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5.1
Physical Health and Growth in Early Childhood
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After rapid growth during infancy, physical growth in early childhood slows and becomes relatively consistent. Average height and weight differences between girls and boys are only minor in early childhood. The brain continues to grow at a rapid pace, due to overproduction of synapses as well as stimulation and increased myelination.
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A healthy balanced diet is essential to optimal growth. Poor nutrition can have lifelong consequences.
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Proper sleep is necessary to maintain health. Less-than-optimal sleep during early childhood is associated with overweight and obesity and may have indirect effects on other health issues in later life.
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Vaccinations are an essential instrument against childhood illness and mortality. Accidents pose the biggest health risk to preschool children. Threats to their safety vary by the area of the world in which they live.
5.2
Motor Development and Physical Skills in Early Childhood
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Understanding milestones in motor development helps us understand typical growth and design appropriate interventions when problems arise.
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Children who engage in regular physical activity show enhanced cognitive development, including improved attention, self-regulation, and academic performance.
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Children who are three and four years old should spend a minimum of three hours per day in a variety of physical activities, including at least sixty minutes of moderate intensity. Five- and six-year-olds should participate in a minimum of sixty minutes of moderate- to high-intensity activity every day.
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Children who have physical disabilities often face obstacles and misconceptions in pursuing activities that facilitate movement.
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Few overall differences exist between girls’ and boys’ abilities in early childhood, and they are insignificant compared to those among all boys and among all girls.
5.3
Cognition in Early Childhood
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The stage theory of cognitive development and the sociocultural theory of cognitive development share the view that children actively construct their understanding of the world through their experiences.
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Stage theory asserts that children acquire knowledge through their independent exploration of the environment, while sociocultural theory contends that social interactions and cultural influences play a more significant role in development.
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The information processing model suggests that cognitive development is an ongoing process of quantitative changes that rely on a feedback loop.
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Research into learning by observation and “pitching in” add important and complementary elements to the study of cognition in early childhood by demonstrating the ways children learn through environmental experiences with others.
5.4
Language in Early Childhood
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Every language has unique characteristics that children must learn. These include phonemes, morphemes, semantics, syntax, grammar, and pragmatics.
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Studying language provides a way for us to investigate cognitive processes as well as a way to understand activities related to communication and social interaction.
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Deaf children can acquire sign language, and young children can learn multiple languages in the same manner and with the same skill as their primary languages.
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Early literacy predicts later academic success.
5.5
Play in Early Childhood
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Play is essential for children’s cognitive, physical, and psychosocial development and complements peer learning.
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Mildred Parten observed that play progresses through six stages of non-social and social play.
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Types of play vary by culture, community, and location, and all children should be afforded equal opportunities to play.
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Socioeconomic status affects the availability of play resources and the way children play but does not necessarily result in negative physical, cognitive, or psychosocial outcomes.
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Children with disabilities often face mobility barriers that limit opportunities for play. Early intervention programs and enhanced teacher training can help facilitate their development.