Section 1:The Family

Caring for Special Groups

Lesson Notes-24/11/20

Physiological, Emotional and Emotional Needs of the 3-6 Year-old preschool child

Definition of a “Preschooler”

A child of 3-6 is considered a preschooler. ... Preschoolers are different from toddlers in that they
are developing the basic life skills, independence, and knowledge that they will need as they
enter their school years.

Physical Development of the 3-6-year-old

Children who are 3 to 4 years old can climb up stairs using a method of bringing both feet
together on each step before proceeding to the next step tend to turn around and scoot down the
stairs backwards. 3 to 4 year olds can jump and hop higher as their leg muscles grow stronger.
Many can even hop on one foot for short periods of time.
Also at this age (3 to 4 years), children develop better upper body mobility. As whole body
coordination improves, children of this age can now peddle and steer a tricycle. They can also
kick a larger ball placed directly in front of their bodies.
By ages 4 to 5, children can go up and down the stairs alone in the adult fashion (i.e., taking one
step at a time). Their running continues to smooth out and increase in speed. Children of this age
can also skip and add spin to their throws. They also have more control when riding their
tricycles (or bicycles), and can drive them faster.
During ages 5 to 6, young children continue to refine earlier skills. They're running even faster
and can start to ride bicycles with training wheels for added stability. In addition, they can step
sideways. Children of this age begin mastering new forms of physical play such as the jungle
gym, and begin to use the see-saw, slide, and swing on their own. They often start jumping rope,
skating, hitting balls with bats, and so on. Many children of this age enjoy learning to play
organized sports such as soccer, basketball, t-ball or swimming. In addition, 5 to 6 year olds
often like to participate in physical extracurricular activities such as karate, gymnastics, or dance.
Children continue to refine and improve their gross motor skills through age 7 and beyond.
Physical Development: Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are necessary to engage in smaller, more precise movements, normally using
the hands and fingers. Fine motor skills are different than gross motor skills which require less
precision to perform.
a preference for using one hand more often than the other, which is the beginning of becoming
left or right-handed. Around ages 3 to 4 years, children start to manipulate clothing fasteners,
like zippers and snaps, and continue to gain independence in dressing and undressing
themselves. Before they enter school, most children will gain the ability to completely dress and
undress themselves. At this age, children can also begin using scissors to cut paper. Caregivers
should be sure to give children blunt, round-edged "kid" scissors for safety reasons!
3 to 4 year- olds continue to refine their eating skills and can use utensils like forks and spoons.
Young children at this age can also use larger writing instruments, like fat crayons, in a writing
hold rather than just grasping them with their fist. They can also use a twisting motion with their
hands, useful for opening door knobs or twisting lids off containers. Because children can now
open containers with lids, caregivers should make certain that harmful substances such as
cleaners and medications are stored out of reach in a locked area to prevent accidental
poisonings.
During ages 4 to 5 years, children continue to refine fine motor skills and build upon earlier
skills. For instance, they can now button and unbutton their clothes by themselves. Their artistic
skills improve, and they can draw simple stick figures and copy shapes such as circles, squares,
and large letters. Drawing more complex shapes, however, may take longer.
5-6 year-olds begin to show the skills necessary for starting or succeeding in school, such as
printing letters and numbers and creating shapes such as triangles. They are able to use paints,
pencils and crayons with better control. Children can also complete other self-care tasks beyond
dressing and undressing, such as brushing their teeth and combing their hair. Children of this age
can also independently feed themselves without an adult's immediate supervision or help.
Many 6-year-olds will become more adept at drawing and writing letters, and their pictures and
stories will look much more recognizable and legible.

Key Milestones for the 6 year old

 Shows off ever-improving locomotor skills, such as running, jumping, and skipping
 Demonstrates stronger hand-eye coordination (better able to kick a ball into a goal or
throw a ball at a target)
 Follows rules of a game or sport, so sports often become more meaningful

Moving
Your preschooler loves moving and being active. He’s better at walking up steps, riding a
tricycle, throwing, catching and kicking a ball, running, climbing, jumping, hopping and
balancing on one foot.

When it comes to using her hands, your preschooler might be able to draw a circle or square,
build big towers using blocks and use child-safe scissors. She’ll love using crayons, pencils and
paintbrushes, which is great because drawing and painting build your child’s imagination.

At this age, your child might also:

 unscrew a lid from a jar

 know his own gender and age
 know the names of some shapes and colours
 hold a pencil to write and by four years, copy some letters
 dress and undress himself.

