Chapter 12

 Require less adult supervision  Increased responsibility for tasks  Ready for direct instruction (formal schooling)

 Slow, regular pattern  Girls shorter and lighter until about age 9  Lower portion of body growing fastest  Bones lengthen  Muscles very flexible  All permanent teeth arrive

 OBSERVE  Steady gains in weight and height  Acquisition of primary teeth  Refinement of gross and fine motor skills  Participation in organized sports  SCHOOL!  DIVERSITY  Variation in height/weight at any age level  Innate talents (athletic abilities) emerge  Gender differences appear  Environment plays a major role in dev.

 Good health involves:  Eating well  Physical Activity  Rest & Sleep

 Eating Habits - diet and nutrition affect:  Physical growth, brain development, sexual maturation, energy level, concentration, long- term health  Good eating habits start from birth (breastfeeding)  Contributors to bad eating habits:  Finances  Parents too busy  Others?  Children: eventually become responsible for what they eat

 Although many schools have restricted the contents of vending machines,  still about 16% of children and adolescents ages are overweight  8.6% of children ages 2 – 6 are dangerously overweight  Obesity– when a person (child) weighs 20% more than their “ideal” weight (taking into account age, gender, height, and body build)  Leads to health problems in adulthood Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis  Obesity is somewhat genetic, but environmental factors also play a part Family eating patterns and restricted exercise Interventions? What can we do?

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2005

 “Rough and tumble” play – physical “fighting” typical in early and middle  Organized Sports  Pros Offer agility, endurance, and strength building Promotes social skills through fostering communication, cooperation, and leadership  Cons unhealthy competition (usually from parent pressure) athletically talented children succeed at the expense of less gifted teammates

 Be pro-ACTIVE  Provide safe guidance and equipment  Make exercise fun and enjoyable  Plan activities around the diversity of abilities  Focus on self-improvement rather than comparison to others  Build on children’s interests  Emphasize enjoyment  Let kids contribute  Be careful not to let children overdo it

 Myelination increases white matter in  Frontal lobes  Corpus callosum  Children acquire complex abilities  Neurotransmitters and hormones may affect cognition and behavior

 Gross Motor Skills Gains  Flexibility  Balance  Agility  Force  Fine Motor Skills Gains  Writing  Drawing Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2005

 Body build  Sex  Family encouragement, expectations  SES  School & community lessons available Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2005