌‌ to‌‌ the‌‌ muscles‌‌ are‌‌ likewise‌‌ increased‌‌ 
helping‌‌preschoolers‌‌regain‌‌energy.‌‌At‌‌this‌‌state‌‌while‌‌dreaming,‌‌increased‌‌brain‌‌activity‌‌is‌‌also‌‌attained.‌  ‌
 ‌
A‌‌Quick‌‌Look‌‌at‌‌What‌‌Preschoolers‌‌Can‌‌Do:‌‌(physical‌‌skills)‌  ‌
This‌‌   bulleted‌‌   list‌‌
  of‌‌  preschoolers’‌‌   physical‌‌   skills‌‌
  is‌‌
  lifted‌‌ from‌‌ the‌‌ Physical‌‌ Domain‌‌ component‌‌ of‌‌ 
the‌  ‌Philippine‌  ‌Early‌  ‌Learning‌  ‌and‌  ‌Development‌  ‌Standard‌  ‌(ELDS).‌  ‌This‌‌   set‌‌
  of‌‌
  standards‌‌   was‌‌
  based‌‌   on‌‌
  a ‌‌
study‌‌commissioned‌‌by‌‌UNICEF‌‌and‌‌the‌‌Child‌‌Welfare‌‌Council‌‌(CWC)‌  ‌
This‌‌is‌‌now‌‌adopted‌‌for‌‌use‌‌by‌‌the‌‌Early‌‌Childhood‌‌Care‌‌and‌‌Development‌‌Council.‌  ‌
Gross‌‌Motor:‌‌36-48‌‌Months‌  ‌
● Hops‌‌1‌‌to‌‌3‌‌steps‌‌on‌‌preferred‌‌foot‌  ‌
● Skips‌‌(with‌‌alternating‌‌feet)‌  ‌
● Jumps‌‌and‌‌turns‌  ‌
● Stand‌‌on‌‌one‌‌leg‌‌without‌‌falling‌‌for‌‌at‌‌least‌‌5‌‌seconds‌‌   ‌
● Throws‌‌a‌‌ball‌‌overhead‌‌with‌‌control‌‌of‌‌direction‌‌   ‌
● Throws‌‌a‌‌ball‌‌overhead‌‌with‌‌control‌‌of‌‌speed‌  ‌
● Kicks‌‌a‌‌ball‌‌with‌‌control‌‌of‌‌speed‌‌   ‌
Fine-motor‌‌skills:‌  ‌
36-48‌‌Months‌  ‌
● Consistently‌  ‌turns‌  ‌pages‌  ‌of‌  ‌a ‌ ‌picture‌  ‌or‌  ‌story‌  ‌book‌  ‌one‌  ‌page‌  ‌at‌  ‌a ‌ ‌time,‌  ‌looking‌  ‌at‌‌ 
pictures‌‌with‌‌interest‌  ‌
● Purposely‌‌copies‌‌diagonal‌‌lines‌  ‌
● Purposely‌‌bisect‌‌a‌‌cross‌  ‌
● Purposely‌‌copies‌‌a‌‌square‌‌  
● Purposely‌‌copies‌‌a‌‌triangle‌  ‌
● Cuts‌‌with‌‌scissors‌‌following‌‌a‌‌line‌  ‌
46-60‌‌Months‌  ‌
● Copies‌‌a‌‌simple‌‌pattern‌‌of‌‌different‌‌basic‌‌shapes‌  ‌
● Draws‌‌a‌‌human‌‌figure‌‌(head,‌‌eyes,‌‌mouth,‌‌trunk,‌‌arms,‌‌legs,‌‌etc.)‌‌without‌‌prompts‌  ‌
● Draws‌‌a‌‌house‌‌without‌‌prompts‌‌using‌‌geometric‌‌forms‌  ‌
● Colors‌‌with‌‌strokes‌‌staying‌‌within‌‌the‌‌lines‌  ‌
 ‌
Personal‌‌Care‌‌and‌‌Hygiene‌‌(Self-Help‌‌Skills)‌  ‌
36-48‌‌Months‌  ‌
● Pours‌‌from‌‌pitcher‌‌without‌‌spillage.‌  ‌
● Feeds‌‌self-using‌‌spoon‌‌without‌‌spillage.‌  ‌
● Dresses‌‌without‌‌assistance‌‌except‌‌for‌‌buttons‌‌and‌‌tying‌‌laces.‌‌   ‌
● Put‌‌on‌‌socks‌‌independently.‌  ‌
49-60‌‌months‌  ‌
● Feeds‌‌self-using‌‌finger‌‌without‌‌spillage.‌  ‌
● Prepares‌‌own‌‌food.‌  ‌
● Dresses‌‌without‌‌assistance,‌‌including‌‌buttoning‌‌and‌‌tying.‌‌   ‌
● Wipes/cleans‌‌him/herself‌‌after‌‌a‌‌bowel‌‌movement.‌  ‌
● Brushes‌‌teeth‌‌after‌‌meals‌‌without‌‌having‌‌to‌‌be‌‌told.‌  ‌
● Washes‌‌and‌‌dries‌‌face‌‌independently‌‌without‌‌having‌‌to‌‌be‌‌told.‌  ‌
● Takes‌‌a‌‌bath‌‌independently‌‌without‌‌having‌‌to‌‌be‌‌told.‌  ‌
 ‌
The‌‌Role‌‌of‌‌Caregivers‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Growth‌‌and‌‌Development‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Preschooler‌  ‌
Optimum‌  ‌physical‌‌   development‌‌   of‌‌  preschoolers‌‌   largely‌‌   influenced‌‌   by‌‌  the‌‌  supportive‌‌   caregivers‌‌ 
(Parents‌  ‌and‌  ‌Teachers)‌  ‌who‌  ‌provide‌  ‌a ‌ ‌stimulating‌  ‌environment‌  ‌and‌  ‌appropriate‌  ‌activities‌  ‌for‌  ‌the‌‌ 
children.‌  ‌If‌  ‌you‌  ‌have‌  ‌friends‌  ‌and‌  ‌relatives‌  ‌who‌  ‌are‌  ‌responsible‌  ‌for‌  ‌preschoolers,‌  ‌read‌  ‌and‌  ‌share‌  ‌the‌‌ 
following‌‌   tips:‌‌   (this‌‌  collection‌‌   includes‌‌
  those‌‌   suggested‌‌   by‌‌   Lesia‌‌   Oesterreich,‌‌   M.S.,‌‌ Family‌‌ Life‌‌ Extension‌‌ 
Specialist,‌‌Human‌‌Development‌‌and‌‌Family‌‌Studies,‌‌lowa‌‌State‌‌University)‌  ‌
 ‌
For‌‌all‌‌preschoolers:‌  ‌
a. Engage‌‌preschool‌‌children‌‌in‌‌simple‌‌games‌‌that‌‌involve‌‌running‌‌and‌‌walking.‌  ‌
b. Provide‌‌them‌‌with‌‌toys‌‌for‌‌catching‌‌and‌‌throwing‌‌such‌‌as‌‌soft‌‌large‌‌balls‌‌and‌‌bean‌‌bags.‌  ‌
c. Have‌  ‌balancing‌  ‌activities‌  ‌for‌  ‌preschoolers.‌  ‌Use‌  ‌low‌  ‌balance‌  ‌beams‌‌   and‌‌   lines‌‌   on‌‌  the‌‌
  classroom‌‌ 
floor‌  ‌or‌  ‌playground.‌  ‌Montessori‌  ‌schools‌  ‌have‌  ‌blue‌  ‌or‌  ‌red‌  ‌lines‌  ‌on‌  ‌their‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌classrooms‌‌ 
floor.‌  ‌
d. Allow‌  ‌opportunities‌  ‌for‌  ‌rough‌  ‌and‌  ‌tumble‌  ‌play‌  ‌like‌  ‌in‌  ‌a ‌ ‌grassy‌  ‌area‌  ‌or‌  ‌soft‌  ‌mats.‌  ‌Keen‌‌ 
observation‌‌and‌‌monitoring‌‌is,‌‌of‌‌course‌‌expected‌‌to‌‌keep‌‌them‌‌safe‌‌from‌‌injury.‌  ‌
e. Ensure‌‌that‌‌preschoolers‌‌get‌‌enough‌‌rest‌‌and‌‌sleep.‌‌Setting‌‌a‌‌routine‌‌for‌‌bedtime‌‌is‌‌ideal.‌‌   ‌
f. Model‌  ‌good‌  ‌eating‌  ‌habits‌  ‌to‌  ‌preschoolers.‌  ‌Encourage‌‌   more‌‌   fruits,‌‌
  vegetables,‌‌   water‌‌  and‌‌  fresh‌‌ 
juices,‌‌rather‌‌than‌‌processed‌‌foods,‌‌sugary‌‌snacks‌‌and‌‌sodas.‌  ‌
3-year-old‌  ‌
g. Encourage‌  ‌development‌  ‌of‌  ‌hand-eye‌  ‌coordination‌  ‌by‌  ‌providing‌  ‌large‌  ‌buttons‌  ‌or‌  ‌old‌  ‌beads‌  ‌to‌‌ 
string‌‌on‌‌a‌‌shoelace.‌  ‌
h. Play‌‌ball.‌‌Show‌‌children‌‌how‌‌to‌‌throw,‌‌catch,‌‌and‌‌kick‌‌balls‌‌of‌‌different‌‌size.‌  ‌
i. Show‌‌   children‌‌   how‌‌   to‌‌
  hop‌‌   like‌‌   a ‌‌rabbit,‌‌   tiptoe‌‌ like‌‌ a ‌‌bird,‌‌ waddle‌‌ like‌‌ a ‌‌duck,‌‌ slither‌‌ like‌‌ a ‌‌snake.‌‌ 
And‌‌run‌‌like‌‌a‌‌deer.‌  ‌
j. Encourage‌  ‌free‌  ‌expression‌  ‌in‌  ‌art‌  ‌projects.‌  ‌Avoid‌  ‌asking‌  ‌“what”‌  ‌children‌  ‌are‌  ‌drawing.‌‌ 
Three-year-old‌‌may‌‌not‌‌know‌‌or‌‌care,‌‌but‌‌simply‌‌enjoy‌‌the‌‌process‌‌of‌‌drawing.‌  ‌
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 
and‌‌cork,‌‌soda‌‌straws,‌‌string,‌‌or‌‌yarn.‌‌Teach‌‌children‌‌to‌‌mix‌‌different‌‌colors‌‌with‌‌paint.‌  ‌
4-year-olds‌  ‌
l. Encourage‌‌physical‌‌development.‌‌Play‌‌follows‌‌the‌‌leader.‌‌Pretend‌‌to‌‌walk‌‌like‌‌various‌‌animals.‌  ‌
m. Set‌‌   up‌‌   an‌‌  obstacle‌‌   course‌‌   indoor‌‌   with‌‌   challenges‌‌   such‌‌   as‌‌  crawling,‌‌ climbing,‌‌ leaping,‌‌ balancing,‌‌ 
and‌‌running‌‌across‌‌steppingstones.‌  ‌
n. Encourage‌‌walking‌‌with‌‌a‌‌beanbag‌‌on‌‌the‌‌head.‌  ‌
5-year-olds‌‌   ‌
o. Encourage‌‌   body‌‌ coordination‌‌ and‌‌ sense‌‌ of‌‌ balance‌‌ by‌‌ playing‌‌ “Follow‌‌ the‌‌ Leader”‌‌ with‌‌ skipping,‌‌ 
galloping,‌  ‌and‌  ‌hopping.‌  ‌Skip‌  ‌or‌  ‌jump‌  ‌rope‌  ‌to‌  ‌music,‌  ‌teach‌  ‌folk‌  ‌dances‌  ‌and‌  ‌games,‌  ‌provide‌  ‌a ‌‌
balance‌‌beam,‌‌a‌‌tree‌‌for‌‌climbing,‌‌and‌‌a‌‌knotted‌‌roe‌‌suspended‌‌from‌‌a‌‌sturdy‌‌frame.‌  ‌
p. Teach‌  ‌sack-walking‌  ‌and‌  ‌“twist-em,”‌  ‌“statue,”‌  ‌or‌  ‌“freeze”‌  ‌games‌  ‌to‌  ‌provide‌  ‌an‌  ‌outlet‌  ‌for‌  ‌their‌‌ 
drive‌‌for‌‌physical‌‌activity.‌  ‌
q. Play‌‌   games‌‌   that‌‌   can‌‌   teach‌‌   right‌‌   and‌‌   left‌‌ directions,‌‌ like‌‌ “Hokey-Pokey,”‌‌ “Looby-Loo,”‌‌ and‌‌ “Simon‌‌ 
Says.”‌  ‌
r. Help‌‌children‌‌learn‌‌to‌‌use‌‌a‌‌pair‌‌of‌‌scissors‌‌by‌‌letting‌‌them‌‌cut‌‌out‌‌coupons.‌  ‌
 ‌
APPLICATION‌  ‌
1. Make‌  ‌your‌  ‌own‌  ‌photo‌  ‌essay‌  ‌about‌  ‌the‌  ‌physical‌  ‌development‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers.‌  ‌Observe‌‌ 
preschoolers‌  ‌in‌  ‌action‌‌   and‌‌   take‌‌   their‌‌   pictures.‌‌   Describe‌‌   the‌‌   gross‌‌  and‌‌   fine‌‌  motor‌‌   skills‌‌
  that‌‌ 
you‌‌saw‌‌them‌‌do.‌  ‌
2. Examine‌‌   the‌‌  skills‌‌   found‌‌   in‌‌  the‌‌   physical‌‌   domain‌‌ of‌‌ the‌‌ ELDS.‌‌ Identify‌‌ the‌‌ skills‌‌ in‌‌ a ‌‌particular‌‌ 
sub‌‌   age‌‌   group‌‌   and‌‌   put‌‌  an‌‌   appropriate‌‌   activity‌‌  that‌‌ can‌‌ help‌‌ develop‌‌ each‌‌ skill.‌‌ You‌‌ may‌‌ surf‌‌ 
the‌‌net‌‌for‌‌suggested‌‌activities,‌‌interview‌‌preschool‌‌teachers‌‌or‌‌simply‌‌be‌‌creative‌‌yourself!‌  ‌
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Physical‌‌Domain‌‌Skill‌  ‌ Proposed‌‌Activity‌  ‌

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Module‌1
‌ 6:‌C
‌ OGNITIVE‌D
‌ EVELOPMENT‌O
‌ F‌P
‌ RESCHOOLER‌  ‌
-Ma.‌‌Rita‌‌D.‌‌Lucas,‌‌Ph.D.‌  ‌
-Brenda‌‌B.‌‌Corpuz,‌‌Ph.D.‌  ‌
 ‌
Learning‌‌Outcome‌‌   ‌
At‌‌the‌‌end‌‌of‌‌this‌‌Module‌‌you‌‌should‌‌be‌‌able‌‌to:‌  ‌
● Describe‌‌the‌‌cognitive‌‌development‌‌that‌‌takes‌‌place‌‌among‌‌preschoolers.‌  ‌
● Apply‌‌concepts‌‌in‌‌preschoolers’‌‌cognitive‌‌development‌‌in‌‌preschool‌‌teaching‌‌and‌‌in‌‌child‌‌care.‌  ‌
● Take‌‌an‌‌informed‌‌stand/position‌‌on‌‌current‌‌preschool‌‌teaching‌‌practices.‌  ‌
 ‌
Introduction‌‌   ‌
Someone‌‌   once‌‌  wrote‌‌   in‌‌
  his‌‌  journal:‌‌   “Childhood‌‌   is‌‌  a ‌‌world‌‌   of‌‌
  miracle‌‌   and‌‌   wonder;‌‌ as‌‌ if‌‌ creation‌‌ 
rose,‌‌  bathed‌‌   in‌‌
  light,‌‌
  out‌‌  of‌‌
  darkness,‌‌   utterly‌‌   new,‌‌   Fresh‌‌   and‌‌   astonishing.‌‌   The‌‌   end‌‌   of‌‌ childhood‌‌ is‌‌ when‌‌ 
things‌  ‌cease‌  ‌to‌‌   astonish‌‌   us.‌  ‌When‌‌   the‌‌  world‌‌   seems‌‌   familiar,‌‌   when‌‌   one‌‌   has‌‌   got‌‌   used‌‌   to‌‌
  existence,‌‌   one‌‌ 
has‌‌become‌‌an‌‌adult.”‌‌   ‌
Early‌‌   childhood‌‌   (preschool‌‌   age)‌‌   is‌‌  just‌‌   one‌‌   stage‌‌   of‌‌  childhood.‌‌   Do‌‌ you‌‌ remember‌‌ how‌‌ you‌‌ were‌‌ 
as‌‌a‌‌preschooler?‌‌What‌‌do‌‌you‌‌remember‌‌most‌‌as‌‌a‌‌preschooler?‌‌what‌‌did‌‌you‌‌enjoy‌‌doing?‌  ‌
 ‌
ACTIVITY‌  ‌
Below‌  ‌are‌  ‌behaviors‌  ‌or‌  ‌remarks‌‌   from‌‌   children.‌‌   Your‌‌   early‌‌   childhood‌‌   experiences‌‌   may‌‌   help‌‌   you‌‌ 
