SUMMARY

1. Children continue to gain weight and add height during early childhood. Gross motor skills continue to develop; clumsy 2-year-olds become agile 6-year-olds who move their bodies well, guided by their culture. By playing with other children in safe places, they practice the skills needed for formal education.

2. Many adults overfeed children, not realizing that young children are naturally quite thin. Children often have limited diets due to their compulsiveness with daily routine, and, sometimes, food allergies. Consequently, they may consume too much sugar and too little calcium and other nutrients, which may result in poor oral health.

3. The brain continues to grow in early childhood, reaching 75 percent of its adult weight at age 2 and 90 percent by age 5. Maturation of the prefrontal cortex, known as the executive of the brain, results in better sleep and more predictable behavior.

4. Lateralization is evident in early childhood as the corpus callosum becomes thicker and functions much better. Myelination is substantial, speeding messages from one part of the brain to another and reducing both impulsivity and perseveration.

5. The two hemispheres of the brain work together, but each controls one side of the body. People are naturally left- or right-handed, as their brains dictate.

6. The expression and regulation of emotions are fostered by several brain areas collectively called the limbic system, including the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the hypothalamus. Each brain part has a particular function.

7. Piaget stressed the illogical and egocentric aspects of thought during the play years; he called thinking at this stage preoperational because young children often cannot yet use logical operations. They sometimes focus on only one thing (centration) and see things only from their own viewpoint (egocentrism), remaining stuck on appearances and current reality, unable to understand reversibility.

8. Vygotsky stressed the social aspects of childhood cognition, noting that children learn by participating in various experiences, guided by more knowledgeable adults or peers who scaffold to aid learning. Such guidance assists learning within the zone of proximal development.

9. Children develop theories to explain human actions. One theory about children’s thinking is called theory-theory—the hypothesis that children develop theories because people innately seek explanations for everything they observe.

10. In early childhood, children develop a theory of mind—an understanding of what others may be thinking. Advances in theory of mind occur at around age 4. Theory of mind is partly the result of brain maturation, but culture and experiences also have an impact.

12. Language develops rapidly during early childhood. Vocabulary increases dramatically, with thousands of words added between ages 2 and 6. In addition, basic grammar is mastered, although abstractions and exceptions are difficult.

13. Many children learn more than one language, gaining cognitive as well as social advantages. Ideally, children become fluent in two languages, by age 6, avoiding a language shift to exclusively the majority language.

14. Five specific strategies and experiences are known to be particularly effective for children’s literacy: code-focused teaching, book-reading, parent education, language enhancement, and preschool programs.

14. Organized educational programs during early childhood advance cognitive and social skills. Many child-centered programs are inspired by Piaget and Vygotsky; they encourage children to follow their own interests.

    199

15. Teacher-directed early-childhood programs emphasize academics and good behavior. The goal is to prepare children for reading and writing in school.

16. Many types of early education are successful. It is the quality of early education—whether at home or at school—that matters.

17. Intervention programs are targeted for children in poverty. Quality varies, as do results. Three intensive programs—Perry, Abecedarian, and Child–Parent Centers—benefit students lifelong.