3.

Physical and Motor Development of Preschoolers

3.1 Physical changes

Children begin to lose their baby fat, or chubbiness, around age 3. The child's trunk and
limbs grow longer, and the abdominal muscles form, tightening the appearance of the
stomach. Even at this early stage of life, boys tend to have more muscle mass than girls.
The preschoolers' physical proportions also continue to change, with their heads still
being disproportionately large, but less so than in toddlerhood.

Three‐year‐old preschoolers may grow to be about 38 inches tall and weigh about 32
pounds (14.5 kgs). For the next 3 years, healthy preschoolers grow an additional 2 to 3
inches and gain from 4 to 6 pounds (2‐3 kgs) per year. By age 6, children reach a height
of about 46 inches and weigh about 46 pounds (20 kgs). Of course, these figures are
averages and differ from child to child, depending on socioeconomic status,
nourishment, health, and heredity factors.

Brain development

Brain and nervous system developments during early childhood also continue to be
dramatic. The better developed the brain and nervous systems are the more complex
behavioral and cognitive abilities children are capable of.

The brain is comprised of two halves, the right and left cerebral
hemispheres. Lateralization refers to the localization of assorted functions,
competencies, and skills in either or both hemispheres. Specifically, language, writing,
logic, and mathematical skills seem to be located in the left hemisphere, while
creativity, fantasy, artistic, and musical skills seem to be located in the right
hemisphere. Although the hemispheres may have separate functions, these brain
masses almost always coordinate their functions and work together.

The two cerebral hemispheres develop at different rates, with the left hemisphere
developing more fully in early childhood (ages 2 to 6), and the right hemisphere
developing more fully in middle childhood (ages 7 to 11). The left hemisphere
predominates earlier and longer, which may explain why children acquire language so
early and quickly.

Another aspect of brain development is handedness, or preference for using one hand
over the other. Handedness appears to be strongly established by middle childhood.
About 90 percent of the general population is right‐handed, while the rest of the
population is left‐handed and/or ambidextrous. A person is ambidextrous if he or she
shows no preference for one hand over the other. Typically, right‐handedness is
associated with left‐cerebral dominance and left‐handedness with right‐cerebral
dominance.

Motor skills

Motor skills are physical abilities or capacities.

Gross motor skills‐ involve the use of large bodily movements.

 Running
 Jumping
 Hopping
 Turning
 Skipping
 Throwing
 Balancing
 Dancing

Fine motor skills- involve the use of small bodily movements.

 Drawing
 Writing
 tying shoelaces

Both gross and fine motor skills develop and are refined during early childhood;
however, fine motor skills develop more slowly in preschoolers. If you compare the
running abilities of a 2‐year‐old and a 6‐year‐old, for example, you may notice the
limited running skills of the 2‐year‐old. But the differences are even more striking when
comparing a 2‐year‐old and 6‐year‐old who are tying shoelaces. The 2‐year‐old has
difficulty grasping the concept before ever attempting or completing the task.

Albert Bandura's theory of observational learning is applicable to preschoolers'

learning gross and fine motor skills. Bandura states that once children are biologically
capable of learning certain behaviors, children must do the following in order to
develop new skills:

1. Observe the behavior in others.

2. Form a mental image of the behavior.
3. Imitate the behavior.
4. Practice the behavior.
5. Be motivated to repeat the behavior.

In other words, children must be ready, have adequate opportunities, and be interested
in developing motor skills to become competent at those skills.

Health

Preschoolers are generally quite healthy, but may develop medical problems. Typical
minor illnesses, which usually last no more than 14 days, includes;

 Colds
 Coughs
 Stomachaches

Respiratory ailments are the most common illnesses among children at this age because
preschoolers' lungs have not yet fully developed. Most childhood illnesses usually do
not require a physician's or nurse's attention. Additionally, minor illnesses may help
children to learn coping skills, particularly how to deal with physical discomfort and
distress. Minor illnesses may also help children learn empathy, or how to understand
someone else's discomfort and distress.

