Lecture 2 - Preschool 3-6 years

Question 1

How would you describe the behavior of preschoolers? How old are they?

Answer 1

3-6 years old.

Becoming more independent and courageous through confronting and mastering new challenges.

Question 2

How do preschoolers grow from ages 3-6 years? How many teeth do they have? How much do they sleep?

Answer 2

Gain about 4-5 lbs a year and grow about 2-3 inches a year.

Have all 20 primary 20 teeth by three and sleep about 11-13 hours a day (usually without naps but this can include rest periods).

Question 3

Describe the growth motor development of 3 year olds?

Answer 3

Can use large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run.

Can pedal a tricycle, walk up and down stairs one food on each stair, and self dress with supervision.

Question 4

Describe the puzzles and block towers that can be completed by a 3 year old?

Answer 4

Puzzle with 3-4 pieces.

Block tower with 6 blocks.

Question 5

What fine motor skills does a three year old have?

Answer 5

Can draw circle, a person with three parts, begin to use a blunt nosed scissors, and turn the page of a normal book.

Question 6

What are some cognitive abilities of a three year old child?

Answer 6

Understands the meaning of two (may be able to count higher but actually understands what the number 2 means)

Makes believe with doll and animals

Question 7

Describe the language of a three year old?

Answer 7

Pronouns and prepositions used appropriately.

Understands “in”, “on”, and “under”.

Can say their name, age, and sex.

Can understand them most of the time.

Question 8

Describe the social abilities of a three year old?

Answer 8

Copies adults, takes turns in games, shows emotions, separates from mom and dad easily, and gets upset with major changes in routine.

Question 9

What are the gross motor abilities of a four year old?

Answer 9

Can steer tricycle, hop on one foot for 2 sec, balance on one foot for 5 sec, and can put clothes on properly.

Can eat neatly.

Question 10

At what age should a child have 20/20 vision?

Answer 10

By age four.

Question 11

What are some fine motor skills that a four year old should have?

Answer 11

Can draw intersecting lines (plus sign), a person with 2-4 body parts, can cut in a straight line with scissors, and can copy some capital letters.

Question 12

What cognitive abilities should a four year old have?

Answer 12

Count to four, name four colors, understand size relationships, and can do simple board games.

Question 13

What is the language of a four year old like?

Answer 13

Usually uses ‘he’ and ‘she’ correctly.

Follows a three step command.

Enjoys rhythms, can sing simple songs.

Question 14

What are some social abilities of a four year old?

Answer 14

Prefers playing with other children, creative with make believe play, begins peer games with rules.

Cannot always tell make believe from reality.

Likes to play with mom and dad (primary care taker).

Question 15

What are some gross motor skills that a five year old should have?

Answer 15

Heel to toe walking, stand on one foot for 10+ sec, hops, uses fork and spoon well.

Can use toilet on own (may not be able to wipe).

Question 16

What are some fine motor skills that a five year old should have?

Answer 16

Drawing a triangle, a person with 6 part, spreading with a knife, and can print some capital letters and numbers.

Question 17

What are some cognitive abilities that a five year old should display?

Answer 17

Early concepts of time (future vs present)

Count to ten, knows phone #

Knows first and last name and address

Can respond to “why?” questions.

Can tell what’s real and make believe

Question 18

What are language abilities that a five year old should display?

Answer 18

Speaks clearly, tells a simple story, uses future tense.

Question 19

What are some social characteristics often displayed by five year olds?

Answer 19

Walk to please and be like friends.

More likely to agree with rules.

Shows concern and sympathy towards others.

Aware of gender.

Question 20

What is the basis of Erik Erickson’s Psychosocial theory?

Answer 20

That each stage has a crisis that has to be worked out and a virtue that is obtained in working on this crisis.

Achievement of working on crisis allows progression; failure results in continued problems.

Question 21

According to Erik Erickson, what psychosocial crisis are preschoolers (3-6 yo) faced with? What relationship is significant in this period? What virtue do they develop?

Answer 21

Initiative vs. guilt

Family relationship important because parents letting their child make mistakes allows them to learn and develop the virtue of purpose.

Question 22

According to Erik Erickson, what existential question is faced by children in their preschool years (ages 3-6)?

Answer 22

Is it okay for me to do, move, act, and be who I am?

Question 23

How can a child fail during the initiative vs. guilt stage described by erikson?

Answer 23

If a parent hovers and controls everything they do, the child will develop guilt for trying to explore and learn.

This will become an issue and could cause the child to become increasingly hesitant.

Question 24

How did Piaget describe development?

Answer 24

He said that children’s growth is based on their cognitive ability to understand themselves and the world.

Question 25

According to Piaget, what stage of cognitive development are preschoolers in?

What are children working on in this stage and what do and don’t they understand cognitively?

Answer 25

The preoperational stage (2-7 years).

They work to understand the world through language and mental images. They understand rules and consequences but do not yet understand logic.

Question 26

What does it mean if a child is egocentric?

Answer 26

That a child is unable to imagine the perspective of other.

Question 27

How does imaginative thinking work in children? What is a negative aspect of this?

Answer 27

It often attributes feelings to toys/stuffed animals.

Child may connect illogical feelings and make them logical to themselves “I was bad so my parent got a flat tire”

Question 28

How do children often draw a person with the arms and/or legs coming from a head? Why is this concept important?

Answer 28

Because to them the body is one thing, not separate parts: “my arm is broken therefore I am broken”

Always ask the child if they have any questions while you are seeing them. You cannot assume the connections that their brain is making and they may have concerns that you and the parents wouldn’t normally expect.

Question 29

According to Freud’s psychosexual theory, what stage are preschoolers in? What realizations are supposedly made by the child?

Answer 29

Phallic stage, in which our physical area of pleasure is the driver.

Become aware of differences between sexes. Genitals are associated with pleasure.

Question 30

What is the Oedipus Complex?

Answer 30

Murderous feelings for dad, which leads to guilt and fear of retaliation and “castration anxiety”

Question 31

What is the electra complex?

Answer 31

When you can choose between many guys, but you fall in love with the one who’s just like your father.

Question 32

According to freud, what was the resolution to the phallic stage?

Answer 32

The development of the superego (the conscience).

Question 33

What did Kohlberg theorize about our development?

Answer 33

That we are social creatures that are developing morality.

Question 34

What is the first level of moral development described by Kohlberg? What are the two stages?

Answer 34

Pre-morality:

• Doing what is right because of fear of punishment
• Doing what is right for personal gain, perhaps a reward

Question 35

What is the second level of moral development as described by Kohlberg? What are the two stages?

Answer 35

Conventional Morality:

• Doing what is right according to the majority to be a good boy/girl
• Doing what is right because it is your duty and helps society

Question 36

What is the third level of moral development as described by Kohlberg? What are the two stages?

Answer 36

Post-Conventional Morality:

• Doing what is right even if it’s against the law because the law is too restrictive
• Doing what is right because or our inner conscience

Question 37

According to Kohlberg’s Pre-conventional level of moral development, what are three reasons why a child tell the truth?

Answer 37

Telling the truth so the teacher thinks I am good.

Telling the truth so I won’t get in trouble.

Telling the truth because…it’s what you’re supposed to do.

Question 38

What teachable moments can be used for children in the pre-conventional level of moral development (ie what can the parent ask of the child)?

Answer 38

1. What happened?
2. Why was it wrong?
3. What will you do next time?