Ch 15.2 & 16 Social & Moral Development and

Intelligence Ages 4-6

Social & Moral Development ages 4-6

four year olds• spend more time with cooperative play

• play best in groups of 3 – 4

• begin to share toys and take turns

• are still bossy, inconsiderate and fight

• still need approval and comfort

five year olds

• are more outgoing and talkative

• their play is more complicated

• prefers of their own age

• engage in name calling and threats when they fight • have more respect for other people’s belongings

• are more concerned with what their friends say and do they do not like to be different

six year olds

• within their friendships, there is often times of friction, aggression, threats and stubbornness

• they want everything and do everything their own

way

• are more likely to be jealous of other children’s toys

• friendships are closer and longer lasting (usually with the same sex)

• like group play and organized teams

Moral Development defined as the process of gradually learning to base

one’s behaviors on personal beliefs of right and wrong

between the ages of 5 – 7, children begin to develop a conscience• an inner sense of right and wrong

children begin to the know difference between truth and lies

are motivated to follow rules because of their fears of being punished

Guidelines for Moral Development

consider the child’s age and abilities parents/caregivers should teach by

example

the process of learning how to control your behavior is a lifelong process

do not withhold love because of a

misbehavior

Intelligence: Preoperational Thinking

a stage developed by Jean Piaget

some signs of preoperational thinking • use of symbols

objects and words can represent something else

• make believe play learn through fantasy and dramatic play

• egocentric viewpoint view world in terms of themselves

• limited focus difficult to focus on one or more characteristics at a time

Measuring Intelligence formal intelligence tests to help meet

the child’s educational needs

intelligence quotient (IQ test) • numerical standard that tells whether a

person’s intelligence is below average, average or above average

• an average IQ score is between 90 – 110

Appreciating Reading, Art and Music

depends on the attitudes of parents, caregivers and other family members

during this stage, many children will develop an interest in these areas • Reading

take time to read to children an opportunity to learn about the world

• Art allows children to express their feelings, learn to control

movements and show creativity children need to enjoy the process of creating art

• Music helps to develop children’s rhythm

The School Experience children need to develop a good

attitude from the very beginning

Adjusting to School• will have had a complete medical and dental

exam-- vision and hearing should be checked -- all immunizations are up to date

• child should know their full name, address and phone number

• help the child feel confident about their ability to follow directions

Adjusting to School cont.• explain to the child what to expect at school

-- visit the school together before school starts -- let them pick out their clothes for the first day

of school

• have a positive attitude about your child going off to school

Speech Development up to this point children have learned language

through listening

vocabulary will continue to increase

sentences will become more complex

articulation will improve due to physical development • at age 3, children can say approximately 30% of their

words correctly • at age 6, children will speak 90% of their words correctly