Preschoolers and Primary Graders

Physical Growth and Appearance of Preschoolers

During the preschool years, there is a steady increase in children’s height, weight, and
muscle tone. Compared with toddlers, preschoolers are longer and leaner. Their legs
and trunks continue to grow, and their heads are not so large in proportion to their
bodies. As preschoolers’ bodies develop over time, the areas in their brains that control
movement continue to mature, thus enabling them to perform gross‐motor skills such
as running, jumping, throwing, climbing, kicking, skipping, and fine‐motor skills such
as stringing beads, drawing, and cutting with scissors.
Influences on Physical Growth

Physical growth and development entails more than just becoming taller, stronger, or
larger. It involves a series of changes in body size, composition, and proportion.
Biological and environmental factors also affect physical growth and development. In
this section, we will examine factors that affect physical growth in young children.

 Brain development: Even though motor abilities in preschool emerge as a

result of physical growth and development, many new motor skills are also the
result of brain growth. In other words, movement involves more than simply
using arms or legs. Think about a preschooler kicking a ball back and forth with a
peer or caregiver. Being able to do this task can be attributed not only to skill
mastery and development, but also to the brain’s ability to organize visual and
auditory messages that guide a child to help make decisions, such as adjusting
movement, deciding how hard or soft to kick the ball, waiting if needed and
kicking the ball back accordingly. As a family child care provider, you can
enhance children’s brain development by engaging children in meaningful
interactions that enable them to form connections with their environment and
create understanding about how things work, how things are done, how to treat
others, how to deal with emotions, and how to go about their daily lives.
Ultimately, in doing so, you help children improve existing skills and acquire new
ones.
 Heredity: Genetic inheritance plays a significant part in children’s physical
growth. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that even though genes
influence children’s development, physical growth, like other aspects of
development, happens as the result of the interplay between heredity and the
environment. Think about your role in creating rich and stimulating environments
that foster children’s optimal physical development.
 Nutrition: In order to reach optimal physical growth and development,
especially at times when their brains and bodies are developing so rapidly, young
children require healthy, balanced diets that provide vitamins, minerals, and other
nutrients. As a family child care provider, you serve as a role model for children
by promoting these healthy habits yourself.
 Cultural differences: Despite universal patterns in child development, there are
variations, such as how children develop motor skills. Children’s environments,
places of origin, and particular life circumstances can affect how they develop and
master motor skills. Always be respectful and sensitive about children’s
backgrounds and prior experiences. Your goal is to help each child reach their full
potential.
 Development

Your child’s shape changes more than their height or weight in the years between their
3rd and 6th birthdays. You can expect your child to add about 4‐1/2 pounds and grow
about three inches each year.

Your preschooler’s body “makeover” begins at the top and works its way down. The
bones of the skull and face grow so that your child’s face loses some of its roundness,
and your child develops a more noticeable forehead, nose and chin. Meanwhile, the
upper and lower jaws begin to widen to make room for their permanent teeth. Your
child’s shoulders begin to narrow, their posture improves, and that “toddler tummy”
flattens.

Usually around the age of 3, your child becomes much more coordinated with running
or going up and down the stairs. By the end of their preschool years, your child should
be able to catch a bounced ball easily, kick a ball forward, and stand on one foot or hop.
Three‐year‐olds are so active that sometimes they find it easier to substitute a
movement for a word. They may run around the room with their arms spread out to
indicate flying instead of talking about flying.

Handedness is well established by the age of 3. If your child prefers to use his or her left
hand, do not try to change it. Lefties do just fine.

Your child’s ability to concentrate allows your child to take advantage of the small
muscle control in his or her hands. Your child should be able to copy a circle and to
scribble quite happily. When playing with blocks, your child can build a tower of nine
or more cubes.

This is a great age for crafts. Your child loves to practice cutting, painting and coloring.
For future gardeners, it is a great time to work in the garden. For future carpenters,
nothing beats the thrill of using a real screwdriver.

Self‐help skills should be much improved. At this age, children can feed themselves,
unbutton their clothes, and handle large zippers and snaps.