arrive‌  ‌at‌  ‌the‌  ‌correct‌‌   answer.‌‌   Put‌‌  a ‌‌check‌‌   ‌(√)‌‌   ‌on‌‌   the‌‌  item‌‌   that‌‌   is‌‌
  TRUE‌‌   of‌‌   preschoolers‌‌   and‌‌   an‌‌  ‌× ‌‌On‌‌  the‌‌ 
item‌‌that‌‌does‌‌NOT‌‌apply‌‌to‌‌preschoolers.‌  ‌
_____1.‌‌“Someone‌‌switched‌‌on‌‌the‌‌thunder,”‌‌A‌‌child‌‌remarked.‌  ‌
_____2.‌‌Child‌‌silently‌‌nods‌‌on‌‌the‌‌telephone‌‌to‌‌answer‌‌his‌‌Father‌‌who‌‌is‌‌on‌‌the‌‌other‌‌side‌‌of‌‌the‌‌phone‌‌    ‌
‌inquiring‌‌if‌‌Mom‌‌is‌‌around.‌  ‌
_____3.‌‌“ The‌‌tree‌‌pushed‌‌the‌‌leaf‌‌off‌‌and‌‌it‌‌fell‌‌down,”‌‌says‌‌a‌‌child.‌  ‌
_____4.‌‌A‌‌child‌‌is‌‌presented‌‌with‌‌two‌‌identical‌‌beakers‌‌each‌‌filled‌‌to‌‌the‌‌same‌‌level‌‌with‌‌liquid.‌‌The‌‌ 
child‌‌is‌‌  asked‌‌if‌‌these‌‌beakers‌‌have‌‌the‌‌same‌‌amount‌‌and‌‌she‌‌says‌‌YES.‌‌The‌‌liquid‌‌from‌‌one‌‌ 
beaker‌‌is‌‌poured‌‌into‌‌a‌‌third‌‌beaker,‌‌which‌‌is‌‌taller‌‌and‌‌thinner‌‌than‌‌the‌‌first‌‌two.‌‌The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌  then‌‌ 
asked‌‌if‌‌the‌‌amount‌‌of‌‌liquid‌‌in‌‌the‌‌tall,‌‌thin‌‌beaker‌‌is‌‌equal‌‌to‌‌that‌‌which‌‌remains‌‌in‌‌one‌‌of‌‌  the‌‌ 
originals‌‌beakers.‌‌The‌‌child‌‌says‌‌YES.‌‌   ‌
_____5.‌‌Child‌‌asked‌‌a‌‌series‌‌of‌‌“why”‌‌questions.‌  ‌
_____6.‌‌Child‌‌is‌‌strongly‌‌influenced‌‌by‌‌the‌‌features‌‌of‌‌the‌‌task‌‌that‌‌stand‌‌out,‌‌such‌‌as‌‌the‌‌flashy,‌‌  ‌  ‌
attractive‌‌clown.‌  ‌
_____7.‌‌Childs‌‌pays‌‌attention‌‌to‌‌the‌‌more‌‌relevant‌‌dimensions‌‌of‌‌the‌‌task‌‌such‌‌as‌‌directions‌‌for‌‌solving‌‌    ‌
‌a‌‌problem‌‌and‌‌not‌‌on‌‌the‌‌prominent‌‌clown,‌‌for‌‌instance.‌  ‌
_____8.‌‌Jun‌‌does‌‌not‌‌realize‌‌that‌‌the‌‌juice‌‌in‌‌each‌‌glass‌‌can‌‌be‌‌poured‌‌back‌‌into‌‌the‌‌juice‌‌box‌‌from‌‌   ‌
‌which‌‌it‌‌came.‌  ‌
_____9.‌‌Mike‌‌did‌‌not‌‌like‌‌to‌‌share‌‌a‌‌piece‌‌of‌‌cake‌‌with‌‌his‌‌younger‌‌sister.‌‌Mike’s‌‌younger‌‌sister‌‌was‌‌sick.‌‌   ‌
Mike‌‌concludes‌‌that‌‌he‌‌made‌‌his‌‌younger‌‌sister‌‌got‌‌sick.‌  ‌
 ‌
 ‌
ANALYSIS‌  ‌
Form‌  ‌small‌  ‌groups‌  ‌of‌  ‌5 ‌ ‌to‌  ‌6.‌  ‌Compare‌  ‌your‌  ‌answers‌  ‌to‌  ‌the‌‌   questions‌‌   below.‌‌   Give‌‌   reasons‌‌   for‌‌ 
your‌  ‌answers.‌  ‌Bring‌  ‌in‌  ‌your‌  ‌childhood‌  ‌experiences‌  ‌as‌  ‌you‌  ‌share‌  ‌your‌  ‌answers.‌  ‌Try‌  ‌to‌  ‌arrive‌  ‌at‌  ‌a ‌‌
consensus.‌‌   ‌
1. Which‌‌item/s‌‌is/are‌‌TRUE‌‌of‌‌preschool‌‌children?‌  ‌
2. Which‌‌item/s‌‌is/are‌‌NOT‌‌TRUE‌‌of‌‌preschool‌‌children?‌  ‌
 ‌
Answering‌  ‌the‌  ‌items‌  ‌above‌  ‌made‌  ‌you‌  ‌think‌  ‌about‌  ‌your‌  ‌own‌  ‌views‌  ‌or‌  ‌assumptions‌  ‌about‌‌   the‌‌ 
preschoolers’‌  ‌cognitive‌‌   development.‌‌   You‌‌   were‌‌   also‌‌  once‌‌   in‌‌  that‌‌   world‌‌   of‌‌   bursting‌‌   curiosity‌‌   wanting‌‌   to‌‌ 
know‌  ‌about‌  ‌the‌  ‌world‌  ‌around‌  ‌you.‌  ‌Read‌  ‌through‌  ‌the‌  ‌module‌‌   and‌‌   you‌‌   will‌‌  surely‌‌   understand‌‌   the‌‌
  way‌‌ 
preschoolers‌‌   think‌‌   and‌‌
  learn.‌‌   You‌‌  will‌‌  also‌‌   learn‌‌   about‌‌   how‌‌   as‌‌   a ‌‌future‌‌   teacher‌‌   or‌‌
  parent,‌‌   you‌‌   can‌‌ best‌‌ 
contribute‌‌to‌‌the‌‌preschoolers’‌‌cognitive‌‌development.‌  ‌
 ‌
ABTRACTION‌  ‌
Preschoolers’‌‌Symbolic‌‌and‌‌Intuitive‌‌Thinking‌‌   ‌
All‌‌
  the‌‌  behaviors‌‌   and‌‌   the‌‌  remarks‌‌   above‌‌
  accept‌‌  items‌‌   #4‌‌
  and‌‌  #7‌‌
  are‌‌ true‌‌ of‌‌ preschool‌‌ children.‌‌ 
They‌  ‌are‌  ‌considered‌  ‌immature‌  ‌aspects‌  ‌or‌  ‌limitations‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌children's‌  ‌preoperational‌  ‌thought‌‌ 
according‌‌to‌‌Piaget.‌‌   ‌
There‌  ‌are‌  ‌two‌  ‌substages‌  ‌of‌  ‌Piaget’s‌  ‌preoperational‌  ‌thought,‌  ‌namely,‌  ‌symbolic‌  ‌substage‌  ‌and‌‌ 
intuitive‌‌   ‌substage‌. ‌‌In‌‌   the‌‌
  symbolic‌‌   stage,‌‌  preschool‌‌   children‌‌   show‌‌ progress‌‌ in‌‌ their‌‌ cognitive‌‌ abilities‌‌ by‌‌ 
being‌‌   able‌‌   to‌‌
  draw‌‌  objects‌‌   that‌‌  are‌‌   not‌‌
  present,‌‌  by‌‌
  their‌‌
  dramatic‌‌   increase‌‌   in‌‌ their‌‌ language‌‌ and‌‌ make-‌‌ 
believe‌  ‌play.‌  ‌In‌  ‌the‌  ‌intuitive‌  ‌substage,‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌children‌  ‌begin‌  ‌to‌  ‌use‌  ‌primitive‌  ‌reasoning‌  ‌and‌  ‌ask‌  ‌a ‌‌
litany‌  ‌of‌  ‌questions.‌  ‌The‌  ‌development‌  ‌in‌  ‌their‌  ‌language‌  ‌ability‌  ‌facilitates‌  ‌their‌  ‌endless‌  ‌asking‌  ‌of‌‌ 
questions.‌  ‌while‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌children‌  ‌exhibit‌  ‌considerable‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌development,‌  ‌their‌  ‌improved‌‌ 
cognitive‌‌processes‌‌still‌‌show‌‌some‌‌aspects‌‌of‌‌immaturity‌‌or‌‌limitations.‌  ‌
 ‌
Items‌‌#‌‌1‌‌(someone‌‌switched‌‌on‌‌the‌‌thunder.)‌‌and‌‌#‌‌3‌‌(that‌‌tree‌‌pushed‌‌the‌‌leaf‌‌off‌‌and‌‌it‌‌fell‌‌ 
down.)‌‌For‌‌example,‌‌indicate‌‌limitation‌‌on‌‌preschool‌‌children's‌‌symbolic‌‌thought‌‌process.‌‌The‌‌ 
remarks‌‌indicate‌‌that‌‌preschool‌‌children‌‌believe‌‌that‌‌inanimate‌‌objects‌‌have‌‌‘lifelike’‌‌qualities‌‌  and‌  ‌are‌‌ 
capable‌‌of‌‌action.‌‌This‌‌is‌‌referred‌‌to‌‌as‌‌animism‌‌(Santrock,‌‌2002).‌ ‌Preschool‌‌children‌‌who‌‌  use‌‌ 
animism‌‌fail‌‌to‌‌distinguish‌‌the‌‌appropriate‌‌occasions‌‌for‌‌using‌‌human‌‌and‌‌nonhuman‌‌  perspectives.‌‌ 
However,‌‌the‌‌fact‌‌that‌‌they‌‌attribute‌‌the‌‌falling‌‌of‌‌the‌‌leaf‌‌and‌‌the‌‌thunder‌‌to‌‌a ‌‌ “cause”‌  ‌proves‌  ‌that‌‌ 
preschool‌‌children‌‌realize‌‌that‌‌events‌‌have‌‌causes,‌‌although‌‌the‌‌perceived‌‌  causes‌‌are‌‌not‌‌correct.‌  ‌
Item‌‌#‌‌2,‌‌“Child‌‌silently‌‌nods‌‌on‌‌the‌‌telephone‌‌as‌‌to‌‌answer‌‌his‌‌father‌‌who‌‌is‌‌on‌‌the‌‌other‌‌side‌‌of‌‌phone‌‌ 
inquiring‌‌if‌‌mom‌‌is‌‌around”,‌‌is‌‌another‌‌limitation‌‌in‌‌preschool‌‌children's‌‌symbolic‌‌thought.‌‌Piaget‌‌ 
calls‌‌this‌‌egocentrism,‌‌the‌‌inability‌‌to‌‌distinguish‌‌between‌‌one’s‌‌own‌‌perspective‌‌and‌‌someone‌‌  else’s‌‌ 
perspective‌‌(Santrock,‌‌2002).‌‌The‌‌child‌‌thinks‌‌that‌‌his‌‌father‌‌can‌‌see‌‌him‌‌just‌‌as‌‌you‌‌can‌‌see‌‌  himself.‌‌   ‌
Item‌‌#‌‌4,‌‌should‌‌apply‌‌to‌‌preschool‌‌children‌‌had‌‌the‌‌child‌‌answered‌‌NO‌‌when‌‌asked‌‌if‌‌the‌‌amount‌‌of‌‌ 
liquid‌‌in‌‌the‌‌tall,‌‌thin‌‌beaker‌‌was‌‌equal‌‌to‌‌that‌‌which‌‌remained‌‌in‌‌the‌‌original‌‌beakers.‌‌Preschool‌‌ 
children‌‌are‌‌quite‌‌limited‌‌in‌‌their‌‌intuitive‌‌thought‌‌process.‌‌The‌‌amount‌‌of‌‌liquid‌‌that‌‌was‌‌ 
transferred‌‌to‌‌the‌‌third‌‌beaker‌‌which‌‌was‌‌taller‌‌but‌‌thinner‌‌than‌‌the‌‌original‌‌beaker‌‌remains‌‌ 
unchanged.‌‌However,‌‌preschool‌‌children‌‌are‌‌drawn‌‌to‌‌only‌‌to‌‌the‌‌height‌‌of‌‌the‌‌liquid‌‌when‌‌seen‌‌ 
in‌‌the‌‌thinner‌‌and‌‌taller‌‌beaker‌‌and‌‌fail‌‌to‌‌consider‌‌the‌‌width‌‌of‌‌the‌‌beaker.‌‌this‌‌is‌‌a‌‌clear‌‌evidence‌‌ 
of‌‌centration,‌‌one‌‌limitation‌‌of‌‌the‌‌preschool‌‌child‌‌preoperational‌‌thought,‌‌which‌‌is‌‌the‌‌focusing‌‌ or‌  ‌on‌‌ 
centering‌‌of‌‌one’s‌‌attention‌‌on‌‌one‌‌characteristic‌‌to‌‌the‌‌exclusion‌‌of‌‌others‌‌(Santrock,‌‌  2002).‌  ‌In‌  ‌this‌‌ 
case,‌‌the‌‌focus‌‌is‌‌only‌‌on‌‌the‌‌height‌‌of‌‌the‌‌beaker‌‌to‌‌the‌‌exclusion‌‌of‌‌the‌‌width‌‌of‌  the‌  ‌beaker‌‌ 
which‌‌is‌‌clearly‌‌another‌‌factor‌‌that‌‌should‌‌be‌‌taken‌‌into‌‌consideration.‌‌This‌‌is‌‌also‌‌  referred‌  ‌to‌  ‌as‌‌ 
unidimensional‌‌thought.‌T‌ his‌‌is‌‌also‌‌an‌‌evidence‌‌of‌‌preschool‌‌children’s‌‌lack‌‌of‌‌  conservation‌, ‌ ‌the‌‌ 
awareness‌‌that‌‌the‌‌basic‌‌property‌‌of‌‌an‌‌object‌‌or‌‌a‌‌substance‌‌(is‌‌not‌‌changed‌‌  or‌  ‌altered)‌  ‌even‌  ‌if‌  ‌its‌‌ 
appearance‌‌is‌‌changed.‌‌(Santrock,‌‌2002).‌  ‌
“Child‌‌asks‌‌a‌‌series‌‌of‌‌“why“‌‌questions‌‌(Item‌‌#5).‌‌Preschool‌‌children‌‌ask‌‌a‌‌barrage‌‌of‌‌questions.‌‌  These‌‌ 
signal‌‌the‌‌emergence‌‌of‌‌the‌‌preschool‌‌children's‌‌interest‌‌in‌‌reasoning‌‌and‌‌in‌‌figuring‌‌out‌‌  why‌‌ 
things‌‌are‌‌the‌‌way‌‌they‌‌are.‌‌Their‌‌asking‌‌questions‌‌is‌‌a‌‌function‌‌of‌‌their‌‌unsatiable‌‌curiosity‌‌  coupled‌‌ 
with‌‌the‌‌dramatic‌‌increase‌‌in‌‌language.‌  ‌
Items‌‌#‌‌6‌‌and‌‌#7‌‌Have‌‌something‌‌to‌‌do‌‌with‌‌preschool‌‌children's‌‌attention.‌‌Between‌‌items‌‌#‌‌6‌‌and‌‌#7,‌‌ 
item‌‌#6‌‌(…strongly‌‌influenced‌‌by‌‌the‌‌features‌‌of‌‌the‌‌task‌‌that‌‌stand‌‌out,‌‌such‌‌as‌‌the‌‌flashy,‌‌ 
attractive‌‌clown)‌‌applies‌‌to‌‌preschool‌‌children.‌‌Because‌‌the‌‌preschool‌‌child‌‌pays‌‌more‌‌attention‌‌ to‌  ‌the‌‌ 
strikingly‌‌conspicuous‌‌peripherals,‌‌they‌‌miss‌‌the‌‌more‌‌relevant‌‌and‌‌more‌‌important‌‌  features‌‌ 
needed‌‌in‌‌problem‌‌solving‌‌or‌‌in‌‌task‌‌performance.‌‌This‌‌is‌‌obviously‌‌manifested‌‌when‌  between‌  ‌two‌‌ 
wrapped‌‌gifts,‌‌one‌‌with‌‌a‌‌big,‌‌colorful‌‌ribbon‌‌and‌‌the‌‌other‌‌without,‌‌a‌‌preschool‌‌  child‌  ‌chooses‌‌ 
the‌‌one‌‌with‌‌a‌‌prominent‌‌ribbon.‌  ‌
Item‌‌  # ‌‌8 ‌‌(Child‌‌ does‌‌ not‌‌ realize‌‌ that‌‌ the‌‌ juice‌‌ in‌‌ each‌‌ glass‌‌ can‌‌ be‌‌ poured‌‌ back‌‌ into‌‌ the‌‌ juice‌‌ box‌‌ which‌‌ it‌‌ 
came.)‌‌Indicates‌i‌rreversibility‌,‌‌Piaget’s‌‌term‌‌for‌‌a‌‌preoperational‌‌child’s‌‌failure‌‌to‌‌understand‌‌ 
that‌‌an‌‌operation‌‌can‌‌go‌‌in‌‌two‌‌or‌‌more‌‌directions.‌‌Once‌‌June‌‌can‌‌imagine‌‌restoring‌‌the‌‌original‌‌ state‌  ‌of‌‌ 
the‌‌water‌‌by‌‌pouring‌‌it‌‌back‌‌into‌‌the‌‌other‌‌glass,‌‌he‌‌will‌‌realize‌‌that‌‌the‌‌amount‌‌of‌‌water‌‌  in‌  ‌both‌‌ 
glasses‌‌must‌‌be‌‌the‌‌same.‌‌Unfortunately,‌‌however,‌‌in‌‌his‌‌developmental‌‌stage‌‌he‌‌is‌‌not‌‌    ‌
 yet‌‌capable‌‌of‌‌reversible‌‌thinking.‌‌He‌‌is‌‌not‌‌yet‌‌capable‌‌of‌‌working‌‌backwards.‌‌   ‌
Item‌‌   # ‌‌9 ‌‌(Mike‌‌ did‌‌ not‌‌ like‌‌ to‌‌ share‌‌ a ‌‌piece‌‌ of‌‌ cake‌‌ with‌‌ his‌‌ younger‌‌ sister.‌‌ Mike's‌‌ younger‌‌ sister‌‌ was‌‌ sick.‌‌ 
Mike‌‌concludes‌‌that‌‌he‌‌made‌‌his‌‌younger‌‌sister‌‌got‌‌sick.)‌‌shows‌‌that‌‌preschool‌‌children‌‌do‌‌not‌‌ 
use‌‌deductive‌‌or‌‌inductive‌‌reasoning.;‌‌instead,‌‌they‌‌jump‌‌from‌‌one‌‌particular‌‌to‌‌another‌‌and‌‌see‌‌ 
cause‌‌where‌‌none‌‌exist.‌‌This‌‌is‌t‌ ransductive‌‌r‌ easoning‌. ‌ ‌
 ‌
While‌‌   preschoolers‌‌   still‌‌   may‌‌   be‌‌ limited‌‌ to‌‌ preparational‌‌ thinking‌‌ as‌‌ you‌‌ have‌‌ seen‌‌ in‌‌ the‌‌ activity,‌‌ 
they‌  ‌are‌  ‌making‌  ‌significant‌  ‌advancements‌  ‌in‌  ‌their‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌abilities‌  ‌like‌  ‌the‌  ‌acquisition‌  ‌symbolic‌‌ 
thought.‌‌   Symbolic‌‌   thought‌‌   is‌‌ shown‌‌ in‌‌ Preschool‌‌ children's‌‌ ability‌‌ to‌‌ mentally‌‌ represent‌‌ an‌‌ object‌‌ that‌‌ is‌‌ 
not‌  ‌present.‌  ‌They‌  ‌do‌  ‌not‌  ‌need‌‌   to‌‌   be‌‌   in‌‌   Sensorimotor‌‌   contact‌‌   with‌‌   an‌‌  object,‌‌   person‌‌   event‌‌   in‌‌  order‌‌   to‌‌ 
think‌  ‌about‌  ‌it.‌  ‌Johann‌  ‌asks‌  ‌his‌‌   mom‌‌   about‌‌   the‌‌   giraffe‌‌   they‌‌   saw‌‌   in‌‌   the‌‌   zoo‌‌   five‌‌   months‌‌   ago.‌‌   Moreover,‌‌ 
preschool‌  ‌children‌  ‌can‌  ‌imagine‌  ‌that‌  ‌objects‌  ‌or‌  ‌people‌  ‌have‌  ‌properties‌  ‌other‌  ‌than‌‌   those‌‌   they‌‌   actually‌‌ 
have.‌‌Mike‌‌imagines‌‌that‌‌his‌‌one-foot‌‌ruler‌‌is‌‌a‌‌saw‌‌while‌‌he‌‌pretends‌‌to‌‌saw‌‌a‌‌piece‌‌of‌‌wood.‌‌   ‌
Preschoolers‌  ‌use‌  ‌symbolic‌  ‌thought‌  ‌in‌  ‌play,‌  ‌reading‌  ‌and‌  ‌writing‌  ‌when,‌  ‌for‌  ‌instance,‌  ‌children‌‌ 
pretend‌  ‌that‌  ‌one‌  ‌thing‌  ‌represent‌  ‌another‌  ‌such‌‌   as‌‌   a ‌‌wooden‌‌   block‌‌   used‌‌   as‌‌   a ‌‌microphone‌‌   in‌‌   the‌‌   magic‌‌ 
sing‌‌  and‌‌   when‌‌   they‌‌   pretend‌‌   to‌‌   be‌‌   dog‌‌   ‌Bantay‌‌   while‌‌   in‌‌   a ‌‌sociodramatic‌‌ play.‌‌ In‌‌ reading‌‌ and‌‌ writing‌‌ they‌‌ 
realize‌‌that‌‌pictures‌‌stand‌‌for‌‌events‌‌in‌‌a‌‌story‌‌and‌‌that‌‌letters‌‌represent‌‌sounds‌‌used‌‌in‌‌language.‌  ‌
 ‌
Brain‌‌Connections‌‌in‌‌the‌‌preschoolers‌‌Years‌‌   ‌
Because‌‌ of‌‌ fascinating‌‌ developments‌‌ in‌‌ neuroscience,‌‌ brain‌‌ development‌‌ of‌‌ young‌‌ children‌‌ have‌‌ 
been‌  ‌a ‌ ‌great‌  ‌interest‌  ‌to‌  ‌the‌‌   field‌‌   of‌‌  early‌‌   childhood.‌‌   Brain‌‌   research‌‌   findings‌‌   point‌‌   us‌‌  to‌‌   more‌‌   effective‌‌ 
ways‌  ‌to‌  ‌care‌  ‌for‌  ‌and‌  ‌teach‌  ‌preschoolers.‌  ‌From‌  ‌the‌  ‌science‌  ‌lessons‌  ‌you‌  ‌had‌  ‌in‌  ‌high‌  ‌school‌  ‌or‌‌   even‌‌  in‌‌ 
elementary,‌  ‌you‌  ‌will‌  ‌remember‌  ‌that‌  ‌our‌  ‌brain‌  ‌is‌  ‌composed‌  ‌of‌  ‌numerous‌  ‌cells‌  ‌called‌  ‌neurons‌  ‌that‌‌ 
connect‌‌   to‌‌  each‌‌   other‌‌   to‌‌  function.‌‌   Cell‌‌   connections‌‌   are‌‌   what‌‌   we‌‌ call‌‌ ‌synapses‌, ‌‌sometimes‌‌ also‌‌ referred‌‌ 
to‌‌as‌s‌ ynaptic‌‌c‌ onnections‌.‌‌Did‌‌you‌‌know‌‌that‌‌: ‌ ‌
● the‌‌human‌‌brain‌‌contains‌‌some‌‌50‌‌billion‌‌neurons‌‌at‌‌birth?!‌  ‌
● by‌  ‌age‌  ‌2,‌  ‌children‌  ‌have‌  ‌developed‌  ‌half‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌brain‌  ‌cell‌  ‌connections‌‌   that‌‌  will‌‌   be‌‌   made‌‌   during‌‌ 
one's‌‌lifetime.‌  ‌
● around‌‌six‌‌years‌‌of‌‌age‌‌the‌‌brain‌‌develops‌‌for‌‌more‌‌sophisticated‌‌thinking‌‌patterns.‌  ‌
 ‌
All‌  ‌these‌  ‌facts‌  ‌point‌  ‌to‌  ‌the‌  ‌enormous‌  ‌potential‌  ‌that‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschooler’s‌  ‌brain‌  ‌has.‌  ‌The‌  ‌child's‌‌ 
billion‌  ‌cells‌  ‌have‌  ‌the‌  ‌ability‌  ‌to‌  ‌make‌  ‌almost‌  ‌countless‌  ‌connections‌  ‌that‌  ‌prepare‌  ‌the‌‌   child‌‌   for‌‌   intricate‌‌ 
pathways‌‌   to‌‌  learn‌‌   language,‌‌ acquire‌‌ logical-mathematical‌‌ skills,‌‌ interact‌‌ with‌‌ people,‌‌ grow‌‌ in‌‌ his‌‌ feelings‌‌ 
and‌‌  emotions,‌‌   and‌‌   even‌‌   express‌‌   himself‌‌   in‌‌  art.‌‌   As‌‌   such,‌‌ a ‌‌preschool‌‌ teacher‌‌ would‌‌ often‌‌ observe‌‌ how‌‌ a ‌‌
child‌  ‌now‌  ‌has‌  ‌transformed‌  ‌from‌  ‌a ‌ ‌dependent‌  ‌toddler‌  ‌into‌‌   a ‌‌proud‌‌   and‌‌   independent‌‌   preschooler‌‌   who‌‌ 
can‌  ‌now‌  ‌eat‌  ‌more‌  ‌neatly,‌  ‌enjoy‌  ‌“reading”‌  ‌a ‌ ‌book,‌  ‌tell‌  ‌his‌  ‌own‌  ‌stories‌  ‌among‌  ‌friends,‌  ‌build‌  ‌beautiful‌‌ 
block‌‌structures‌‌and‌‌wear‌‌his‌‌jacket‌‌all‌‌by‌‌himself.‌  ‌
Brain‌  ‌research‌  ‌has‌  ‌also‌  ‌pointed‌  ‌out‌  ‌the‌  ‌crucial‌  ‌role‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌environment.‌  ‌Experts‌  ‌have‌  ‌shown‌‌ 
specific‌  ‌areas‌  ‌of‌  ‌brain‌  ‌activity‌  ‌that‌  ‌respond‌  ‌to‌  ‌environmental‌  ‌stimulation.‌  ‌Therefore,‌  ‌the‌  ‌brain‌  ‌forms‌‌ 
specific‌  ‌connections‌  ‌(synapses)‌  ‌that‌  ‌are‌  ‌different‌  ‌for‌  ‌each‌  ‌person.‌  ‌The‌  ‌quality‌  ‌of‌  ‌these‌  ‌connections‌‌ 
depends‌  ‌on‌  ‌the‌  ‌quality‌  ‌of‌  ‌stimulation‌  ‌and‌  ‌exposure‌  ‌provided‌  ‌by‌  ‌the‌  ‌environment.‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschool‌‌ 
years,‌  ‌a ‌ ‌supportive‌  ‌and‌  ‌stimulating‌  ‌environment‌  ‌is‌  ‌that‌  ‌which‌  ‌offers‌  ‌many‌  ‌experiences‌  ‌involving‌  ‌the‌‌ 
different‌‌   senses‌‌   (multi-sensorial),‌‌   and‌‌   that‌‌   which‌‌   allows‌‌   the‌‌   child‌‌   to‌‌   think,‌‌   imagine‌‌   and‌‌   create‌‌   his‌‌ best.‌‌ 
This‌  ‌environment‌  ‌can‌  ‌be‌  ‌provided‌  ‌for‌  ‌by‌  ‌a ‌ ‌good‌  ‌combination‌  ‌of‌  ‌a ‌ ‌healthy‌  ‌and‌  ‌functional‌  ‌family‌‌ 
environment‌  ‌and‌  ‌a ‌ ‌quality‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌program.‌  ‌What‌  ‌did‌  ‌that‌  ‌milk‌  ‌commercial‌  ‌say?‌  ‌Oh‌‌ 
yes…expose...explore…experience.‌‌May‌‌we‌‌add,‌‌all‌‌these‌‌lead‌‌to‌‌exponential‌‌brain‌‌development!‌  ‌
Just‌  ‌as‌  ‌an‌  ‌enriching‌  ‌environment‌  ‌favors‌  ‌the‌‌   preschooler’s‌‌   brain‌‌   development,‌‌   strong‌‌   evidence‌‌ 
also‌  ‌showed‌  ‌that‌  ‌highly‌  ‌stressful‌  ‌environment‌  ‌marred‌  ‌by‌  ‌trauma‌  ‌and‌  ‌chaos‌  ‌affect‌  ‌the‌  ‌cognitive‌‌ 
development‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers.‌  ‌High‌  ‌levels‌  ‌of‌  ‌stress‌  ‌hormones‌  ‌such‌  ‌as‌  ‌cortisol‌  ‌may‌‌   lead‌‌   to‌‌   diminished‌‌ 
brain‌  ‌growth‌  ‌in‌  ‌areas‌  ‌needed‌  ‌for‌  ‌memory,‌  ‌learning‌  ‌and‌  ‌emotional‌  ‌attachment.‌  ‌It‌  ‌may‌  ‌also‌  ‌lead‌  ‌to‌‌ 
anxiety‌  ‌and‌  ‌hyperactivity‌  ‌and‌‌   impulsive‌‌   behavior.‌‌   It’s‌‌   not‌‌   only‌‌   the‌‌   extreme‌‌   form‌‌   negative‌‌   environment‌‌ 
that‌‌  negatively‌‌   affects‌‌ preschooler’s‌‌ brain.‌‌ An‌‌ environment‌‌ that‌‌ lacks‌‌ the‌‌ proper‌‌ stimulating‌‌ experiences‌‌ 
can‌‌  also‌‌   cause‌‌   damage.‌‌   Preschools‌‌   who‌‌   make‌‌   children‌‌   work‌‌   with‌‌   nothing‌‌   but‌‌   work‌‌ sheets‌‌ and‌‌ pictures‌‌ 
instead‌‌   of‌‌  real‌‌   life,‌‌  hands-on‌‌   experiences‌‌   do‌‌   more‌‌ harm‌‌ than‌‌ good.‌‌ As‌‌ future‌‌ teachers,‌‌ always‌‌ be‌‌ aware‌‌ 
of‌‌
  your‌‌   defining‌‌   role‌‌   in‌‌ providing‌‌ a ‌‌quality‌‌ environment‌‌ that‌‌ will‌‌ lead‌‌ to‌‌ optimum‌‌ brain‌‌ development‌‌ for‌‌ 
preschoolers.‌  ‌
 ‌
Language‌‌Development‌  ‌
Young‌‌children's‌‌understanding‌‌sometimes‌‌gets‌‌ahead‌‌of‌‌their‌‌speech.‌‌   ‌
As‌  ‌children‌  ‌go‌  ‌through‌  ‌early‌  ‌childhood,‌  ‌their‌  ‌grasp‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌rules‌  ‌of‌  ‌language‌  ‌increases‌‌ 
(morphology,‌‌semantic,‌‌pragmatics).‌  ‌
Symbolic‌  ‌thinking‌  ‌involves‌  ‌language,‌  ‌literacy‌  ‌and‌  ‌dramatic‌  ‌play.‌  ‌children‌‌   rapidly‌‌   conclude‌‌   that‌‌ 
sounds‌  ‌link‌  ‌together‌  ‌to‌  ‌make‌  ‌words‌  ‌and‌  ‌words‌  ‌present‌  ‌ideas,‌  ‌people,‌  ‌and‌  ‌things.‌  ‌Throughout‌  ‌the‌‌ 
preschool‌  ‌years,‌  ‌children's‌  ‌language‌  ‌development‌  ‌becomes‌  ‌increasingly‌  ‌complex‌  ‌in‌  ‌four‌  ‌main‌  ‌areas:‌‌ 
phonology‌  ‌(speech‌  ‌sound),‌  ‌semantics‌  ‌(word‌  ‌meaning),‌‌   syntax‌‌   (sentence‌‌   construction),‌‌   and‌‌   pragmatics‌‌ 
(conversation‌‌   or‌‌   social‌‌   uses‌‌ of‌‌ language).‌‌ As‌‌ they‌‌ advanced‌‌ in‌‌ age‌‌ and‌‌ as‌‌ they‌‌ continuously‌‌ interact‌‌ with‌‌ 
people,‌‌   preschool‌‌   children‌‌   expand‌‌   rapidly‌‌   in‌‌   their‌‌   vocabulary‌‌   through‌‌ ‌fast‌‌ mapping‌, ‌‌a ‌‌process‌‌ by‌‌ which‌‌ 
children‌  ‌absorb‌  ‌the‌  ‌meaning‌  ‌of‌  ‌a ‌ ‌new‌  ‌word‌  ‌after‌  ‌hearing‌  ‌it‌  ‌once‌  ‌or‌  ‌twice‌‌   in‌‌
  conversation.‌‌   Preschool‌‌ 
children‌‌combine‌‌syllables‌‌into‌‌words‌‌and‌‌words‌‌into‌‌sentences‌‌in‌‌an‌‌increasingly‌‌sophisticated‌‌manner.‌  ‌
