Page 6 - LESSION 10.pmd

Care of Children in Early Years
Notes
6 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION
10.3.3 Touch
When babies are picked up gently and rocked, they get a sense of being wanted
and develop a sense of trust. Rough handling of children conveys 'unacceptance'
and can cause stress. Holding children in your lap, close to your face and talking
softly stimulates sensory inputs and creates a trusting and engaging social milieu.
It must be easy for you to guess why children like stuffed toys. The soft cuddly
feel of quilted cloth also provides warmth and comfort.
Children identify objects by touch during tactile sensory play, which helps them
develop their fine and gross motor skills such as squeezing, pulling, pushing and
throwing. Activities for touch will become different as children grow. Children in
all contexts are often surrounded by things they can touch. They should be
introduced to new textures through food, toys, clothes, sponges, etc. Care should
be taken that children are kept away from smoke, harsh chemicals and polluting
agents which can enter their bodies through physical contact.
10.3.4 Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic means, sense of movement, i.e. exploring physical space through
movement. It is the sense of engaging and learning by movement. Body movement
helps children explore the physical space around them. When a caregiver lifts up
a child and moves the child in different ways, the awe and wonder within the
safety is joyous to babies. As children grow, we see some of them like doing
activities by sitting at one place while some want to be outdoors. Similarly, some
children grow up to learn better by using their bodies in different ways such as
some like clapping, snapping their fingers, clay modeling etc. Movement
opportunities go a long way in children’s desire for exploring and discovering.
Some activities for movement in childcare can be:
• Encourage baby to crawl over, under and through various objects in the
home
• Lift baby up and down and play in different positions to help develop her/
his sense of movement and balance
• Hold baby and rock, sway to a rhythm
• Clap and snap as you talk to baby
INTEXT QUESTIONS 10.2
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. Till six months of age, babies get enough nutrition from _________
____________.
2. Warm interactions provide babies with a sense of __________
_________.