Final answer:
Children's visual pathways mature throughout early childhood, with a significant development in the 'what' and 'where/how' pathways. The increase in white matter supports more efficient neural signaling and cognitive development, leading to more complex visual processing and coordination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Changes in Visual Pathways During Early Childhood
The visual systems of children develop significantly through early childhood. Initially, children rely on the 'what pathway' to identify objects and the 'where/how pathway' for spatial orientation and interaction with visual stimuli. As they grow, their capacity for visual processing matures, parallel with their cognitive and physical development.
Further, during early childhood, the ratio of gray matter to white matter in the brain changes, indicative of maturing neural pathways and cognitive function. This white matter development is crucial for efficient neural signaling and thus, contributes to the refinement of visual and other cognitive skills.
The early childhood period sees changes in physical, cognitive, and social development. Milestones such as the capacity for symbolic thinking, understanding basic time concepts, and motor skill refinement, including visual coordination, also emerge around this period. Through middle childhood, these developments support more complex thought processes and an increase in attention span, which are essential for more sophisticated visual-cognitive tasks.