PWC of Davao ECMC 003- Child Development

MODULE 4

Title : Infancy and Toddlerhood

Period : 4 Hours

I. Objectives:
At the end of the period, the students should be able to:

1. describe preschool children’s physical growth;

2. identify the different gross and fine motor skills;
3. draw implications of these concepts on physical development on teaching
preschoolers;
4. describe the cognitive development in preschoolers;
5. apply concepts on preschoolers’ cognitive development in preschool teaching and
child care;
6. take an informed stan/position on current preschool teaching practices;
7. explain Erikson’s “crisis” of early childhood, initiative versus guilt;
8. discuss the stages of play and how it impacts socio-emotional development; and
9. describe how significant relationships with parents, siblings and peers affect the
preschooler.

II. Subject Matter

1. Topics
1.1 Physical Development of Preschoolers
Fine motor skills
Gross motor skills
1.2 Cognitive Development of Preschoolers
Communication development
Language development
1.3 Socio-emotional Development of Preschoolers
Synthesis of the Physical, Cognitive, and Socio-emotional Development of
Preschoolers

2. Educational Resource(s)

Brenda B. Corpuz Ph.D., Ma. Rita D. Lucas Ph.D., Heidi L. Borabo Ph.D., Paz I.
Lucido Ph., Lorimar Publishing, Inc. c2015

3. Materials
3.1. Coupon bond
3.2. Markers
3.3. Course syllabus
3.4. Handouts
3.5. Worksheets
3.6. Computer

4. Values Focus
Learners can integrate the hidden possibilities in each person as they examine
the concept behind each child’s development.
 PWC of Davao ECMC 003- Child Development

III.Learning Procedures and Strategies

a. Preparatory Activity

1. Learners will look at the pictures of preschoolers and think about the physical
characteristics by writing caption in each photo.
2. Each group will be given time to observe the two pictures as shown below:

3. Class sharing

b. Lesson Proper

“A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily life.” – Anonymous

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOLERS

Significant change in physical growth
Preschoolers have their center of gravity at the lower level, right about near the
belly button. This gives them more ability to be stable and balanced than the toddler.
They no longer “toddle”, that wobbly way that toddlers walk. This also allows the
preschooler to move more “successfully” that toddler. Some say it is the best time to
begin learning skills that require balance like riding bicycle or skating. The Preschooler
years also is the good time to instill the habits of good dental hygiene.

Gross and fine motor development

Gross motor development refers to acquiring skills that involve the large muscles.
The gross motor skills are categorized into three:
1. Locomotor skills – are those that involve going from one place to another, like
walking, running, climbing, skipping, hopping, creeping, galloping, and dodging.
2. Non-locomotor – ones are those where the child stays in place, like bending,
stretching, turning and swaying.
3. Manipulative skills – are those that involve projecting and receiving objects, like
throwing, striking, bouncing, catching and dribbling.
Fine motor development – refers to acquiring the ability to use the smaller muscles
in in the arm, hands and fingers purposely. Some of the skills included here are
picking, sneezing, pounding, and opening things, holding and writing implement. It
is also involving self-help skills like using spoon and fork when eating, buttoning,
sipping, combing, and brushing.

Preschooler’s artistic development by Viktor Lowenfeld

Stage 1. Scribbling stage. This stage begins with large zig-zag lines which later
become circular markings. Soon, discreet shapes are drawn.
Stage 2. Preschematic stage. At this point adults may be able to recognize the
drawings. Drawings usually comprise of a prominent head with basic elements. Later
arms, legs, hands and even facial features are included.
Stage 3. Schematic stage. More elaborate scenes are depicted. Children usually
draw form experience and exposure. Drawings may be including houses trees, the sun,
sky and the people
 PWC of Davao ECMC 003- Child Development

Preschoolers’ nutrition and sleep

The preschooler’s nutritional status is the result of what nutrients he or she takes
in checked against the nutritional requirement for his or her age. Preschooler benefits
from 10-12 hours of sleep each day.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOLER

Preschoolers’ symbolic and intuitive thinking

There are two substances of Piaget’s preoperational thought, namely, symbolic
substage and intuitive substage. In the symbolic substage, preschool children show
progress in their cognitive abilities by being able to draw objects that are not present, by
their dramatic increase in their language and make-believe play. In the intuitive
substage, preschool children begin to use primitive reasoning and ask a litany of
questions

Brain connections in the preschool years

The child’s billion cells have the ability to make almost countless connections that
prepare the child for intricate pathways to learn language, acquire logical-mathematical
skills, interact with people, grow in his feelings and emotions, and even express himself
in art.
Expert have shown specific areas of brain activity that respond to environmental
stimulation. The brain form forms specific connections (synapses) that are different for
each person. In preschool years, a supportive and stimulating environment is that which
offers many experiences involving the different senses (multi-sensorial), and that which
allows the child to think, imagine and create is best.
However, high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol may lead to diminished
brain growth in areas needed for memory, learning, and emotional attachment. It may
also lead to anxiety and hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Language development
Children rapidly conclude that sounds link together to make words and words
represents ideas, people, and things. Throughout the preschool years, children’s
language development becomes increasingly complex in the four main areas;
phonology (speech sound), semantics (word meaning), syntax (sentence construction),
and pragmatics (conversation or social use of language).

Language and social order

According to Vygotsky, children must use language to communicate with others
before they can focus on their own thoughts (Santock, 2002). This implies the
importance of interaction of preschoolers with caregivers for language development. He
introduces the term Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to refer to task too difficult
for a child to master alone but can be mastered with the guidance and assistance of
adults or more skilled children.
Scaffolding, a term that refers to the “changing support over the course of
teaching session, with the more skilled person adjusting guidance to fit the child’s
current performance level.”

Information processing theory-attention and memory

This model conceptualizes children’s mental processes through the metaphor of
computer processing, encoding, storing, and decoding data.

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOLERS

 PWC of Davao ECMC 003- Child Development

Preschoolers’ initiative
In his idea on “initiative versus guilt”, Erikson believed that healthy preschoolers
develop initiative, the tendency of preschoolers to want to take action and assert
themselves. They will yearn to create, invent, pretend, take risks and engage in lively
and imaginative activities with peers.
As preschoolers go through the conflict of initiative versus guilt, they show so
much energy in doing imaginative play activities. Every place becomes a playground to
explore, every single thing is an interesting piece to tinker with.

Self-concept and the preschooler

With the ability to make representations, they can now think and reflect about
themselves. Self-concept refers to the way one sees himself, a general view of about
one’s abilities, strengths and weakness. The preschooler’s self-concept mainly focuses
on observable characteristics and his usual beliefs, emotions and attitude. An important
aspect of self-concept is self-esteem, which specifically refers to one judgement about
one’s worth. Preschoolers are naturally positive. They are confident to try again even if
they don’t succeed with something.

Environmental factors and gender in the preschoolers’ socio-emotional

development
They become capable of gender typing, a process of forming gender roles,
gender-based preferences and behaviors accepted by society. They come to form
gender stereotypes. Preschoolers begin to associate certain things like toys, tools,
games, clothes, job, colors or even actions or behaviors as being “only for boys” or “only
for girls.”

PARTEN'S STAGES OF PLAY

 PWC of Davao ECMC 003- Child Development

https://www.handmadeplaces.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Social-stages-of-Play-1.png

Friendship in preschool
through friendship, preschoolers are able to practice different roles like being a
leader, a follower, someone who take risk and someone who helps out and comforts.

Caregiving styles
Caregiving style affect the socio-emotional development of children.

https://differentparentingstyles.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/parenting-grid2.jpg

IV. Evaluation/Assessment
 Learner are to look for research that is related to one of the big ideas on
the socio-emotional development of preschoolers.
 Share your output in the class.