middle childhood: ages 6 through 10

Chapter

8Middle Childhood: Ages 6 through 10

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Objectives• Analyze the physical development of

children ages 6 through 10.• Analyze the cognitive development of

children ages 6 through 10.• Analyze the socio-emotional development of

children ages 6 through 10.

continued


Objectives• Compare and contrast various

developmental theories relating to children in middle childhood.

• Identify developmentally appropriate guidance techniques for children in middle childhood.

• Identify developmental milestones children in middle childhood achieve.


The School Environment• Most children enter kindergarten between the

ages of 5 and 6• Children of this age need praise, approval,

and encouragement• During middle childhood, children generally

get along with their teachers

continued


The School Environment• By the latter years of middle childhood,

children are capable of more complex thought• School achievements or struggles can

become major issues in the lives of students• By the end of middle childhood, children are

in the fifth and sixth grades

Checkpoint


1. List three tasks children can usually do by the time they enter kindergarten. (List three:) organize their thoughts, memorize,

use symbols such as the alphabet to represent sounds, count, recognize colors, and take turns

2. What type of directions can children typically follow by the time they complete second grade? multistep directions

continued

Checkpoint


3. Describe how memory abilities increase during middle childhood. Children move past simple memorization such

as learning addition and subtraction, to more complex memorization such as state capitols. Their short-term memory grows and experiences make more lasting impressions.

continued

Checkpoint


4. At what age do teachers often notice a “slump” in children’s attitudes and interest in learning? around age 9 or 10

5. List three tasks children can usually do by the latter years of middle childhood. (Answers will vary, but should reflect an

understanding of text page 174.)


Physical Characteristics and Growth• During middle childhood, children undergo

several changes• Typical growth in height averages between

2 and 3 inches per year• Children often start gaining weight faster• Their coordination and endurance increase

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Around 6 or 7 years of age, children often

start to lose their baby teeth• During middle childhood, children’s facial

features mature and elongate• The need for eyeglasses is often discovered

as children spend more time in school reading and viewing information on the board

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Gross-motor development changes rapidly

during middle childhood• Children have improved flexibility, strength,

and speed• Differences in muscle control and

coordination become very apparent as children play team sports

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Children make tremendous strides in fine-

motor development as they continue to gain more control over small muscles

• Activities that combine mental abilities and fine-motor skills, such as board games, become more appealing

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Children should avoid junk foods and make

nutrient-dense food choices• A well-balanced diet is best for children of all

ages

continued©Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com


Physical Characteristics and Growth• The amount of body fat a person carries has

a much greater impact on health than total weight

• Body composition describes the proportion of body fat to lean mass (muscle, bone, and water) in a person’s body

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Overweight is defined as a high amount of

body fat in relation to lean body mass• Obesity is an excessive amount of body fat• Some weight-induced health concerns include

– high blood pressure– high blood cholesterol– type 2 diabetes

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• When the body does not receive sufficient

amounts of nutrients, malnutrition occurs• Malnutrition puts children at risk for poor

cognitive and physical development and increased incidence of disease

• By including plenty of nutrient-dense foods in the diet, malnutrition is preventable

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• The Physical Activity Guidelines for

Americans recommend that children in middle childhood should be physically active for one hour per day

• Aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone strengthening activities can strengthen physical growth and development

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Children in middle childhood require about

10 hours of sleep per night• During middle childhood, children are

generally healthy and continue to attend annual health checkups and dental exams

• With increasing involvement in physical activities, injuries become more common

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Minor cuts and scrapes are the most

common injuries in childhood• The main objective in treating a cut or scrape

is to keep the wound clean from infection• Sprains and strains are also common injuries

for children

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Strains and sprains can be treated with the

R.I.C.E. treatment, or rest, ice, compression, and elevation

• For minor burns, place the affected area under cold water (not ice water)

• Seek immediate medical attention for serious burns

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• Electric shock can occur from outlets, cords,

frayed or exposed wires, and appliances• Turn off the source of electricity• Separate the child from the source of the

current and immediately seek medical attention

continued


Physical Characteristics and Growth• When a dental injury occurs, the caregiver

should take steps to preserve the tooth and stop bleeding, then seek medical attention

• Children may choke from pieces of food or small inedible objects

• Both the Red Cross and the American Heart Association teach emergency procedures to relieve choking

Checkpoint


1. What bodily and facial changes can be expected in middle childhood? Children grow in height between 2 and 3 inches

per year and start gaining weight faster. Coordination and endurance increase. Inward changes are more noticeable through increased perspiration or sweating. Children lose their baby teeth, which are gradually replaced by permanent teeth. Facial features mature and elongate, which results in a more grown-up look.

continued

Checkpoint


2. Describe typical gross- and fine-motor skills of children in middle childhood. (Answers will vary, but may include:) gross-

motor skills: running, jumping, climbing, playing catch, playing hopscotch, swimming, riding a bike, playing team sports; fine-motor skills: painting, drawing, playing instruments, eating with a knife and fork, using scissors, building elaborate structures with blocks, buttoning buttons, typing, creating sculptures, playing board games

continued

Checkpoint


3. What are nutrient-dense foods? Give an example. foods rich in vitamins and minerals that contain

relatively few calories (Examples will vary.) 4. What is malnutrition?

a chronic problem caused by a significant lack of nutrients within a person’s diet

continued

Checkpoint


5. List three common accidents or injuries that may occur during middle childhood and describe how to treat them. (Answers will vary, but should reflect an

understanding of text pages 181–183.)


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• During middle childhood, the ability to think in

logical, objective terms begins to surface• As a result, learning the fundamentals of

reading, writing, and math are essential• Children may tend to focus on only one part

of a situation• Piaget referred to this way of thinking as

centering

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Children sometimes struggle with the concept

of reversibility• During the concrete operational stage,

children are able to think logically based on their past experiences

• The transition between the preoperational and concrete operational stage is gradual

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Vygotsky believed that children learn best

through social interaction• They learn from experiences, such as riding a

city bus, by watching their parents• Focusing on activities within a child’s ZPD will

help promote the best learning opportunities

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• By the time children enter elementary school,

their brains are almost at full adult size• Each hemisphere of the brain controls

different types of thinking• Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple

Intelligences proposes that people learn and process information in different ways

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Differences in learning based on abilities or

experiences are termed learning diversity• Learning styles are methods of taking in and

processing information• Three types of learning styles include visual,

auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile learners

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Children in middle childhood begin to use

language to read and write• They can be great storytellers and

understand syntax, grammar, and rules of writing

• Many children in the middle elementary school years are independent readers

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• As children learn to read words, they also

learn to write, which requires fine-motor skills• As cognitive skills become more

sophisticated, children are able to mix words and logic and enjoy rhymes and puns

• Children in the latter years of middle childhood use executive strategies

continued


Cognitive Characteristics and Growth• Children in middle childhood are capable of

making moral decisions• Children in Kohlberg’s second level of moral

development, conventional morality, may make a moral decision based on the desire to be perceived as “good” or “bad”

Checkpoint


1. Describe Piaget’s concrete operational stage of thinking. children think logically based on past

experiences2. What are three types of learning styles? Give

an example of each. visual—learning by seeing information;

auditory—learning by hearing; kinesthetic-tactile—learning by experiencing (See Figure 8-15 on text page 187 for examples.)

continued

Checkpoint


3. How does language develop in middle childhood? Children begin to use language to read and

write. By the fifth or sixth grade, they are learning about 20 new words a day and know about 40,000 words. They can understand syntax, grammar, and rules of writing.

continued

Checkpoint


4. What are executive strategies? In what ways do they change how children in the latter years of middle childhood approach schoolwork? Executive strategies are skills used to solve

problems. These strategies make it possible for children to make goals, plan, implement, and evaluate solutions in their approach to schoolwork.

continued

Checkpoint


5. Describe how children in Kohlberg’s second level of moral development make moral decisions. When children enter conventional morality,

their moral decisions are motivated by laws and how they might be perceived.


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Children in middle childhood are often in the

stage of industry versus inferiority• They are becoming more independent, and

as a result, are learning more skills• Socially, children in this stage want to be part

of a group, have friends, and be around other people

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• The latter years of middle childhood can be a

period of calm or a period of storm• Children in middle childhood are quite

industrious as they long to become more grown-up

• In middle childhood, boys and girls tend to see themselves as independent

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Children in this stage desire positive family

relationships, especially with adults• By the latter years, parents often notice their

children’s desire for increasing independence• Children in middle childhood can be caring

toward siblings, but they can also be mean

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Children need caregivers to listen to them,

advise them, and set limits to ensure safety• Using the induction form of discipline with

positive reinforcement and role modeling can provide guidance to children in this stage

• As children start school, peers play a more important role in their lives

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Many children in early elementary school

separate by gender• By the latter years of middle childhood,

children highly value friendships with peers• Verbal and physical bullying can be common

during middle childhood

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Play is an important part of socio-emotional

development in middle childhood• Group games and team sports become more

appealing and popular

continued©Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• In all stages of life, today’s environment can

promote stress• Children today are living in a stressful world,

and they are feeling the effects• Children may need encouragement to talk

about what is bothering them

continued


Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth• Media can be educational and a positive form

of communication between families and peers• Media can also be negative and eat up vast

amounts of time that could be spent on active pursuits

• Parents and caregivers should talk to children about the dangers and limit media exposure

Checkpoint


1. According to Erikson, which socio-emotional tasks do children in middle childhood need to solve? industry verses inferiority

continued

Checkpoint


2. Describe relationships with family members during middle childhood. Children generally establish positive family

relationships and respond well to established expectations and family rules. Children tend to be affectionate with parents and caring toward siblings. By the latter years of middle childhood, children desire increased independence, but still need parental reassurance and advice. They may become moody and estranged from siblings.

continued

Checkpoint


3. Describe relationships with peers during middle childhood. Peers play a more important role in the lives of

children during middle childhood. New social skills enable them to form close twosomes as well as friendship groups. Many children in early elementary school separate by gender. Peers are a source of friendship, information, and power.

continued

Checkpoint


4. What is bullying? Give an example. Bullying is the act of intimidating, threatening, or

hurting someone else, often over a period of time. (Examples will vary, but may include:) name-calling, teasing, excluding others deliberately, laughing at someone and spreading rumors, pushing, hitting, tripping

5. List three ways children might handle a stressful situation.

(List three:) talking about what is bothering them, getting plenty of sleep, eating nutritious foods, developing a hobby, getting plenty of physical activity


Special Needs• During middle childhood, special needs

become more visible as milestones are either missed or delayed

• Vision problems that often become more obvious during middle childhood may include hyperopia and myopia

continued


Special Needs• A learning disorder that may be discovered

while trying to read is dyslexia• This disorder is characterized by difficulty

understanding and recognizing letters, symbols, and sentence meanings

• Dyslexia causes reading to be challenging and may also affect verbal communication

continued


Special Needs• An intelligence test is often used to detect the

extremes of special needs• Mainstreaming is a term used to describe

the placement of special needs students who show the ability to keep up with the curriculum into regular classrooms

Checkpoint


1. What is the difference between hyperopia and myopia? Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is an eye

condition that results in difficultly seeing objects that are near. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is an eye condition that results in difficulty seeing objects that are far away.

continued

Checkpoint


2. What are some common characterizations of dyslexia? difficulty understanding and recognizing letters,

symbols, and sentence meanings, and challenges with reading and verbal communication

3. Describe mainstreaming. the placement of special needs students who

show the ability to keep up with the curriculum into a regular classroom

continued

Checkpoint


4. What is inclusion? the placement of special needs students into a

regular classroom so students will benefit from the whole class experience

middle childhood: ages 6 through 10

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