Developmental milestones are abilities (behavioral and physical) achieved as children

grow. Children reach different developmental milestones based on their age. As you
approach your preschoolers 5th Birthday, you might find that they are in need of a
developmental evaluation if he or she:

 is unable to jump in place

  is unable to hold a crayon correctly

 is unable to stack four blocks

 will not separate willingly from their parents

 is not interested in playing with other children

 is not interested in interactive games

 has difficulty throwing a ball overhand

 does not respond as well to non‐family members

 has no imaginative play

 is uncooperative with dressing, sleeping, toilet training

 has difficulty with self‐control when angered or upset

 is unable to give his or her first and last name

 does not use plurals or past tense properly

 does not use “me” and “you” correctly

 does not speak in sentences of more than three words

 seems unhappy or sad most of the time

Cognitive Development

Preschoolers continue to use magical thinking to solve problems or explain things. You
will be surprised what you learn when you ask your child a “why?” question. For
example, your preschooler may tell you that the sun comes up in the morning because
that is when it wakes up.

Sometimes an answer alerts you to a possible problem, such as your child believing that
his or her anger could make someone ill. Be firm when you explain that emotions do
not cause illness or harm to others.
Preschoolers are not logical thinkers. They believe what their eyes tell them even if it
makes no sense. Try this famous experiment with your preschooler to get a better
understanding of how your child thinks. Pour water from a tall, thin glass vase into a
wide, clear glass bowl. Make sure no water spills. Ask your preschooler which container
has more water. Very likely, your child will answer the tall, thin vase (or whichever
container appears larger to the child). It is unlikely that your preschooler will say that
the amount of water has not changed and it only looks different.

Even if you point out that no water was added or taken away, your preschooler believes
what he or she can see and pays no attention to logic. This is called prelogical thinking
and is absolutely normal and charming.

The Fabulous Five for Helping Preschoolers Learn

1. Keep it simple. Think about the safety rules you remember from your
childhood. “Look both ways before you cross the street.” “Stop, drop, and roll.”
“Buckle up.” It helps to make rules as simple as possible and to repeat them
using the same words.

2. Repetition is the glue of learning. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

3. Learning can be as easy as playing a game. Teach preschoolers safety rules by

playing “what‐if” games. First, teach the rule in simple words, and then ask your
child a “what‐if” question. For example, a fire safety rule for matches and
lighters is: “Do not touch. Tell an adult.” The “what‐if” game question might be:
“What if you found a lighter at Uncle Jim’s? What would you do?” The
preschooler should respond, “Do not touch. Tell an adult.” Preschoolers like
“what‐if” games. They like to get the answer right and they like to hear you
praise them for their correct answers.

4. Success makes success. In addition to praising your child for correct answers in
the “what‐if” game, praise your child whenever you see him or her using good
safety habits. If your preschooler holds onto the handrail when going down the
stairs, praise him or her for good safety habits on the stairs. Catch your child
doing something right as often as possible so that you will have plenty of
opportunities to praise them.

5. Be a good role model. Your preschooler wants to be just like you when he or she
grows up. Everything you do is being watched, so do things right! Make the rule.
 Teach the rule. Follow the rule. Be alert to children noticing when the rule is not
enforced or modified. Most importantly, keep lines of communication open.

Language Development

If you clap for your preschooler’s new athletic skills, you should give a standing ovation
for the marvelous accomplishments your child is making in language.

Consider this:

 1 year old: 2‐4 words in vocabulary

 1‐1/2 years old: 10 words in vocabulary

 3 years old: 1,000 words in vocabulary

 5 years old: 10,000 words in vocabulary

However, language is more than just vocabulary. Words must be combined into
sentences. Between the ages of 2 and 5, the number of words in a sentence usually
equals the child’s age (2‐word sentences by age 2, 3‐word sentences by age 3 and so on
to age 5). Children are also learning grammar. They practice all these skills by talking,
asking questions, and reading books.

Children learn language at different rates. A number of factors influence language

development – first‐born children may use language sooner than younger siblings, girls
may talk earlier than boys, and children whose parents were late talkers may follow in
their parents’ footsteps. Active children may just be too busy to slow down for a
conversation.

