EARLY CHILDHOOD

The Preschooler
PRESCHOOLER’S
PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT
 PRESCHOOLER’S PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT

The preschooler years is commonly known as

It roughly covers 3-5 years of age.

The preschool years is very important as it lays
foundation to later development.
Preschoolers achieve many developmental
milestones.
BIG IDEAS ABOUT THE PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOLERS:

1. There are significant changes in physical

growth of preschooler.
2. The preschoolers’ physical development is
marked by the acquisition of gross and fine
motor skills.
3. Preschoolers can express themselves
artistically at a very early age.
4. Proper nutrition and the right amount of sleep
are very important for the preschoolers.
5. Caregivers and teachers can do a lot in
maximizing the growth and development of
preschoolers
6. Preschoolers with special needs in inclusive
classrooms can thrive well with the appropriate
adaptations made in the classroom materials and
activities.
 SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN
PHYSICAL GROWTH
 SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN
PHYSICAL GROWTH

Physical growth increases in the preschool years,

although it is much slower in the pace than in
infancy and toddlerhood.
Around 3 years of age, preschoolers move, from
the remaining baby-like features of the toddler,
toward a more slender appearance of a child.
 Toddlers have their center of gravity at a high
level, about the chest level. This is why they
have the difficulty doing sudden movements
without falling down.
 Preschoolers on the other hand, have their
center of gravity at a lower level, right about
near the belly button.
This gives them more ability to be stable and
balanced than the toddler.
 The preschooler moves from the unsteady
stance of toddlerhood to a more steady
bearing.
 They no longer “toddle”, that wobbly way that
toddlers walk.
 This allows the preschoolers to move more
“successfully” than the toddler.
 At the later part of the preschooler years at
around 5 or 6 is the best time to begin learning
skills that require balance like riding a bike or
skating.
 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 preschooler years are therefore a time to
instill habits of good dental hygiene.
GROSS AND FINE MOTOR
DEVELOPMENT
 GROSS AND FINE MOTOR
DEVELOPMENT

Gross motor development refers to

acquiring skills that involve the large muscles.
These gross motor skills are categorized into
three: LOCOMOTOR, NON – LOCOMOTOR,
MANIPULATIVE SKILLS.
LOCOMOTOR SKILLS
- are those that involve going from one
place to another, like walking, running,
climbing, skipping, hopping, creeping,
galloping, and dodging.
NON - LOCOMOTOR SKILLS
- ones are those where the child stays
in place, like bending, stretching, turning,
and swaying.
MANIPULATIVE SKILLS
- are those that involve projecting and
receiving objects, like throwing, striking,
bouncing, catching and dribbling.
 Preschoolers are generally physically
active. Level of activity is highest around
three and becomes a little less as the
preschooler gets older. They should be
provided with a variety of appropriate
activities which will allow them to use their
large muscles.
 Regular physical activity helps
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 for
learning.
 Fine motor development refers to
acquiring the ability to use smaller muscles in
the arm, hands, and fingers purposefully.

Some skills included are picking,

squeezing, pounding, and opening things,
holding and using a writing implement.
 Different environment 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 and the use of
smart phones and tablets.
 Other children use their fine motor skills in
digging in soil, making toys out of sticks, cans
and bottle caps. Still, others enjoy clay, play
dough, and finger paint.
 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.
 Handedness, or the preference of the use
of one hand over the other, is usually
established around 4 years of age.
PRESCHOOLERS’
ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT
 At the heart of the preschooler years is their
interest to draw and make other forms of artistic
expressions.

