Diploma In EarlyChildhood

Semester 7 2022

HDPS3603
ARTS AND CREATIVITY FOR CHILDREN

MATRICULATION NO : 010611070112001

IDENTITY CARD NO : 010611-07-0112

TELEPHONE NO : 016-3289169

E-MAIL : limwinney6@gmail.com

LEARNING CENTRE : Pulau Pinang Learning Centre

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Identify and discuss the factors that influence Irene’s physical development..................................5
2.0 Two appropriate activities you would do to enhance Irene’s physical development...........................12
2.0 Discuss Torrance Creativity Theory....................................................................................................15
2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................15
2.2 Application of the theory in the development of children’s creativity through effective teaching and
learning processes......................................................................................................................................18
Reference...................................................................................................................................................20
ONLINE CLASS PARTICIPATION..................................................................................................................21
1.0 Introduction

Physical development is of great significance to the development of human

life and can promote the development of many aspects of human beings. The
movement of the body is directed by the brain, and in turn, the movement itself
promotes the development of the brain. The movement has an important impact on
the development of young children's physical fitness, skills, healthy behaviors, and
sports ethics.

Every stage of a child's physical development is accomplished through

movement. 3-6 years is the stage of development of balance, agility and
coordination, strength and stamina. We call the development of three aspects of
"balance, agility and coordination, strength and endurance" as "three-dimensional"
movement development.

The best age for developing balance is 3-4.5 years old, coordination and
agility run through 3-6 years old, and the best age for developing strength and
endurance is 4.5-6 years old, which means that the "three-dimensional" movement
develops in kindergarten. sensitive period. The development of human movement
begins with balance. The sensitive period for developing balance is only infancy
and early childhood. Most of the balance ability of young children is developed
through movements such as crawling and turning. Through crawling and other
movements, the body can perceive the front and back. Left and right, feel the
spatial position so that the function of the vestibular organs can be developed
normally.

Lack of practice during the sensitive period of motor development, early or

beyond the sensitive period of physical development will lead to a lifelong lack of
certain skills, such as sensory integration disorders, depression, fear of heights,
senile balance disorders, spinal abnormalities, and intervertebral disc herniation
and other symptoms, are children's "three-dimensional" movement has not been
fully developed or not developed. Most of the children who used the "walker"
when they were young did not go through the stage of crawling. The balance,
sensitivity, and coordination of these children were worse than those of normal
children.

The sensitive period for the development of strength and stamina is 4.5-6
years old. Since the elbow joint of children under the age of 3 has not yet
completed development, if it hangs for too long, the joint capsule will relax and
habitual dislocation will occur. Rope skipping is a project for the comprehensive
development of "three-dimensional" movements, which requires the development
of balance, agility and coordination, strength and stamina to a certain stage before
children can complete it.
1.1 Identify and discuss the factors that influence Irene’s
physical development.

Physical development can cultivate children's correct body posture, hygiene

habits, sleep, cooperation, group, interpersonal relationships and other healthy
behaviors, correct walking, running, jumping, ball games and other games practice
and appropriate exercise intensity (affect physical development and sleep.
important factors of quality) are the main means of forming children's healthy
behaviors. Morning exercises in kindergartens can cultivate children's correct body
posture, sports games can cultivate children's cooperation and team spirit, children
bear a certain exercise load in sports activities, can form good eating and sleeping
habits, promote physical development, healthy growth.

The factor that will affect Irene's physical development is diet balance.
Nutrition is the most important material basis for growth and development .
Children and adolescents are in the stage of vigorous growth and development, and
must continuously absorb enough heat and various nutrients from the outside world
to meet the needs of growth and development.

Insufficient intake of heat energy and nutrients will not only cause growth
retardation, but also affect intellectual development, resulting in a decline in
learning ability. In severe cases, acute and chronic malnutrition and various
nutritional deficiencies can be caused.

A healthy diet is the material basis for ensuring the health of children. If
young children lack nutrition from an early age or their nutritional intake is not
balanced, their growth and hair growth will be delayed, which will adversely affect
their future physical and psychological development. Relevant studies have shown
that children's dietary health not only directly affects their physical health, but also
has a positive correlation with their ability to think.

Children are in a period of rapid growth and development, and the demand
for various nutrients required by the human body continues to increase, so they
should be provided with adequate nutrition. Only by ensuring adequate nutritional
intake can children's physical and intellectual development proceed normally and
lay a solid foundation for a healthy life in the future.

