Early Childhood Development

Early Childhood Physical Development - Lucía G. Medina, MA.

Overview

  • Focuses on the physical and developmental changes during early childhood, particularly toddlerhood.

Toddlerhood vs. Early Childhood

  • Physical Appearance:

    • Toddlers:

    • Characterized by a short and stocky appearance.

    • Early Childhood Kids:

    • Appear longer and leaner.

Early Childhood Brain Development

  • Key Components:

    • Cell Bodies: Fundamental unit of the brain responsible for processing information.

    • Axon: A long projection that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body.

    • Synapses: Junctions between neurons that allow for communication through neurotransmitters.

    • Dendritic Growth: The increase in the number of dendrites that receive signals from other neurons.

Essential Functions

  • Inhibitory Control: A key executive function allowing children to manage impulses and emotions effectively.

  • Working Memory: The ability to hold and manipulate information in one's mind for short periods.

  • Cognitive or Mental Flexibility: The capacity to switch between thinking about different concepts or to think about multiple concepts simultaneously.

  • Myelination: The process of coating the axons with myelin to improve the speed of information processing.

  • Experiences Matter: The importance of enriching experiences for optimal brain development.

Phases of Sleep

  • Types of Sleep:

    • NREM Sleep: Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

    • Stage 1: Light sleep.

    • Stage 2: Light sleep.

    • Stage 3: Deep sleep.

    • REM Sleep: Rapid Eye Movement sleep, associated with dreaming.

Sleep Patterns from Toddlerhood to Early Childhood

  • Sleep Requirements:

    • Toddlerhood (1–3 years):

    • Total Sleep: 11–14 hours/day.

    • Awake Time: 10–13 hours/day.

    • REM %: Approximately 25–30%.

    • NREM %: Approximately 70–75%.

    • Pattern: 1–2 naps with long nighttime sleep; sleep cycles lengthen to approximately 70–90 minutes.

    • Early Childhood (3–6 years):

    • Total Sleep: 10–13 hours/day.

    • Awake Time: 11–14 hours/day.

    • REM %: Approximately 20–25%.

    • NREM %: Approximately 75–80%.

    • Pattern: Naps fade around 5 years; stable long sleep cycles (~90 minutes).

Healthy Lifestyle

  • Nutrition Guidelines:

    • Aim for 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

    • Limit screen time to 2 hours or less daily.

    • Engage in physical activity for at least 1 hour daily.

    • Ensure consumption of 0 sugar-sweetened drinks.

Daily Nutrition Schedule

  • Example Schedule:

    • 07:00 AM: Breakfast (consistent daily).

    • 10:00 AM: AM Snack (consistent daily).

    • 01:00 PM: Lunch (consistent daily).

    • 04:00 PM: PM Snack (variable).

    • 07:00 PM: Dinner (consistent daily).

    • 10:00 PM: Bedtime snack (variable).

  • Importance of predictable schedules, nutrition knowledge, modeling healthy eating, and providing pleasant mealtimes.

Childhood Obesity

  • Definitions:

    • Overweight: BMI between the 95th and 97th percentile for age and sex.

    • Obese: BMI above the 97th percentile for age and sex.

  • Statistics:

    • 1980: ~5% of 5-year-old children were considered obese.

    • 2021: ~15% of 5-year-old children were considered obese.

Government Actions for Promoting Healthy Lifestyles

  • Discussion on the roles governments can play in fostering healthy lifestyles for young children.

Nutrition Policies in Schools

  • Changes Under New Nutrition Standards:

    • Less unhealthy fat and salt in school meals.

    • Fewer calories and emphasis on low and non-fat dairy options.

    • Double servings of fruits and vegetables offered.

    • Increased focus on whole grains in meals.

Play and Physical Activity Initiatives

  • Importance of promoting walking or biking to school and ensuring safe routes for children.

Parenting Support Strategies

  • Emphasis on parental modeling: Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if parents do the same.

  • Reference to the Steps to Health Program Education (SNAP-Ed) for providing education on these topics.

  • Importance of health screenings and affordable health services for children.

Developmental Areas in Early Childhood

  • Key Areas of Development:

    • Physical well-being and motor development.

    • Socioemotional development.

    • Cognitive development.

    • Language and communication skills.

    • Preparing children for school readiness.

Early Childhood Education Approaches

  • Head Start Program:

    • Serves children from low-income families (ages 0–5).

    • Emphasizes early learning standards in literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills.

    • Highlights the role of health, nutrition, and parent involvement in child development.

    • Quality varies across programs.

Notable Educational Approaches

  1. Montessori Approach:

    • Child-led learning focusing on independence and sensory exploration.

    • Encourages autonomy and concentration through practical life activities.

    • Hands-on, individualized learning environment.

  2. Reggio Emilia Approach:

    • Learning through exploration, projects, and artistic expression.

    • Encourages creativity and collaboration, with active parent and community involvement.

    • Features less structured academic focus.

  3. HighScope Approach:

    • Utilizes a daily plan-do-review sequence.

    • Focuses on language, math, social-emotional, and motor development.

    • Bases its approach on strong evidence of effectiveness.

  4. Waldorf Approach:

    • Emphasizes whole-child development, creativity, and connection to nature.

    • Focus on play and movement with limited technology use.

Considerations for Effectiveness

  • Factors influencing the efficacy of early childhood education include:

    • Child’s needs and temperament.

    • Family values and expectations.

    • Community context and support systems.

    • Quality of the educational program.

    • No single approach is deemed universally best for all contexts.

Long-term Benefits of Various Educational Approaches

  • Evidence of Benefits:

    • Head Start and HighScope: Long-term benefits associated with alleviating poverty.

    • Montessori: Fosters independence, executive function, and literacy gains.

    • Reggio Emilia: Promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

    • Waldorf: Enriches imagination, holistic development, and commitment to environmental consciousness.

Final Project: Applied Project

  • Assignment Details:

    • Conduct an interview with an individual aged 6 to 85 (e.g., family member, friend).

    • Ensure the interviewee has the cognitive ability to engage in the conversation.

    • Use or adapt provided draft interview questions, seeking permission for recording.

    • Send the interviewee a copy of the questions beforehand.

    • After the interview, write a report reflecting on the content and insights gathered.

    • Submit audio/video recordings and written report on Canvas by December 9th by 11:59 PM.

    • Report must be a minimum of 3 pages and a maximum of 5 pages long.