PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

The ages between 2 and

5 are often called the
preschool years. During
these years, children
change from clumsy
toddlers into lively
explorers of their world.
During this stage of
development, children
learn and assimilate
information rapidly, and
express interest and
fascination in each new
discovery.


During these early
years, a human being
is capable of
absorbing more
information at a time.

The environment of
the young child
influences the
development of
cognitive skills and
emotional skills due
to the rapid brain
growth that occurs in
the early years.

In these years,
a child becomes
stronger and starts
to look longer and
leaner.

Physical growth is
slower than in the
first 2 years of life.

Cognitive development
In these years, children learn
their letters, counting, and
colours. Their play becomes
more creative as they learn to
imagine.

The ability to use words
grows quickly in these years.
By age 2, most children can say
at least 50 words. By age 5, a
child may know thousands of
words and be able to carry on
conversations and tell stories.


Between the ages of 2 and 5, children gradually
learn how to manage their feelings. They begin to
feel ashamed or guilty when they do something
wrong. By age 5, friends become important.

Sensory and motor development
By age 2, most children can walk up
stairs one at a time, kick a ball, and
draw simple strokes with a pencil.

By age 5, most can dress and undress
themselves; draw a person with a head,
body, arms, and legs; and write some
small and capital letters.

Between the ages of 3 and 4 a child develops the following
skills: hops and stands on one foot, alternates feet as he
walks up and down stairs without support, kicks a ball
forward, throws a ball over his hand, catches a bounced ball
and moves forward and backward with ease.

A child between 4 and 5 develops the ability to stand on one
food for longer than 10 seconds, hop, do somersaults, swing
independently, climb with ease and possibly skip.


Walks well, goes up and down steps
alone, runs, seats self on chair,
becoming independent in toileting,
uses spoon and fork, imitates circular
stroke, turns pages singly, kicks ball,
attempts to dress self, builds tower of
six cubes.


Beginning a sense of personal identity and
belongings, possessive, often negative, often
frustrated, no ability to choose between
alternatives, enjoys physical affection,
resistive to change, becoming independent,
more responsive to humour and distraction
than discipline or reason.


Solitary play, dependent on adult guidance,
plays with dolls, refers to self by name,
socially very immature, little concept of
others as "people."

May respond to simple direction.



MIDDLE CHILDHOOD
(6-12 YEARS OLD)
PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT
During middle
childhood,
children grow at
a slow
consistent rate
before reaching
a large growth
spurt during
adolescence.


The average weight
increase during
middle childhood is
5 to 7 pounds a
year. The average
height increase is 2
to 3 inches a year.
By the age of 11
years, the average
girl is 4 feet, 10
inches tall, and the
average boy 4 feet,
9 1/2 inches tall.

Physical development during middle childhood is less
dramatic than in early childhood or adolescence.
Growth is slow and steady until the onset of puberty, when
individuals begin to develop at a much quicker pace.
The age at which individuals enter puberty varies, but there
is evidence of a secular trendthe age at which puberty
begins has been decreasing over time.
In some individuals, puberty may start as early as age eight
or nine. Onset of puberty differs across gender and begins
earlier in females.




Muscle mass increases as baby fat
decreases, while the legs become longer,
and the body trunk becomes slimmer.

Strength gradually increases due to
heredity and exercise, doubling their
strength, during these years. Because of a
greater number of muscle cells boys are
usually stronger than girls.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
1. Childhood Stress
Children experience many different types of
stress in many shapes and forms.
From gender, physical abilities, family life,
economic and social class, education, and
ethnicity.
Stress is defined as the response of
individuals to the events that threaten them
and affect their coping abilities.


Children in this stage are building upon
skills gained in early childhood and
preparing for the next phase of their
cognitive development.


Children are learning skills such as
classification and forming hypotheses.


While they are more mature than a few years
ago, children in this stage still require concrete,
hands-on learning activities.

Middle childhood is a time when children can
gain enthusiasm for learning and work, for
achievement can become a motivating factor as
children work toward building competence and
self-esteem.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Peers
School age children
are challenged with the
issue of being accepted
in their school
environment.

For example, being
part of the popular
crowd, having friends,
wearing the "cool"
clothes, being noticed,
and how everyone
perceives them.

- School age children
start to look at their
friends as advisors,
instead of their adult
figures.

- School age children
spend a great amount
of time with peers,
about 40% of their
day. They interact with
peers in classroom
settings, sport
activities, and
afterschool programs.

-Children have a growing
peer orientation, yet they
are strongly influenced by
their family.

-The social skills learned
through peer and family
relationships, and
children's increasing ability
to participate in meaningful
interpersonal
communication, provide a
necessary foundation for
the challenges of
adolescence.


Best friends are
important at
this age, and the
skills gained in
these
relationships
may provide the
building blocks
for healthy adult
relationships.

EXAMPLE OF EMOTIONAL AND
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Form stronger, more complex friendships and peer
relationships. It becomes more emotionally
important to have friends, especially of the same
sex.
Become more independent.
Become more aware of his or her body as puberty
approaches.
Body image and eating problems sometimes start
around this age.