Lesson 5 Physical Development of the Preschoolers

(Early Childhood )

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you must have:

name the big ideas in the physical development among preschoolers;

describe the gross and motor development of preschoolers;
explain preschoolers’ artistic development and its implication to
learning;&
cite empirical studies on preschoolers’ physical development

Introduction

You have learned the development of infants and toddlers in physical, cognitive, and
socio-emotional aspects. This time, let me take you to the next stage of childhood, the early childhood
or the preschool stage.

The child is advancing from infancy toward and into the. During this time, his physical
growth and motor development will slow, but you can expect to see some salient and tremendous
intellectual, social, and emotional changes. Gear up, and together let us unfold this stage.

ACTIVATE

Examine the pictures below. What are their physical characteristics?

 ACQUIRE

There are big ideas about the physical development of preschoolers. Among such is, there are
significant changes that happen in the physical growth of preschoolers. Their physical growth is
indicated by acquisition of gross and fine motor skills. They can express themselves in an artistic
manner at an early age. They need proper nutrition and right amount of sleep since these are very
important. Caregivers, parents, or teachers must do a lot to maximize growth and development
among them. They who have special needs can thrive well with the adaptation in the classroom,
materials, and activities.

Physical growth increases in the preschool years. From around 3 years, they a baby-like feature
to a more slender appearance of a child. Legs, arms, and trunk grow longer. Since the center of gravity
among preschoolers are at the chest, they easily fall when moving around. But they move more
successfully than toddlers because they no longer toddle. The so-called deciduous or baby/milk teeth
are in place, while the permanent teeth that will come out at 6 are starting to develop. So, this is the
high time to impart good dental hygiene. Another, 5 or 6 is the best time to start learning skills that
require balance like biking.

Gross motor development requires the large muscles. This development is subdivided into three
parts: locomotors, non-locomotors, and manipulative. Preschoolers are generally very active. They
should be provided with variety of activities allowing them to use their large muscles. On the other hand,
fine motor development use smaller muscles in the arm, hands, and fingers. They develop the skill of
picking, squeezing, pinching, pounding, opening things, holding, writing, holding the spoon and fork,
buttoning, zipping, combing and brushing.

Preschoolers show interest in drawing and making other forms of artistic expressions. This
motor activity involves three stages: scribbling, pre-schematic, and schematic. Scribbling begins with
large zigzag lines, which later become circular markings, and shapes. In the pre-schematic stage, adults
can already recognize their drawings like of a man with a prominent head and elements of arms, legs.
And, in schematic stage, more elaborate scenes like houses and trees can be interpreted.

When it comes to nutrition as growth factor, it is important that preschoolers get good
nutritional status. This implies what kind of nutrition they take in. This should be checked against the
right nutritional requirement for their age. Sufficient rest and sleep are also important for the growth
and development. It is when they sleep that they growth hormones are released, especially during dream
state where rapid eye movement occurs. Also, during sleep blood supply in their muscles making them
regain energy.
 APPLY

Activity 1

Name: Date:
Student Number: Section Code: Rating:

Instructions: Read the questions that follow and write your answers in the spaces provided
for.

1. How do you describe the gross motor development of preschoolers? Give activities
for this development.

2. How do you describe the fine motor development of preschoolers? Give activities for
this development.

3. Preschoolers are said to show artistic expressions. How is this characteristic important to
education?
 Activity 2

Name: Date:
Student Number: Section Code: Rating:

Instructions: Study the diagram and complete it with the some big and important ideas that
you need to remember in a preschooler’s physical development.

Activity 3

Name: Date:
Student Number: Section Code: Rating:

Instructions: Find empirical studies about preschoolers’ physical development. Cite the title,
author, year, findings, and how the finding would help instruction.
 Lesson 6 C o g n i t i v e D e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e
Preschoolers (Early Childhood )

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you must have:

described the cognitive development that takes place among preschoolers

applied concepts on preschoolers’ cognitive development in preschool
teaching and in child care

Introduction

As the preschoolers develop physically, they also develop cognitively and socio-emotionally. But
for this lesson, we will focus on the cognitive aspect of development. Cognitive development is how
children think, explore, and figure things out. It is the development knowledge, skills, problem solving
and dispositions, which help children to think about and understand the world around them. Brain part
of development. Before you proceed. Take a look at the subsequent activity first.

ACTIVATE

Observe a 5 or 6-year old child. In the note below, write down what he or she can do in
relation to cognitive development and later, after this lesson, try to assess whether what you have
observed are aligned to what you will have learned about.
 ACQUIRE

Preschoolers' Symbolic and Intuitive Thinking

There are two sub-stages of Piaget’s pre-operational idea: symbolic and intuitive sub-stages.
Identifying key stages of cognitive development, including the development of symbolic thought,
helps demystify the process. It refers to the child’s ability to represent people, objects, and events --
even those that are not present -- by using internal symbols or images (Ketchum, 2018). Piaget defines
symbolic thought as the representation of reality through the use of abstract concepts. Preschools are
able to draw objects even if they are not present. They increase in language acquisition and make-
believe.

