Module 5

ACTIVITY
1. The size of the head became smaller until it forms the normal shape of the head.
2. The physical development of the body begins from the upper part to down. The
first thing to develop is head control and strengthening of the neck muscles.
Later, hand coordination develops, which allows a baby to pull themselves
forward before learning how to crawl.
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING
1. A
2. A
3. A
4. C
RESEARCH CONNECTION
PROBLEM: Young children are at risk of not meeting physical activity
recommendations. Identifying factors from the first year of life which influence toddlers’
physical activity levels may help to develop targeted intervention strategies. The
purpose of this study was to examine early childhood predictors of toddlers’ physical
activity across the domains of maternal beliefs and behaviors, infant behaviors and the
home environment.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Data from 206 toddlers (53% male) participating in the
Melbourne InFANT Program were collected in 2008-2010 and analysed in 2012.
Mothers completed a survey of physical activity predictors when their was 4- and 9-
months old. Physical activity was assessed by ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers at 19-
months of age.
FINDINGS: One infant behavior at T1 and the one maternal belief and two infant
behaviors at T2 showed associations with physical activity at T3 and were included in
multivariate analyses. After adjusting for the age at which the child started walking and
maternal education, the time spent with babies of a similar age at 4-months and the
time spent being physically active their mother at 9-months predicted children’s physical
activity at 19-months of age.
CONCLUSION: Promotion of peer-interactions and maternal-child co-participation in
physical activity could serve as a health promotion strategy to increase physical activity
in young children. Future research is required to identify other early life predictors not
assessed in this study and to examine whether these factors predict physical activity in
later stages.
SOURCE: Hnatiuk, J., Salmon, J., Campbell, K.J. et al. Early childhood predictors of
toddlers’ physical activity: longitudinal findings from the Melbourne InFANT Program. Int
J Behav Nutr Phys Act 10, 123 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-123
REFLECTION
 Times for eating and sleeping should be flexible: feed infants on demand and
put them down to sleep when they need it and have snacks on hand for toddlers
and suggest rest if they are tired. As much as possible, allow them to play alone
or interact with caregivers and other children when they choose.
 Parents and caregivers should facilitate movement and growth by giving babies
safe environments to play and to explore on their own. Caregivers can lay young
infants on a clean blanket on the floor, surround them with clean, safe toys, and
allow them to reach, wiggle, kick, and roll on their own or in play with others.
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING
1. A
2. A

RESEARCH CONNECTION

PROBLEM: A Community-Based Study of Sleep and Cognitive Development in Infants

and Toddlers

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: A total of 590 healthy infants (aged 2-11 months) and
512 toddlers (aged 12-30 months) from 8 provinces of China were assessed for their
sleep and cognitive development. Data on sleep duration and nighttime awakenings
were collected through the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. Cognitive development was
assessed by trained pediatricians using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

FINDINGS: Prevalence of no nighttime awakening, and nighttime awakening(s) for

1×/night, 2×/night, and ≥ 3×/night was 6.8%, 20.2%, 33.2%, and 39.3% in infants, and
was 25.8%, 34.6%, 23.8%, and 15.8% in toddlers, respectively. Nighttime awakenings
were generally associated with younger age, lower maternal education level, and being
currently breastfed. In addition, nighttime awakenings were associated with being boys
in toddlers. After controlling for potential confounders, infants with nighttime awakenings
for 2×/night were found to have significantly higher Mental Development Index (MDI)
score, as compared to those without and those with more frequent nighttime
awakenings. However, toddlers with nighttime awakenings for ≥ 3×/night had
significantly lower MDI, as compared to those with fewer nighttime awakenings. Total
sleep duration was not associated with any developmental indices in both infants and
toddlers.
CONCLUSION: Frequent nighttime awakenings are associated with poor cognitive
functions in toddlers. Meanwhile, a nonlinear association between nighttime awakenings
and cognitive performance was found among infants. The findings provide a
developmental context for the effect of sleep on cognitive abilities in young children.
Further longitudinal studies and interventional studies on the effects of parent-based
sleep-focused intervention on cognitive abilities among young children are warranted.

