Homework: Physical Development Activities
We begin working on elements that will become part of your final homework: a Community Child Development Center Proposal. If you have not already done so, go to the week five homework tab and thoroughly review the instructions for creating the proposal. This week, you will be creating three activities that will become part of the Infant Room, the Toddler Room, and the Middle/Late Childhood Room of your center.
Prior to beginning this homework, read the Oswalt article, and watch the two assigned videos on physical development: Physical Development; The First Five Years. (2009) and Physical Development; Ages 7 - 12. (2009).
Physical development, especially in infancy and toddlerhood but also into middle/late childhood, is primarily focused on the development of fine and gross motor skills. But the milestones and activities for each age group are very different. For example, coloring or playing with clay would not be an appropriate activity for an infant to improve fine motor skills, but it would be for the early childhood room. And in middle/late childhood, children are developing the muscle mass to greatly improve their abilities to run and jump and play organized games that would be not be appropriate for infants or toddlers. There are lots of website aimed at both parents and educators that describe activities to promote development. The activities you select do not have to be complex, but they do need to be age appropriate and grounded developmental theory. Focus on the primary developmental tasks of each age period. For each of the three activities, write a paragraph that addressed the following:
1) Describe the activity in some detail (provide more than just the name of the activity).
2) Describe the theory and/or research which supports the use of this class or activity.
3) Identify how the activity enhances physical development. (Note it might also promote cognitive, and/or socioemotional development as well. For example, organized team-based games not only promote physical development in middle/late childhood but also promote psychosocial development by teaching team work and fair play.)
4) Remember that this will be completed for an Infant Room, a Toddler Room, and a Middle/Late Childhood Room.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.