Physical Development from One to Three

1. Physical Development from One to Three Chapter 11

2. Intro • Physical growth slows considerably after the first year. • The child’s physical skills improve dramatically from the first to the fourth birthday. • Children from 1-2 are usually called toddlers and children from 3-5 are usually referred to as preschoolers. • Children need a lot of space as their physical skills develop. • Children need time each day for active play to exercise their muscles and use their stored up energy.

3. Height and Weight • Physical growth is slower during this time compared to infancy. • Children from 1-3 only gain about ½ a pound per month. (This is less than half the average monthly weight gain during the first year of life.) • Growth in height also slows by about half. • After the first birthday, children begin to show greater variation in size

4. Teeth • On average, one-year-olds have about 8 teeth. • During the second year, 8 more teeth come in. • The last 4 back teeth usually emerge early in the third year – this gives them a complete set of 20 primary teeth.

5. Teeth • The quality of a child’s teeth is greatly influenced by diet. • The diet of the mother during pregnancy and the diet of the child during the first two years lay the foundation for a lifetime of good – or poor – teeth. • (A child’s adult teeth are forming under their primary teeth.) • Dairy products are rich in calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin D – this makes them very important for the development of strong and healthy teeth and bones.

6. Teeth • Diet can also cause tooth decay. • Children should not be given too many sweets – especially candy. • Sugary cereals can get stuck between a child’s teeth and cause tooth decay. • A child should not have a bottle in bed, unless it is water – liquids can pool in the mouth and cause cavities.

7. Motor Skills • Three patterns of physical development: • Head to foot • Near to far • Simple to complex • An example of hand skills that shows the pattern of simple to complex: • Around the age of 13 months a child may bang blocks together or stack two of them – by their 4th birthday they can use the same blocks to build high towers, houses, and roads.

8. Motor Skills • Motor skills are often divided into 2 types – large motor skills and small motor skills. • Large motor skillsinvolve the use and control of the large muscles of the back, legs, shoulders, and arms. • Walking, running, and throwing are all large motor skills. • Small motor skills depend on the use and control of the finer muscles of the wrists, fingers, and ankles. • Many of these skills (using crayons and paintbrushes, turning pages of books, eating) require hand-eye coordination.

9. Large Motor Skills • Physical exercise and repeated practice promote the development of large motor skills. • A child’s improvement in large motor skills is usually slow but steady.

11. Small Motor Skills • Between their first and second birthdays, children learn to feed themselves and drink from a cup fairly well. • At first, poor hand-eye coordination can lead to many spills, but they get better with practice. • There are many toys that help develop small motor skills (blocks, toy pianos, etc.). • Two-year-olds show improved dexterity– use of hands and fingers.

13. Section 11-1 Review • Why are children called toddlers? • What height and weight changes take place in these ages? • At about what age do most children have a complete set of primary teeth? • What vitamins and minerals are in milk and milk products that help contribute to healthy teeth? • Choose a large motor skill and explain how children develop this skill from ages 1 – 3. • What is dexterity?