The best way to encourage language is by talking and listening to your child – in the
car, at the store, at the park, while you are eating, and when you are reading a bedtime
story to your child. Talk – listen – talk – listen, etc.

Emotional Development

Preschool years are a time of role‐playing. Role‐playing is practice for the future. Your
child may have difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and reality. Imaginary friends
may come to stay for a while. They usually disappear on their own, replaced by “flesh
and blood” playmates. Unfortunately, imaginary monsters are also common at this age
and are particularly bothersome at bedtime. Nightlights and reassurance go a long way
toward helping your child overcome those fears.

As your child nears age 5, playmates become increasingly important. Your child begins
to notice the way that other families do things, which can lead to requests for more
privileges and trendy clothing or toys. Your child may experiment with swearing. All of
these behaviors are signs that your child is trying to become independent. Your reaction
to unacceptable behaviors should separate the behavior from the child. For example, the
behavior is “bad,” not the child.

Preschoolers are quite aware of sexuality and may ask questions like “Where do babies
come from?” This is also a time when children discover and sometimes “play” with
their own bodies.

Diet

Your child’s requirement for dietary fat decreases in the preschool years. As your
preschooler’s body matures, it is time to cut down on high‐fat foods like whole milk
and cheese. The low‐fat diet that is good for you is now good for your child. Serve your
child a wide variety of foods including fruits and vegetables. Serve a variety of food
often and each these foods yourself.

Sleep

There are several normal sleep behaviors beginning in the preschool years that can be
very worrisome to parents:

Sleep Terrors: Sleep terrors, also called night terrors, may begin as young as age 1.
Sleep terrors differ from nightmares. Nightmares are frightening dreams during dream
sleep and can be remembered upon awaking. Sleep terrors occur in non‐dream sleep
and cannot be remembered upon awaking. They usually occur one to four hours after
falling asleep and last between 5 and 30 minutes. They may occur several times in one
night or only once in a lifetime. Sleep terrors are far worse for the parents than for the
child.

Typically, the child appears to be awake, screams, cries, may thrash, and looks very
frightened. Because the child is not fully awake, the child cannot be calmed. When the
episode ends, the child returns to full sleep. The good news is children outgrow sleep
terrors.
The best way to handle sleep terrors is to stay with your child so that you can protect
him or her from any injury caused by their thrashing movements. Do not turn on the
lights or try to wake your child. Your child will have no memory of the episode. It may
help to put your child to bed earlier in case being overtired is contributing to the
problem. If the night terrors are very frequent, discuss the problem with your doctor.

Sleep Talking: Sleep talking includes talking, laughing or crying out in sleep. Your
child is not aware of what is going on. Even if your child answers your questions, he or
she will have no memory of the conversation. Sleep talking is so common it is not
considered abnormal.

Sleep Walking: Sleep walking may involve only walking or may include a number of
other activities, including dressing, raiding the refrigerator, opening doors, and even
going up and down stairs. As with night terrors, do not try to wake your child. Gently
guide your child back to his or her bed and feel better knowing that your child will have
no memory of this in the morning. Assure all doors are latched securely to avoid
accidents.

Safety

Safety in the preschool years provides another parenting challenge. Early on, you
mastered the fine art of baby proofing. During the toddler years, you earned your halo
as a guardian angel. Now it is time to take on the responsibility of teaching your child
the responsibility of staying safe. In the toddler years, your teaching consisted of
warnings like “hot,” “do not touch,” and “no.” In the preschool years, it is time to teach
and enforce safety rules.