Nutritional needs of the 3 – 6 year old pre-schooler

Preschoolers can eat what the rest of the family eats, provided family meals contains a variety
of healthy foods, in moderation. A young child's eating plan should consist mostly of healthy
foods, such as lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, and legumes; whole grains, such as whole-
wheat bread and cereals; at least two servings of dairy foods daily; and fresh fruits and
vegetables.
Regular family meals provide opportunities for good nutrition, and much more. Dining
together encourages proper table manners and fosters language development and
conversational skills. Minimize distractions by turning off the TV and turning on the
answering machine, this shows your child that mealtime is reserved for savoring healthy food
and nurturing meaningful relationships. Scheduling meals and snacks helps ensure a healthy
diet for preschoolers. Healthy between-meal snacks help fill in nutrient gaps in a little one's
diet. Feed your child in a designated area, preferably a kitchen or dining room table. Sitting
down to eat, and only to eat, helps children pay attention to their feelings of fullness.

The following are some helpful mealtime hints for preschool-age children:
 Prepare meals, provide regularly scheduled snacks, and limit unplanned eating.
 Poor behavior at mealtime should not be allowed. Focus on eating, not playing with food,
or playing at the dinner table.
 Running or playing while eating can cause a child to choke. Have your child sit when
eating.
 Keep offering a variety of foods. Have sooner or later, your child will learn to eat most or
all foods.
 Make mealtime as pleasant as possible. Do not put pressure on your child to eat, or force
your child to "clean" his or her plate. This may lead to overeating which can cause your
 child to gain too much weight. Children will be hungry at mealtime if snacks have been
limited during the day.
 Provide examples of healthy eating habits. Preschoolers mimic what they see their
parents doing. If you have unhealthy eating habits, your child will not learn to eat
healthy.

Healthy food choices

 Grains. Foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal
grain are grain products. Examples include whole wheat, brown rice, and oatmeal.
 Vegetables. Vary your vegetables. Choose a variety of colorful vegetables, including
dark green, red, and orange vegetables, legumes (peas and beans), and starchy vegetables.
 Fruits. Any fruit or 100 percent fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be
fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut up, or pureed.
 Dairy. Milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food
group. Focus on fat-free or low-fat products, as well as those that are high in calcium.
 Protein. Go lean on protein. Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. Vary your protein
routine—choose more fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans.

Emotional Development of the Pre-school child

Though your 3-year-old is beginning to understand the emotions he's feeling, he still has very
little control over them. If he finds something funny, he'll laugh hysterically. If something makes
him feel sad or angry, he'll burst into tears.
At this age, your preschooler still hasn't developed much impulse control. If he feels something,
he's likely to act on it. This may mean snatching a toy away from another child if he wants to
play with it, or getting upset when he wants a snack after being told he has to wait until
dinnertime. Delayed gratification means nothing to him -- he wants it, and he wants it now.
Three- and 4-year-old children may use hitting, biting, or pushing as a way to solve conflicts.
They simply don't understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate interactions
yet. It's your job to teach your child that there are right and wrong ways to express emotions and
resolve problems with others.
As your child gets older, she'll begin to see a connection between emotional outbursts and
negative consequences. Throwing a tantrum may result in a "time out" or a favorite toy being
taken away. These consequences are helping your 4-year-old understand a tantrum isn't an
acceptable way to show emotion.
Your 4-year-old is also a budding comedian. He's starting to develop a sense of humor, and he
loves being silly and making people laugh. Don't be surprised if you hear him calling his friend a
"poo-poo head" and then laughing hysterically; 4-year-olds find potty talk highly entertaining.
Empathy also begins to emerge around age 4. Four-year-olds are starting to understand that
others have feelings, too, and they can relate when a friend is feeling sad or hurt. They may want
to give a crying friend a hug or kiss his boo boo.
By age 5, your child has made leaps and bounds in her emotional development. She's gotten
much better at regulating her emotions, and she talks about her feelings easily. She has also
gotten better at controlling her impulses. She patiently waits her turn, and she often asks first
before taking something that isn't hers.
When something makes your 5-year-old mad, she's much more likely to express her anger using
words instead of getting physical or throwing a tantrum. The downside to this is that she may
begin to use mean words and name-calling when she's angry or upset.

At age 6, your child will become more aware of emotions—both their own and those of others.
They may understand sophisticated concepts, like not hurting someone’s feelings by saying
something critical about them directly to that person.

Children this age may also increasingly express a desire to choose their own clothes, wash
themselves, and comb their own hair. Parents can encourage this independent self-care and offer
some guidance. You can let kids wash themselves but “help” at the end or suggest a sweater and
tights if it’s too cold to go to school in just a favourite frilly skirt, for instance.

Friendships and other social relationships with peers and adults become more complex and take
on more meaning at this age, as they become more aware of the world around them and their role
in it.