In the preschool years, children should eat the same food as other family
members when they eat at home, except in kindergarten. Parents should choose
foods with nutritional value as much as possible, including fresh vegetables and
fruits, low-fat dairy products (milk, yogurt and cheese) ), lean meats (chicken, fish,
lean beef, etc.), whole grains and breads.Limit how often your child eats unhealthy
foods, including sugary drinks, candy.If the child is picky eater again, parents need
to think of some ways to get these nutrients. According to the survey, we can find
that many children do not like to eat vegetables, but they like to eat unnutritious
food very much. In the long run, this will gradually affect the development of the
child's body.

Next, the factor that will affect Irene's physical development is life and rest
system .The importance of sleep to human beings cannot be overstated. If you
wake up several times a night, you're likely to wake up in the morning feeling as if
you haven't slept, and even if that happens for just one day, it can leave an adult
feeling exhausted. If this happens to young children, don't parents think it's a big
problem? A baby who is only a few months old is still in the period of rapid
growth and development of the brain and body, and the central nervous system has
not yet fully developed, but he cannot get good rest and sleep, and even never has
continuous sleep for several hours. , wouldn't this affect his growth?

Reasonable arrangement of daily work and rest system, to be regular and

rhythmic, to ensure enough outdoor activities and study time, to eat regularly, and
to get enough sleep, it has a good role in promoting growth and development.

For young children, long-term lack of sleep can affect their cognitive
development. Good sleep habits are very important for the development of a child's
brain. The consequences of a child's lack of sleep in childhood will not appear
immediately, but may appear later as an adult. Poor sleep habits have been linked
to poor school performance, such as attention deficit, hyperactivity or learning
disabilities. Sleep problems can cause children to be less responsive, have
difficulty concentrating, and be easily distracted. They can also cause children to
be impulsive, hyperactive, or lazy. And if the child can get enough sleep, it will
maintain the best state of awakening, alertness, and can successfully complete the
learning task.

For young children, sleep has a special significance in promoting growth and
development. Sleep is the basic activity of the brain in the early development of
infants and young children, and it is also a sensitive indicator reflecting the specific
evolution of nervous system functions from immaturity to maturity. The younger
the baby, the longer it takes to sleep. Poor sleep directly affects the physical and
intellectual development of infants and young children, resulting in abnormal
behavior of infants and young children.
 At 6 weeks after birth, the pineal gland of the brain begins to secrete
melatonin, and when it develops to three or four months old, the secretion of
melatonin increases. Melatonin can induce the baby to fall asleep, relax the smooth
muscle around the intestines, regulate body temperature, improve immunity, and
maintain the stability of blood pressure and blood sugar. Melatonin itself is also a
powerful antioxidant and free radical inhibitor, which can protect cells from free
radical attacks. Under the action of melatonin, babies can gradually establish an
internal circadian rhythm, ending the chaotic sleep pattern of day and night since
birth.

The activities of various tissues, organs and systems of the human body have
certain rhythms and laws. Under a reasonable living system, various parts of the
body, including the brain, can be properly alternated between activities and rest,
and timely nutritional supplements can ensure normal energy metabolism, which is
conducive to promoting full development. Sleep is more important to the recovery
process of cerebral cortex function; sleep is also the storage process of various
energy substances, and the peak stage of pulsatile secretion of growth hormone.
Children and adolescents should have adequate sleep; the younger the age, the
longer the sleep time should be. Children need to rest for a certain period of time
after eating to ensure that blood can be concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract
after meals to help digestion and absorption. Do not engage in high-intensity
exercise immediately after meals, otherwise it may affect the normal function of
the digestive tract. In order to ensure that children and adolescents have adequate
and reasonable nutritional intake, while paying attention to a balanced diet, a
dietary system should also be arranged (including the number, interval and time of
each meal, etc.). Physical exercise is an essential part of the daily work and rest
system; about one hour of exercise should be guaranteed every day, especially
outdoor activities, which have a great effect on enhancing physical fitness and
promoting physical development.

Therefore, for a child with sufficient sleep, the secretion of growth hormone
is sufficient, the growth and development is good, and the body is taller and the
body is strong; and long-term lack of sleep, the secretion of growth hormone is
reduced, and physical development is bound to be affected.

Next, the factor that will affect Irene's physical development is

environmental pollution. More and more attention has been paid to the impact of
environmental hazards on the health of adults, and people have begun to
consciously take various health protection measures. But did you know that
children are exposed to a higher risk of health hazards than adults? Children are
not small adults, children have unique characteristics and are more sensitive and
vulnerable to health hazards in the environment.

First of all, due to the need for physical development, children's metabolism
is much faster than adults. Children's breathing rate is twice that of adults. In the
first 6 months after birth, the water intake per kilogram of body weight is 7 times
that of adults. During the age of 1 to 5 years, the food consumption per kilogram of
body weight is 3 to 4 times that of adults. Therefore, the relative exposure per body
weight of children is much higher than that of adults.