It‌  ‌is‌  ‌not‌  ‌uncommon‌  ‌to‌  ‌hear‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌children‌  ‌using‌  ‌“goed”‌  ‌for‌  ‌“went”,‌  ‌or‌  ‌“foots”‌  ‌for‌  ‌feet”,‌‌ 
“Childs”‌  ‌for‌  ‌“children”,‌  ‌“runned”‌  ‌for‌  ‌“ran”‌  ‌and‌  ‌overextension‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌rules.‌  ‌A ‌ ‌3-year-old‌  ‌laughing‌  ‌with‌‌ 
delight‌‌   as‌‌ an‌‌ abrupt‌‌ summer‌‌ breeze‌‌ stirred‌‌ his‌‌ hair‌‌ and‌‌ tickled‌‌ his‌‌ skin,‌‌ commented,‌‌ “It‌‌ did‌‌ winded‌‌ me!”‌‌ 
another‌  ‌child‌  ‌said,‌  ‌“My‌  ‌father‌  ‌hatches‌  ‌the‌‌   wood”,‌‌   meaning‌‌   his‌‌   father‌‌   chops‌‌   the‌‌   wood‌‌   with‌‌   a ‌‌hatchet.‌‌ 
Many‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌oddities‌  ‌of‌  ‌young‌  ‌children’s‌  ‌language‌‌   sound‌‌   like‌‌   mistakes‌‌   to‌‌   adult‌‌   listeners,‌‌   but‌‌   form‌‌   the‌‌ 
children’s‌‌perspective,‌‌they‌‌are‌‌not.‌  ‌
In‌  ‌asking‌  ‌questions,‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌tend‌  ‌to‌  ‌cling‌  ‌to‌  ‌a ‌ ‌consistent‌  ‌word‌  ‌order‌  ‌and‌  ‌so‌  ‌they‌  ‌form‌‌ 
questions‌  ‌not‌  ‌by‌  ‌following‌  ‌the‌  ‌pattern‌  ‌“subject-verb-object”‌  ‌order‌  ‌but‌  ‌by‌  ‌simply‌  ‌saying‌  ‌with‌  ‌a ‌ ‌rising‌‌ 
intonation‌  ‌the‌  ‌sentence‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌‌   natural‌‌   order‌‌   such‌‌   as‌‌   “Mother‌‌   is‌‌
  coming?”‌‌   Likewise,‌‌   preschool‌‌   children‌‌ 
tend‌  ‌to‌  ‌have‌  ‌difficulty‌  ‌with‌  ‌the‌  ‌sentence‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌passive‌  ‌voice.‌  ‌When‌  ‌told,‌  ‌“ The‌  ‌car‌  ‌was‌  ‌pushed‌  ‌by‌  ‌a ‌‌
truck”,‌‌preschoolers‌‌demonstrate‌‌a‌‌car‌‌pushing‌‌a‌‌truck.‌  ‌
From‌‌   an‌‌   expanded‌‌   vocabulary‌‌   and‌‌   improved‌‌   grammar,‌‌ preschool‌‌ children‌‌ learn‌‌ to‌‌ use‌‌ language‌‌ 
successfully‌  ‌in‌  ‌social‌  ‌contexts‌  ‌(pragmatics).‌  ‌With‌  ‌an‌  ‌expanded‌  ‌vocabulary‌  ‌and‌  ‌improved‌  ‌grammar,‌‌ 
preschool‌‌children‌‌become‌‌skilled‌‌conversationalists‌‌and‌‌often‌‌initiate‌‌conversation.‌  ‌
Parents,‌‌   teachers‌‌   and‌‌   caregivers‌‌   can‌‌ monitor‌‌ a ‌‌child’s‌‌ language‌‌ development‌‌ in‌‌ these‌‌ four‌‌ areas‌‌ 
to‌  ‌identify‌  ‌where‌  ‌some‌  ‌children‌  ‌may‌  ‌struggle.‌  ‌children‌  ‌with‌  ‌mild‌  ‌to‌  ‌severe‌  ‌speech‌  ‌difficulties‌  ‌can‌‌   be‌‌ 
referred‌‌   to‌‌   a ‌‌specially‌‌   trained‌‌   professional‌‌   called‌‌   a ‌‌speech‌‌   pathologist‌‌ in‌‌ order‌‌ to‌‌ work‌‌ with‌‌ the‌‌ child‌‌ or‌‌ 
suggest‌‌helpful‌‌strategies‌‌for‌‌caregivers‌‌to‌‌improve‌‌language‌‌proficiency.‌  ‌
 ‌
Language‌‌and‌‌Social‌‌Interaction‌‌   ‌
Vygotsky‌  ‌believed‌‌   that‌‌   children‌‌   use‌‌   language‌‌   what‌‌   to‌‌  communicate‌‌   socially‌‌   and‌‌   to‌‌  plan,‌‌   guide,‌‌ 
and‌‌   monitor‌‌   their‌‌   behavior‌‌   in‌‌  a ‌‌self-regulatory‌‌ fashion‌‌ - ‌‌called‌‌ inner‌‌ speech‌‌ or‌‌ private‌‌ speech‌‌ (Santrock,‌‌ 
2002)‌‌   ‌
For‌‌   Piaget,‌‌   private‌‌   speech‌‌   is‌‌
  egocentric‌‌ and‌‌ immature,‌‌ but‌‌ for‌‌ Vygotsky‌‌ it‌‌ is‌‌ an‌‌ important‌‌ tool‌‌ of‌‌ 
thought‌  ‌during‌  ‌early‌  ‌childhood.‌  ‌Full‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌development‌  ‌requires‌  ‌social‌  ‌interaction‌  ‌and‌  ‌language.‌‌ 
Children‌  ‌must‌  ‌use‌  ‌language‌  ‌to‌  ‌communicate‌‌   with‌‌   others‌‌   before‌‌   they‌‌   can‌‌   focus‌‌   on‌‌   their‌‌   own‌‌   thoughts‌‌ 
(Santrock,‌‌   2002).‌‌   This‌‌   implies‌‌   the‌‌   importance‌‌ of‌‌ interaction‌‌ of‌‌ preschoolers‌‌ with‌‌ caregivers‌‌ for‌‌ language‌‌ 
development.‌  ‌
Vygotsky‌  ‌asserted‌  ‌that‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌children‌  ‌are‌  ‌unable‌  ‌to‌  ‌achieve‌  ‌their‌  ‌highest‌  ‌cognitive‌‌ 
development‌  ‌(language‌‌   development‌‌   included)‌‌   on‌‌   their‌‌   own‌‌   and‌‌   that‌‌   they‌‌   can‌‌   improve‌‌   their‌‌   cognitive‌‌ 
development‌  ‌through‌‌   use‌‌   of‌‌   scaffolding‌‌   from‌‌   more‌‌   skilled‌‌   children‌‌   and‌‌   adults.‌‌   He‌‌   introduced‌‌   the‌‌   term‌‌ 
Zone‌‌   of‌‌  Proximal‌‌   Development‌‌   (ZPD)‌‌   ‌to‌‌ refer‌‌ to‌‌ tasks‌‌ too‌‌ difficult‌‌ for‌‌ a ‌‌child‌‌ to‌‌ master‌‌ alone‌‌ but‌‌ can‌‌ be‌‌ 
mastered‌‌   with‌‌   the‌‌   guidance‌‌   and‌‌   assistance‌‌   of‌‌  adults‌‌   or‌‌  more‌‌   skilled‌‌   children‌‌ (Santrock,‌‌ 2002).‌‌ In‌‌ short,‌‌ 
the‌  ‌ZPD‌  ‌captures‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌children’s‌‌   Cognitive‌‌   skills‌‌   that‌‌   are‌‌   in‌‌   the‌‌   process‌‌   of‌‌  maturing.‌‌   The‌‌   ZPD‌‌ 
has‌  ‌a ‌ ‌lower‌  ‌limit‌  ‌and‌  ‌an‌  ‌upper‌  ‌limit.‌  ‌The‌  ‌lower‌  ‌limit‌‌   of‌‌  the‌‌   ZPD‌‌   is‌‌  the‌‌   level‌‌   of‌‌
  cognitive‌‌   development‌‌ 
reached‌‌   by‌‌   the‌‌   preschool‌‌ child‌‌ independently.‌‌ The‌‌ upper‌‌ limit‌‌ is‌‌ the‌‌ level‌‌ of‌‌ additional‌‌ responsibility‌‌ the‌‌ 
child‌‌can‌‌accept‌‌with‌‌assistance‌‌of‌‌an‌‌able‌‌instructor.”‌‌(Santrock,‌‌2002)‌  ‌
Closely‌  ‌linked‌  ‌to‌  ‌the‌  ‌idea‌  ‌of‌  ‌ZPD‌  ‌in‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌and‌  ‌language‌  ‌development‌  ‌is‌  ‌the‌  ‌concept‌  ‌of‌‌ 
scaffolding,‌‌   ‌a ‌‌term‌‌   that‌‌   refers‌‌   to‌‌   the‌‌   “changing‌‌   support‌‌   over‌‌   the‌‌   course‌‌   of‌‌  a ‌‌teaching‌‌   session,‌‌   with‌‌ the‌‌ 
more‌‌   skilled‌‌   person‌‌ adjusting‌‌ guidance‌‌ to‌‌ fit‌‌ the‌‌ child’s‌‌ current‌‌ performance‌‌ level”‌‌ (Santrock,‌‌ 2002).‌‌ The‌‌ 
more‌  ‌skilled‌  ‌person‌  ‌is‌  ‌also‌  ‌called‌  ‌More‌  ‌Knowledgeable‌  ‌Other‌  ‌(MKO).‌  ‌Can‌  ‌you‌  ‌think‌  ‌of‌  ‌ways‌  ‌of‌‌ 
scaffolding‌‌preschoolers‌‌to‌‌help‌‌them‌‌reach‌‌optimum‌‌cognitive‌‌and‌‌language‌‌development?‌  ‌
 ‌
Information‌‌Processing‌‌Theory-Attention‌‌and‌‌Memory‌‌   ‌
The‌  ‌information‌  ‌processing‌  ‌model‌  ‌is‌  ‌another‌  ‌way‌  ‌of‌  ‌examining‌  ‌and‌  ‌understanding‌  ‌how‌  ‌to‌‌ 
children‌  ‌develop‌  ‌cognitively.‌  ‌This‌  ‌model‌  ‌conceptualized‌  ‌children's‌  ‌mental‌  ‌processes‌  ‌through‌  ‌the‌‌ 
metaphor‌‌of‌‌a‌‌computer‌‌processing,‌‌encoding,‌‌storing‌‌and‌‌decoding‌‌data.‌  ‌
The‌  ‌preschooler’s‌  ‌attention‌  ‌span‌  ‌lasts‌  ‌longer‌  ‌than‌  ‌that‌  ‌of‌  ‌toddlers.‌  ‌The‌  ‌child's‌  ‌ability‌  ‌to‌  ‌pay‌‌ 
attention‌‌changes‌‌significantly‌‌during‌‌the‌‌preschool‌‌years.‌‌   ‌
But‌  ‌one‌  ‌deficit‌  ‌in‌  ‌attention‌  ‌during‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌years‌‌   is‌‌  that‌‌   attention‌‌   Is‌‌
  focused‌‌   only‌‌
  on‌‌  aspects‌‌ 
that‌  ‌stand‌  ‌out‌  ‌at‌  ‌the‌  ‌expense‌  ‌of‌  ‌those‌‌   that‌‌   are‌‌   relevant‌‌   to‌‌   solving‌‌   a ‌‌problem‌‌   to‌‌  performing‌‌   well‌‌   on‌‌   a ‌‌
task.‌  ‌Preschool‌  ‌children‌  ‌recognize‌  ‌previously‌  ‌encountered‌  ‌information,‌  ‌recall‌  ‌old‌  ‌information‌  ‌and‌‌ 
reconstruct‌  ‌it‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌present.‌  ‌Try‌  ‌asking‌  ‌a ‌ ‌preschooler‌  ‌what‌  ‌she‌  ‌did‌  ‌on‌  ‌Christmas‌  ‌vacation‌  ‌when‌  ‌she‌‌ 
returns‌‌to‌‌preschool‌‌after‌‌the‌‌holiday.‌‌She‌‌will‌‌be‌‌able‌‌to.‌  ‌
Among‌‌   the‌‌   interesting‌‌   questions‌‌   about‌‌   memory‌‌   in‌‌ the‌‌ preschool‌‌ years‌‌ are‌‌ those‌‌ involving‌‌ short‌‌ 
term‌‌   memory.‌‌   In‌‌   short-term‌‌   memory,‌‌   (STM)‌‌   retain‌‌   information‌‌ for‌‌ up‌‌ to‌‌ 15-30‌‌ seconds,‌‌ assuming‌‌ there‌‌ 
is‌‌no‌‌rehearsal,‌‌which‌‌can‌‌help‌‌keep‌‌information‌‌in‌‌STM‌‌for‌‌a‌‌much‌‌longer‌‌period‌‌(Santrock,‌‌2002).‌  ‌
Differences‌  ‌in‌  ‌memory‌  ‌span‌  ‌occur‌  ‌across‌  ‌the‌  ‌ages‌  ‌due‌  ‌to:‌  ‌a)‌  ‌rehearsal‌  ‌and‌  ‌b)‌  ‌speed‌  ‌and‌‌ 
efficiency‌‌   of‌‌   processing‌‌   information.‌‌   Other‌‌   children‌‌   rehearse‌‌   items‌‌   more‌‌ than‌‌ younger‌‌ children.‌‌ On‌‌ this‌ 
count,‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌children‌  ‌may‌  ‌have‌  ‌shorter‌  ‌memory‌  ‌span‌  ‌than‌  ‌primary‌  ‌and‌  ‌intermediate‌  ‌pupils.‌  ‌The‌‌ 
speed‌‌with‌‌which‌‌a‌‌child‌‌processes‌‌information‌‌is‌‌an‌‌important‌‌aspect‌‌of‌‌the‌‌child’s‌‌cognitive‌‌abilities.‌  ‌
Between‌‌   the‌‌   ages‌‌   of‌‌   2 ‌‌and‌‌  5,‌‌
  long‌‌   term‌‌   memory‌‌   also‌‌ begins‌‌ to‌‌ form,‌‌ which‌‌ is‌‌ why‌‌ most‌‌ people‌‌ 
cannot‌‌remember‌‌anything‌‌in‌‌their‌‌childhood‌‌prior‌‌to‌‌age‌‌2‌‌or‌‌3.‌  ‌
Part‌  ‌of‌  ‌long-term‌  ‌memory‌  ‌involves‌  ‌storing‌  ‌information‌  ‌about‌  ‌the‌  ‌sequence‌  ‌of‌  ‌events‌  ‌during‌‌ 
familiar‌‌   situations‌‌   as‌‌   “scripts”.‌‌   Scripts‌‌   help‌‌   children‌‌   understand,‌‌   interpret,‌‌   and‌‌ predict‌‌ what‌‌ will‌‌ happen‌‌ 
in‌‌  future‌‌ scenarios.‌‌ For‌‌ example,‌‌ children‌‌ understand‌‌ that‌‌ entering‌‌ the‌‌ classroom‌‌ as‌‌ a ‌‌class‌‌ after‌‌ the‌‌ flag‌‌ 
ceremony‌  ‌involves‌  ‌a ‌ ‌specific‌  ‌sequence‌‌   of‌‌  steps:‌‌   One‌‌   bell‌‌   means‌‌   put‌‌   cross‌‌   your‌‌   hand‌‌   right‌‌
  over‌‌   left‌‌   on‌‌ 
your‌  ‌chest,‌  ‌2 ‌ ‌bells‌  ‌means‌  ‌pass‌  ‌quietly‌  ‌and‌  ‌follow‌  ‌the‌  ‌line‌  ‌until‌  ‌you‌  ‌reach‌  ‌your‌  ‌seat.‌  ‌Children‌  ‌ages‌  ‌2 ‌‌
through‌  ‌5 ‌ ‌also‌  ‌start‌  ‌to‌  ‌recognize‌  ‌that‌  ‌are‌  ‌often‌  ‌multiple‌  ‌ways‌  ‌to‌  ‌solve‌  ‌problem‌  ‌and‌  ‌can‌  ‌brainstorm‌‌ 
different‌‌(though‌‌sometimes‌‌primitive)‌‌solutions.‌  ‌
Between‌  ‌the‌  ‌ages‌  ‌5 ‌ ‌and‌  ‌7,‌  ‌children‌  ‌learn‌  ‌how‌  ‌to‌  ‌focus‌  ‌and‌  ‌use‌  ‌their‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌abilities‌  ‌for‌‌ 
specific‌  ‌purposes.‌  ‌For‌  ‌example,‌  ‌children‌  ‌can‌  ‌learn‌  ‌to‌  ‌pay‌  ‌attention‌  ‌to‌  ‌and‌  ‌memorize‌  ‌list‌  ‌of‌  ‌words‌  ‌or‌‌ 
facts.‌‌   This‌‌   skill‌‌   is‌‌  obviously‌‌   crucial‌‌ for‌‌ children‌‌ starting‌‌ school‌‌ who‌‌ need‌‌ to‌‌ learn‌‌ new‌‌ information,‌‌ retain‌‌ 
it‌‌
  and‌‌ produce‌‌ it‌‌ for‌‌ tests‌‌ and‌‌ other‌‌ academic‌‌ activities.‌‌ Children‌‌ of‌‌ this‌‌ age‌‌ have‌‌ also‌‌ developed‌‌ a ‌‌larger‌‌ 
overall‌  ‌capacity‌  ‌to‌  ‌process‌  ‌information.‌  ‌This‌  ‌expanding‌  ‌information‌  ‌processing‌  ‌capacity‌  ‌to‌  ‌make‌‌ 
connections‌  ‌between‌  ‌old‌  ‌and‌  ‌new‌  ‌information.‌  ‌For‌  ‌example,‌  ‌children‌  ‌can‌‌   use‌‌   their‌‌  knowledge‌‌   of‌‌  the‌‌ 
alphabet‌‌   and‌‌   letter‌‌   sounds‌‌   (phonics)‌‌ to‌‌ start‌‌ sounding‌‌ out‌‌ and‌‌ reading‌‌ words.‌‌ During‌‌ this‌‌ age,‌‌ children’s‌‌ 
knowledge‌  ‌base‌  ‌also‌  ‌continues‌  ‌to‌  ‌grow‌  ‌and‌  ‌become‌  ‌better‌  ‌organized.‌‌ 
(‌http://www.milestonecentersinc.org‌)  ‌‌ ‌
In‌‌  early‌‌   childhood,‌‌   as‌‌   information‌‌   processing‌‌   increases‌‌   in‌‌   speed,‌‌   memory‌‌ becomes‌‌ increasingly‌‌ 
longer.‌‌   Young‌‌   children‌‌   can‌‌   remember‌‌   a ‌‌great‌‌   deal‌‌   of‌‌   information‌‌   if‌‌
  they‌‌ are‌‌ given‌‌ appropriate‌‌ cues‌‌ end‌‌ 
prompts.‌  ‌Sometimes,‌  ‌however,‌  ‌the‌  ‌memories‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌seem‌  ‌to‌  ‌be‌  ‌erratic,‌  ‌but‌  ‌these‌‌ 
inconsistencies‌  ‌may‌  ‌be‌  ‌to‌  ‌some‌  ‌degree‌  ‌the‌  ‌result‌  ‌of‌  ‌inadequate‌  ‌prompts‌  ‌ang‌  ‌cues.‌  ‌Rehearsal‌  ‌and‌‌ 
organizing‌‌   information‌‌   are‌‌   deliberate‌‌   mental‌‌   activities‌‌   that‌‌   can‌‌   be‌‌   employed‌‌   to‌‌  improve‌‌ the‌‌ processing‌‌ 
of‌‌information.‌‌Young‌‌children‌‌typically,‌‌however,‌‌do‌‌not‌‌use‌‌rehearsal‌‌and‌‌organization.‌  ‌
 ‌
The‌‌Young‌‌Children‌‌Theory‌‌of‌‌Mind‌  ‌
Theory‌  ‌of‌  ‌mind‌  ‌refers‌  ‌to‌  ‌individuals’‌  ‌thoughts‌  ‌about‌  ‌how‌  ‌mental‌  ‌processes‌  ‌work‌  ‌(Santrock,‌‌ 
2002).‌  ‌
By‌‌   the‌‌   age‌‌   of‌‌   2 ‌‌or‌‌ 3,‌‌ children‌‌ become‌‌ aware‌‌ that‌‌ the‌‌ mind‌‌ exists.‌‌ They‌‌ refer‌‌ to‌‌ needs,‌‌ emotions,‌‌ 
and‌‌   mental‌‌   states.‌‌   When‌‌   a ‌‌preschool‌‌   child‌‌   says,‌‌   “I‌‌
  forgot‌‌   my‌‌   doll”,‌‌   “I‌‌  want‌‌   my‌‌   ice‌‌  cream“–‌‌   these‌‌   imply‌‌ 
that‌  ‌he/she‌  ‌is‌  ‌aware‌  ‌that‌  ‌a ‌ ‌mind‌  ‌exist.‌  ‌Cognitive‌  ‌terms‌  ‌such‌  ‌as‌  ‌know,‌  ‌remember,‌  ‌and‌  ‌think‌  ‌usually‌‌ 
appear‌‌after‌‌perceptual‌‌and‌‌emotional‌‌terms,‌‌but‌‌are‌‌used‌‌by‌‌age‌‌3‌‌(Santrock,‌‌2002)‌  ‌
 As‌  ‌the‌  ‌representations‌  ‌of‌  ‌the‌  ‌world‌  ‌and‌  ‌ability‌  ‌to‌  ‌remember‌  ‌and‌  ‌solve‌  ‌problems‌  ‌improve,‌‌ 
children‌‌   start‌‌   to‌‌
  reflect‌‌
  on‌‌   their‌‌
  own‌‌   thought‌‌
  processes.‌‌   They‌‌
  begin‌‌  to‌‌
  construct‌‌  a ‌‌‌theory‌‌
  of‌‌
  mind‌‌
  or‌‌ a ‌‌
set‌‌
  of‌‌
  ideas‌‌   about‌‌   mental‌‌   activities‌‌   (Preschoolers‌‌ cognitive‌‌ development,‌‌ 2007).‌‌ This‌‌ develops‌‌ markedly‌‌ 
between‌  ‌the‌  ‌ages‌  ‌of‌  ‌three‌  ‌and‌  ‌five.‌  ‌It‌  ‌includes‌  ‌awareness‌  ‌of‌  ‌one’s‌  ‌own‌  ‌thought‌  ‌processes,‌  ‌social‌‌ 
cognition,‌  ‌understanding‌  ‌that‌  ‌people‌  ‌can‌  ‌hold‌  ‌false‌  ‌beliefs,‌  ‌ability‌  ‌to‌  ‌deceive,‌  ‌ability‌  ‌to‌  ‌distinguish‌‌ 
appearance‌  ‌from‌  ‌reality‌  ‌and‌  ‌ability‌  ‌to‌  ‌distinguish‌  ‌fantasy‌  ‌from‌  ‌reality‌  ‌(Preschoolers‌  ‌Cognitive‌‌ 
Development,‌‌2007)‌  ‌
How‌‌   do‌‌  children‌‌   manage‌‌   to‌‌
  develop‌‌
  a ‌‌theory‌‌ of‌‌ mind‌‌ at‌‌ such‌‌ a ‌‌young‌‌ age?‌‌ Various‌‌ speculations‌‌ 
and‌‌ research‌‌ findings‌‌ suggest‌‌ that‌‌ social‌‌ experience‌‌ is‌‌ very‌‌ important.‌‌ Social‌‌ experience‌‌ includes‌‌ 1)‌‌ early‌‌ 
forms‌  ‌of‌  ‌communication,‌  ‌2)‌  ‌imitation,‌  ‌3)‌  ‌make-believe‌  ‌play,‌  ‌4)‌  ‌language‌  ‌and‌  ‌5)‌  ‌social‌  ‌interaction‌‌ 
(Preschoolers‌‌Cognitive‌‌Development‌‌2007).‌  ‌
 ‌
A‌‌Quick‌‌Look‌‌at‌‌what‌‌Preschoolers‌‌can‌‌Do‌  ‌
Below‌  ‌is‌  ‌a ‌ ‌list‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers’‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌skills‌  ‌lifted‌  ‌from‌  ‌the‌  ‌Philippine‌  ‌Early‌  ‌Learning‌  ‌and‌‌ 
Development‌‌Standards‌‌(ELDS).‌  ‌
Receptive‌‌Language‌‌   ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌understand‌‌both‌‌verbal‌‌and‌‌non-verbal‌‌forms‌‌of‌‌communication.‌  ‌
 ‌
31-36‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Speaks‌‌in‌‌simple‌‌sentences.‌‌   ‌
● Talks‌‌about‌‌an‌‌event‌‌and‌‌is‌‌understood.‌‌   ‌
37-48‌‌months‌‌   ‌
● Uses‌‌some‌‌prepositions.‌‌   ‌
● Uses‌‌plurals.‌  ‌
● Uses‌‌past‌‌tense.‌  ‌
● Uses‌‌newly‌‌learned‌‌words‌‌appropriately‌‌in‌‌sentences.‌‌   ‌
● Uses‌‌newly‌‌learned‌‌words‌‌appropriately‌‌when‌‌in‌‌group‌‌conversations.‌  ‌
49-60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Draws‌‌and‌‌tells‌‌a‌‌story‌‌about‌‌his‌‌drawing.‌  ‌
 ‌
Pre-Reading‌‌and‌‌Pre-Math‌‌(Matching)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1.1:‌T‌ he‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌match‌‌identical‌‌objects,‌‌colors,‌‌shapes,‌‌symbols‌. ‌ ‌
 ‌
31-36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Matches‌‌identical‌‌objects‌‌with‌‌2‌‌attributes‌‌(e.g.,‌‌Color‌‌&‌‌shape)‌  ‌
● Matches‌‌identical‌‌uppercase‌‌letters.‌‌   ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Copies‌  ‌simple‌  ‌patterns‌  ‌with‌  ‌two‌  ‌or‌  ‌more‌  ‌attributes‌  ‌(e.g.,‌  ‌color,‌  ‌shape,‌‌   sequence)‌‌  and‌‌ 
continues‌‌this‌‌without‌‌guidance.‌  ‌
● Recognizes‌‌familiar‌‌logo‌‌(e.g.,‌‌McDonald's,‌‌Coke,‌‌etc.)‌  ‌
● ‌Recognizes‌‌signs‌‌(e.g.,‌‌male‌‌and‌‌female‌‌restrooms;‌‌stop‌‌and‌‌go;‌‌danger/poison,‌‌etc.)‌  ‌
● Matches‌‌identical‌‌2-‌‌to‌‌4-letter‌‌words.‌  ‌
● Matches‌‌identical‌‌single‌‌digit‌‌numbers.‌  ‌
● Matches‌‌identical‌‌2-digit‌‌numbers.‌  ‌
 ‌
Pre-Reading‌‌and‌‌Pre-Match‌‌(Copying‌‌Letters‌‌and‌‌Numbers)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1.2:‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌recite‌‌the‌‌alphabet‌‌and‌‌numbers‌‌in‌‌sequence.‌  ‌
 ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Prints‌‌upper-case‌‌letters‌‌with‌‌a‌‌model‌‌with‌‌some‌‌reversals.‌  ‌
49-60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Prints‌‌complete‌‌name‌‌without‌‌a‌‌model.‌‌   ‌
● Prints‌‌upper‌‌case‌‌letters‌‌with‌‌a‌‌model‌‌with‌‌no‌‌reversals.‌  ‌
● Prints‌‌lower‌‌letters‌‌with‌‌a‌‌model‌‌with‌‌some‌‌reversals.‌  ‌
 61-71‌‌months:‌‌5-6‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Prints‌‌upper‌‌case‌‌letters‌‌without‌‌a‌‌model‌‌and‌‌with‌‌no‌‌reversals.‌  ‌
● Prints‌‌lower‌‌case‌‌letters‌‌without‌‌a‌‌model‌‌and‌‌with‌‌no‌‌reversals.‌‌   ‌
● Prints‌‌number‌‌1-5‌‌without‌‌a‌‌model‌‌and‌‌with‌‌no‌‌reversals.‌  ‌
 ‌
Domain:‌‌Cognitive‌‌Development‌  ‌
Attention‌‌and‌‌Activity‌‌Level‌   ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ ‌A‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌sustain‌‌attention‌‌and‌‌modulate‌‌his‌‌activity‌‌at‌‌age-expected‌‌levels.‌  ‌
 ‌
31‌‌–‌‌36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Complete‌‌simple‌‌task‌‌without‌‌prodding‌  ‌
37‌‌–‌‌48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● May‌‌be‌‌distracted‌‌but‌‌re-focuses‌‌on‌‌his/her‌‌own.‌‌   ‌
● Remains‌‌settled‌‌while‌‌leafing‌‌through‌‌a‌‌picture‌‌book‌‌for‌‌5‌‌minutes.‌‌   ‌
● Remains‌‌settled‌‌while‌‌listening‌‌to‌‌a‌‌story‌‌using‌‌picture‌‌books‌‌for‌‌5‌‌minutes.‌‌   ‌
● Sustains‌‌attention‌‌and‌‌concentration‌‌on‌‌a‌‌tabletop‌‌activity‌‌for‌‌10‌‌minutes.‌  ‌
● Can‌‌work‌‌on‌‌a‌‌school‌‌assignment‌‌with‌‌minimal‌‌supervision.‌‌   ‌
49‌‌–‌‌60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Sustains‌‌attention‌‌and‌‌concentration‌‌on‌‌a‌‌tabletop‌‌activity‌‌for‌‌15-20‌‌minutes.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌work‌‌on‌‌a‌‌school‌‌assignment‌‌with‌‌minimal‌‌supervision.‌‌   ‌
61‌‌-‌‌71‌‌months:‌‌5-6‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌work‌‌on‌‌a‌‌school‌‌assignment‌‌independently‌‌________‌  ‌
 ‌
High-Ordered‌‌Mental‌‌Abilities‌‌(Concept‌‌Formation)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌child‌‌develops‌‌basic‌‌concepts‌‌pertaining‌‌to‌‌object‌‌constancy,‌‌space,‌‌time,‌‌quantity,‌‌ 
seriation,‌  ‌etc.‌  ‌and‌  ‌uses‌  ‌these‌  ‌as‌  ‌the‌  ‌basis‌  ‌for‌  ‌understanding‌  ‌how‌  ‌materials‌  ‌are‌‌ 
categorized‌‌  in‌‌his/her‌‌environment.‌  ‌
 ‌
