Early Childhood Preschooler's

(Physical Development)
CHALLENGE
At the end of this Module, challenge
yourself to:

• describe preschool children's physical

growth.
• identify the different gross and fine
motor skills.
• draw implications of these concepts
on physical development on teaching
preschoolers.
INTRODUCTION
The preschooler years is commonly known as "the
years before formal schooling begins." It roughly
covers 3-5 years of age. Although it is known as the
years before formal school. It is by no way less
important than the grade school years. The
preschool years is very important as it lays
foundation to later development. At this stage,
preschoolers achieve many development
milestones. As such, pre-service teachers who
might be interested to teach and care for
preschoolers need to be knowledgeable about
them to be truly an intentional and effective
teacher.
This module on the physical
development of preschoolers focuses on
the acquisition of gross and fine motor
skills, artistic expression, proper nutrition
and sleep, and what teachers and
caregivers should do to maximize the
preschoolers' development.
ACTIVITY

Examine the pictures below.

Think about the physical
characteristics of preschoolers.
Put a caption for the pictures.
ANALYSIS

From the captions you wrote for the

pictures, what physical
characteristics of preschoolers
came out?
ABSTRACTION

From the activity, you were able to see

a glimpse of preschoolers physical
development. They love to move. They
enjoy being active. They are also
interested to work with their fingers,
like with blocks. They have a more
balanced stance than toddlers.
Significant Changes in Physical Growth

Physical growth increases in the

preschool years, although it is
much slower in pace than in
infancy and toddlerhood. At
around 3 years of age,
preschoolers move, from the
remaining baby-like features of the
toddler, toward a more slender
appearance of a child. The trunk,
arms and legs become longer.
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 and 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

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.
Fine motor development

refers to acquiring the ability to use the

smaller muscles in the arm, hands and
fingers purposefully.

Some of the skills included here are

picking, squeezing, pounding, and
opening things, holding and using a
writing implement. It also involves self-
help skills like using the spoon and fork
when eating, buttoning, zipping,
combing and brushing.
Preschoolers Artistic Development

At the heart of the preschooler years

is their interest to draw and make
other forms of artistic expressions.
This form of fine motor activity is
relevant to preschoolers. Viktor
Lowenfeld studied this and came up
with the stages of drawing in early
childhood:
Stage 1. Scribbling stage. This stage
begins with zig-zag lines which later
become circular markings. Soon, discrete
shapes are drawn. The child may start to
name his/her drawing towards tje end of
this stage.

Stage 2. Preschematic stage. May

already include early representations
(This also becomes very significant when
we discuss about cognative
development). 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.
Preschoolers Nutrition and Sleep

The kind of nutrition a preschooler gets has

far-reaching effect on his physical growth
and development. The preschooler's
nutritional status is the result of what
nutrients he or she actually takes in checked
against the nutritional requirement of her
age.
It is important for preschoolers to get
sufficient amount of rest and sleep.
Preschoolers benefit from about 10-12 hours
of sleep each day.
A Quick Look at What Preschoolers Can
Do: (physical skills)

This bulleted list of preschoolers physical

skills is lifted from the Physical Domain
component of the Philippine Early Learning
and Development Standards (ELDS). This
set of standards was based on a study
commissioned by UNICEF and the Child
Welfare Council (CWC)
Gross Motor: 36-48 months

• Hops 1 to 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 of speed
• Kicks a ball with control of speed
Fine-motor Skills: 36-48 months

• Consistently turns pages of a picture

or story book one page at a time,
looking at pictures with interest
• Purposefully copies diagonal lines
• Purposefully bisects a cross
• Purposefully copies a square
• Purposefully copies a triangle
• Cuts with scissors following line
49-60 months

• Copies a simple pattern of different

basic shapes
• Draw a human figure (head, eyes,
mouth, trunk, arms, legs, etc.)
without prompts
• Draws a house without prompts
using geometric forms
• Colors with strokes staying within
the lines
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 trying laces
• Puts on socks independently
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 Role of Caregivers in the Growth and
Development of the Preschooler

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 for
preschoolers. 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 is
ideal.
f. Model good eating habits to preschoolers.
Encourage more fruits, vegetables, water
and fresh juices, rather than processed
foods , sugary sncankcs and sodas.
3 years-olds
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-year-olds may not know or
car, 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 and
cork, soda straws, string, or a yarn. Teach
children to mix different colors with paint.

4 year-olds

l. Encourage physical development.

Play follow the leader. Pretend to walk
luke 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 head.

5 year-olds
o. Encourage body coordination and
sense of balance by playing "Follow 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, like "Hokey-
Pokey," "Looby-Loo," and "Simon
Says."
r. Help children learn to use a pair of
scissors by letting them cut out
coupons.
 APPLICATION
1. Make your own photo essay about the physical
development of preschoolers. Observe
preschoolers in action and take theirbpictures.
Describe the gross and fine motor skills that you
saw them do.
2. Examine the skills found in the physical domain
of the ELDS. Identify the skills in a particular sub
age group and put an appropriate activity that
can help develop the each skill. You may surf the
net for suggested activities, interview preschool
teachers or simply be creatovebyourself!
THANK YOU!!!