Skip to main content
5: Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood (Ages 3 to 6)
-
-
Last updated
-
-
Save as PDF
-
-
-
5.0: What Does Psychology Say?
-
The page discusses the physical and cognitive development of young children, using the example of a child named Maxie. At five years old, Maxie is engaged in various activities, such as attending kindergarten, playing soccer, and practicing piano, to stimulate growth. Maxie's parents, Kai and Taylor, balance work with ensuring Maxie's development but worry about overscheduling.
-
-
5.1: Physical Health and Growth in Early Childhood
-
This section explores physical growth and neurodevelopment in early childhood, focusing on ages three to six. Key topics include growth milestones, nutrition, sleep, and health risks. Growth variations can arise from environmental factors like nutrition quality and socioeconomic conditions. Neurodevelopmentally, brain growth is rapid, influenced by genetic and environmental factors, with an emphasis on ensuring nutritional and sleep needs are met.
-
-
5.2: Motor Development and Physical Skills in Early Childhood
-
This section focuses on motor skills development in early childhood, exploring milestones in movement and the distinction between gross and fine motor skills. It highlights the connection between movement and healthy development, influenced by environmental experiences. Developmental milestones such as running, climbing, and using utensils are discussed, with a focus on how delayed milestones may indicate developmental issues.
-
-
5.3: Cognition in Early Childhood
-
This section explores the cognitive development in early childhood, focusing on milestones, theories (like Piaget???s and Vygotsky???s), and the influence of social and cultural factors. It emphasizes cognitive milestones such as language acquisition and perspectives on cognitive development, including Piaget's stages and information processing. It also discusses environmental and familial influences on cognitive growth, illustrating through studies like Hart and Risley???s on language exposure.
-
-
5.4: Language in Early Childhood
-
This section covers various aspects of language development, from distinguishing the features of formal language to cognitive development, environmental influences, and individual differences in language learning. The text highlights how children, like Emilia, experience dramatic vocabulary growth and acquire dialects and idioms based on cultural and environmental exposures.
-
-
5.5: Play in Early Childhood
-
This page discusses the significance of play in early childhood development, describing different types of play as identified by sociologist Mildred Parten. It emphasizes that play is crucial for children's physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth. The text also explores variations in play across cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and differing abilities.
-
-
5.6: Key Terms
-
-
-
5.7: Summary
-
-
-
5.8: Review Questions
-
-
-
5.9: Check Your Understanding Questions
-
-
-
5.10: Personal Application Questions
-
-
-
5.11: Essay Questions
-