31‌‌–‌‌36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Knows‌‌the‌‌difference‌‌between‌‌a‌‌recent‌‌event‌‌and‌‌one‌‌that‌‌happened‌‌a‌‌long‌‌time‌‌ago.‌‌  
● Counts‌‌with‌‌one-to-one‌‌correspondence.‌   ‌
● Understand‌‌   the‌‌
  concept‌‌ of‌‌ number-quantity‌‌ relations‌‌ from‌‌ 1 ‌‌through‌‌ 5 ‌‌(e.g.,‌‌ hands‌‌ over‌‌ 
5‌‌objects‌‌when‌‌asked)‌  ‌
● Groups‌‌objects‌‌by‌‌shape‌‌   ‌
● Arranges‌‌objects‌‌by‌‌length.‌‌   ‌
● Arranges‌‌objects‌‌according‌‌to‌‌size.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌tell‌‌in‌‌what‌‌way‌‌2‌‌things‌‌are‌‌the‌‌same.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌tell‌‌in‌‌what‌‌way‌‌2‌‌things‌‌are‌‌different.‌‌   ‌
37‌‌-‌‌48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● can‌‌tell‌‌which‌‌is‌‌prettier/nicer‌‌of‌‌two‌‌items‌‌based‌‌on‌‌his/her‌‌criteria.‌‌   ‌
● Groups‌‌pictured‌‌objects‌‌according‌‌to‌‌category.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌tell‌‌which‌‌is‌‌left‌‌and‌‌right‌‌on‌‌him/herself.‌‌   ‌
● Understands‌‌“more”‌‌ang‌‌“less”‌  ‌
● understands‌‌the‌‌concept‌‌of‌‌conservation‌‌of‌‌matter‌‌at‌‌a‌‌rudimentary‌‌level.‌‌   ‌
49‌‌-‌‌60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌tell‌‌which‌‌is‌‌the‌‌left‌‌and‌‌right‌‌of‌‌people‌‌facing‌‌him/her.‌  ‌
● Knows‌‌the‌‌difference‌‌between‌‌yesterday,‌‌today‌‌and‌‌tomorrow.‌‌   ‌
● Understands‌‌the‌‌concept‌‌of‌‌number-quantity‌‌relations‌‌for‌‌1-10‌‌   ‌
● Demonstrates‌‌concept‌‌of‌‌addition‌‌using‌‌finger‌‌or‌‌objects.‌‌   ‌
● Demonstrates‌‌concept‌‌of‌‌subtraction‌‌using‌‌fingers‌‌or‌‌objects.‌‌   ‌
 ‌
Higher-Ordered‌‌Mental‌‌Abilities‌‌(Cause‌‌and‌‌Effect‌‌relationships)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌understand‌‌the‌‌cause-effect‌‌relationships.‌  ‌
 ‌
 31-36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌‌completely‌‌simple‌‌pattern‌‌(e.g.,‌‌beads,‌‌pictures,‌‌shapes)‌‌occasional‌‌guidance‌‌   ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Understands‌‌reasons‌‌behind‌‌rules‌‌and‌‌practices‌‌in‌‌school.‌‌   ‌
● understands‌‌   reasons‌‌  behind‌‌  rules‌‌  and‌‌  practices‌‌   in‌‌
  the‌‌   community,‌‌   like‌‌ those‌‌ pertaining‌‌ 
to‌‌sanitation,‌‌environmental‌‌preservation,‌‌etc.‌  ‌
 ‌
Memory:‌‌(Episodic‌‌Memory)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌recall‌‌people‌‌he‌‌has‌‌met,‌‌events,‌‌and‌‌places‌‌he‌‌has‌‌been‌‌to.‌  ‌
 ‌
31-36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Talks‌  ‌about‌  ‌things‌  ‌that‌  ‌happened‌  ‌during‌  ‌a ‌ ‌particular‌  ‌event‌  ‌that‌  ‌occurred‌  ‌sometime‌‌ 
back.‌‌   ‌
 ‌
Memory:‌‌(Memory‌‌for‌‌Concept-Based‌‌Knowledge‌‌Semantic‌‌Memory)‌‌   ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌store‌‌verbal‌‌information‌‌in‌‌short‌‌and‌‌long-term‌‌memory.‌  ‌
 ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Repeats‌‌5-‌‌to‌‌7-words‌‌sentences‌‌correctly‌  ‌
● Memorized‌‌the‌‌lyrics‌‌of‌‌a‌‌short‌‌song‌‌   ‌
● Memorizes‌‌a‌‌short‌‌rhyme‌  ‌
● Remembers‌‌the‌‌gist‌‌and‌‌many‌‌details‌‌of‌‌stories‌‌told‌‌or‌‌read‌‌   ‌
49-60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌‌recite‌‌the‌‌days‌‌of‌‌the‌‌week‌‌with‌‌some‌‌errors.‌‌   ‌
● Remembers‌‌lessons‌‌learned‌‌in‌‌school‌‌even‌‌after‌‌several‌‌days‌‌have‌‌passed.‌ 
61-71‌‌months:‌‌5-6‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌‌recite‌‌the‌‌days‌‌of‌‌the‌‌week‌‌with‌‌no‌‌errors.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌recite‌‌the‌‌months‌‌of‌‌the‌‌year‌‌with‌‌some‌‌errors.‌   ‌
 ‌
Higher-Ordered‌‌Mental‌‌Abilities‌‌(Logical‌‌Reasoning)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌follow‌‌the‌‌logic‌‌of‌‌events‌‌(i.e.,‌‌reasons‌‌why‌‌these‌‌happen)‌‌and‌‌draw‌‌ 
accurate‌‌conclusion‌‌by‌‌evaluating‌‌the‌‌facts‌‌presented‌‌to‌‌him.‌  ‌
 ‌
31-36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌compute‌‌a‌‌simple‌‌pattern‌‌(e.g.,‌‌beads,‌‌pictures,‌‌shapes)‌‌with‌‌occasional‌‌guidance.‌‌   ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌‌tell‌‌what‌‌is‌‌silly‌‌or‌‌wrong‌‌with‌‌absurd‌‌pictured‌‌scenes.‌‌   ‌
● Relates‌‌experiences‌‌in‌‌sequence‌‌or‌‌as‌‌these‌‌happened.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌  ‌appreciate‌  ‌humorous‌  ‌stories‌  ‌are‌  ‌jokes‌  ‌that‌  ‌his/her‌  ‌peers‌  ‌also‌  ‌find‌  ‌funny‌  ‌(e.g.,‌‌ 
“knock-knock”‌‌jokes)‌  ‌
● Notice‌‌   that‌‌
  certain‌‌
  things‌‌
  are‌‌  the‌‌
  same‌‌   and‌‌
  therefore‌‌   can‌‌ be‌‌ substituted‌‌ for‌‌ each‌‌ other‌‌ 
(e.g.,‌‌liquid‌‌and‌‌powdered‌‌detergents)‌  ‌
● Can‌‌state‌‌opposite‌‌relationships.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌give‌‌substantive‌‌reasons‌‌why‌‌he/she‌‌like‌‌something‌‌or‌‌not.‌  ‌
● Can‌‌argue‌‌a‌‌point/stand‌‌logically.‌  ‌
● Can‌‌complete‌‌the‌‌simple‌‌pattern‌‌(e.g.,‌‌beads,‌‌pictures,‌‌shapes)‌‌without‌‌guidance.‌‌   ‌
49-60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Knows‌‌   that‌‌
  certain‌‌
  elements‌‌   remain‌‌   the‌‌  same‌‌  even‌‌   if‌‌
  their‌‌  positions‌‌ change‌‌ (e.g.,‌‌ 2 ‌‌+ ‌‌3 ‌‌
and‌‌3‌‌+‌‌2‌‌equals‌‌5)‌  ‌
● Able‌‌to‌‌predict‌‌what‌‌will‌‌happen‌‌next‌‌in‌‌a‌‌story.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌predict‌‌how‌‌a‌‌story‌‌will‌‌end‌‌half-way‌‌through.‌‌   ‌
Higher-Ordered‌‌Mental‌‌Abilities‌‌(Planning‌‌and‌‌Organizing)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ ‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌plan‌‌and‌‌organize‌‌a‌‌simple,‌‌familiar‌‌activity.‌  ‌
 ‌
 31-36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌  ‌plan‌  ‌how‌  ‌he/she‌  ‌will‌  ‌carry‌  ‌out‌  ‌an‌  ‌activity‌  ‌with‌  ‌adult‌  ‌guidance‌  ‌(e.g.,‌  ‌eating,‌‌ 
household‌‌chores‌‌and‌‌putting‌‌structure‌‌in‌‌activities)‌  ‌
● Has‌‌almost‌‌everything‌‌he/she‌‌needs‌‌before‌‌starting‌‌an‌‌activity.‌‌   ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌‌dress‌‌following‌‌an‌‌organized‌‌sequence.‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌bathe‌‌following‌‌an‌‌organized‌‌sequence.‌‌   ‌
49-60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌‌plan‌‌how‌‌he/she‌‌will‌‌carry‌‌out‌‌an‌‌activity‌‌without‌‌adult‌‌guidance.‌‌   ‌
 ‌
Higher‌‌Ordered‌‌Mental‌‌Abilities‌‌(Creative‌‌Thought)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌ child‌‌ is‌‌ able‌‌ to‌‌ generate‌‌ new‌‌ ideas‌‌ or‌‌ concepts,‌‌ or‌‌ new‌‌ associations‌‌ between‌‌ existing‌‌ 
ideas‌‌or‌‌concepts.‌  ‌
 ‌
31-36‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Pretends‌‌to‌‌be‌‌engaged‌‌in‌‌“grown‌‌up”‌‌activities‌‌(e.g.,‌‌playing‌‌office)‌  ‌
● Pretends‌‌to‌‌be‌‌character‌‌in‌‌a‌‌familiar‌‌story‌   ‌ ‌
● Creates‌‌new‌‌words‌‌or‌‌names‌‌for‌‌people‌‌or‌‌objects‌‌   ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌3-4‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌make‌‌a‌‌pun‌‌or‌‌joke‌‌   ‌
● Creates‌‌some‌‌dance‌‌moves‌‌   ‌
● Creates‌‌lyrics‌‌of‌‌songs‌‌using‌‌familiar‌‌melody‌‌   ‌
● Pretends‌‌to‌‌be‌‌a‌‌character‌‌in‌‌his/her‌‌own‌‌made-up‌‌story‌‌   ‌
● Formulates‌‌rules‌‌to‌‌implement‌‌in‌‌a‌‌game‌‌   ‌
49-60‌‌months:‌‌4-5‌‌years‌‌old‌‌   ‌
● Can‌‌   draw‌‌  things‌‌   or‌‌  scenes‌‌
  from‌‌   experience‌‌   but‌‌
  with‌‌  no‌‌  actual‌‌  model‌‌  or‌‌
  reference‌‌ (i.e.,‌‌ 
from‌‌memory)‌  ‌
61-71‌‌months:‌‌5-6‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Can‌‌draw‌‌or‌‌paint‌‌things‌‌that‌‌do‌‌not‌‌exist‌‌in‌‌real‌‌life‌‌(i.e.,‌‌fantasy‌‌or‌‌imagination)‌  ‌
 ‌
High‌‌Ordered‌‌Mental‌‌Abilities‌‌(Cognitive‌‌Flexibility)‌  ‌
Standards‌‌1:‌ The‌‌child‌‌is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌shift‌‌to‌‌more‌‌adaptive‌‌cognitive‌‌processing‌‌strategies‌‌in‌‌order‌‌to‌‌ 
effectively‌‌deal‌‌with‌‌new‌‌and‌‌unexpected‌‌conditions‌‌in‌‌his/her‌‌environment,‌‌including‌‌ 
problems‌‌situations.‌  ‌
 ‌
37-48‌‌months:‌‌2-1/2‌‌to‌‌3‌‌years‌‌old‌  ‌
● Modifies‌‌actions‌‌based‌‌on‌‌new‌‌experiences‌‌(e.g.,‌‌change‌‌block‌‌structure‌‌that‌‌falls)‌  ‌
● Explores‌‌alternative‌‌solutions‌‌to‌‌a‌‌problem‌‌and‌‌selects‌‌one‌‌option‌‌   ‌
● Is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌shift‌‌activities‌‌without‌‌much‌‌fuss‌  ‌
● Is‌‌able‌‌to‌‌know‌‌when‌‌the‌‌topic‌‌of‌‌conversation‌‌has‌‌changed‌‌and‌‌adjust‌‌accordingly‌‌   ‌
 ‌
The‌‌Role‌‌of‌‌Caregivers‌‌(Parents‌‌and‌‌Teachers)‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Cognitive‌‌Development‌‌of‌‌Preschoolers‌‌   ‌
Learning‌‌   about‌‌   how‌‌   preschoolers‌‌   think‌‌   and‌‌   learn,‌‌  one‌‌  will‌‌ realize‌‌ that‌‌ parents‌‌ and‌‌ teachers‌‌ can‌‌ 
do‌  ‌a ‌ ‌lot‌  ‌either‌  ‌to‌  ‌help‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌develop‌  ‌their‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌skills‌  ‌or‌  ‌impede‌  ‌them.‌  ‌With‌  ‌the‌  ‌best‌  ‌of‌‌ 
intentions,‌‌ one‌‌ can‌‌ do‌‌ more‌‌ harm‌‌ than‌‌ good‌‌ if‌‌ the‌‌ approach‌‌ to‌‌ teaching‌‌ preschoolers‌‌ is‌‌ not‌‌ appropriate.‌‌ 
Some‌‌   adults‌‌   think‌‌  that‌‌  the‌‌  role‌‌  of‌‌  preschools‌‌   is‌‌
  to‌‌ prepare‌‌ children‌‌ to‌‌ pass‌‌ the‌‌ entrance‌‌ examination‌‌ of‌‌ 
