The Physical and Psychological Needs

This essay will look into the physical and psychological needs of the three year old, discuss the underlying principles which influence the way in which the child's development is looked at within the UK. It focuses mainly on the importance of the environment on physical development and how sensitive adult intervention will enable children to develop the self confidence and self esteem required to ensure that good habits are acquired which will eventually allow them to enter the adult world and cope with varying social situations.

The physical and psychological needs of the three year old child are those of having their basic needs met and the need for the child to feel safe and secure in their surroundings. The child needs to have a good sense of well being and this is gained through the development of a positive, self-image and positive self-esteem. They have the need to feel part of the community, accepted as an individual person with individual needs. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) came into force in 1992 to ensure that children all over the world had the right to all of these influential factors because if these rights are taken away children will not have the opportunity to develop to their own potential. The articles which play the greatest part in ensuring that a child develops physically and psychologically are those which focus on their rights to survive (article 6 and 24) the right to be protected (article 19) and their right to participation (article 15) (http://www.unicef.org/crc/).

Maslow described these needs as 'vitamins', without them you would not be able to achieve healthy development. A child who lacks these needs can only be 'cured' by having their "esteem and belonging needs met". Maslow placed all of these needs in the order in which he believed were important. He argues that the foundational need was the child's physiological need, this then leads on to their need to feel safe, the need to feel accepted, the development of self esteem and finally leading on to them being able to 'Self-Actualise' their own needs (http://teacherstoolbox.co.uk/T_maslow.html).

Physical development incorporates all aspects of the child, it relates to every aspect that affects the body. The three year old needs to understand the impact that food, rest and exercise has on their body and the need to ensure their own safety. Within the UK the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (2007) ensures that all childcare provisions follow the same guidelines to ensure that standards are met. The EYFS practice guidance (2007) also provides 'areas of development' which practitioners use to ensure that children are within the healthy development range. The areas within the EYFS overlap to allow for a more individual approach to children's development.

Within the UK the physical needs of a three year old are met through play and interaction with the environment. Play is emphasised as the best way in which children are able to make sense of the world because it is something that comes naturally to them. It has been argued that it is "nature's means of individual education" (Issacs, in Moyles, 2005: P4). Whilst children are exploring their environment they are able to come into contact with new ideas and skills which facilitate the stimulation of the brain and support their current interests. As a child learns and understand they are able to find a place for this in their environment, Piaget (in MCI, undated d) referred to this as the 'assimilation' and 'accommodation' process. It is important that the environment provides enough stimulation to ensure that the brain remains motivated to learn. Moyles (2005) believed that learning can only take place if connections can be made between the brain and the stimuli. Within the Early Years environments the adult can support this through observing the child and identify his/her needs and providing appropriate experiences which will ensure that stimulation occurs. When a child is participating in a role-play activity, the adult sensitively ensures that challenges are set up to allow the child to think outside of their initial plan and make new adaptations to their play. This was seen recently when a group of children were setting up chairs within the classroom and wanted to go on a train ride. A child said to the carer that they needed tickets. It was suggested that maybe they could write their own tickets. The children retrieved some paper and pencils and set about making marks on them to represent tickets, this promoted development of fine motor skills. Once completed they all sat back on the train and continued their journey. Once at the sea side the adult could see that concentration could be lost and invited ideas about what they like to do at the sea side, pieces of material were then used to represent, sand, sea, hats and swimming costumes. Bruce (2006) believed that the props that children choose may take different forms but they will represent what the child needs. The children began swimming in the sea, digging in the sand and sunbathing on the beach, this promoted the use of gross motor skills. On the return journey one child suggested that they returned on a pirate ship and everybody needed to come on a treasure hunt and she suggested using musical instruments to make the sound of the sea. This is clarification that the children were using their imaginations. Bruce (2006) argues that through children's play they can discover what it would feel like if things were different. The adult's role here was not to ensure the game followed a specific path but instead used the children's own thoughts and ideas to extend their learning. Moyles (2005) argued that adult intervention played an important roll in maximising children's learning potential and helping them to remain focused and challenged. Vygotsky supports the intervention of adults and argues that it is through them that children are able to reach their 'zone of proximinal development'. At the age of three children do not always want to play in social groups and will still choose to play along side