2. Middle Childhood: Growth and Development4
Middle Childhood: Growth and Development

3. Middle Childhood: Growth and Development
First years of school are crucial for children
Development follows predictable patterns
Information about development is based on averages
Slight variations are normal, but developmental delays should be identified and treated
continued

4. Middle Childhood: Growth and Development
Stage/Age
Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
Infancy
Trust vs. mistrust
Sensorimotor
Toddler
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
Preoperational
Early childhood
Initiative vs. guilt
Middle childhood
Industry vs. inferiority
Concrete operational
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5. Middle Childhood: Growth and Development
Stage/Age
Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
Adolescence
Ego identity vs. ego diffusion
Formal operational
Young adulthood
Intimacy vs. isolation
Middle adulthood
Generativity vs. self-absorbtion
Older adulthood
Integrity vs. despair

6. Explain the importance of readiness for learning for children entering kindergarten.
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7. Beginning School Most children start school around age 5
In a kindergarten class, there may be significant differences between the oldest and youngest students
Early school years are crucial to brain development and school success
Full-day kindergartens may provide a smoother transition to first grade
continued

8. Beginning School Kindergarten readiness skills include
gross-motor skills
fine-motor skills
self-help skills
cognitive skills
social-emotional skills

9. What do you remember most about your activities in kindergarten
What do you remember most about your activities in kindergarten? How did these affect your feelings about school?
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10. Trace the growth pattern of children during middle childhood.
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11. Children Ages Five to Seven
Children of this age
are talkative
are imaginative
love to explore
crave adult approval
can be sensitive
can be cooperative yet competitive

12. Analyze the physical and cognitive skills required to master a task.
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13. Physical Growth and Development
Growth in height and weight slows during this period, with an average of
23 inches per year
45 pounds per year
Bodies look longer and leaner
Baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth

14. Gross-Motor Skills Better developed than fine-motor skills
Physical skills makes them feel independent
Full of energy to run, jump, skip, hop
Activities improve balance and coordination
Fearlessness may result in accidents
Visual-motor coordination improves

15. Fine-Motor Skills Hand-eye coordination improves Dexterity improves
Writing skills are a combination of cognitive and physical development
Cutting, coloring, building, and playing electronic games all develop fine-motor skills
Self-care depends on fine-motor development

16. Link children’s thinking skills at various ages to Piaget’s stages of development.
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17. Cognitive Development
Children are
eager to learn
excited about starting school
curious and excited for independence
They also
have limited attention spans
learn better through experience

18. How are physical development and cognitive development related at this age?
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19. Thinking Skills
At age five, children are unable to understand conservation
They begin to understand around age seven
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continued

20. Thinking Skills Children at this age begin to understand
sequences of steps
a mix of words, logic, and humor
Imagination is still vivid
Allows them to express anxiety and conflict

21. Language and Reading Children identify letters as symbols
Begin to recognize the sounds they make
Start with letter combinations, then word combinations
By the end of second grade, many are competent readers
Children with difficulties at this stage need extra help

22. Develop a list of the social skills children must learn.
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23. Social-Emotional Development
Children develop feelings of competence by learning new skills
Self-confidence grows
They can feel inferior to other children

24. Peer Relationships Peers become more important
Choice of friends may change often
Form closer one-on-one and group relationships
Girls usually play with girls, boys usually play with boys

25. Family Relationships Children want to please their parents
They respond well to expectations and rules
Sibling relationships may vary from helpful to arguments

26. Why do you think siblings of this age argue often?
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27. Explain how the development of self-concept during this period is related to Erikson’s psychosocial theory.
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28. Self-Concept Childhood is a critical time for developing self-concept
Positive: act in ways that enhance abilities; feel capable and worthwhile
Negative: adopt self-defeating behaviors
Sense of competence results in self-confidence

29. Moral Development Children this age can
tell the difference between right and wrong
understand and abide by rules
wait for their turn
share toys
express anger and jealousy in competition

30. Children Ages Eight and Nine
Second through fourth grades
Increased skills
Greater knowledge
Better judgment
Increased independence
Eight-year-olds are more easygoing than nine-year-olds

31. Physical Growth and Development
More individual variation than at younger ages
Some may begin puberty at eight or nine
Steady growth continues
Girls have slightly larger gains than boys

32. Motor Skills Increased strength Better body control
Physical activities help build stamina and confidence
Hand-eye coordination continues to improve
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33. Cognitive Development
Learning becomes more complex
May experience a downturn in interest and enthusiasm in learning
Those who fall behind have a harder time catching up later as the pace of learning increases

34. Thinking Skills Longer attention spans Improved memory
More complex thinking, including
seriation
classification
conservation
transitivity

35. Language and Reading Children now focus on meaning
Identify main points
Summarize
Make predictions
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36. Social-Emotional Development
Eight- and nine-year-olds mature rapidly
They can complete more complex tasks, which gives them self-confidence
They begin to be sensitive to criticism

37. Peer Relationships Want to be part of a group Have a best friend
Look for acceptance and loyalty
Begin to show empathy and caring
Exclusion from groups may result in bullying problems

38. Family Relationships Focus shifts outside the family
Children may ignore or argue with parents
Often in conflict with siblings
Need consistent rules and limits

39. Do you recall your family relationships at this age
Do you recall your family relationships at this age? How had they changed from when you were younger? Why do you think this was the case?
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40. Self-Concept Children at this stage want to feel
a sense of belonging
that they are competent
They are still full of doubts
May criticize others to look better in comparison

41. Moral Development Generally remain in Kohlberg’s preconventional level
May follow rules if they see a benefit to themselves
Are concerned about fairness

42. Children Ages 10 to 12 Move from elementary to middle school
Fifth, sixth, and seventh grade
Often called preadolescents or preteens
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43. Physical Growth and Development
May show early signs of puberty
Growth can be uneven
Girls develop ahead of boys
Can be a time of uncertainty or growing self-confidence

44. Motor Skills Muscle strength and reaction time improve
May now participate in activities that require complex skills
Fine-motor skills are improved enough to complete complicated projects

45. Cognitive Development
Children must adapt to
multiple teachers
more independent learning
additional homework
Teaching relies more on verbal explanation
Listening skills
Note taking

46. Thinking Skills Sequencing and ordering Complex memorization
Executive strategies
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47. Language and Reading Preteens know about 40,000 words
use more complex sentences
understand grammar
are often proficient readers

48. Social-Emotional Development
Preteens
struggle with new feelings and expectations
see themselves as becoming independent
can develop strong bonds with adults

49. Peer Relationships
Crave acceptance, enjoy groups for a sense of belonging
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continued

50. Peer Relationships By age 12, interest in the opposite gender
Opinions of peers are highly valued
Respond enthusiastically to projects to help others

51. Family Relationships Preteens may defy parents’ authority
Teens need parents’ time, understanding, and wisdom
Communication is important
Sibling relationships may be strained

52. Self-Concept Preteens feel self-sufficient
May not see their own limitations
Often confide in friends rather than family
Have a strong fear of rejection

53. Identify the change in moral development that occurs about the end of this period.
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54. How did your social-emotional development at age 12 differ from your social-emotional development at age 10?
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55. Moral Development
Some may still be in Kohlberg’s preconventional stage
Others are now in the conventional stage
They make decisions based on the desire to be perceived as “good” or “bad”
May begin questioning parents’ values

56. Ages 5-7: steady growth, enthusiastic learning, building positive self-esteem
Ages 8-9: gain more motor control, show less enthusiasm for learning, find friends more important
Ages 10-12: may enter puberty, capable of complex thought, fitting in is very important

57. Explain the meaning of conservation.
Something can remain the same even if it appears different.
____ is the ability to place objects in order by a characteristic, such as smallest to largest.
Seriation
continued

58. What is transitivity?
the ability to understand that relationships between two objects can extend to a third object
What are executive strategies?
skills used to solve problems