GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT of the PRESCHOOLER

Preschoolers are defined as those children in 4 – 6 years old.

The Preschool years are characterized by the REFINEMENT OF PHYSICAL, MOTOR,

COGNITIVE and SOCIAL SKILLS.

Preschooler is in the PREOPERATIONAL STAGE of cognitive development where he

learns to perform mental operations that are governed by his own perception and
understanding of events.

During the preschool years, the child develops a sense of INITIATIVE VERSUS GUILT.

PHYSICAL GROWTH

WEIGHT
 YEARLY GAIN: 2.3 kg or 5 pounds

HEIGHT
 YEARLY GAIN: 7.5 cm or 3 inches

 Visual Acuity: 20/20 with intact color vision

 Tonsils may grow
 Levels of antibodies may increase
 May have 20 of their deciduous teeth by 3 years old
 End of preschool age, eruption of permanent teeth may begin

3 YEARS

Physical & Gross Fine Motor Language Personal Social

Motor
  May have  Builds tower  Vocabulary:  Put on shoes
achieved of 9 or 10 900 words  Feed self
nighttime cubes  Primarily completely
bowel and  Builds “telegraphic  Knows own
bladder bridges with speech” sex and of
control 3 cubes  Uses plurals others
 Jumps off the  Imitates a and complete  May have
bottom step cross, copies sentences fears in the
of the stairs a circle and with 2-4 dark
 Goes upstairs identifies words  Parallel and
with what has been  Tells little associative
alternating drawn stories about play
steps; may  Cannot draw experiences  Washes and
still go down a stick figure  Talks nonstop dries hands
using both but makes even if no  Begins to
feet on the circle with one is share
step facial features listening  Has increased
 Throws balls  Asks many attention span
 Rides tricycle questions  Egocentric in
 Stands  Counts to thought and
momentarily three or more behavior
on one foot  Dresses with
 Broad jumps supervision
 May try to  Separates
dance from mother
easily

4 YEARS

Physical & Gross Fine Motor Language Personal Social

Motor
 Birth length  Uses  Vocabulary;  Dresses
is doubled scissors to 1500 words without
 Goes cut out  Uses sentences supervision
downstairs pictures of 4-5 words  Very
with alternate  Imitates  Peak independent
steps squares, and questioning and tends to
 Skips and traces a  Tells “tall be selfish and
hops on one cross and a tales” impatient
foot diamond  May be mildly  Physically
 Catches ball  Copies profane and verbally
well bridge from  Comprehensive aggressive
 Throws ball model prepositions  Mood swings
overhand  Imitates and adjectives  Has pride in
 Constantly in construction such as cold, achievements
motion of “gate” of tires, and  Dramatic,
 Climbs well 5 cubes enjoys
 Copies cross entertaining
and square  Associative
 Draws a play and
 man with 2 imaginary
to 4 parts playmates
besides
heads

5 YEARS
Physical & Gross Fine Motor Language Personal Social
Motor
 Handedness  Ties  Vocabulary:  Independent
is established shoelaces 2,100 words and
 Eruption of  Uses  Counts to ten trustworthy
permanent scissors,  Prints first  Eager to do
teeth may simple tools, name things right
begin and pencils  Uses and to please
 Heel to toe well sentences of  Better
walk  Copies a 6-8 words manners
(backward) diamond and  Names coins  Total self care
 Skips and triangle and 4 colors  Associative
hops,  Adds 7-9  Describes play, tries to
alternate feet parts to a drawing or follow rules
 Throws and stick figure picture with but may cheat
catches ball  Prints a few comments in order to
reliably letters, and avoid losing
 Balances numbers, or enumerations  Tells stories
with skates words  Knows the  Very curious
 Jumps from  Names the names of of facts
height of 12 heavier of 2 days, months, concerning the
in and lands weights and time- world
on toes associated  Enjoys sports,
 Able to words cooking, and
balance on  Knows shopping with
alternate feet articles parent of same
with eyes  Able to sex
closed follow three  Domestic role
commands in playing
a row  Questions the
meaning of
words
6 YEARS

Physical & Gross Fine Motor Language Personal Social

Motor
 Central  Draws  Adds and  Dresses self
mandibular complete subtracts completely
incisors erupt person with  Distinguishes  Difficulty in
 Loses first clothing between left swallowing
teeth  Can write and right, and misdeeds
 Constant fairly well morning and  Enjoys oral
activity  Can use a afternoon spelling games
 More aware knife  Will cheat to
of the hand win
as a tool  Rough play;
very
competitive
and boastful
 Imitates adults
 Increases
socialization
 More
independent
 Usually jealous
of younger
siblings
 Likes to be
with children
of same age
HEALTH PROMOTION
NUTRITION
 Nutritional health is important in the preschool years as in other ages because of the
impact good nutrition has on growth and also for the value of establishing good health
habits for the rest of one’s life.
 By 3 years of age, a child should be eating table foods.