Second, children's short stature has a greater impact on environmental health

under the same circumstances. At the same concentration of environmental
pollutants as adults, the ratio of pollutants to body surface area and the ratio of
pollutants to body volume are much higher than those of adults, which is
equivalent to children being surrounded by higher concentrations of environmental
pollutants.

Again, a child's breathing zone is lower than an adult's, closer to the ground.
Take mercury (thermometer broken), organic solvents (household cleaning
products), insecticides (mosquito repellents), and other harmful pollutants that may
appear in households as examples, these harmful pollutants are more concentrated
at the height of children's breathing zone. The unrestricted use of pesticides and
cleaning chemicals in the home makes these harmful chemicals vulnerable to
children.

Then, children's immune mechanisms and liver detoxification mechanisms

are not yet perfect in infancy. Because adults have relatively perfect immune
barriers and liver biotransformation mechanisms, low doses of environmental
hazards may have no observable health damage to adults, but may have serious
effects on children's health; some are carcinogenic or cause sudden onset These
substances need to be transformed by the liver to reduce their toxicity, but children
cannot detoxify such environmental pollutants due to their incomplete
biotransformation function, so children are more susceptible to carcinogens than
adults.

In addition, children are in a period of rapid growth and are more vulnerable
to environmental factors. Compared with the stable nervous system of adults,
children's nerve fibers are in dynamic changes, and environmental factors have a
more significant impact on the development of children's nervous system. The
impact of heavy metals such as lead in the environment on children's intelligence
has become a consensus in the scientific community.

Finally, children's ability to protect themselves is weak. Infants and young

children basically do not have the awareness and ability to take measures to protect
themselves, let alone the ability to call attention to their own health rights.
Everything depends on adults' awareness and actions on children's health.

Children need a healthy environment to play, learn and grow. Children's

health is not only about not getting sick, but also about paying attention to the
health hazards of environmental factors, protecting children from harmful
environmental factors, and helping children grow up safely and healthily. It is the
responsibility of every parent.

2.0 Two appropriate activities you would do to enhance

Irene’s physical development.

Motor development is an effective form of cultivating children's basic

physical integrity. All sports games in kindergartens can cultivate children's
morality from different angles and degrees, such as establishing good interpersonal
relationships and cultivating team spirit through collective cooperation exercises;
experiencing winning and losing through games and competitions, gradually
forming and improving the ability to resist setbacks; through games And
competitions cultivate children to obey the rules, respect their peers and teachers,
be civilized and polite, and cultivate self-confidence, courage and tenacity, and
self-transcendence by conquering certain heights and difficulties.

Two appropriate activities you would do to enhance Irene’s physical

development is outdoor games with friend. I would let them play the game "Eagle
Catches Chicken" is a typical case of cultivating children's preliminary sports
morality through movement development. The eagle's movements are agile, brave
and fast, which can cultivate the quality of self-confidence and bravery; the hen
must be quick and witty, and cultivate the spirit of love, responsibility and courage;
the chick must be coordinated, agile, and listen to commands , children learn to
cooperate in the experience, cultivate team spirit and collectivism. Because of this
nurturing effect, this game has been the preferred activity for many kindergartens.
However, many kindergartens only play the game of "eagle catches chicken" in
sports activities, ignoring the moral cultivation of each character.

Next, the appropriate activitie I would do to enhance Irene’s physical

development is doing morning exercise. When the children are in the formal
class, I will lead them to the grass field to do morning exercises. Morning exercise
is a form of sports organization carried out by kindergartens in the morning with
basic gymnastics as the main content. It is also an important part of children's daily
activities. It can not only exercise children's bodies, develop children's basic
movements, but also stimulate children to participate in sports. positivity of the
activity. Carrying out morning exercises scientifically and reasonably is of great
significance to enhancing children's physical fitness and promoting their physical
and mental health.
 What seems like a very simple exercise actually has a huge impact on the
physical development of Irene and her friends. In the morning exercise activities,
accompanied by bright and familiar music, young children perform various body
movements easily and happily, which can completely eliminate the inhibited state
of sleep caused by the nervous system, stimulate and restore the function and
working ability of the main organ systems of the body. Improve the activity ability
of the whole body, gradually enter a good state of activity, and start a day of
activities in a state of full of energy and energy.

