II

Physical Well-Being, Health and Motor Development

A

Large Motor Skills

Child uses and coordinates their large muscle groups.

4-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Runs smoothly around obstacles, stops and starts, plays tag
• Jumps for height and distance
• Hops on one foot
• Balances on one foot for a few moments
• Pedals tricycle while navigating corners and obstacles
• Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet, without support
• Climbs down playground ladders
• Squats without falling over

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Play games with children that facilitate the development of gross motor skills, such as
  • Simon Says
  • Freeze tag
  • Hokey Pokey
  • Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
  • Red Light, Green Light
  • Songs with dance steps that include galloping, skipping, and walking in rhythm
• Provide times in the daily schedule for both structured and unstructured gross motor activity

B

Small Motor Skills

Child controls the small muscles in their hands and wrists.

4-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Strings small beads onto laces
• Builds a tower of 10 or more blocks
• Hits nails and pegs with a hammer
• Forms shapes and designs out of clay (such as cookies with chips or snakes with eyes)
• Buttons medium-large buttons when dressing themselves
• Cuts along a line
• Pulls tape off a dispenser, then attempts to tape items to a page or form tape into a ball

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that provide a variety of opportunities for practicing writing and drawing
  • Markers
  • Colored pencils
  • Dry erase boards
  • Slates with chalk
  • Bingo markers
  • Oil pastels
  • Magnetic writing boards
  • Playground chalk
  • Watercolor painting supplies
• Practice writing letters in materials that provide sensory input, such as trays of shaving cream or sand

C

Sensory Integration

The child uses sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, proprioception (deep pressure), and vestibular function (balance) to perceive and respond to the world around them.

4-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Not able to see close up as well as they can far away
• Jumps off platforms
• Experiments with different kinds of slides and ways to slide
• Roughhouses with peers
• Swings and holds balance without falling off

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Engage families in conversation about their values around rough-and-tumble play
• Identify and evaluate which local playgrounds have equipment for climbing, swinging, and balancing that meets safety guidelines
• Provide access to experiences that develop the child’s sense of balance
  • Balance boards
  • Low balance beams
  • Tire swings
  • Bucket swings
  • Slides
  • Climbers
• Take the children on listening walks and then talk about what you heard

D

Self-Care

Child cares for their physical well-being.

4-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Independently uses the toilet
• Independently washes hands before eating and after using the toilet with minimal reminders
• Dresses themselves, but may need help with zippers, snaps and buttons
• Communicates to educator about their own feelings of being hungry, tired or ill
• Brushes their own teeth
• After a couple of weeks at school, knows the morning routine such as placing their backpack into their cubby and hanging up their coat

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that foster the development of self-help skills
  • Accessible sinks
  • Child-size toilets
  • Sponges, washcloths, and napkins at a low level
  • Snack table where they can independently serve themselves food
  • Pitcher and cups for pouring their own milk or water
  • Quiet cozy area where they can go when tired
  • Individual cubbies for personal items
  • Items in the dramatic play area that allow children to practice self-help skills such as clothes with buttons, snaps and zippers
• Provide opportunities for children to learn about pedestrian, bicycle, and water safety

E

Healthy Sexuality

Child develops a healthy relationship to their body, pleasure, and others. This healthy sense of self is supported and demonstrated through respectful, caring, and loving relationships with families, educators, and other children.

4-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Asks questions about their bodies and the bodies of others
• Curious about birth, reproduction, and how families are made (e.g., child may ask, “Where did I come from?” or “What makes a baby?”)
• Plays “doctor,” taking off clothes and examining peers’ genitals
• Seeks bodily pleasure (e.g., may want to cuddle when they wake up from nap or enjoy dressing up in silky dresses)
• Masturbates either with their hands or through rubbing their genitals against surfaces like pillows or chairs
• Uses “potty talk” to test limits and make people laugh

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Provide straightforward, honest answers to children’s questions, and be mindful to provide answers in ways that are inclusive of all genders, all bodies, and all of the different ways that people make families (For example, instead of saying, “Girls have vaginas and boys have penises,” you could say, “Many or most girls have vaginas, and many or most boys have penises.”)
• Communicate with families early and often about your policies and practices regarding gender and sexuality
• Avoid overreacting to common (or typical) child sexual behavior like masturbation; set limits without shaming children
• Teach children to ask permission before touching or embracing a playmate, using language such as, “Jasmine, let’s ask Joe if he would like to hug bye-bye.” If Joe says “no” to this request, cheerfully tell the child, “That’s okay, Jasmine! Let’s wave bye-bye to Joe and blow him a kiss instead.”