Children experience biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial developmental changes on a daily basis as they are introduced into the next stage of life. They have unique needs that should be met in order for appropriate developmental milestones to occur. Each province is intertwined with the other and therefore, holistic in terms of human development. For example, when looking at the biosocial aspect, one is initially interested in the prenatal and neonatal periods in terms of nutrition and how these may affect the child’s learning and social experiences; therefore, affecting the cognitive and psychosocial domains.

Additionally, genetics and health factors also affect these developments. Included in these are gross and fine motor skills, especially within the first two years of life; these set the tone for exploration and discovery of the environment. Cognitive skills such as thought processes, perception, and language development are not independent of these. For instance, a child who is playing with blocks will need the motor skills to physically pile them but also the cognitive skills in order to coordinate the blocks. So is the psychosocial aspect in which children energetically initiate play and then develop social skills which in turn helps them develop a sense of self. As children’s social and cognitive skills develop, they engage in increasingly complex and imaginative types of play, sometimes by themselves and, increasingly with others (Berger, 1994). Thus, the encouragement of all of these domains should be cohesive for appropriate development.

In exploring early childhood within the context of play, it should provide for the biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development of a child. Imaginative and imitative play is typical of this age group (Hockenberyy, Wilson & Wilson, 2007). However, video games are also part of the repertoire for children’s activities within this age group. Addtionally, because children in this age group are typically in preschool, educational toys seem to be popular for parents.

What is Cognitive Development in Children?

Motor, psychosocial, and cognitive needs for children ages 3-7

The more obvious changes that the preschooler goes through occur physically in which the child increases in body proportions and strength. However, also developing but perhaps less apparent is the maturity of the central nervous system, including the development of motor skills, which are prominent during these years. Muscle development and bone growth are still far from mature; therefore, excessive activity and overexertion can injure the tissues (Hockenberry, Wilson & Wilson, 2007). Good posture, appropriate exercise, and adequate nutrition and rest are essential for optimum development of the musculoskeletal system (Hockenberry, Wilson & Wilson, 2007).

During this age they begin to master their motor skills and refine their activities. By 5 years old they can climb, run, throw catch and kick a ball but they require a level of practice, especially in the three year old. Fine motor skills are also improved, as hand-eye coordination is refined. Children can typically draw pictures and write letters during this age, mostly at the older end in the preschool stage.

Cognitively, speech and language become more complex and memory skills are also refined in terms of remembering nursery rhymes. Although the vocabulary is limited to a few hundred words, increasing in number as the child gets older, opposites are understood, and short paragraphs are used.

Socially, the child begins to test limits and associate with peers. Although play centers mostly on motor skills, it is quite interactive. A preschooler is also more eager to please and can speak of wants and desires and begins to test boundaries at around 4-5. According to Erickson stage of development, the child is at the stage of initiative vs. guilt.

Purpose of play

Most children learn their motor skills on their own through play independently or with peers. For example, in a well equipped nursery they can learn how to climb, balance boards, and empty out boxes. For this reason, as long as the child has the opportunity to play with adequate space and structures, they will be practicing and refining gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are more challenging for this age group because at this age they are still developing their muscular control, patience and judgment, and at the younger end of this age group, still have fat fingers. Activities such as art, drawing, coloring will aid in this growth. Children during this age group should have opportunities to play through the manipulation of pencils, crayons and paint brushes to expand on these more difficult skills.

Developmentalists view children’s play as work, a major means through which physical, cognitive, and social skills are strengthened. Through play, they can work not only on motor but also on senses, which expands on their cognitive skills. Additionally, play requires a level of concentration and effort, also reinforcing the cognitive. Most importantly, it is during this stage that language increases dramatically. Language to the preschooler represents the symbols they can use to have mental representations to be able to figure things out. For example, if they are playing doctor, they are attempting to communicate with a doll or another child and able to understand when addressing a person of a higher status. They also begin to draw on awareness of the psychological processes within themselves and others and although it is still immature at this point, they won’t be able to appreciate it unless they are exposed to it. What better place than through play when they are least restricted? Rules are also introduced in play and require development of cognitive and social skills.

Play is also important to preschoolers’ psychological development because of the opportunities it provides for children to develop social skills and roles (Thompson, 1994). Through play children learn how to become nurturers, reciprocity, and cooperation and learn how to assume responsibility and maintain harmony in a relationship. They also learn about boundaries between people and rehearse various social roles that perhaps may be more difficult to practice with adults.

According to D.B. El’konin a child’s mental development, the motives and norms of relations among people are the objects toward which the play of a preschooler is oriented (Koninove, 2002). Thus, play is important for the overall development of a child. Not only are interpersonal skills honed in, but also speech-production skills, which are big during this period are also being mastered. By age 5 or 6, most children have acquired an adult phonological system (Vance, Stackhouse, Wells, 2005).

References

Berk, L. E. (1997). Child development. 4th edition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Berger, K. S. (2004). The developing person through the life span. 3rd edition. New York, NJ: Worth Publishers.

Hoclenberry, M. J. & Wilson, D. (2007). Wong’s nursing care of infants and children. 6th edition. Washington, DC: Author

Koninova, L. I. (2002). The object orientation of children’s play in the context of understanding imaginary space-Time in play and in stories. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology. 39, 2, 30-51

Vance, M., Stackhouse, J., Wells, B. (2005). Speech –production skills in children aged 3-7 years. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders. 40, 1, 29-48.

VTech Holdings. (2007). VTech: innovation beyond technology. Retrieved October 10, 2007 from http://www.vtech.com/toys.