Question 1

Three-year-old Ashley is putting a jigsaw puzzle together, and, as is typical of her age, she:

Accepted Answer

Three-year-olds often have developing fine motor skills, which can lead to awkward placement of puzzle pieces.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about brain development and early childhood is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

The overall size of the brain does not increase dramatically from ages three to five, although significant development and refinement of neural connections continue during this period.

Question 3

Which is true of children in the preschool years?

Accepted Answer

During the preschool years, boys typically develop more muscle tissue, while girls tend to have more fatty tissue.

Question 4

Which is true of studies of height in children from around the world?

Accepted Answer

Ethnic origin is a stronger predictor of height in children from around the world than socioeconomic status.

Question 5

_____ is a process in which nerve cells are covered and insulated with a layer of fat cells.

Accepted Answer

The process of covering and insulating nerve cells with a layer of fat cells is known as myelination.

Question 6

Fred and Wayne are four-year-olds and friends. When they are together, they often wrestle, run, race, push, and shove each other. Although their level of activity often aggravates their parents, we know that these activities will:

Accepted Answer

These physical activities help in developing gross motor skills, which involve the use of large muscles in the body and are crucial for physical development in young children.

Question 7

Researchers have found that in children from three to six years of age, the most rapid growth takes place in the _____, part of the _____ lobe areas of the brain.

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex, part of the frontal lobe, is responsible for higher cognitive functions and undergoes significant development in early childhood.

Question 8

Debra is very active. She loves to tumble and show off. She also loves races and believes she can run faster than her parents. This type of activity level and confidence is most characteristic of:

Accepted Answer

Three-year-olds are typically very active and love to show off their gross motor skills, such as tumbling and running. They are also often confident in their abilities and believe they can do anything.

Question 9

A national study found that _____ of children's daily caloric intake comes from restaurants.

Accepted Answer

The study indicates that approximately one-third of children's daily caloric intake is sourced from restaurant meals.

Question 10

Juan has been able to go up stairs raising one foot at a time, but he is just managing how to come down stairs without putting two feet on each step before stepping down. His _____ motor skills are on pace for a _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Juan has been able to go up...

Question 11

Toby is three years old. His parents are concerned because he is always running and jumping around. He cannot seem to sit still. Even when watching his favorite movie on TV, he fidgets and wiggles. It is especially frustrating to his parents when Toby does not sit still through dinner. Which is the best advice for Toby's parents?

Accepted Answer

At three years old, it is normal for children to be active and have difficulty sitting still, as they are naturally energetic and curious at this age.

Question 12

In a study of poverty and brain development, researchers found that children from the poorest homes had significant maturational lags in their _____ and ____ lobes, which were linked to a lower level of school readiness.

Accepted Answer

The study found that children from the poorest homes had maturational lags in the frontal and temporal lobes, which are crucial for cognitive functions and language development, impacting school readiness.

Question 13

During the preschool years:

Accepted Answer

The answer of During the preschool years:
...

Question 14

A national study revealed that _____ of children's meals exceed recommendations for saturated and trans fat, which can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.

Accepted Answer

Over 45% of children's meals exceed recommendations for saturated and trans fat, highlighting a significant concern for children's health and the potential risk of heart disease.

Question 15

The process of _____ related to hand-eye coordination is not complete until middle or late childhood.

Accepted Answer

Myelination, the process of forming a myelin sheath around the nerves, is crucial for efficient neural communication and is not fully complete until middle or late childhood, affecting hand-eye coordination development.

Question 16

When watching preschool children on the playground, Petra notices that most of the girls are _____ the boys.

Accepted Answer

Preschool girls are typically slightly smaller than boys of the same age.

Question 17

When four- and five-year-olds scramble over jungle gyms and race their friends, they are demonstrating their:

Accepted Answer

Four- and five-year-olds demonstrate their gross motor skills when they engage in activities like scrambling over jungle gyms and racing, as these activities involve large muscle movements.

Question 18

Four-year-old Nathan is good at stacking his playing blocks to make tall structures. However, he still knocks them over occasionally. Which of the following is the most likely reason for this?

Accepted Answer

At four years old, children are still developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Nathan's attempts to place each block perfectly may cause instability in the structure, leading to it being knocked over.

Question 19

Which of the following plays a key role in planning and organizing new actions and maintaining attention to tasks?

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for executive functions such as planning, organizing, and maintaining attention to tasks.

Question 20

Her pediatrician has just told Sandra that her four-year-old son, Manuel, has gained six pounds in the last year. Sandra should:

Accepted Answer

A weight gain of six pounds in a year is generally considered normal for a four-year-old child, as children at this age typically gain about 4-6 pounds per year.

Quiz 5: Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood