The Play Years: Biosocial Development Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D., Grand Rapids Community College The Developing Person Through Childhood.

The Play Years: Biosocial Development

Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D., Grand Rapids Community College

The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence by Kathleen Stassen Berger

Chapter 8

Seventh Edition

Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 8

Growth Patterns from 2-6 years Children become slimmer, more muscular,

and gain almost 3˝ and 4½ lbs per year.

Growth is influenced by:Ethnic and cultural practicesSocioeconomic statusGenesNutrition


Make It Real: Memories of Meals

How did your caregivers handle mealtimes when you were little? (e.g., Were you required to clean your plate?)

Do you think the mealtime practices affected your eating habits as an adult in any way?


Eating Habits in the Play Years Young children tend to be picky eaters

who insist on rituals.

Example: a toddler refuses to eat foods that are touching each other, or she wants to drink only from a certain cup

Too much fat and sugar, and too little iron, calcium, and zinc are problems.


It must be “just right.”


Brain Development

There is considerable brain development in the play years.

For example, by age 5, the brain is 90% of its adult weight.

PHOTODISC


The Importance of Myelination Myelination speeds up neural transmission,

leading to improvements in memory, impulse control, and contemplation.

Both maturation and practice affect this process.


Connecting the Brain’s Hemispheres

The corpus callosum myelinates rapidly during the play years.

This leads to more efficient communication between hemispheres.

Therefore, kids can more easily perform actions that involve both halves of the brain or body.



The Left-Handed Child

Along with genes, experience affects hand preference…just ask any “natural” left-hander whose teacher forced him to be right-handed!

Most societies favor right-handedness.


The Whole Brain

Although each hemisphere of the brain specializes in certain functions (i.e., lateralization), the whole brain is involved in every cognitive skill.

The brains of young children compensate more easily for the effects of brain damage, should it occur.


The prefrontal cortex (or frontal lobe) is essential for higher order cognition, including planning and impulse control.

This begins to develop during the play years But is not fully mature until early 20s

Development helps with impulse control (e.g., “Simon Says”).

Planning and Analyzing


Attention

The prefrontal cortex helps regulate attention, influencing impulse control.

Perseveration is the tendency to stick to one thought or action. Example: Your niece sings the “Barney” song

the entire ride across town.


The Limbic System

The limbic system is crucial for the expression and regulation of emotions.


Parts of the Limbic System

Amygdala: registers emotions, especially fear and anxiety

Its increased activity in early childhood can lead to nightmares, irrational fears


Parts of the Limbic System

The hippocampus processes memory, especially of locations.

However, memories of location are fragile in childhood, and young children might forget where, when, or how a fact was learned.


Hypothalamus: produces hormones that regulate the body, including stress hormones

Too much stress in childhood can destroy neurons of the hippocampus, leading to permanent memory and learning deficits.

Parts of the Limbic System (cont.)


Brain Damage

Shaken baby syndrome leads to brain damage or death.

A mother’s clinical depression can lead to neglect, altering the child’s brain and increasing his/her risk of depression.

Institutionalization creates underactive limbic systems and lack of lateralization.


Development of Motor

Skills

TONY FREEMAN / PHOTOEDIT


Gross Motor Skills

These involve large muscle movementsExamples: crawl, walk, run, jump, skip

They develop through maturation and practice (especially play with peers).


Fine Motor Skills

These involve small muscle movementsExamples: holding a spoon, buttoning, tying

shoes, pouring juice, cutting food, scribbling, etc.

These are more difficult to master, requiring muscular control and patience




Artistic Expression

Young children love to draw, dance, build, and often show perseveration in doing so!

Their artistic abilities increase with age.

Example: Many children first draw a “tadpole”: a face and two sticks for the body.


Artistic Expressio

n


Avoidable Injuries

Young children ages 1−4 yrs are the most vulnerable age group to accidental death.

Examples: Falls, swallowing poison, burning, drowning, and choking are common causes.

Parents, legislators, and others can help provide injury control.


Primary prevention: actions that prevent injury

Secondary prevention: reduces dangers of high-risk situations

Tertiary prevention: actions taken after an adverse event occurs to reduce harm

Three Levels of Prevention


Example: Prevention of Pedestrian Deaths

Primary: sidewalks, speed bumps, etc.

Secondary: requiring flashing lights on school buses, using crossing guards

Tertiary: laws against hit and run drivers, well trained ambulance drivers

Three Levels of Prevention (cont.)


Educating parents is important.

But laws seem to be most effective.e.g., fences around swimming pools, child

safety seats, etc.

Parents, Education, and Protection


Make it Real: Child Maltreatment Have you ever

wondered whether a particular child was being maltreated? Have you ever confronted a parent about it?

MISHAWAKA POLICE DEPARTMENT / GETTY IMAGES


Terminology

Child maltreatment: harm or neglect of children under age 18 years

Child Abuse: Deliberate harm

Child Neglect: Inaction that leads to harm

Neglect is twice as common as abuse


Reporting Child Maltreatment Teachers, social workers, doctors, etc. are

required by law to report cases

Substantiated maltreatment: means a reported case was investigated and verified

In the U.S., there are about 3 million reported and 1 million substantiated cases per year


Warning Signs of Maltreatment

Failure to thrive: an otherwise healthy infant or young child does not gain weight

Post-traumatic stress disorder: easily startled, nightmares, headaches, etc.

Hypervigilance: excessive watchfulness



Consequences of Maltreatment Abused and neglected children are at

higher risk of:

Death, sickness, brain damage, malnutrition, lack of stimulation, poor social skills (aggressive or withdrawn), substance abuse, depression, behavioral problems

Not to mention the intense feelings of loss of the “perfect” family…


Prevention Primary: stable neighborhoods, income

equality, social support

Secondary: home visits, high-quality child careThese must consider cultural values, and

strengthen parenting skills

Tertiary: remove the child from the home


Permanency Planning

Permanency planning involves setting goals and a timetable for long-term care of a child.

Foster care is legally sanctioned care of a child by nonrelatives.

Kinship care is care by relatives.

Adoption is an option, but is difficult to achieve.

The Play Years: Biosocial Development Slides prepared by Kate Byerwalter, Ph.D., Grand Rapids Community College The Developing Person Through Childhood.

Documents

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brain developmentthere

considerable brain development

impulse control

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effects of brain damage

brains of young children