Viktor Lowenfeld studied this and came up with

the STAGES OF DRAWING in early childhood:
Stage 1. Scribble Stage
 This stage begins with large zig – zag lines which
later become circular markings. Soon, discrete
shapes are drawn. The child may start to name
his/her drawing towards the end of this stage.
Stage 2. Preschematic Stage
 May already include early representations. 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
facial features are included.
Stage 3. Schematic Stage
 More elaborate scenes are depicted. Children
usually draw from experience and exposure.
Drawings may include houses, trees, the sun, and
sky and people. Initially, they may appear floating in
air but eventually drawings appear to follow a
ground line
 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 the
hallmark of early drawing.
 Also important to remember is that the
preschoolers’ representation or drawing does not
only involve fine motor skills, but also cognitive
skills. Children’s drawings allow us to have a glimpse
of how they understand themselves and the world
around them.
PRESCHOOLERS’ NUTRITION AND
SLEEP
 The kind of nutrition a preschooler gets has far –
reaching effect on his physical growth and
development. The preschoolers’ nutritional status is
the result of what nutrients he or she actually takes
in checked against the nutritional requirement of
his/her age.
 Here in our country, we can see extreme of the
preschoolers not having enough food an those on
the other end of the extreme where we find
preschoolers 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 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, especially in the dream state
(rapid eye movement stage), growth hormones are
released. Blood supply to the muscles are likewise
increased helping preschoolers regain energy. At this
state while dreaming, increase brain activity is also
attained.
A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT
PRESCHOOLERS CAN DO:
List of preschoolers’ Physical Skills lifted from
the Physical Domain component of the Philippine
Early Learning and Development Standards
(ELDS). This sets of standards was based on a
study commissioned by UNICEF and the Child
Welfare Council (CWC). This is now adopted for
use by the Early Childhood Care and Development
Council
Gross Motor: 36 – 48 months
• Hops 1 – 3 steps on preferred foot
• Skips (with alternating feet)
• Jumps and turns
• Stands on one leg without falling for at least 5 seconds
• Throws a ball overhead with control of direction
• Throws a ball overhead with control speed
• Kicks a ball with control speed.
Fine Motor Skills: 36 – 48 months
• Consistently turns pages of a picture or a story
book one page at a time, looking at the pictures
with interest
• Purposefully copies diagonal line
• Purposefully bisects a cross
• Purposefully copies a triangle
• Cuts with scissors following a line
Fine Motor Skills: 49 – 60 months
• Copies a simple pattern of different basic shapes
• Draws a human body figure (head, eyes, mouth,
trunk, arms, legs, etc.) without prompts
• Draws a house without prompts using geometric
forms
• Colors with stroke staying within the line.
Personal Care and Hygiene (Self-Help
Skills) : 36 – 48 months
• Pours from pitcher without spillage
• Feeds self using spoon without spillage
• Dresses without assistance except for buttons
and tying laces
• Puts on socks independently
Personal Care and Hygiene (Self-Help
Skills) : 49 – 60 months
• Feeds self using fingers without spillage
• Prepares own food
• Dresses without assistance, including buttoning and tying
• Wipes/cleans him/herself after a bowel movement
• Brushes teeth after meals without having to be told
• Washes and dries face independently without having to
be told
• Takes a bath independently without having to be told
The Roles of Caregivers in the Growth
and Development of Preschooler
 Optimum physical development of preschoolers
is largely influenced by the supportive caregivers
(parents and teachers) who provided a stimulating
environment and appropriate activities for the
children
Tips for Caregivers:
For all Preschoolers
a. Engage preschool children in simple games that
involve running and walking
b. Provide them with toys for catching and throwing
such as soft large balls and bean bags.
c. Have balancing activities. Use low balance beams
and lines on the classroom floor or playground.
Montessori schools have blue or red lines on their
preschool classroom floors
d. Allow opportunities for rough and tumble play like in a
grassy area or soft mats. Keen observation and
monitoring is, of course expected to keep them safe
from injury.
e. Ensure that preschoolers get enough rest and sleep.
Setting a routine for bed time ideal.
f. Model good eating habits to preschoolers. Encourage
more fruits, vegetables, water and fresh juices, rather
than processed foods, sugary snacks and sodas.
For Three – years – old
g. Encourage development of hand – eye coordination
by providing large buttons or old beads to string on
a shoe lace.
h. Play ball. Show children how to throw, catch, and
kick balls of different sizes.
i. Show children how to hop like a rabbit, tiptoe like a
bird, waddle like a duck, slither like a snake, and
run like a deer.
j. Encourage free expression in art projects. Avoid asking
“what” children are drawing. Three – years – olds may
not know or care but simply enjoy the process of
drawing
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, cork, soda,
straws, string or yarn. Teach children to mix different
colors with paint.
For Four – years – old
l. Encourage physical development. Play follow the
leader. Pretend to walk like various animals
m. Set up an obstacle course indoors with challenges
such as crawling, climbing, leaping, balancing and
running across stepping stones.
n. Encourage walking with a beanbag on the hand
For Five – years – old
o. Encourage body coordination and sense of
balance by playing “Follower the Leader” with
skipping, galloping and hopping. Skip or jump
rope to music, teach folk dances and games,
provide a balance beam, a tree for climbing, and a
knotted rope suspended from a sturdy frame.
p. Teach sack – walking and “twist – em”, “statue”, or
“freeze” games to provide an outlet for their drive for
physical activity
q. Play games that can teach right and left directions,
“Hockey-Pockey”, “Looby – Loo”, and “Simon Says”
r. Help children learn to use a pair of scissors by letting
them cut out coupons
Thank
you!