Developmental Project

7/29/2019 Developmental Project

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/developmental-project 1/4

Overview of Physical Development

Physical development refers to the changes in a child’s body, brain, and motor skills. Physical development is the constant shift in early

childhood maturation and is proven to be a pivotal point in their lives. During a child’s primary years, we see height change, weight gain and

loss, strengthening of muscles, sharpened speech and memory, and transformations in writing and drawing skills.

Body Growth

Typically, during infancy, children grow at a rapid pace. On average, infants increase their height by 50% in their first year and 75% by age 2(Perry & Woolfolk, p. 168). Often, one would see a muscular build in males and a larger percentage of fat in females. The top percentile for

the weight of 2-year old males fall between 32-36 lbs., while the bottom percentile is 22-28 lbs. For females, the top percentile for weight is

30-32 lbs., while the bottom percentile is 22-28 lbs. By age 7, males and females should be approximately 68-70 lbs.

It is important to acknowledge the heredity and cultural differences play a massive role in the body growth of a child and so the above data

reflects an “on average” perspective. However, considering that children are most active during their toddler to young adolescent years and

childhood growth is a primary phase of early childhood development, physical attributes such as obesity and muscular development should

not fall too far below or above these averages. Nature and nurture are elements that are both at play during these stages (Perry & Woolfolk,

p. 170).

Brain Development

During early childhood, brain development is another area that tends to signal how the child is progressing in relation to their overall

development. It is during brain development where we start to see signs of where a child is cognitively. By the time children are 3 years old,

their brain has typically reached 75% of their adult brain size and 90% by age 5. Myelination is a process where the growth and coating of

neural fibers take place causing a child’s memory to increase (Perry & Woolfolk, p. 171). As children develop, one tends to notice how they

are able to recall incidents and sequences of events with a higher sense of efficiency.

Motor Development

Gross motor development refers to the stretching and movement of large muscle groups in the body. Due to the enhancement of connective

neurons in the brain, balance and eye-hand coordination strengthens enabling young adolescent children to maintain balance and improve

vision (Perry & Woolfolk, p. 172). Typically, children naturally develop and fine-tune their motor skills through common activities that they

frequently engage in (climbing, running, walking, etc.). It does not require much teaching to develop gross motor skills. According to Child

and Adolescent Development, cultural norms and practices can often reflect dissonance between children. Those of African descent tend to

have more advanced motor development than those of Europen descent (Cratty, 1986). Gender also plays a role in gross motor

development, as males tend to be stronger and more physically active than girls, yet girls are stronger when it comes to motor coordination

(Perry & Woolfolk, p. 172-173).

Fine motor development refers to the movements of smaller muscles in the body. Usually, movements such as holding a pencil, using a

utensil to eat, or tying shoelaces reveal how a child is developing their fine motor skills (Perry & Woolfolk, p. 174). Fine motor skills aresharpened through the use of constant practice of various activities. If a child is not provided the opportunity to write (including the hand



the child uses to write), draw, or handle tasks requiring the use of smaller muscles, it becomes difficult for this area of development to

become strengthened.

The table below highlights specific areas of physical development supported by research and classroom observations.

Developmental

Area

Research-Based Evidence Observation-Based Evidence Synthesis

Physical

Development

(Pre-

Kindergarten;

ages 3-4)

Physical Behaviors:

Short attention span

Requires minimal paper-

pencil tasks

Outdoor play is key (25%

of day should be spent

engaging in physical

activities

Often clumsy

Gross Motor Skills:

Overhand throwing of the ball

with accuracy

Awkward with handwriting

and prefers use of large items

such as blocks and large

writing utensils

Catches ball from a distance Can balance on one foot

Tumbles in PE classes

Needs climbing apparatus on

playground

Fine Motor Skills:

Struggle to switch focus from

near and far objects

Builds towers with blocks

Can cut with scissors

Holds pencil like adult (older

fours)

Can copy shapes

Uses whole hand to write

Gross Motor Skills:

Fine Motor Skills:



Physical

Development

(Kindergarten;

ages 4-5)

Physical Behaviors:

Physically active; requires

play

Clear focus on close, at-

hand objects

Better control of running

and jumping

Holds pencil with 3-finger

grasp

Tends to fall out of seat

sideways

Gross Motor Skills:

Enjoys structured games

with physical activity (ie:Duck, Duck, Goose)

Learns best through

repetition

May draw same picture

when being creative (fear

of trying new things)

Learns best through use of

manipulatives

Thinks aloud

Throws ball in the air andcan catch it

Fine Motor Skills:

Accurate cutting with use

of scissors

Build tall towers of blocks

Often need to point to

words when reading

Occasionally reverse letters

Gross Motor Skills:

Fine Motor Skills:



Struggle to space words

apart when writing

Physical

Development

(1st Grade; ages

5-6)

Gross Motor Skills:

Fine Motor Skills:

Gross Motor Skills:

Fine Motor Skills:

Physical

Development

(2nd Grade;

ages 6-7)

Gross Motor Skills:

Fine Motor Skills:

Gross Motor Skills:

Fine Motor Skills:

Developmental Project

Documents

Transcript of Developmental Project