The Fabulous Five for Teaching Safety Rules

1. Set the rules.

2. Enforce the rules.

3. Be consistent.

4. Be reasonable.

5. Be firm.
 6.

7. ©2019 Riley Hospital for Children at

Indiana University Health
Find adult services at iuhealth.org

Infants and Babies

By 2 months

 Begin to push up when on tummy

 Start making deliberate movements with arms and legs
By 4 months

 Hold head upright

 Bear weight on legs when feet are flat on the floor
 Push up from tummy to elbows
By 6 months

 Sit without support

 Rock on hands and knees
 Roll over
 Move objects from one hand to the other
By 9 months

 Creep, crawl, scoot, and may start to pull to standing position

 Point at things
 Reach for and grab a toy
 Start picking up small pieces of food
By 12 months

 Drink from a sippy cup

 Shake and throw objects
 Stand with support and may start to stand unassisted
 Take a few steps while holding on to a person or a piece of furniture

Toddlers and Preschoolers

Ages 18 months–2 years

 Walk forward and backward

 Run
 Eat with a utensil
 Hold a thick crayon or marker
 Walk up and down stairs holding railing or person’s hand for support
 Throw a ball
Ages 3–4 years

 Alternate feet on the stairs

 Jump with two feet
 Put together a simple puzzle
 Use door handles
 Draw circles, squares, and very simple people
 May ride a tricycle
Grade-Schoolers

Ages 5–6 years

 Run, hop, skip, and jump

 Perform basic dance moves
 Throw and kick a ball, and catch it with two hands
 Copy shapes and letters
 Brush own teeth
 Use spoons and forks the right way
 May start to play a musical instrument
Ages 7–8 years

 Ride a bike without training wheels

 Show sports skills like catching a small ball
 Do chores like sweeping or making the bed
 Tie shoes and button and zip independently
Ages 9–10 years

 Coordinate movements like dribbling and shooting a basketball

 Use tools and draw with less frustration

Source: Coordination and Motor Skills: What to Expect at Different Ages

By Amanda Morin
Physical Characteristics of the Preschool Child

RH

Roberta Henry

Dynamic

Walks forward heel to toe 5 steps

Hop on one foot five hops

Hop on other foot five hops

Height

Build uneven tower of blocks

Pour water from a pitcher

Copy a circle with some skill

Draw a straight line

Ages 3‐5

Dynamic Balance

Moving balance

Walk,run, skip

Easier to develop than static balance

Static

Stand on one foot for 5 seconds

Stand on other foot for 5 seconds

Most grow steadily 2 1/2 inches‐3 inches each year

Girls are shorter than boys by ½ inch

Static

Stand on one foot for 10 seconds

Stand on other foot for 10 seconds

Stand on one foot with eyes closed for 1 second

Stand on other foot with eyes closed for 1 second

Fine Motor Skills—5 Years

Physical Characteristics of the Preschool Child

Age 3

Static Balance

Still balance

Stand on one foot, stand with arms folded

Balance—5 Years

Age 5

Physical Characteristics of the Preschool Child

Boys –38 inches

Girls—37 ¼ inches

Boys—32 ½ pounds

Girls—31 ¾ pounds

Balance—4 years

Boys—40 ¾ inches

Girls—40 ½ inches

Boys—36 ½ pounds
Girls—36 ¼ pounds

Gross Motor Skills

Boys—43 ¼ inches

Girls—43 inches

Boys—41 ½ pounds

Girls—41 pounds

Dynamic

Up stairs with alternate feet

Walk heel to toe 4 steps without excessive hand movement

Fine Motor Skills –3 Years

Balance‐3 Years

Dynamic

Walk backwards toe to heel four steps

What is the physical difference between a 3,4 and 5 year old child?

Cut on line with scissors

Washes hands

Copies a letter T

Makes a few letters

Fine Motor Skills—4 Years

Folds paper along diagonal

Copies a square and triangle

Traces a diamond shape

Laces shoes and may tie them

Copies most letters

Age 4

Static

Stand on one foot for 10 seconds

Stand on other foot for 10 seconds

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Physical changes

Children begin to lose their baby fat, or chubbiness, around age 3. Toddlers soon
acquire the leaner, more athletic look associated with childhood. The child's trunk and
limbs grow longer, and the abdominal muscles form, tightening the appearance of the
stomach. Even at this early stage of life, boys tend to have more muscle mass than girls.
The preschoolers' physical proportions also continue to change, with their heads still
being disproportionately large, but less so than in toddlerhood.