In the intuitive sub-stage, preschool kids start to use primitive reasoning and ask questions.
Their dramatic development in language makes them ask endless questions. Though they develop
cognitively, they considerably show immaturity in the way they think. For example, a child cannot really
figure out why a baseball doesn't bounce on the floor when a tennis ball does.

Here are some evidences of their cognitive immaturity and limitation.

• Someone switched off the thunder.

• The tree pushed off the leaf to the ground.
• Child silently nods on the telephone answering his father on the other side of the line (this is
egocentrism, which means the inability to distinguish between one’s own perspective and
someone else’s perspective).
• Child says ‘no’ when asked if the amount poured to two beakers of the different size is the
same, in fact the same amount was poured.
• Child pay attention to conspicuous peripherals, rather than to a more important task.
• Child does not realize that the juice poured in the glass can still be poured back to its original
container. This is called irreversibility.
• Child frequently asks “why”.
• Because Jun did not share a candy to her sister, he thought that he made her sister sick. This is
called transductive reasoning. It is neither deductive nor inductive reasoning, since he
immediately jumped into a conclusion.

Brain Connections and Language Development

Our brain is composed of numerous cells called connected neurons the function together that
at birth they are 50 billions already. Cell connections are called synapses. Its commonly referred to as
synaptic connections. By age 2, children’s brain develop half of the brain cell connections. At 6, brain
develops for more sophisticated thinking patterns.

According to researches, environmental stimulus has a crucial role to the brain activity.
Therefore, synaptic connections differ among people. The quality of brain activity depends on the
quality of environmental stimulus. In the pre-school years, healthy and good environment nurtures the
child’s brain making him do activities that involve all senses.

As children grow, their language develops more. This is in terms of phonology, morphology,
semantics, and pragmatics. Their symbolic thinking also increases. This involves language, literacy, and
dramatic play. They are able to absorb the meanings of much vocabulary (fast mapping). Therefore, it
is common for the child to say “goed” for went, and “tooths” for teeth. Overextension of rules is not
uncommon to them. They make a lot of oddities.
Because vocabulary is being expanded and grammar is dramatically improved, then

preschoolers’ language becomes successful. Later, they become skilled in communication. They even
often star a conversation.

Proper monitoring by parents, caregivers, and teachers must be done for language
 The Child & Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles
development, especially in the four areas mentioned above. For children with mild to severe cases of
speech difficulties can be referred to a specially trained professional called a speech pathologist.
 The Child & Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles

Lesson 7 Socio-emotional Development of the

Preschoolers (Early Childhood )

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you must have:

illustrated the concept of initiative versus guilt and judicious

permissiveness as parts of the socio-emotional development of
preschoolers
described the sequential process of Parten’s stages of play

Introduction

As mentioned in the preceding lesson, you will also be led to the socio-emotional
development of preschoolers. Socio-emotional development includes the child’s experience,
expression, and management of emotions, and the ability to establish positive and rewarding
relationships with others (Cohen et al 2005). It encompasses both intra- and interpersonal processes.

Consider some of the children in your own life and the different stages in their socio-
emotional development as they were growing up. What characteristics do you see in them?

ACTIVATE

Observe preschoolers playing in the playground. Take a photo of them. Please take
note of the following:

1. Is there a conversation going on between or among them? What is it they are talking about?

2. What are they playing about?

 The Child & Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles

3. Describe the children’s interaction. Is there any conflict? If there is, what is it all about?

ACQUIRE

Preschoolers play with psychological conflict of initiative versus guilt. They show gestures of
being so energetic in doing imaginative play activities. They seem to be very naughty. The parents,
caregivers, or teachers become restrictive to impose control. Excessive guilt begins to spring about
among them. Guilt makes them take responsibility, but too much of it, halts emotional growth. When
they always end up punished and criticized build a view of themselves as “bad” or “dumb”. To avoid
this, there should be judicious permissiveness. This is a realistic boundary keeping the preschoolers safe
and making them sustain self respect.

They think and ruminate about themselves with their ability to establish representations. This
is called self-concept. It is self-esteem. It is the ability to think of one’s abilities, weakness, and strengths.

They are capable of gender typing. They form gender identity. This is influenced by
environmental factors. Different spheres affect preschoolers develop gender schema. Differences in
parental expectations and behaviors towards the child affect gender typing and identity.

Play also is a major avenue of the social interaction of the child. It is actively pleasurable and
engaging on a voluntary basis and is intrinsically motivated containing non-literal elements according
to Cook and Cook (2007). Parten’s stages of play, as a paradigm, display a sequential process of play.
On the other page are the stages as stated by (Brown, 2013):
The Child & Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles