LECTURE 5
EARLY CHILDHOOD
• Objectives
upon complication of this lecture, the student will be able to :
1. Define early childhood.
2. Describe the characteristics common to toddlers.
3. Describe characteristics common to preschool child.
4. Discuss the developmental tasks of early childhood .
5. List three factors that help develop language skills.
6. List at least three guidelines in selecting a preschool or day care center
7. Describe the characteristics play and appropriate toys for a toddler and
preschool child.
8. List three safety risks common to the early childhood years.
9. Discuss the principles of guidance and discipline for children during the early
childhood years.
• Definition
• The early childhood period includes children
from 1 to 6 years of age.
• Early childhood is typically separated into two
phases 1 to 2 years of age is the toddler phase,
and 2 to 6 years is the preschool phase .
• During early childhood , physical growth slows
and stabilizes.
Developmental tasks of early childhood
• Tasks to be mastered include understanding and speaking
words, developing social interaction skills; mastery of selfcontrol in feeding and toilet training and beginning to
develop a self-image and sense of autonomy.
• The toddler between 1 and 4 years of age is in Eriksons
stage of autonomy versus shame or doubt.
• The preschooler, between 4 to 6 years of age, is Eriksons
stage of initiative versus guilt.
Physiological changes
• Most children learn to walk steadily between 12 and 15
months of age .
• By age 2.5 the child can climb stairs gracefully.
• by age 3 the child can alteranate feet when climbing
stairs and can ride a tricycle.
• By age 4 the child can hop and by age 5 can skip.
• Twenty primary teeth erupt by age 2years.
• The anterior fontanel of the skull closes at 18 months.
• The preschooler gains about 5 to 7 pounds( 2.7 to 3.2 kg )
• Grows about 6.25-7.5 cm per year.
• Half of the adult height is achieved by age 2, and the birth weight is
quadrupled.
• The toddler has a well-developed pincer grasp (the ability to pick up small
objects with the thumb and forefinger) by age 1.
• A 2 year old can copy a straight line.
• A 3 year old can copy a circle and use scissors.
• A 4 year old can draw a person with three body parts
• Most 5 years olds can print their name.
• The eye muscles strengthen, depth perception increases during the
preschool period and 20/20vision is usually achieved by age 4.
During early childhood fine motor skills develop, which include
•
self-feeding, undressing , and then dressing themselves.
• Toddlers are able to eat with a fork and spoon but often prefer finger foods.
At age 2 the appetite decreases.
• Toilet training occurs as sphincter control develops and the child masters
some from of communication to indicate the need to use the toilet.
• Complete bowel and bladder control is typically complete by age
2.5 to 3years
• Bowel control occurs before full bladder control, and nighttime or stress time
accidents are common. Accidents should not be scolded or punished because
mastering sphincter control is related to the development of the self-concept.
Nutrition
• Good nutrition starts before conception.
• Adequate nutrition is essential for optimum physical
and mental development of young children.
• The food pyramid includes suggestions for portion
servings appropriate for young children.
• Food is fun and learning about food is fun, too.
Eating foods from food guide pyramid and being
physically active will help the child grow healthy and
strong.
Psychosocial development
Language development and communication skills
The toddler
• By 18 months the toddler speaks about 15 words.
• By age 2 the child has a vocabulary exceeding 100 words and can follow
two-step commands such as “pick up the toy and put it away.
• A 2 year-old child exhibits negativistic behavior and tantrums due to
frustration and struggles for independence
The preschooler
• Language development occurs rapidly during the preschool years.
• 5 year old has a vocabulary exceeding 2000 words.
Cognitive development
• The sensorimotor stage of cognition ends when the toddler
begins to use words to express ideas and solve problems. This
marks the beginning of symbolic thought.
• Preschool thinking involves Piaget’s preoperational or prelogical
characteristics ,such as magical thinking and egocentrism.
• They feel their point of view must be the same as everyone else’s
point of view.
• Having one object represent another , such as a box representing
a train, evidences symbolism and fantasy play .
Moral Development
• According to kohlberg, learning self-control and learning to
share with others are moral tasks of early childhood.
• Preschoolers look carefully at parents as models of moral
behavior , and this is often acted out in their play .
• A child of 3 becomes ritualistic and aware of rules that he or
she feels must be obeyed and will feel guilty if scolded.
• By age 5 the child extends blame for only the intentional act
and easily excuses the accident.
• A child Will learn socially acceptable behavior through
consistent, positive reinforcement and descipline
Discipline
• Discipline must have as its basic purpose , the guiding , teaching , or correcting
of behavior , not punishment, to help them develop self-control while
maintaining a positive self-esteem .
• Preschoolers are naturally egocentric and may not understand the rights and
needs of others.
• limit setting should include praise for good behavior. A time-out response to
unacceptable behavior is effective for children between the ages of 1 and 6
years.
• It places the child in a safe place with time for self-regulation. Timing for time out
is usually 1 minute per year of age.
• With consistent use, the child will learn to anticipate that response to certain
behaviors and learn to control those behaviors.
The operant theory of effective discipline techniques
Type of discipline
Example
Effect
Positive reinforcement
Child gets a lollipop for
helping mommy.
Increases the “helping mommy’
behavior.
Negative reinforcement Restrict privileges for
bad behavior .
Remove restrictions for
good behavior.
Negative punishment
Increases likelihood of desired
behavior occurring again.
(useful in older children as
well).
Take away fun and
Decreases or stops unwanted
interaction with others. behavior.
Ignore behavior.
Play
• In the toddler period , play is a reflection of the child’s
experiences.
• The 2 year old exhibits parallel play, in which he or she plays
next to a friend but does not interact with the friend.
• The 3 to 4 year old exhibits cooperative play, in which a group
of children can cooperate by playing out a scene together or
building blocks together .
• By age 5 there is organized group play with assigned roles.
• Age-appropriate toys are toys that are safe and promote the
cognitive and motor development of the specific age group.
Day care
• The experience of spending time in day care for
preschool is a big step toward developing
independence.
• Day care canters offer structured play and rest
activities for group of children supervised by
professional staff.
• Preschool centers offer structured activities that
foster growth and development and teaching
coping skills.
• A good preschool program can help a child gain
self-confidence and positive self-esteem.
Teaching techniques
• Parents should not demand correct speech of a 2 year old,
and pronunciation should not be a focus.
• Parents can be taught how to help the preschooler express
feeling through words.
• Teaching preschooler how to express feelings verbally rather
than acting out.
• Parents need to be counseled concerning the normal
development and behavior of the toddler and preschool
Safety and accident prevention
• Accidents are a major threat during the early childhood years.
• Young children play hard and have little understanding of the
potential dangers around them.
• Parents need guidance concerning the need to childproof the
house , keep stairways safe, and avoid clutter.
• Toys should be sturdy, age appropriate , and not have sharp
edges.
• Preschoolers should not be allowed to carry breakable items or
sharp objects. The appropriate use of car seats is essential.
Children should not be left inside a car to play alone.
How to prevent hazards caused by the behavioral characteristics of toddlers
Type of accidents
Hazard and prevention strategies
Automobile
Teach child street safety rules.
Teach child the meaning of red, yellow, and green traffic lights.
Burns
Teach child the meaning of ‘hot’.
Put matches, cigarettes, candles , and incense out of reach and sight.
Falls
Teach children how to go up and come down stairs when they show a
readiness for this task.
Fasten crib sides securely and leave them up when child is in crib.
Use side rails on a large bed when child graduates from crib.
Suffocation and
choking
Do not allow small children to play with deflated balloons, as these can
be sucked into windpipe.
Inspect toys for small or loose parts.
Poisoning
Store household detergents and cleaning supplies out of reach and in a
locked cabinet.
How to prevent hazards caused by the behavioral characteristics of toddlers
Type of accidents
Hazard and prevention strategies
Drowning
Watch child continuously while at a beach or near a pool
Begin teaching water safety and swimming skills early
Electric shock
Cover electric outlet
Keep electrical appliance out of reach
Animal bits
Teach child to avoid stray animals.
Do not allow toddler to abuse household pets
Supervise closely.
Safety
Teach toddler stranger safety.
Do not allow toddler to eat or suck lollipops while running or playing.
Keep sharp-edge object out of reach.
Keep sharp-edge furniture out of play area.
THANK YOU