“The child's development follows a path of successive stages of independence, and our knowledge of this must guide us in our behaviour towards him.” (Montessori, 2007, p 257)
In this essay I will initially define the physical needs of a three year old child, followed by suggestions on how carers can ensure these needs are met in a setting. I will, then, further explain the child’s psychological needs and give examples of steps carers should make in order to maintain the child’s healthy mental development. Childcare and health issues that need to be met by a setting, according to current legislation, will also be discussed in this essay.
A need is defined by requirements or things necessary for living a healthy life; needs are separated from wants by the simple fact that a deficiency in needs could lead to a negative outcome, such as illness or death.
A three year old, as any human being, has its own specific needs, although the main physical needs, such as access to healthy nutritious food, clean water, enough sleep and proper shelter, still apply. A child this age relies more on movement, in order to explore and learn, so s/he will require plenty of space to move around, to balance, improve their motor skills by trying more complex activities such as ice skating, swimming or taking dancing lessons. One also develops a wider vocabulary making it easier for him/her to express any other particular needs.
Carers must provide appropriate conditions in order to fulfil the child’s needs - having access to a play area or a park will help the child develop his/her gross motor skills, and providing game playing like Lego or puzzles will improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. A child care setting must maintain a warm indoor environment, ideally around twenty degrees Celsius. Care must be taken regarding the change of temperature, making sure children have enough layers if weather is cold or windy, to prevent sudden loss of body temperature;...