Psychological Development Across the Lifespan

Preschool Years (3–5)

What are the main developments of the preschool years?

Although the pace of development is not as dramatic in the preschool years as it is during infancy and the toddler period, development still proceeds at a rapid rate. There are notable changes in body structure. There is a loss of body fat, a lengthening of the legs and arms, and a flattening of the tummy. With a longer body, the child is no longer all head and belly. At this point the child looks like a “kid” and no longer like a baby. Additionally, there is continued rapid brain growth, particularly in the left hemisphere, the cerebellum, and the frontal lobe. This corresponds with rapid increases in language, motor coordination, and cognition and self-control, in that order.



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