SCHOOLAGED DEVELOPMENT PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT Vocabulary Growth Plateau Puberty

SCHOOL-AGED DEVELOPMENT

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT Vocabulary: Growth Plateau, Puberty, Hormones, Depth Perception

Physical Development Aged 6 -12 Younger children are in a GROWTH PLATEAU- their growth is slow and steady. Continue to build muscles and bones, look longer and leaner. Boys are a little heavier than girls during this time. By age 8, girls usually catch up.

PUBERTY The transition stage at which children undergo a series of physical changes and begin to look like adult men and women. Puberty is triggered by hormones- chemical substances carried in the blood that impact growth and development. Girls usually begin first (6 months to a year earlier than boys)

Changes in Girls during Puberty Hormone changes cause girls to begin to menstruate, usually between 10 -14 Body fat increases in girls, so they may weigh slightly more than boys but this is normal. Girls usually surpass boys in height. When boys are well into puberty, their height and weight surpass girls.

Changes in Boys during puberty Develop more muscle, which adds weight Facial hair appears Hormone production causes boys’ voices to lower

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT Large muscles work together to improve coordination By 10, they are capable of lots of challenging physical activities (biking, swimming, jumping rope, climbing trees, and a variety of sports) Control over small muscles is usually achieved by ages 7 -8, children develop handwriting, can play an instrument, and increase drawing/art skills. Depth Perception- the ability to judge distance and to see objects in perspective.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT Vocabulary: Concrete Operational Period

Children are not capable to truly logical thought process until teenage years. School aged are quickly developing the ability to create, analyze, and evaluate ideas. No longer bound to learning through senses

Piaget’s Theory Move to Concrete Operational Stagechildren learn to think more rationally and less magically. (7 -11) Grasp the idea of conservation Classify and order different categories (Seriation) Understand reality versus fantasy and real vs. pretend

Benefits from active learning, but increases their ability to think abstractly. Understand calculate the passage of time. Remember the past, consider the present and anticipate the future. By 10, mastered basic language skills of speech, comprehension, reading and writing.

Like creative writing and can develop a story with plot details. Characters are usually facing a similar situation that the child is in. Children can understand basic math concepts and can apply them in solving problems.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Vocabulary: Industry, Inferiority

Increased language skills allow them to express their emotions frequently and more clearly. Understand the view points of others better. Improved empathy allows children to better recognize, understand, and sympathize with the feelings of others. Become interested in broader socially responsible world issues such as environmental conservation, limiting pollution, and promoting recycling.

Self-Esteem By 6, children have established a clear gender role and identity. Erikson: school aged children strive to develop a sense of industry- the desire to perform skills to succeed at tasks, and to make social contributions. Erikson: school ages children who do not feel productive will develop a sense of inferiority- a feeling of not having met expected standards.

Competition Healthy competition can motivate children School aged children begin to compare themselves to others. Teachers should push for children to achieve their “personal best” and not just better than a peer.

Typical Fears Not belonging to a group Being different Being teased or criticized Failure, they dislike disappointing their parents, teachers and peers World Issues

School-Aged Stressors Signs/Symptoms: � � � Fatigue Indifference Poor school performance Physical illness Depression Easily angered Aggressive Disobedient Biting fingernails Frequent stomach aches Headaches Withdrawal from activities

School Aged Stressors Possible Stressors: � Energy expanded to develop new intellectual/physical skills � Excessive emphasis on competition � Bullying or rejection by peers � Concerns about body image � Less relaxation time with family and friends � Family changes, problems (new sibling, divorce)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Friendships are more lasting and meaningful Feelings and beliefs are shared Younger children may have friends of both genders but by age 7 -8 tend to have friends of the same gender Boys are more physically active than girls and base their friendships off of common physical skills. Girls often base friendships on common interests

Boys are more impulsive and are more sensitive to rises in noise level They push the limits for classroom behavior more often than girls. Slightly lower language development than girls, means that boys sometimes engage in physical confrontation with peers. Girls can be more verbally aggressive than boys.

Both genders take longer than preschoolers to forgive others after disagreements or confrontations. May develop a “us versus them” mentality which might push them to exclude others that are not in their “group” Younger children are very concerned with rules and will continue to follow them to earn reward and avoid penalites. Gradually, school-agers see that rules are needed for people to live together peacefully.