Exam 2 Flashcards
How does physical growth (height and weight) change during early childhood?
Average growth slows down to 2.5 inches and 5 to 10 pounds per year during early childhood
What are brain changes that occur during early childhood?
At 3 years: brain is 75% of adult size
At 6 years: brain is 95% of adult size
- Myelination continues
- Spurts of growth, especially in frontal lobes
What are some gross motor and fine motor skills during this age range? (early childhood)
3 years:
- gross: Jumps off ground with both feet; Walk backwards
- fine: use fork, scissors
4 years:
- gross: Catches a large ball most of the time; Perform somersaults
- fine: unbutton buttons, hold pencil between fingers
5 years:
- gross: throw ball, bike
- fine: dress independently, copy simple drawings
Egocentrism
Perceiving the world solely from one’s own point of view
Animism
the belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action
Conservation concept
Changing the appearance of objects does not necessarily change the properties
Centration
a centering of attention on one characteristic to the exclusion of all others
Zone of proximal development
the range of tasks too difficult for the child alone but that can be learned with guidance
Scaffolding, what makes scaffolding successful?
More knowledgeable other changes the level of support and instruction provided to master a task
Gaining and maintaining the learner’s interest in the task.
Making the task simple.
Emphasizing certain aspects that will help with the solution.
Control the child’s level of frustration.
Demonstrate the task.
Private speech
Child discusses aloud (to his/herself) what to do
What are the components of executive functioning? How does this help us understand the cognitive gains that children get?
sensory input enters the sensory memory (unattended info is lost) attention reaches the short term memory where rehearsal is maintained (unrehearsed material is lost) we encode short-term to long term and retrieve long-term from short-term (some info may be lost in long term)
How does attention change in the early childhood years?
start to have executive attention (planning, goals, monitoring) and sustained attention (engagement with the environment)
How does short-term memory change in the early childhood years?
have great memory but are susceptible to suggestive questions
What is Erikson’s stage of initiative vs. guilt?
initiative: i can do it mentality
guilt: they mess up and think they are a bad child
Self
Physical characteristics
Personality traits
Personal preferences
Social and familial relationships
Details of ethnicity, culture, national origin
How does self-concept change over development?
Begins with concrete, physical descriptions
Becomes complex as children get older
Based on direct and indirect evaluations of others
Development of self-conscious emotions
Very positive / confident self appraisals
Pretend play
symbolic play: make-believe play
social play: interaction with others
constructive play: create something new
Sociodramatic play
children create a miniature drama either of other children or adults
Peers
People of approximately the same age and status
Friendship
An intimate, reciprocated positive relationship between two people
Who do we become friends with in early childhood?
similarity: interest/behavior, cognitive maturity, academic motivation, age, emotion
proximity
What do friends do for children?
support and validation
develop cognitive and social skills
possible costs (aggression)
gender differences
Age range (middle childhood)
6 to about 10-11 years old
Brain development (prefrontal cortex)
(middle childhood)
What does brain development mean for cognitive or social changes?
Prefrontal cortex growth = better attention
More localized and focused activation of the brain
Improved connectivity between lobes of the brain