elementary‌  ‌schools,‌  ‌and‌  ‌so‌  ‌they‌‌   “harass”‌‌   the‌‌  preschoolers‌‌   to‌‌
  master‌‌   of‌‌
  academic‌‌   skills.‌‌
  This‌‌
  leads‌‌
  the‌‌ 
preschoolers‌‌to‌‌be‌‌stressed‌‌and‌‌to‌‌have‌‌a‌‌negative‌‌disposition‌‌about‌‌school‌‌and‌‌about‌‌learning.‌‌  
Two‌  ‌prominent‌  ‌organizations‌  ‌that‌  ‌have‌  ‌position‌‌   statements‌‌   about‌‌   the‌‌
  appropriate‌‌   practices‌‌  in‌‌ 
the‌  ‌care‌  ‌and‌  ‌the‌  ‌education‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌are‌  ‌the‌  ‌National‌  ‌Association‌  ‌for‌  ‌the‌  ‌Education‌  ‌of‌  ‌Young‌‌ 
Children‌  ‌– ‌ ‌NAEYC‌  ‌(w ‌ ww.naeyc.org‌) ‌ ‌and‌  ‌the‌  ‌Association‌  ‌for‌  ‌Childhood‌  ‌Education‌  ‌International-ACEI‌‌ 
(‌www.acei.org‌).‌‌Be‌‌sure‌‌to‌‌check‌‌out‌‌their‌‌websites‌‌to‌‌learn‌‌more‌‌about‌‌the‌‌preschoolers.‌  ‌
 Below‌  ‌are‌  ‌some‌  ‌appropriate‌  ‌practices‌  ‌that‌  ‌help‌  ‌develop‌  ‌the‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌skills‌  ‌of‌  ‌preschoolers.‌‌ 
(adapted‌‌   from‌‌   a ‌‌list‌‌  of‌‌   tips‌‌   for‌‌   caregivers‌‌   and‌‌   teachers‌‌   by‌‌   Lesia‌‌   Oesterreich,‌‌   M.S.,‌‌   Family‌‌   Life‌‌ Extension‌‌ 
Specialist,‌‌Human‌‌Development‌‌and‌‌Family‌‌Studies,‌‌Lowa‌‌State‌‌University)‌  ‌
 ‌
For‌‌three‌‌years-old‌‌   ‌
1. Speak‌‌with‌‌children‌‌as‌‌often‌‌as‌‌possible.‌‌use‌‌short‌‌sentences,‌‌ask‌‌questions,‌‌and‌‌listen.‌  ‌
2. Add‌‌   new‌‌   information‌‌   to‌‌  your‌‌ children’s‌‌ sentences.‌‌ “Yes‌‌ that's‌‌ a ‌‌flower‌‌ - ‌‌it's‌‌ a ‌‌tall,‌‌ red‌‌ flower‌‌ and‌‌ 
it‌‌smells‌‌so‌‌good.”‌  ‌
3. Teach‌‌children‌‌to‌‌memorize‌‌first‌‌and‌‌last‌‌names.‌‌   ‌
4. Provide‌‌   books‌‌   for‌‌   children‌‌   to‌‌   read‌‌  and‌‌   read‌‌   the‌‌   same‌‌   books‌‌   to‌‌  them.‌‌   Read‌‌   poetry‌‌   and‌‌   nursery‌‌ 
rhymes.‌  ‌Encourage‌  ‌a ‌ ‌child‌  ‌to‌  ‌repeat‌  ‌a ‌ ‌story‌  ‌and‌  ‌discuss‌  ‌the‌‌   ideas‌‌   and‌‌   events.‌‌   Read‌‌   titles‌‌   and‌‌ 
point‌‌to‌‌important‌‌words‌‌on‌‌pages,‌‌packages,‌‌and‌‌street‌‌signs.‌  ‌
5. Encourage‌  ‌interest‌  ‌in‌  ‌reading‌  ‌and‌‌   writing‌‌   by‌‌   sharing‌‌   a ‌‌grocery‌‌   list‌‌  or‌‌   note‌‌   for‌‌   parents.‌‌   Provide‌‌ 
paper,‌‌small‌‌notebooks,‌‌and‌‌markers‌‌for‌‌use‌‌in‌‌dramatic‌‌play.‌‌   ‌
6. Count‌‌   objects‌‌   of‌‌   interest;‌‌   for‌‌   example,‌‌   cookies,‌‌   cups,‌‌ napkins,‌‌ or‌‌ dolls.‌‌ It‌‌ is‌‌ better‌‌ to‌‌ use‌‌ objects‌‌ 
that‌  ‌you‌  ‌can‌  ‌move‌  ‌one‌  ‌at‌  ‌a ‌ ‌time‌  ‌as‌  ‌you‌‌   and‌‌   children‌‌   count.‌‌   Measure,‌‌   and‌‌   have‌‌   children‌‌   help‌‌ 
measure‌‌and‌‌count‌‌as‌‌you‌‌follow‌‌a‌‌recipe.‌  ‌
7. Explain‌  ‌why‌  ‌and‌  ‌how‌  ‌things‌  ‌happen‌  ‌with‌  ‌the‌  ‌help‌  ‌of‌  ‌a ‌ ‌reference‌  ‌book.‌  ‌Help‌‌   them‌‌   do‌‌   simple‌‌ 
science‌  ‌activities‌  ‌like‌  ‌magnetic‌  ‌attractions,‌  ‌freezing‌  ‌water,‌  ‌planting‌  ‌seeds,‌‌   making‌‌   a ‌‌terrarium,‌‌ 
and‌‌flying‌‌kites‌‌on‌‌a‌‌windy‌‌day.‌  ‌
8. Provide‌  ‌sets‌  ‌- ‌ ‌toys‌  ‌and‌  ‌other‌  ‌objects‌  ‌that‌‌   go‌‌   together.‌‌   Discuss‌‌   similarities‌‌   and‌‌   differences.‌‌   For‌‌ 
example,‌‌point‌‌out‌‌sequences‌‌in‌‌cooking.‌  ‌
9. Sing‌  ‌simple‌  ‌songs.‌  ‌Make‌  ‌simple‌  ‌rhythm‌  ‌instruments:‌  ‌shoe‌  ‌box‌  ‌or‌  ‌milk‌  ‌can‌  ‌drums,‌  ‌Rattles‌  ‌of‌‌ 
mungo‌‌   beans‌‌   in‌‌   a ‌‌box,‌‌ etc.‌‌ encourage‌‌ a ‌‌variety‌‌ of‌‌ body‌‌ movements‌‌ and‌‌ dance‌‌ to‌‌ music‌‌ of‌‌ many‌‌ 
kinds.‌‌   Play‌‌   musical‌‌   games‌‌   such‌‌ as‌‌ “London‌‌ Bridge,”‌‌ “Ring-around-the-Rosie,”‌‌ and‌‌ “Farmer‌‌ in‌‌ the‌‌ 
Dell.”‌  ‌
 ‌
For‌‌four-year-olds‌  ‌
1. Read‌‌   aloud‌‌   each‌‌   day‌‌   and‌‌   encourage‌‌   children‌‌   to‌‌   look‌‌   at‌‌  books‌‌   on‌‌   their‌‌ own.‌‌ Provide‌‌ alternative‌‌ 
learning‌‌   material‌‌   with‌‌   a ‌‌collection‌‌   of‌‌   outdated‌‌   coupons,‌‌   junk‌‌   mail,‌‌   newspaper‌‌   adds,‌‌ and‌‌ cereal‌‌ 
boxes.‌‌   ‌
2. Say‌  ‌nursery‌  ‌rhymes‌  ‌and‌  ‌fingerplays‌  ‌together.‌  ‌Encourage‌  ‌4-year-olds‌  ‌to‌  ‌tell‌  ‌stories‌  ‌to‌  ‌younger‌‌ 
children.‌  ‌
3. Encourage‌‌   interest‌‌   in‌‌  writing‌‌   and‌‌
  words.‌‌   Provide‌‌ children‌‌ with‌‌ paper‌‌ and‌‌ notebooks‌‌ for‌‌ writing.‌‌ 
print‌  ‌letters‌  ‌and‌  ‌numerals‌  ‌on‌  ‌artwork,‌  ‌and‌  ‌label‌  ‌toy‌  ‌shelves‌  ‌with‌  ‌pictures‌  ‌and‌  ‌words‌  ‌that‌‌ 
describe‌‌objects.‌  ‌
4. Teach‌‌   important‌‌   number‌‌   and‌‌   space‌‌   concepts.‌‌   Sort‌‌   and‌‌   count‌‌   everything‌‌ insight,‌‌ like‌‌ silverware,‌‌ 
socks,‌‌   rocks,‌‌   leaves,‌‌   etc.‌‌   talk‌‌   about‌‌   things‌‌   being‌‌   in,‌‌  on,‌‌ under,‌‌ behind,‌‌ besides,‌‌ before‌‌ and‌‌ after,‌‌ 
larger‌‌than,‌‌too‌‌far,‌‌etc.‌  ‌
5. Teach‌‌children‌‌the‌‌correct‌‌use‌‌of‌‌the‌‌telephone.‌  ‌
6. Encourage‌‌   4-year-old‌‌   to‌‌   help‌‌   you‌‌
  plan‌‌   and‌‌   plant‌‌ garden.‌‌ They‌‌ will‌‌ love‌‌ to‌‌ water‌‌ plants‌‌ daily‌‌ and‌‌ 
will‌‌enjoy‌‌measuring‌‌plant‌‌growth.‌  ‌
 ‌
For‌‌five-year-old‌  ‌
1. Add‌  ‌drama‌  ‌to‌  ‌your‌‌   reading‌‌   sessions‌‌   each‌‌   day‌‌   by‌‌   using‌‌   different‌‌   voices‌‌   for‌‌   different‌‌   characters.‌‌ 
While‌  ‌reading‌  ‌a ‌ ‌familiar‌  ‌story,‌  ‌stop‌  ‌before‌  ‌the‌  ‌and‌  ‌ask‌  ‌children‌  ‌to‌  ‌add‌  ‌their‌  ‌own‌  ‌end‌  ‌to‌  ‌the‌‌ 
story.‌  ‌
2. Ask‌  ‌5-years-old‌  ‌to‌  ‌tell‌‌   your‌‌   story.‌‌  Write‌‌   it‌‌
  down‌‌   and‌‌   post‌‌   it‌‌
  on‌‌   the‌‌   wall‌‌   or‌‌   refrigerator.‌‌   You‌‌   can‌‌ 
also‌‌record‌‌the‌‌child‌‌telling‌‌the‌‌story‌‌and‌‌let‌‌him‌‌listen‌‌to‌‌himself‌‌later.‌‌   ‌
3. Ask‌  ‌“what‌  ‌if”‌  ‌questions.‌  ‌What‌  ‌if‌‌   there‌‌   were‌‌   5 ‌‌little‌‌   pigs‌‌   instead‌‌   of‌‌  3?‌‌   What‌‌   if‌‌
  Little‌‌   Red‌‌   Riding‌‌ 
Hood‌‌saw‌‌a‌‌rabbit‌‌instead‌‌of‌‌a‌‌wolf?‌  ‌
4. Involve‌‌   children‌‌   in‌‌   writing‌‌   “thank‌‌   you”‌‌   notes,‌‌   holiday‌‌   greeting‌‌   cards,‌‌   and‌‌   letters.‌‌   if‌‌
  a ‌‌5-year-old‌‌ 
enjoys‌‌copying‌‌letters,‌‌let‌‌him‌‌dictate‌‌a‌‌short‌‌message‌‌to‌‌you‌‌and‌‌copy‌‌it‌‌from‌‌your‌‌writing.‌  ‌
 5. Give‌‌
  5-year-olds‌‌ opportunities‌‌ to‌‌ sort,‌‌ group,‌‌ match,‌‌ count‌‌ and‌‌ sequence‌‌ with‌‌ real‌‌ life‌‌ situations‌‌ 
such‌  ‌as‌  ‌setting‌‌
  the‌‌
  table,‌‌
  counting‌‌  the‌‌
  number‌‌   of‌‌
  turns,‌‌  sorting‌‌   out‌‌
  socks,‌‌
  and‌‌   matching‌‌   fabric‌‌ 
swatches.‌‌Expose‌‌them‌‌to‌‌games‌‌involving‌‌matching‌‌pairs.‌  ‌
6. Take‌  ‌questions‌  ‌seriously.‌  ‌Talk‌  ‌to‌‌
  children‌‌   about‌‌   what‌‌   happens‌‌   and‌‌  why.‌‌
  Give‌‌   answers‌‌   they‌‌   can‌‌ 
understand.‌‌   ‌
7. 5-year-olds‌  ‌will‌  ‌show‌  ‌an‌  ‌increasing‌  ‌interest‌  ‌in‌  ‌numbers.‌  ‌Encourage‌‌   them‌‌  to‌‌
  count‌‌   anything‌‌   of‌‌ 
interest‌‌–‌‌cups,‌‌leaves,‌‌drums,‌‌bells,‌‌number‌‌of‌‌children‌‌absent,‌‌etc.‌  ‌
8. Encourage‌  ‌interest‌  ‌in‌  ‌jokes,‌  ‌nonsense,‌  ‌and‌  ‌riddles‌  ‌by‌  ‌reading‌  ‌humorous‌  ‌stories,‌  ‌riddles,‌  ‌and‌‌ 
nonsense‌‌rhymes.‌‌Join‌‌them‌‌in‌‌jokes‌‌from‌‌school,‌‌books‌‌and‌‌TV.‌  ‌
9. Give‌  ‌opportunities‌‌   to‌‌
  express‌‌
  dramatic‌‌   and‌‌
  creative‌‌   interest.‌‌  Teach‌‌   children‌‌   how‌‌   to‌‌
  move‌‌   their‌‌ 
bodies‌‌ to‌‌ dramatize‌‌ the‌‌ opening‌‌ of‌‌ a ‌‌flower,‌‌ falling‌‌ leaves,‌‌ or‌‌ rain;‌‌ wiggly‌‌ worms‌‌ and‌‌ snakes;‌‌ and‌‌ 
laundry‌‌blowing‌‌in‌‌the‌‌wind.‌  ‌
 ‌
 ‌
APPLICATION‌‌   ‌
Questions‌‌for‌‌discussions‌‌   ‌
1. Describe‌‌behaviors‌‌to‌‌illustrate‌‌the‌‌preschooler’s:‌  ‌
● animism‌  ‌
● egocentrism‌‌   ‌
● centration‌‌   ‌
● lack‌‌of‌‌conservation‌‌   ‌
● irreversibility‌  ‌
● transductive‌‌reasoning‌‌   ‌
 ‌
2. Read‌  ‌this‌  ‌excerpt‌  ‌from‌  ‌Albert‌  ‌Einstein's‌  ‌biography.‌  ‌Examine‌  ‌Albert‌  ‌Einstein's‌  ‌preschool‌‌ 
development‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌light‌  ‌of‌  ‌cognitive‌  ‌development‌  ‌in‌  ‌early‌  ‌childhood‌  ‌as‌  ‌discussed.‌  ‌How‌‌ 
different‌  ‌was‌  ‌his‌  ‌childhood‌  ‌from‌  ‌the‌  ‌average‌  ‌childhood?‌  ‌(language‌  ‌development,‌  ‌Einstein's‌‌ 
lifelong‌  ‌memory‌  ‌of‌  ‌that‌  ‌compass,‌  ‌parents’‌  ‌and‌  ‌teachers’‌  ‌underestimation‌  ‌of‌  ‌his‌  ‌cognitive‌‌ 
ability?)‌  ‌
In‌‌  the‌‌   public‌‌   mind,‌‌   the‌‌   name‌‌   Albert‌‌   Einstein‌‌ (1879-1955)‌‌ is‌‌ synonymous‌‌ with‌‌ genius.‌‌ His‌‌ 
general‌‌   theory‌‌   of‌‌  relativity‌‌   ( ‌‌“the‌‌ greatest‌‌ revolution‌‌ in‌‌ thought‌‌ since‌‌ Newton‌‌ “),‌‌ his‌‌ discovery‌‌ of‌‌ 
the‌  ‌fundamental‌  ‌principle‌  ‌of‌  ‌quantum‌  ‌physics,‌  ‌and‌  ‌his‌  ‌other‌  ‌contributions‌‌   to‌‌
  the‌‌  reshaping‌‌   of‌‌ 
our‌  ‌knowledge‌  ‌after‌‌   the‌‌   universe‌‌   cause‌‌   him‌‌   to‌‌  be‌‌   considered‌‌   “One‌‌   of‌‌
  the‌‌  greatest‌‌   physicists‌‌   of‌  ‌
all‌‌time”‌‌(Whitrow,‌‌1967).‌  ‌
Yet‌  ‌the‌  ‌young‌  ‌Einstein,‌  ‌who‌  ‌was‌  ‌born‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌German‌  ‌town‌  ‌of‌  ‌Ulm,‌  ‌hardly‌  ‌seemed‌‌ 