Three‐year‐old preschoolers may grow to be about 38 inches tall and weigh about 32
pounds. For the next 3 years, healthy preschoolers grow an additional 2 to 3 inches and
gain from 4 to 6 pounds per year. By age 6, children reach a height of about 46 inches
and weigh about 46 pounds. Of course, these figures are averages and differ from child
to child, depending on socioeconomic status, nourishment, health, and heredity factors.

Brain development

Brain and nervous system developments during early childhood also continue to be
dramatic. The better developed the brain and nervous systems are, the more complex
behavioral and cognitive abilities children are capable of.

The brain is comprised of two halves, the right and left cerebral
hemispheres. Lateralization refers to the localization of assorted functions,
competencies, and skills in either or both hemispheres. Specifically, language, writing,
logic, and mathematical skills seem to be located in the left hemisphere, while
creativity, fantasy, artistic, and musical skills seem to be located in the right
hemisphere. Although the hemispheres may have separate functions, these brain
masses almost always coordinate their functions and work together.

The two cerebral hemispheres develop at different rates, with the left hemisphere
developing more fully in early childhood (ages 2 to 6), and the right hemisphere
developing more fully in middle childhood (ages 7 to 11). The left hemisphere
predominates earlier and longer, which may explain why children acquire language so
early and quickly.

Another aspect of brain development is handedness, or preference for using one hand
over the other. Handedness appears to be strongly established by middle childhood.
About 90 percent of the general population is right‐handed, while the rest of the
population is left‐handed and/or ambidextrous. A person is ambidextrous if he or she
shows no preference for one hand over the other. Typically, right‐handedness is
associated with left‐cerebral dominance and left‐handedness with right‐cerebral
dominance.

The nervous system undergoes changes in early childhood, too. The majority of a
child's neurons, or cells that make up nerves, form prenatally. However, the glial
cells, (nervous system support cells surrounding neurons) that nourish, insulate, and
remove waste from the neurons without actually transmitting information themselves,
develop most rapidly during infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood. The myelin
sheaths that surround, insulate, and increase the efficiency of neurons (by speeding up
the action potential along the axon) also form rapidly during the first few years of life.
The postnatal developments of glial cells and myelin sheaths help to explain why older
children may perform behaviors that younger children are not capable of.

Motor skills

Motor skills are physical abilities or capacities. Gross motor skills,which include
running, jumping, hopping, turning, skipping, throwing, balancing, and dancing,
involve the use of large bodily movements. Fine motor skills, which include drawing,
writing, and tying shoelaces, involve the use of small bodily movements. Both gross
and fine motor skills develop and are refined during early childhood; however, fine
motor skills develop more slowly in preschoolers. If you compare the running abilities
of a 2‐year‐old and a 6‐year‐old, for example, you may notice the limited running skills
of the 2‐year‐old. But the differences are even more striking when comparing a 2‐year‐
old and 6‐year‐old who are tying shoelaces. The 2‐year‐old has difficulty grasping the
concept before ever attempting or completing the task.

Albert Bandura's theory of observational learning is applicable to preschoolers'

learning gross and fine motor skills. Bandura states that once children are biologically
capable of learning certain behaviors, children must do the following in order to
develop new skills:

1. Observe the behavior in others.

2. Form a mental image of the behavior.

3. Imitate the behavior.

4. Practice the behavior.

5. Be motivated to repeat the behavior.

In other words, children must be ready, have adequate opportunities, and be interested
in developing motor skills to become competent at those skills.

Health

Preschoolers are generally quite healthy, but may develop medical problems. Typical
minor illnesses, which usually last no more than 14 days, include colds, coughs, and
stomachaches. Respiratory ailments are the most common illnesses among children at
this age because preschoolers' lungs have not yet fully developed. Most childhood
illnesses usually do not require a physician's or nurse's attention. Additionally, minor
illnesses may help children to learn coping skills, particularly how to deal with physical
discomfort and distress. Minor illnesses may also help children learn empathy, or how
to understand someone else's discomfort and distress.