Morning exercise can promote the formation of good body shape and normal
growth and development of children, enhance the functions of various organ
systems of children, and make their movements more coordinated and more
sensitive. Doing morning exercises every day can not only allow children to start a
day of kindergarten life in a state of full energy and energy, but also allow children
to strengthen their physique and improve their immunity.
2.0 Discuss Torrance Creativity Theory

2.1 Introduction

What exactly is creativity? When you're trying to solve a difficult problem,

the brain's first reaction is to focus on obvious facts and familiar solutions to see if
there's a ready-made answer. At this time, it is mainly the work of the left brain. If
the answer does not come up, the left and right hemispheres are activated at the
same time. The neural network of the right brain begins to search for possibly
related memories, providing the neural network of the left brain with unfamiliar
patterns, different meanings, higher levels of abstraction.

After searching for a possible association, the left hemisphere quickly locks
on the idea, and the attention system goes from an idle state to a highly focused
state. The brain combines these scattered cues into a new idea in a split second,
commonly known as the "inspiration" moment.

Therefore, creativity is not a great invention, nor is it playing the piano,

painting, or wearing fancy clothes, but a process, a process of cooperation between
the left and right brains - it requires the brain to constantly transform between
divergent thinking and convergent thinking, Generate a fresh, best-in-class result
from new, old, and forgotten information.

The objective of this assignment is to cultivate the cognitive innovation

ability, and to understand their innovation ability through the divergence of test
thinking.

Ellis Paul Torrance is a famous American creative scientist and

psychologist. Since the 1950s, he has conducted special research on creativity,
especially children's creativity, and has published many articles and monographs.
He has made outstanding contributions in creating theory and practice, as well as
in research methods.

Torrance chose to define creativity as a process because he thought if we

understood the creative process, we could predict what kinds of people could
master the process, what kind of climate made it grow, and what products would
be involved (Torrance, 1995).

In the 1950s, Paul Torrance organized a large-scale children's creativity test,

a total of more than 400 children participated in, known as "The Torrance
Children". The test content consists of some relatively simple language and picture
tests, which evaluate the creativity of individual children in terms of fluency,
flexibility, uniqueness, and refinement (the test designed by Torrens is still a
creative thinking test. golden tool).
 In the decades since, Professor Torrance has continued to track the children
who were tested that year, documenting every achievement they made as they grew
up. It was found that these children's indicators of creativity in childhood reflected
their adult achievements with surprising accuracy. Those who scored higher on the
Torrance test had a much greater chance of becoming entrepreneurs, inventors,
university professors, authors, doctors, and diplomats. Scholars analyzed data from
the Torrance Test and concluded that the creativity indicator was three times more
accurate than IQ in predicting a person's future achievement.
2.2 Application of the theory in the development of
children’s creativity through effective teaching and
learning processes.

Every week I do some creative thinking activities with my students. I'll

throw some questions and let them be creative. I also always talk to them about
creativity, what creativity is, why it matters, the jobs that need it, and examples
from their own lives and the world when we do these kinds of activities. I would
like to share with them examples of creative thinking through what E. Paul
Torrance means in terms of creativity. "Father of Creativity" Torrance talks about
the four elements of creativity: fluency (number of ideas), flexibility (variety of
ideas), originality (uniqueness of ideas), and refinement (details of ideas) ). All of
these are the basis for his Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, which is sometimes
used in the identification process of talented projects across the country/world.

We can help young children develop their creativity through drawing.

During the art festival, teachers can first draw various shapes on the drawing paper
for the students to let the children develop their own creativity, and let them draw
beautiful cartoons, animals, vehicles, etc. Try not to limit them to follow the
teacher's instructions to draw. Even if the children are not beautiful, we praise them
and hang their works on the wall for them to appreciate.
 This is a fun and inspiring activity for kids of all ages. You can create any
type of line, curve, shape on the page, make multiple copies, and let them use it!
Through this activity, the most creative thinkers in your class can become
apparent, and with this knowledge, you may want to give them some more creative
outlets, both in and out of the class. Provide some creative differentiation on
assignments. Make sure the window of opportunity is always open in your
classroom.

The conclusion is every child is creative, and creativity is like a seed that
needs to be watered before it can sprout and blossom! Next, let us learn about how
to cultivate children's creativity and the importance of cultivating children's
creativity!
Reference

Carson, V., Hunter, S., Kuzik, N., Wiebe, S. A., Spence, J. C., Friedman, A., ... & Hinkley, T.

(2016). Systematic review of physical activity and cognitive development in early

childhood. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 19(7), 573-578.

Tsangaridou, N. (2017). Early childhood teachers’ views about teaching physical education: Challenges

and recommendations. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 22(3), 283-300.

Kim, K. H. (2017). The torrance tests of creative thinking-figural or verbal: Which one should we

use?. Creativity. Theories–Research-Applications, 4(2), 302-321.

Bart, W. M., Hokanson, B., & Can, I. (2017). An investigation of the factor structure of the Torrance Tests

of Creative Thinking. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 17(2).

ONLINE CLASS PARTICIPATION