destined‌‌   for‌‌   intellectual‌‌   stardom.‌‌   He‌‌   was‌‌   slow‌‌   in‌‌  learning‌‌ to‌‌ walk‌‌ and‌‌ did‌‌ not‌‌ begin‌‌ talking‌‌ until‌‌ 
at‌‌
  least‌‌   his‌‌   third‌‌   year.‌‌   His‌‌   parents‌‌   feared‌‌   he‌‌   might‌‌ be‌‌ mentally‌‌ retarded.‌‌ Einstein‌‌ himself‌‌ always‌‌ 
insisted‌‌   that‌‌   he‌‌   did‌‌   not‌‌   try‌‌   to‌‌ speak‌‌ until‌‌ after‌‌ the‌‌ age‌‌ of‌‌ 3,‌‌ skipping‌‌ babbling‌  ‌and‌‌ going‌‌ directly‌‌ 
into‌  ‌sentences.‌  ‌Actually,‌  ‌his‌  ‌sentences‌  ‌may‌  ‌have‌‌   come‌‌   a ‌‌bit‌‌
  earlier.‌‌   When‌‌   his‌‌  sister,‌‌   Maja,‌‌   was‌‌ 
born‌  ‌four‌  ‌months‌‌   before‌‌   Albert’s‌‌   third‌‌   birthday,‌‌   Albert‌‌   (who‌‌   had‌‌   been‌‌   promised‌‌   a ‌‌new‌‌   baby‌‌   to‌‌ 
play‌  ‌with‌  ‌and‌‌   apparently‌‌   thought‌‌   it‌‌
  would‌‌   be‌‌   toy)‌‌   reportedly‌‌   asked‌‌   in‌‌
  disappointment.‌‌   “Where‌‌ 
are‌‌the‌‌wheels?”‌  ‌
Regardless‌‌   of‌‌
  the‌‌   exact‌‌   timing,‌‌   “Albert‌‌   was‌‌   certainly‌‌   a ‌‌late‌‌  and‌‌   reluctant‌‌   talker”‌‌   (Brian,‌‌ 
1996).‌‌   The‌‌   reasons‌‌   may‌‌   have‌‌   had‌‌   more‌‌   to‌‌ do‌‌ with‌‌ personality‌‌ than‌‌ with‌‌ cognitive‌‌ development;‌‌ 
he‌‌  was‌‌   a ‌‌shy,‌‌   taciturn‌‌   child,‌‌   whom‌‌   adults‌‌   thought‌‌   backward‌‌   and‌‌   other‌‌ children‌‌ considered‌‌ dull.‌‌ 
He‌  ‌would‌  ‌not‌  ‌play‌  ‌marbles‌  ‌or‌  ‌soldiers‌  ‌or‌  ‌other‌‌   games‌‌   with‌‌   his‌‌  peers,‌‌   but‌‌  he‌‌   would‌‌   crouch‌‌   for‌‌ 
hours,‌‌observing‌‌an‌‌ant‌‌colony.‌  ‌
When‌  ‌he‌  ‌started‌  ‌school,‌  ‌he‌  ‌did‌  ‌poorly‌  ‌in‌  ‌most‌  ‌subjects;‌  ‌The‌  ‌headmaster‌  ‌predicted‌‌   he‌‌ 
would‌  ‌never‌  ‌amount‌  ‌to‌  ‌anything.‌  ‌Albert‌‌   hated‌‌   the‌‌   regimentation‌‌   and‌‌   rote‌‌   learning‌‌   stressed‌‌   in‌‌ 
German‌  ‌schools:‌  ‌he‌  ‌did‌  ‌not‌  ‌have‌  ‌a ‌ ‌retentive‌  ‌memory‌  ‌and‌  ‌could‌  ‌not‌  ‌give‌  ‌clear‌  ‌answers‌‌   to‌‌
  his‌‌ 
teachers’‌  ‌questions.‌  ‌He‌  ‌was‌  ‌a ‌ ‌daydreamer,‌  ‌his‌  ‌questioning‌  ‌mind‌  ‌occupied‌  ‌with‌  ‌its‌  ‌own‌‌ 
speculations.‌‌   He‌‌   would‌‌   not‌‌   even‌‌   try‌‌   to‌‌
  learn‌‌   anything‌‌   unless‌‌ he‌‌ was‌‌ interested‌‌ in‌‌ it-and‌‌ then‌‌ his‌‌ 
concentration‌‌was‌‌intense.‌  ‌
 His‌‌  wonder‌‌ about‌‌ the‌‌ workings‌‌ of‌‌ the‌‌ universe‌‌ was‌‌ awakened‌‌ at‌‌ the‌‌ age‌‌ of‌‌ 4 ‌‌or‌‌ 5,‌‌ When‌‌ 
he‌‌
  was‌‌   sick‌‌  in‌‌
  bed‌‌   and‌‌   his‌‌  father‌‌   gave‌‌   him‌‌   a ‌‌magnetic‌‌ pocket‌‌ compass‌‌ to‌‌ keep‌‌ him‌‌ amused.‌‌ the‌ 
boy‌  ‌was‌  ‌astonished‌  ‌no‌  ‌matter‌  ‌which‌  ‌way‌‌   he‌‌   turned‌‌   the‌‌   compass,‌‌   the‌‌   needle‌‌   pointed‌‌   to‌‌   N ‌‌(for‌‌ 
‘north’).‌‌   What‌‌   controlled‌‌   its‌‌  motion?‌‌   He‌‌   pestered‌‌   his‌‌   uncle‌‌   Jacob,‌‌   who‌‌ had‌‌ studied‌‌ engineering,‌‌ 
with‌‌  questions.‌‌   His‌‌  uncle‌‌   told‌‌   him‌‌   about‌‌   the‌‌   earth's‌‌   North‌‌   and‌‌   South‌‌   poles‌‌   and‌‌ about‌‌ magnetic‌‌ 
fields,‌‌  but‌‌  Albert‌‌   still‌‌
  was‌‌   not‌‌ satisfied.‌‌ He‌‌ believed‌‌ there‌‌ must‌‌ be‌‌ some‌‌ mysterious‌‌ force‌‌ in‌‌ what‌‌ 
appeared‌  ‌to‌  ‌be‌‌   the‌‌   empty‌‌   space‌‌   around‌‌   the‌‌   needle.‌‌   He‌‌   carried‌‌   the‌‌   compass‌‌   around‌‌   for‌‌   weeks,‌‌ 
trying‌  ‌to‌  ‌figure‌  ‌out‌  ‌its‌‌   secret.‌‌   Years‌‌  later,‌‌   at‌‌  the‌‌  age‌‌   of‌‌
  67,‌‌   he‌‌
  wrote‌‌   “…this‌‌   experience‌‌   made‌‌   a ‌‌
deep‌  ‌and‌  ‌lasting‌  ‌impression‌  ‌upon‌  ‌me.‌  ‌Something‌  ‌deeply‌  ‌hidden‌  ‌had‌  ‌to‌  ‌be‌  ‌behind‌  ‌things”‌‌ 
(Schilpp,‌‌1970,‌‌p.‌‌9)‌  ‌
That‌  ‌sense‌  ‌of‌  ‌wonder‌  ‌was‌  ‌reawakened‌  ‌several‌  ‌years‌‌   later,‌‌   when‌‌   Uncle‌‌   Jacob,‌‌   noticing‌‌ 
that‌  ‌Albert‌  ‌showed‌  ‌an‌  ‌interest‌  ‌in‌  ‌arithmetic,‌  ‌introduced‌  ‌him‌  ‌to‌  ‌algebra‌  ‌and‌  ‌geometry.‌  ‌Albert‌‌ 
solved‌  ‌every‌  ‌problem‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌books‌  ‌his‌‌   uncle‌‌   brought‌‌   him‌‌   and‌‌  then‌‌   went‌‌   searching‌‌   for‌‌  more.‌‌   It‌‌ 
was‌  ‌that‌  ‌same‌  ‌insatiable‌  ‌curiosity‌  ‌and‌  ‌persistence-what‌  ‌Einstein‌  ‌himself‌  ‌called‌  ‌“a‌  ‌furious‌‌ 
impulse‌‌   to‌‌
  understand”‌‌   (Michelmore,‌‌   1962,‌‌   p.‌‌  24)-‌‌  that‌‌   underlay‌‌   his‌‌   lifetime‌‌   quest‌‌   for‌‌  scientific‌‌ 
knowledge).‌  ‌
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3. To‌  ‌enhance‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschooler’s‌  ‌development‌  ‌in‌  ‌his‌  ‌symbolic‌  ‌thinking,‌  ‌language,‌  ‌attention,‌‌ 
memory‌  ‌function,‌  ‌and‌  ‌metacognition,‌  ‌what‌  ‌developmentally‌  ‌appropriate‌  ‌practices‌  ‌would‌  ‌you‌‌ 
recommend?‌‌What‌‌developmentally‌‌inappropriate‌‌practices‌‌would‌‌you‌‌not‌‌recommend?‌  ‌
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4. Critics‌  ‌argue‌  ‌that‌  ‌too‌  ‌many‌  ‌preschools‌  ‌are‌  ‌academically‌  ‌oriented‌  ‌and‌  ‌stressful‌  ‌for‌  ‌young‌‌ 
children.‌‌Do‌‌you‌‌agree?‌‌Explain.‌‌   ‌
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5. Does‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌matter?‌  ‌doesn't‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌rob‌  ‌the‌‌  child‌‌
  of‌‌
  his‌‌
  irretrievable‌‌
  childhood?‌‌   Defend‌‌ 
your‌‌stand.‌  ‌
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Module‌1
‌ 7:‌S‌ OCIO-EMOTIONAL‌D
‌ EVELOPMENT‌O
‌ F‌T‌ HE‌P
‌ RESCHOOLER‌  ‌
-Maria‌‌Rita‌‌D.‌‌Lucas,‌‌Ph.D.‌  ‌
 ‌
LEARNING‌‌OUTCOMES‌  ‌
At‌‌the‌‌end‌‌of‌‌this‌‌Module,‌‌you‌‌should‌‌be‌‌able‌‌to:‌  ‌
● Explain‌‌Erikson's‌‌“crisis”‌‌of‌‌early‌‌childhood,‌‌initiative‌‌versus‌‌guilt.‌  ‌
● Explain‌‌the‌‌development‌‌of‌‌the‌‌preschoolers’‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌self‌‌and‌‌self-esteem.‌  ‌
● Discuss‌‌how‌‌children‌‌develop‌‌gender‌‌identity.‌  ‌
● Describe‌‌the‌‌stages‌‌of‌‌play‌‌and‌‌how‌‌it‌‌impacts‌‌socio-emotional‌‌development.‌‌   ‌
● Discuss‌‌the‌‌different‌‌caregiving‌‌styles‌‌and‌‌their‌‌effect‌‌on‌‌preschoolers.‌  ‌
● Describe‌‌how‌‌significant‌‌relationships‌‌with‌‌parents,‌‌siblings‌‌and‌‌peers‌‌affect‌‌the‌‌preschooler.‌‌   ‌
 ‌
INTRODUCTION‌  ‌
Socio-emotional‌  ‌development‌  ‌is‌  ‌crucial‌  ‌in‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌years.‌  ‌We‌  ‌hear‌  ‌a ‌ ‌lot‌  ‌of‌  ‌parents‌  ‌and‌‌ 
teachers‌‌   and‌‌
  preschooler‌‌   administrators‌‌   say‌‌ that‌‌ attending‌‌ preschool‌‌ is‌‌ more‌‌ for‌‌ “socialization”‌‌ than‌‌ for‌‌ 
formal‌‌   academic‌‌   learning.‌‌   There‌‌
  is‌‌ wisdom‌‌ in‌‌ this.‌‌ During‌‌ the‌‌ preschool‌‌ years,‌‌ children‌‌ learn‌‌ about‌‌ their‌‌ 
ever‌  ‌widening‌  ‌environment‌  ‌(Remember‌  ‌module‌  ‌10‌  ‌on‌  ‌Bronfenbrenner?)‌  ‌Preschoolers‌  ‌now‌  ‌discover‌‌ 
their‌  ‌new‌  ‌roles‌  ‌outside‌  ‌their‌  ‌home.‌  ‌They‌  ‌become‌  ‌interested‌  ‌to‌  ‌assert‌  ‌themselves‌  ‌as‌‌   they‌‌   relate‌‌   with‌‌ 
other‌  ‌people.‌  ‌A ‌ ‌lot‌  ‌of‌  ‌very‌  ‌important‌  ‌social‌  ‌skills‌  ‌they‌  ‌will‌  ‌learn‌  ‌during‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschool‌  ‌years‌  ‌will‌‌   help‌‌ 
them‌  ‌throughout‌  ‌life‌‌   as‌‌  adults.‌‌
  These‌‌   skills‌‌
  can‌‌   even‌‌  determine‌‌   the‌‌  individual’s‌‌  later‌‌
  social‌‌   adjustment‌‌ 
and‌‌consequent‌‌quality‌‌of‌‌relationships‌‌in‌‌adult‌‌life.‌  ‌
 ‌
ACTIVITY‌  ‌
Observe‌  ‌the‌  ‌preschoolers‌  ‌playing‌  ‌in‌‌   the‌‌
  playground‌‌   or‌‌
  in‌‌
  the‌‌  classroom.‌‌   Take‌‌
  a ‌‌video‌‌   or‌‌
  shoot‌‌ 
pictures.‌‌   ‌
Note‌‌the‌‌following:‌  ‌
1. Is‌  ‌there‌  ‌a ‌ ‌conversation‌  ‌going‌  ‌on?‌  ‌Described‌  ‌the‌  ‌conversation‌  ‌that‌  ‌takes‌  ‌place‌  ‌among‌  ‌and‌‌ 
between‌‌the‌‌children.‌‌What‌‌are‌‌they‌‌talking‌‌about?‌  ‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌  ‌
2. Describe‌‌what‌‌they‌‌are‌‌playing/what‌‌the‌‌play‌‌is‌‌about.‌‌ 
______________________________________________________________________________‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌  ‌
3. Describe‌‌the‌‌children's‌‌interaction.‌‌Indicate‌‌if‌‌they‌‌are‌‌on‌‌their‌‌own,‌‌working‌‌together‌‌or‌‌if‌‌there‌‌ 
is‌‌conflict.‌‌ 
______________________________________________________________________________‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌  ‌
Bring‌‌this‌‌to‌‌class‌‌and‌‌share‌‌in‌‌small‌‌groups.‌  ‌
 ‌
ANALYSIS‌  ‌
Answer‌‌the‌‌following‌‌questions:‌  ‌
1. Were‌‌the‌‌children‌‌playing‌‌on‌‌their‌‌own‌‌or‌‌alone‌‌even‌‌when‌‌they‌‌were‌‌with‌‌others?‌  ‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌  ‌
2. Were‌‌there‌‌some‌‌children‌‌playing‌‌together‌‌with‌‌agreed‌‌upon‌‌rules‌‌and‌‌roles?‌‌Describe.‌  ‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌
______________________________________________________________________________‌  ‌
3. If‌‌you‌‌observed‌‌conflicts‌‌between‌‌or‌‌among‌‌children,‌‌how‌‌were‌‌they‌‌resolved?‌‌Did‌‌an‌‌adult‌‌ 
intervene?‌‌or‌‌did‌‌they‌‌manage‌‌to‌‌resolve‌‌it‌‌by‌‌themselves?‌  ‌