CHAPTER 5:
Physical Development in Early Childhood
Child and Adolescent Development
Edition 2
Anita Woolfolk and Nancy Perry
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
5-1
Chapter Outline
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5-2
Body Growth
Brain Development
Motor Development
Health and Well-Being
Special Physical Needs
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Body Growth: Early Childhood
Rate of growth slows during early childhood
Body fat decreases
Muscle mass increases
Body systems grow at different rates
– Lymphoid system grows rapidly (builds immunity)
• Boys and girls have similar growth patterns
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5-3
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Individual and Cross-Cultural Differences
• Nature and nurture influence physical growth
• Children in developed regions – typically taller, healthier
– Fewer infectious diseases
– Plenty of food, but obesity issues
• Ethnic differences in rates and levels of growth
– American Caucasians – taller, larger frames than Asians
– African Americans – grow faster, taller than American
Caucasians
5-4
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Brain Development in Early Childhood
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5-5
Brain grows faster than other body parts
By age 3: 75% of adult brain size
By age 5: 90% of adult brain size
Production and pruning of synapses continues
Increases in memory and processing efficiency
Prefrontal cortex development increases behavior
management
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Sex Differences and Brain Development
• Male brain – 10% larger on average than female brain
– Higher proportion of gray matter
– Tends to use one hemisphere for specializations
– Larger area for spatial reasoning
• Greater proficiency with spatial reasoning
• Female brain
– Higher proportion of white matter
– Larger corpus callosum
• Brain activation spreads across hemispheres for
specializations
– More nerve connections for linguistic processing
• Slight advantage on tasks using language skills
5-6
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Adversity and Brain Development
• Adversity, abuse, neglect interrupt development in regions
of the brain
– Prefrontal cortex: Planning and problem solving affected
– Amygdala: Emotion and stress regulation affected
• Problems associated with toxic levels of stress:
– Insecure attachments, developmental delays, emotional
and behavioral problems
• Problems associated with severe neglect:
– Smaller head circumference, pervasive growth problems
5-7
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Gross Motor Development
• Occurs sequentially and is cumulative
• Development of smoother movement of large muscle
groups
– Improved balance and eye-hand coordination
• By age 3: able to run, throw, jump
• By age 4-5: run, throw, jump with more flexibility
• Gender differences in early childhood
– Boys: more active and stronger (jump higher, throw
farther)
– Girls: advanced coordination of arms and legs (balancing
on one foot, doing jumping jacks)
5-8
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Fine Motor Development
• Develop more control of small muscle movements
– Tie shoes, eat with utensils, cut with scissors
• Fine motor skills perfected over time with practice
• Skill levels affected by interest and opportunity
• Acquired sooner and more easily by girls (typically)
• Develop more slowly in children with disabilities
• Drawing stages during early childhood
– Stage 2, drawing shapes, symbols by age 3
– Stage 3, shapes with greater details
– Stage 4, pictures with recognizable objects by age 4-5
5-9
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Handedness
• 90% of population is right-handed
• Children show hand preference by age 3 or 4
• Genetics influence handedness (nature over nurture)
– Linked to brain’s organization
– Often less specialization in brain function of left-handed
individuals
• Left-handedness more common in boys than in girls
5-10
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Motor Development – Individual Differences
• Difficulties in coordination referred to as Developmental
Coordination Disorder (DCD)
– Not associated with identifiable medical or neurological
conditions
– May involve gross motor activities, fine motor activities,
or both
– May co-exist with other disabilities (learning disabilities,
ADHD, traumatic brain injuries)
– Results in social, emotional, behavioral problems
• Caution: Clumsiness in early childhood should be addressed
5-11
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Health and Well-Being: Nutrition
Nutritious Needs
• Appetite decreases in early childhood; fewer calories
needed
• Physically active children need more calories than
sedentary children
• Nutrition guidelines for children ages 2 to 5:
– Reduce fat intake; reduce calories
– Restrict juice; offer whole fruit
– Half plate fruits/vegetables; ¼ protein; ¼ grains for
lunch and dinner
– Drink milk with meals, water with snacks
5-12
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Health and Well-Being: Eating Habits
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5-13
Offer healthy balance and variety
Promote self-regulation in eating
Don’t coax too hard, bribe, or give up
Allow sweet and salty treats in moderation
Model good eating habits
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Childhood Overweight and Obesity
• Linked to life-threatening diseases and asthma
• Associated with lower academic achievement, social and
emotional problems
• Causes of overweight and obesity include:
– Heredity
– Ethnic and cultural habits
– Food security issues (consistent supply of food)
– Diet of prepared foods, fast foods, soft drinks
– Sedentary lifestyle – little physical activity
– Low SES, fewer resources for nutritious options
5-14
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Childhood Underweight and Malnourishment
• Iron deficiency anemia in US/other developed countries
– Diets low in iron-rich food (red meat, nuts, legumes)
– Too much cow’s milk in diet (prevents iron absorption)
– Lead exposure
• Hunger and malnourishment among low income families
– Often resulting from adults’ concern about stigma of
accepting aid
– Often causing children’s persistent hunger, leading to
learning and developmental delays
5-15
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Sleep
• Characteristics of sleep in early childhood
– Sleep time consolidated at night
– Daytime naps common until age 4 to 5
– Lack of sleep – difficulties with learning, behavior, and
social/emotional well-being
• Common sleep problems at this age
– Nightmares: child wakes and needs soothing
– Night terrors: yelling and thrashing without waking;
child may not remember it the next day
– Bedwetting (more common in boys)
• Genetic, psychosocial, and/or physiological causes
• Parents should avoid reactions resulting in shame
5-16
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Solutions to Sleep Problems
• Develop positive bedtime routine
– Set and keep a regular bedtime
– Take care of bedtime hygiene
– Do quiet activities
– Limit fluids before bedtime
– Be consistent with routine
• Extinction as a method of solving sleep problems
– Involves ignoring child’s crying
– Often effective if used consistently
• Graduated extinction (waiting progressively longer to check
on crying child)
5-17
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Special Physical Needs: Chronic Illness
• Diabetes – usually few complications if managed well
– Type 1, managed by insulin treatment, monitoring blood
sugar, nutritious foods, physical activity
– Type 2, managed by monitoring blood sugar, healthy
diet, exercise
• Asthma – causes inflammation in air passages
– Interferes with breathing
– Treated with medications, inhalers, avoidance of triggers
• Cancer – rare in children (leukemia most common type)
– Long-term negative effects from chemo/radiation
– Long-term follow-up to make up developmental deficits
5-18
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Environmental Hazards
Exposure to toxins – serious health concerns for children
Poisons in homes: common cleaning products, medications
Lead exposure from paint, air pollution, foods, toys
Second-hand smoke (60% of young US children exposed)
– Contributes to bronchitis, pneumonia (a leading cause of
death in young children), and asthma attacks
• Effects include developmental delays, slowed growth,
impairment, death
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5-19
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
5-20
Woolfolk & Perry, Child and Adolescent Development, 2nd Ed.
© (2015, 2012) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved