{"id":1557,"date":"2019-01-14T13:48:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T13:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1557"},"modified":"2024-04-30T19:13:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T19:13:08","slug":"physical-development-in-early-childhood","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/chapter\/physical-development-in-early-childhood\/","title":{"raw":"Physical Development in Early Childhood","rendered":"Physical Development in Early Childhood"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Describe changes in the brain during early childhood<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Give examples of gross and fine motor skill development in early childhood<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Brain Maturation<\/h2>\r\nIf you recall, the brain is about 75 percent of its adult weight by two years of age.\u00a0By age 6, it is at 95 percent of its adult weight. The development of myelin (<strong>myelination<\/strong>) and the development of new synapses (through the process of synaptic pruning) continues to occur in the cortex and as it does we see a corresponding change in what the child is capable of doing.\u00a0Remember that myelin is the coating around the axon that facilitates neural transmission. <strong>Synaptic pruning<\/strong> refers to the loss of synapses which are unused. As myelination and pruning increase during this stage of development, neural processes become quicker and more complex.\r\n\r\nGreater development in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain behind the forehead that helps us to think, strategize, and control emotions, makes it increasingly possible to control emotional outbursts and to understand how to play games.\u00a0Consider 4- or 5-year-old children and how they might approach a game of soccer.\u00a0Chances are every move would be a response to the commands of a coach standing nearby calling out, \u201cRun this way!\u00a0Now, stop.\u00a0Look at the ball.\u00a0Kick the ball!\u201d\u00a0And when the child is not being told what to do, they are likely to be looking at the clover on the ground or a dog on the other side of the fence!\u00a0Understanding the game, thinking ahead, and coordinating movement improves with practice and myelination. Demonstrating resilience and recovering from a loss, hopefully, does as well.\r\n<h3><strong>Growth in the hemispheres and corpus callosum<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nBetween ages 3 and 6, the left hemisphere of the brain, which tends to lag behind in terms of activity during the first 3 years of life, increases in activity, which correlates with the burst in language skills during this time period. Activity in the right hemisphere grows steadily throughout early childhood and is especially involved in tasks that require spatial skills such as recognizing shapes and patterns. Both sides of the brain work together, however, and there is no such thing as a person being either left-brained or right-brained. The corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain, undergoes a growth spurt between ages 3 and 6 as well resulting in improved coordination between right and left hemisphere tasks.\r\n\r\nI once saw a 5-year-old hopping on one foot, rubbing his stomach and patting his head all at the same time.\u00a0I asked him what he was doing and he replied, \u201cMy teacher said this would help my corpus callosum!\u201d\u00a0Apparently, his kindergarten teacher had explained the process!\r\n<h3>Visual Pathways<\/h3>\r\nHave you ever examined the drawings of young children?\u00a0If you look closely, you can almost see the development of visual pathways reflected in the way these images change as pathways become more mature.\u00a0Early scribbles and dots illustrate the use of simple motor skills. No real connection is made between an image being visualized and what is created on paper.\r\n\r\nAt age 3, the child begins to draw wispy creatures with heads and not much other detail.\u00a0Gradually pictures begin to have more detail and incorporate more parts of the body.\u00a0Arm buds become arms and faces take on noses, lips, and eventually eyelashes.\u00a0Look for drawings that you or your child has created to see this fascinating trend. Here are some examples of pictures drawn by girls from ages 2 to 7 years.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1562\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"504\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1562 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3707\/2014\/09\/14140446\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-14-at-9.04.24-AM.png\" alt=\"Four images drawn by young girls. The top left image shows lots of scribbles and lines, drawn by a 2 year old. The next image shows a stick-figure type drawing with a large head, rectangular body, and lines for legs. Next comes a stick-figure with more detail, like eyelashes, teeth, and fingers. Lastly, the drawing of a girl shows the full detail of a face with hair, freckles, red lips, and neatly-colored clothing.\" width=\"504\" height=\"521\" \/> <strong>Figure 1.<\/strong> These drawings demonstrate the progression in both drawing skill and visual processing during early childhood. The top left drawing is done by a 2-year old, and the bottom right image is drawn by a 7-year old.\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 1rem; text-align: initial; background-color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/a39b8cdd-f30a-47de-82e0-b6b0e9abb3ce\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2><strong>Motor Skill Development\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nRemember that <strong>g<\/strong><span id=\"term610\"><strong>ross motor skills<\/strong>\u00a0are<\/span>\u00a0voluntary movements involving the use of large muscle groups while <strong>f<\/strong><strong>ine motor skills<\/strong>\u00a0are more exact movements of the hands and fingers and include the ability to reach and grasp an object. Early childhood is a time of development of both gross and fine motor skills.\r\n\r\nEarly childhood is a time when children are especially attracted to motion and song.\u00a0Days are filled with moving, jumping, running, swinging and clapping, and every place becomes a playground.\u00a0Even the booth at a restaurant affords the opportunity to slide around in the seat or disappear underneath and imagine being a sea creature in a cave!\u00a0Of course, this can be frustrating to a caregiver, but it\u2019s the business of early childhood. Children may frequently ask their caregivers to \u201clook at\u00a0me\u201d while they hop or roll down a hill.\u00a0Children\u2019s songs are often accompanied by arm and leg movements or cues to turn around or move from left to right. Running, jumping, dancing movements, etc. all afford children the ability to improve their gross motor skills.\r\n\r\nFine motor skills\u00a0are also being refined in activities such as pouring water into a container, drawing, coloring, and using scissors.\u00a0Some children\u2019s songs promote fine motor skills as well (have you ever heard of the song \u201citsy, bitsy, spider\u201d?).\u00a0Mastering the fine art of cutting one\u2019s own fingernails or tying their shoes will take a lot of practice and maturation. Fine motor skills continue to develop in middle childhood, but for preschoolers, the type of play that deliberately involves these skills is emphasized.\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\r\nWatch this video to see examples of gross motor development during early childhood.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"\/\/plugin.3playmedia.com\/show?mf=3935281&amp;p3sdk_version=1.10.1&amp;p=20361&amp;pt=375&amp;video_id=W0697717ZdU&amp;video_target=tpm-plugin-d5y2s0s9-W0697717ZdU\" width=\"800px\" height=\"520px\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\nYou can <a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/Lifespan+Development\/Transcriptions\/EarlyChildhoodGrossMotorDevelopment_transcript.txt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">view the transcript for \"Early Childhood Gross Motor Development ch8\" here (opens in new window)<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/9d0d6e59-3966-4d06-84c0-f09a8573abcc\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Sexual Development in Early Childhood<\/h2>\r\nHistorically, children have been thought of as innocent or incapable of sexual arousal (Aries, 1962). A more modern approach to sexuality suggests that the physical dimension of sexual arousal is present from birth. That said, it seems to be the case that the elements of seduction, power, love, or lust that are part of the adult meanings of sexuality are not present in sexual arousal at this stage. In contrast, sexuality begins in childhood as a response to physical states and sensation and cannot be interpreted as similar to that of adults in any way (Carroll, 2007).\r\n<h3><strong>Infancy<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nBoys and girls are capable of erections and vaginal lubrication even before birth (Martinson, 1981).\u00a0Arousal can signal overall physical contentment and stimulation that accompanies feeding or warmth. Infants begin to explore their bodies and touch their genitals as soon as they have sufficient motor skills.\u00a0This stimulation is for comfort or to relieve tension rather than to reach orgasm (Carroll, 2007).\r\n<h3><strong>Early Childhood<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nSelf-stimulation is common in early childhood for both boys and girls.\u00a0Curiosity about the body and about others\u2019 bodies is a natural part of early childhood as well.\u00a0Consider this example.\u00a0A mother is asked by her young daughter: \u201cSo it\u2019s okay to see a boy\u2019s privates as long as it\u2019s the boy\u2019s mother or a doctor?\u201d\u00a0The mother hesitates a bit and then responds, \u201cYes.\u00a0I think that\u2019s alright.\u201d\u00a0\u201cHmmm,\u201d the girl begins, \u201cWhen I grow up, I want to be a doctor!\u201d Hopefully, this subject is approached in a way that teaches children to be safe and know what is appropriate without frightening them or causing shame.\r\n\r\nAs children grow, they are more likely to show their genitals to siblings or peers, and to take off their clothes and touch each other (Okami et al., 1997).\u00a0Masturbation is common for both boys and girls.\u00a0Boys are often shown by other boys how to masturbate, but girls tend to find out accidentally.\u00a0Boys masturbate more often and touch themselves more openly than do girls (Schwartz, 1999).\r\n\r\nHopefully, parents respond to this without undue alarm and without making the children feel guilty about their bodies.\u00a0Instead, messages about what is going on and the appropriate time and place for such activities help the child learn what is appropriate.\r\n\r\nParents should take the time to speak with their children about when it is appropriate for other people to see or touch them. Many experts suggest that this should occur as early as age 3, and of course the discussion should be appropriate for the child's age.\u00a0 One way to help a young child understand inappropriate touching is to discuss \"bathing suit areas.\" Kids First, Inc. suggests discussing the following:\u00a0\u201cNo one should touch you anywhere your bathing suit covers. No one should ask you to touch them somewhere that their bathing suit covers. No one should show you a part of their or someone else\u2019s bodies that their bathing suit covers.\u201d Further, instead of talking about good or bad touching, talk about safe and unsafe touching. This way children will not feel guilty later on when that sort of touching is appropriate in a relationship.[footnote]How to Talk to Young Children About Body Safety. Kids First, Inc. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirstinc.org\/how-to-talk-to-young-children-about-body-safety\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.kidsfirstinc.org\/how-to-talk-to-young-children-about-body-safety\/<\/a>.[\/footnote]\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/d5a40256-e3f2-43ca-bf06-4e91cdf16fbd\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\r\n<h3>Glossary<\/h3>\r\n[glossary-page]\r\n[glossary-term]fine motor skills:[\/glossary-term]\r\n[glossary-definition]precise movements of the wrists, hands, fingers, feet, or toes, such as the ability to reach and grasp an object[\/glossary-definition]\r\n\r\n[glossary-term]gross motor skills:[\/glossary-term]\r\n[glossary-definition]voluntary movements including the use of large muscle groups such as the arms and legs[\/glossary-definition]\r\n\r\n[glossary-term]myelination:[\/glossary-term]\r\n[glossary-definition]an aspect of brain maturation in which more myelin is formed around the axons of neurons, thereby increase neural transmission[\/glossary-definition]\r\n\r\n[glossary-term]synaptic pruning:[\/glossary-term]\r\n[glossary-definition]the selective elimination of non-essential synapses and the strengthening of important neural connections[\/glossary-definition]\r\n\r\n[\/glossary-page]\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Describe changes in the brain during early childhood<\/li>\n<li>Give examples of gross and fine motor skill development in early childhood<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Brain Maturation<\/h2>\n<p>If you recall, the brain is about 75 percent of its adult weight by two years of age.\u00a0By age 6, it is at 95 percent of its adult weight. The development of myelin (<strong>myelination<\/strong>) and the development of new synapses (through the process of synaptic pruning) continues to occur in the cortex and as it does we see a corresponding change in what the child is capable of doing.\u00a0Remember that myelin is the coating around the axon that facilitates neural transmission. <strong>Synaptic pruning<\/strong> refers to the loss of synapses which are unused. As myelination and pruning increase during this stage of development, neural processes become quicker and more complex.<\/p>\n<p>Greater development in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain behind the forehead that helps us to think, strategize, and control emotions, makes it increasingly possible to control emotional outbursts and to understand how to play games.\u00a0Consider 4- or 5-year-old children and how they might approach a game of soccer.\u00a0Chances are every move would be a response to the commands of a coach standing nearby calling out, \u201cRun this way!\u00a0Now, stop.\u00a0Look at the ball.\u00a0Kick the ball!\u201d\u00a0And when the child is not being told what to do, they are likely to be looking at the clover on the ground or a dog on the other side of the fence!\u00a0Understanding the game, thinking ahead, and coordinating movement improves with practice and myelination. Demonstrating resilience and recovering from a loss, hopefully, does as well.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Growth in the hemispheres and corpus callosum<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Between ages 3 and 6, the left hemisphere of the brain, which tends to lag behind in terms of activity during the first 3 years of life, increases in activity, which correlates with the burst in language skills during this time period. Activity in the right hemisphere grows steadily throughout early childhood and is especially involved in tasks that require spatial skills such as recognizing shapes and patterns. Both sides of the brain work together, however, and there is no such thing as a person being either left-brained or right-brained. The corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain, undergoes a growth spurt between ages 3 and 6 as well resulting in improved coordination between right and left hemisphere tasks.<\/p>\n<p>I once saw a 5-year-old hopping on one foot, rubbing his stomach and patting his head all at the same time.\u00a0I asked him what he was doing and he replied, \u201cMy teacher said this would help my corpus callosum!\u201d\u00a0Apparently, his kindergarten teacher had explained the process!<\/p>\n<h3>Visual Pathways<\/h3>\n<p>Have you ever examined the drawings of young children?\u00a0If you look closely, you can almost see the development of visual pathways reflected in the way these images change as pathways become more mature.\u00a0Early scribbles and dots illustrate the use of simple motor skills. No real connection is made between an image being visualized and what is created on paper.<\/p>\n<p>At age 3, the child begins to draw wispy creatures with heads and not much other detail.\u00a0Gradually pictures begin to have more detail and incorporate more parts of the body.\u00a0Arm buds become arms and faces take on noses, lips, and eventually eyelashes.\u00a0Look for drawings that you or your child has created to see this fascinating trend. Here are some examples of pictures drawn by girls from ages 2 to 7 years.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1562\" style=\"width: 514px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1562\" class=\"wp-image-1562 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3707\/2014\/09\/14140446\/Screen-Shot-2019-01-14-at-9.04.24-AM.png\" alt=\"Four images drawn by young girls. The top left image shows lots of scribbles and lines, drawn by a 2 year old. The next image shows a stick-figure type drawing with a large head, rectangular body, and lines for legs. Next comes a stick-figure with more detail, like eyelashes, teeth, and fingers. Lastly, the drawing of a girl shows the full detail of a face with hair, freckles, red lips, and neatly-colored clothing.\" width=\"504\" height=\"521\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1562\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1.<\/strong> These drawings demonstrate the progression in both drawing skill and visual processing during early childhood. The top left drawing is done by a 2-year old, and the bottom right image is drawn by a 7-year old.\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 1rem; text-align: initial; background-color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_a39b8cdd-f30a-47de-82e0-b6b0e9abb3ce\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/a39b8cdd-f30a-47de-82e0-b6b0e9abb3ce?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_a39b8cdd-f30a-47de-82e0-b6b0e9abb3ce\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Motor Skill Development\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Remember that <strong>g<\/strong><span id=\"term610\"><strong>ross motor skills<\/strong>\u00a0are<\/span>\u00a0voluntary movements involving the use of large muscle groups while <strong>f<\/strong><strong>ine motor skills<\/strong>\u00a0are more exact movements of the hands and fingers and include the ability to reach and grasp an object. Early childhood is a time of development of both gross and fine motor skills.<\/p>\n<p>Early childhood is a time when children are especially attracted to motion and song.\u00a0Days are filled with moving, jumping, running, swinging and clapping, and every place becomes a playground.\u00a0Even the booth at a restaurant affords the opportunity to slide around in the seat or disappear underneath and imagine being a sea creature in a cave!\u00a0Of course, this can be frustrating to a caregiver, but it\u2019s the business of early childhood. Children may frequently ask their caregivers to \u201clook at\u00a0me\u201d while they hop or roll down a hill.\u00a0Children\u2019s songs are often accompanied by arm and leg movements or cues to turn around or move from left to right. Running, jumping, dancing movements, etc. all afford children the ability to improve their gross motor skills.<\/p>\n<p>Fine motor skills\u00a0are also being refined in activities such as pouring water into a container, drawing, coloring, and using scissors.\u00a0Some children\u2019s songs promote fine motor skills as well (have you ever heard of the song \u201citsy, bitsy, spider\u201d?).\u00a0Mastering the fine art of cutting one\u2019s own fingernails or tying their shoes will take a lot of practice and maturation. Fine motor skills continue to develop in middle childhood, but for preschoolers, the type of play that deliberately involves these skills is emphasized.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\n<p>Watch this video to see examples of gross motor development during early childhood.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/plugin.3playmedia.com\/show?mf=3935281&amp;p3sdk_version=1.10.1&amp;p=20361&amp;pt=375&amp;video_id=W0697717ZdU&amp;video_target=tpm-plugin-d5y2s0s9-W0697717ZdU\" width=\"800px\" height=\"520px\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/Lifespan+Development\/Transcriptions\/EarlyChildhoodGrossMotorDevelopment_transcript.txt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">view the transcript for &#8220;Early Childhood Gross Motor Development ch8&#8221; here (opens in new window)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_9d0d6e59-3966-4d06-84c0-f09a8573abcc\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/9d0d6e59-3966-4d06-84c0-f09a8573abcc?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_9d0d6e59-3966-4d06-84c0-f09a8573abcc\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Sexual Development in Early Childhood<\/h2>\n<p>Historically, children have been thought of as innocent or incapable of sexual arousal (Aries, 1962). A more modern approach to sexuality suggests that the physical dimension of sexual arousal is present from birth. That said, it seems to be the case that the elements of seduction, power, love, or lust that are part of the adult meanings of sexuality are not present in sexual arousal at this stage. In contrast, sexuality begins in childhood as a response to physical states and sensation and cannot be interpreted as similar to that of adults in any way (Carroll, 2007).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Infancy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Boys and girls are capable of erections and vaginal lubrication even before birth (Martinson, 1981).\u00a0Arousal can signal overall physical contentment and stimulation that accompanies feeding or warmth. Infants begin to explore their bodies and touch their genitals as soon as they have sufficient motor skills.\u00a0This stimulation is for comfort or to relieve tension rather than to reach orgasm (Carroll, 2007).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Early Childhood<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Self-stimulation is common in early childhood for both boys and girls.\u00a0Curiosity about the body and about others\u2019 bodies is a natural part of early childhood as well.\u00a0Consider this example.\u00a0A mother is asked by her young daughter: \u201cSo it\u2019s okay to see a boy\u2019s privates as long as it\u2019s the boy\u2019s mother or a doctor?\u201d\u00a0The mother hesitates a bit and then responds, \u201cYes.\u00a0I think that\u2019s alright.\u201d\u00a0\u201cHmmm,\u201d the girl begins, \u201cWhen I grow up, I want to be a doctor!\u201d Hopefully, this subject is approached in a way that teaches children to be safe and know what is appropriate without frightening them or causing shame.<\/p>\n<p>As children grow, they are more likely to show their genitals to siblings or peers, and to take off their clothes and touch each other (Okami et al., 1997).\u00a0Masturbation is common for both boys and girls.\u00a0Boys are often shown by other boys how to masturbate, but girls tend to find out accidentally.\u00a0Boys masturbate more often and touch themselves more openly than do girls (Schwartz, 1999).<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully, parents respond to this without undue alarm and without making the children feel guilty about their bodies.\u00a0Instead, messages about what is going on and the appropriate time and place for such activities help the child learn what is appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>Parents should take the time to speak with their children about when it is appropriate for other people to see or touch them. Many experts suggest that this should occur as early as age 3, and of course the discussion should be appropriate for the child&#8217;s age.\u00a0 One way to help a young child understand inappropriate touching is to discuss &#8220;bathing suit areas.&#8221; Kids First, Inc. suggests discussing the following:\u00a0\u201cNo one should touch you anywhere your bathing suit covers. No one should ask you to touch them somewhere that their bathing suit covers. No one should show you a part of their or someone else\u2019s bodies that their bathing suit covers.\u201d Further, instead of talking about good or bad touching, talk about safe and unsafe touching. This way children will not feel guilty later on when that sort of touching is appropriate in a relationship.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"How to Talk to Young Children About Body Safety. Kids First, Inc. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.kidsfirstinc.org\/how-to-talk-to-young-children-about-body-safety\/.\" id=\"return-footnote-1557-1\" href=\"#footnote-1557-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_d5a40256-e3f2-43ca-bf06-4e91cdf16fbd\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/d5a40256-e3f2-43ca-bf06-4e91cdf16fbd?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_d5a40256-e3f2-43ca-bf06-4e91cdf16fbd\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>Glossary<\/h3>\n<div class=\"titlepage\">\n<dl>\n<dt>fine motor skills:<\/dt>\n<dd>precise movements of the wrists, hands, fingers, feet, or toes, such as the ability to reach and grasp an object<\/dd>\n<dt>gross motor skills:<\/dt>\n<dd>voluntary movements including the use of large muscle groups such as the arms and legs<\/dd>\n<dt>myelination:<\/dt>\n<dd>an aspect of brain maturation in which more myelin is formed around the axons of neurons, thereby increase neural transmission<\/dd>\n<dt>synaptic pruning:<\/dt>\n<dd>the selective elimination of non-essential synapses and the strengthening of important neural connections<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-1557\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Modification, adaptation, and original content. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Stephanie Loalada for Lumen Learning. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Psyc 200 Lifespan Psychology. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Laura Overstreet. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/opencourselibrary.org\/econ-201\/\">http:\/\/opencourselibrary.org\/econ-201\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">All rights reserved content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Early Childhood Gross Motor Development ch8. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: brinsoll. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W0697717ZdU\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W0697717ZdU<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>Other<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Standard YouTube License<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-1557-1\">How to Talk to Young Children About Body Safety. Kids First, Inc. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirstinc.org\/how-to-talk-to-young-children-about-body-safety\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.kidsfirstinc.org\/how-to-talk-to-young-children-about-body-safety\/<\/a>. <a href=\"#return-footnote-1557-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Psyc 200 Lifespan Psychology\",\"author\":\"Laura Overstreet\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/opencourselibrary.org\/econ-201\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Modification, adaptation, and original content\",\"author\":\"Stephanie Loalada for Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Early Childhood Gross Motor Development ch8\",\"author\":\"brinsoll\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W0697717ZdU\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"0d1fd0cd-ae01-43cf-a9a5-3a5583820dd4, f18784e1-10a8-4938-b589-97b7e0a2d4b4, 7f76b3cc-d27c-4571-ab36-c26c269894b3","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1557","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":261,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7772,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1557\/revisions\/7772"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/261"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1557\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1557"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1557"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}