Food Pyramid
• 6-11 servings of breads and cereals
• 3-5 servings of vegetables
• 2-4 servings of fruits
• 3 servings of milk products
• 2-3 servings of meat
• Sparse use of fats and sweets everyday.

Childhood Obesity
 Prior to 3 years of age, parental obesity is the highest predictor of a child’s risk of
obesity in adulthood.
 It has both immediate and long-term physical and psychosocial effects.
 The obese child also often has lower self-esteem and may find it hard to “fit-in” with
a group of peers.
Physical Effects:
 Hyperlipidemia
 Obstructive apnea
 Pancreatitis
 Gallbladder disease
 Non-insulin dependent diabetes
 Hypertension;which may lead to long-term CVD.

Healthy Lifestyle Habits

1. Developing practical ways to become physically active everyday.
2. Establishing the roles of parent and child in regards to food and eating
3. Determining the do’s and don'ts for mealtime management
4. Promoting increased water intake, decreased fruit juice and sweetened beverage
consumption and prevention of over-eating
5. Reducing time spent in sedentary lifestyles.

Sleep or Rest Patterns

 Sleep patterns begin to change during preschool years, and may vary from child to
child
 Generally, the preschooler will sleep a total of 12 hours everyday, some 10.5 hours a
night and another 1.5 hours during an afternoon nap. Others for 12 hours every night.
 It is also critical to establish a bedtime routine for the child, the child will enjoy
bedtime and the household will not be disturbed by participate in the routine.
 It is also important to help the child relax and prepare for sleep.
Sleep Disturbances
 An increase in the number and kind of sleep problems are common and normal during
the preschool years.
 By following a bedtime routine and teaching the child to become relaxed and calm
before bed, caregiver can minimize these.
 It may also be resolve using a nightlight and by having an open discussion to resolve
these.
Nightmares often involve a major threat to the child.
  The parent should comfort and reassure the child that they are not real and help the
child remain in bed and fall back to sleep.
 The parent should not talk about it during the day as this may cause the child to feel
bad about self.
Sleep terrors, talking in the sleep, and sleepwalking are other sleep disturbances.
Activity
 The preschool child is refining both gross and fine motor coordination and skill.
 This allows the child to participate in more physical games and sports where motor
activity is used.
 Physical activity can improved ability to perform motor skills, enhanced self
confidence and body image, development of lifetime habits and prevention of
diseases.
 It can also help get rid of tension and excess energy.
 Introduce sports to have fun, exercise, and learn to enjoy the activity.
 It is important to find the right sport for each child in order to make it a positive
experience.
 AAP suggests caregivers encourage a variety of physical activities in a
noncompetitive environment with an emphasis on fun and safety.
 Karate, gymnastics, bicycling, dance. Street games, jumping rope.
Play
 Preschoolers enjoy group play. They engage in initiative, dramatic and imaginative
play.
 A 3-year-old still plays in an egocentric manner but is developing more tolerance of
playmates. Tricycle, big blocks, musical toys, show and tell, guessing games and
puzzles are the appropriate toys for this age.
 A 4-year-old is interactive. The child cooperates with another child and actively
shares toys. The child can also obey limits and often has an imaginary friend.
Construction toys, memory games, fantasy play, books and music.
 A 5-year-old has achieved impulse control and plays well in groups, this in the best
time to introduce group sports and games. They enjoy dramatic or pretend play,
puppets, dress-up, books, and art activities.
Literacy
 The child's love of reading and interest in obtaining the skills is established during
this time when caregivers spend time reading to young children.
 They enjoy books with more wordds that tell stories, especially if the book has lots of
pictures.
Television
 It can be constructive and destructive.
 It is not a substitute for education and play.
 Caregivers should closely monitor and control what a child watches.
Dental Health
 By the beginning of the preschool period, the eruption of the
deciduous/primary teeth is complete.
 It is essential to preserve these temporary and primary teeth so the permanent teeth
will have to form correctly and the dental arch will not be narrowed,
 This is an appropriate time to establish a good dental habits that will last a lifetime.
 Dental caries is the number one dental problem, it may cause the premature loss of
teeth and a consequent alteration of the dental arch, compromising development of
the permanent teeth.
 The preschool child should visit a dentist at least every 6 months.
 Children should avoid sugary snacks that may predispose them to dental caries.

SAFETY AND INJURY PREVENTION

  Preschoolers are less prone to falls because of the increase motor skills and
coordination.
 One of the greatest concern is playing near the street or driveway and they still nedd
close, constant supervision by adults.
 The child should be less reckless, will listen to rules and is aware of potential
dangers.
HEALTH SCREENINGS
 Physical assessments including vision and hearing screening.
 The preschool child should visit a health care provider on a yearly basis for routine
assessment of health and development

Preparation for school
 A child’s readiness for participation in school is determined by the child's social
maturity and readiness to learn.

DISCLIPLINE and LIMIT SETTING

 Give attention for good behavior, and ignore negative behavior.
 The beginning of moral judgment is obtained as the child learns what is right and
wrong based on the punishments and rewards established by caregivers.