MIDDLE CHILDHOOD in developmental psychology

middle childhood period

1. MIDDLE CHILDHOOD Presented by: Rabia Javed Iqbal

2. MIDDLE CHILDHOOD Ages 7 through 11 comprise middle childhood. Some authorities divide middle childhood into early-middle (ages 7–9) and late-middle (ages 10–11) periods.

3. Physical Development in Middle Childhood Most girls experience a preadolescent growth spurt around age 9 or 10 Most boys experience the same growth spurt around age 11 or 12. Children who do not receive adequate nutrition or medical attention may be at risk for stunted or delayed growth development.

4. Physical changes Reach puberty. Secondary sexual characteristics make distinguishing females from males much easier. Grow about 2 to 3 inches. Gain about 7 pounds. Skeletal bones and muscles broaden and lengthen. Losing the deciduous teeth, or baby teeth.

5. Brain and nervous system development Growth of frontal lobes which are responsible for planning, reasoning, social judgment, and ethical decision making, among other functions. Damage to this part of brain results in erratic emotional outbursts, inability to plan, and poor judgment. Growth of pre-fontal cortex , which appears to be responsible for personality. Maturation of the corpus callosum

6. Motor skills Gross motor skills: run, jump, leap, throw, catch, climb, and balance, play baseball, ride bikes, roller skate, take karate lessons, take ballet lessons, and participate in gymnastics Fine motor skills: cut, paste, mold, shape, draw, paint, create, write, tying shoelaces, untying knots, and flossing their teeth, music lessons for piano, violin, flute, or other instruments.

7. Health Minor illnesses: cold, coughs, and stomachaches Major illnesses: influenza, pneumonia, cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), obesity

8. Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood Keener metacognition Piaget referred to the cognitive development occurring between ages 7 and 11 as the concrete operations stage. Serial ordering Stable identity Egocentrism

9. Memory Use mnemonic devices, or memory strategies. Creating humorous lyrics Devising acronyms Chunking facts (breaking long lists of items into groups of three’s and four’s) Rehearsing facts Cooperative learning Didactic learning

10. PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT According to Erikson: to attain industry, or the feeling of social competence. Competition (athletics, daredevil activities) Numerous social adjustments (trying to make and keep friends) mark this developmental stage. Successfully developing industry helps a child build self-esteem, or an evaluative attitude toward the self, which in turn builds the self-confidence.

11. Self-Concept in Middle Childhood Supportive and loving parents, teachers, and friends who make the children feel competent foster this type of development . The more positive experiences that children have excelling in one or more areas, the more likely that these children will develop the self-confidence necessary to confront new social challenges. Self-esteem , self-worth, self-regulation, and self-confidence ultimately form a child’s self-concept.

12. Family Relationships in Middle Childhood Time when parents begin sharing power and decision making with their children. Parents must continue to establish rules and define boundaries Discipline Punishment Positive reinforcement Quality of time is more important than the quantity of time

13. Friendships in Middle Childhood Help each other to develop self-esteem and a sense of competency in the social world Enjoy group activities, such as skating, riding bikes, playing house, and building forts. The development of concerns and worries over popularity and conformity.

14. Sexuality in Middle Childhood In middle childhood, sexual interest becomes more goal-directed. Freud theorized that sexual latency. At this time, children’s fascinations with sexuality are coupled with hormonal and physical changes occurring in their bodies. These changes comes self-consciousness about the body, especially in regard to being seen nude by friends and parents.

15. Stressors During Middle Childhood Divorce Child physical abuse Child sexual abuse