SOURCE: Sun W, Li SX, Jiang Y, Xu X, Spruyt K, Zhu Q, Tseng CH, Jiang F. A

Community-Based Study of Sleep and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers.
J Clin Sleep Med. 2018 Jun 15;14(6):977-984. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.7164. PMID:
29852903; PMCID: PMC5991952.

REFLECTION
1. As children develop, they progress through stages characterized by unique ways
of understanding the world. During the sensorimotor stage, young children
develop eye-hand coordination schemes and object permanence. The
preoperational stage includes growth of symbolic thought, as evidenced by the
increased use of language. During the concrete operational stage, children can
perform basic operations such as classification and serial ordering of concrete
objects. In the final stage, formal operations, students develop the ability to think
abstractly and metacognitively, as well as reason hypothetically. This article
articulated these stages in light of mathematics instruction. In general, the
knowledge of Piaget’s stages helps the teacher understand the cognitive
development of the child as the teacher plans stage-appropriate activities to keep
students active.
2. However, other adverse experiences, including abuse, neglect, family instability,
parental mental illness, parental substance abuse, parental incarceration,
domestic violence, and neighborhood violence, also influence cognitive
outcomes.
ACTIVITY
1. Yes, I agree.
2. This line is the most meaningful to me, if a child lives with hostility, he learns to
fight..., because we should not let anybody turn us down. Learn to fight when you
know that someone is turning you down.
ANALYSIS
1. Teaching children with diligence requires investment of time. As parents we want the
best for our child, and the best we can give them is the right kind of education. Our
attitude towards education can inspire them and show them how to take charge of their
own educational journey. Through proper guidance, parents can help their child organize
 their time to learn new things in and out of school. Give your child the best learning
experience and help them succeed with good academic performance. Educate your
children and give them a bright future.
2. A child’s level of adjustment or maladjustment cannot be determined solely by
environment. While there are home settings that are more likely to produce a
well-adjusted child; homes which offer structure, consistency, reliability,
necessary resources on which the child can depend, love, emotional support and
guidance, appropriate discipline, culture and education, and homes that are more
likely to produce a maladjusted child; such as homes where violence,
dysfunction, depleted resources and inconsistency prevail and where a child
cannot trust that his or her health, wellbeing and safety will be protected and
these are not the only factors that will impact how the child ultimately develops.
The child’s inner resources and her self-awareness, ability to reflect, maturity, his
insight and resilience these will also help to determine how well a child can adapt
or adjust to the world despite the environment they have been raised in. I have
seen phenomenally well-adjusted adults who have come out of horrendously
dysfunctional childhood homes and some pretty maladjusted adults whose
childhood homes seemed pretty healthy. Sometimes all it takes is a significant
trauma to throw an otherwise healthy person, completely off track because they
may lack those inner resources and/or supports to overcome the trauma. All that
said, the question was about probability, so loving, nurturing, stable, supportive,
secure, consistent and stimulating environments generally have a higher
probability of producing well-adjusted children than those that are unstable,
inconsistent, lack love, nurturance, stimulation, safety, supports and resources.
3. The social environment that parents provide for their children plays a very
important role in the development of a child’s social and emotional skills
during the early and middle childhood years. Young children vary
tremendously in their ability to deal with stressful situations. Some children
seem to cope very well with stressful situations. Other children are very
sensitive to stressful situations and may have trouble when reacting to them.
These children may need additional support to deal with stress. The reasons
some children deal well with stress and others do not are varied. Some
different factors involved include genetics, a child’s earlier experiences and
support received from parents, and the type of environment in which the child
grows up.

How ideal are you as a parent or caregiver? Try to answer these guide questions
to find out. Rate yourself from 1 to 4, 1 as the lowest and 4 as the highest.
1234
1. Are you generally in good spirits and encouraging when interacting
with the child? 4
2. Do you smile often at the child? 4
3.Do you hug the child, pat the child on the back or hold the child’s
Hand? 4
4.Do you comfort the child? 4
5.Do you repeat the child’s words, comment on what the child says or
tries to say and answer the child’s questions? 4
6.Do you encourage the child to talk or communicate by asking
questions that the child can answer easily, such as “yes” or “no”
questions, or asking about a family member or toy? 4
7.Do you talk in other ways, such as praising or encouraging;
teaching by having the child repeat phrases or naming shapes;
singing songs; and telling stories? 4

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING

1. C
2. D
3. I AND III