Physical Development in Middle Childhood

8/3/2019 Physical Development in Middle Childhood

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Rate of growth slows relative to infancy &early childhood

Rate is roughly 2-3 inches in height and 5

lbs per year As girls approach 8-9 years, the rate ofgrowth increases relative to boys

Girls begin to develop additional fat cells

relative to muscle cells Girls growth rate is faster than boys until

roughly 13 yearpossibly linked withpuberty


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BMI at or above the 95th percentile of thepopulation of same aged children(normative)

Over 25 percent of children suffer fromobesity,

a greater-than-20-percent increase overaverage body weight, based on thechilds age, sex, and physical build.

Over 80 percent of obese youngsters

remain overweight as adults


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Obese children tend to have obese

parents, and concordance for obesity isgreater in identical than fraternal twins

Low-SES youngsters in industrializednations are more likely to be overweight lack of knowledge about healthy diet

tendency to buy high-fat, low-cost foods

family stress

Parental feeding practices contribute tochildhood obesity


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obese children are more responsive to

external stimuli associated with food less responsive to internal hunger cues Obese children are less physically active than

their normal-weight peers

obese children tend to watch more television

Linked to sedentary lifestyle

Linked to advertising and models portrayed


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Socio-cultural--Both children and adultsrate obese youngsters as unlikable By middle childhood,

obese children report feeling more depressed

display more behavior problems than normal-weight age mates

psychological consequences of obesitycombined with continuing discrimination result

in real or perceived reduced life chances


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The rapid decline in processing time over

middle childhood is thought to be due to myelinization

synaptic pruning

Growth spurts during middle childhood: Frontal,

Temporal,

Occipital

Parietal, (Pribram, 1990)


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Increased function related to micro-developmental (myelinization and synaptic

pruning) and macro-development (development of various lobes)

Lateralization (isolation of functions to one or the

other hemisphere of the brain) increases andfurther reduces plasticity

Elaborations (development of new connections inthe brain) are contingent on brain maturation and

experience

Synaptic connections transverse increasinglylonger distances across the brain and arecorrelated with increased flexibility of thought


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Brain growth spurts roughly correspond toPiagets observed sequence of cognitivedevelopment

By the end of middle childhood the massof the brain closely matches that of theadult brain

The later in childhood a neurologicaltrauma occurs, the more challenging therecovery and the relocalization of the

functions in the brain due to a decrease in


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Gross Motor DevelopmentDuring middle childhood, running,jumping, hopping, and ball skills become

more refined.

Motor skills improve in the capacities offlexibility, balance, agility, and force.

Steady improvements also occur inreaction time11-year-olds can respond

almost twice as quickly to a stimulus as5-year-olds.


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Fine Motor Development Fine motor development also improves

steadily over the school years. Gains are especially evident in writing

and drawing. Writing tends to be large at first, and

legibility gradually increases. Drawings show gains in organization, detail,

and representation of depth.

School-age children not only depict objects inconsiderable detail, they also relate them toone another as part of an organized whole.


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Parents who encourage physical exercisetend to have youngsters who enjoy it more

and who are also more skilled. Family income affects childrens

opportunities to develop a variety of physicalabilities.

Girls remain ahead in the fine motor areaand skills which depend on balance andagility.

School-age boys genetic advantage inmuscle mass is not great enough to accountfor their superiority in many gross motorskills; thus, environment plays a large role inmotor development.

Greater emphasis on skill training for girls

along with increased attention to theirathletic achievements in schools and


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Child-Organized GamesOrganized games with rules become

common in middle childhood.

Gains in perspective taking allowchildren to understand the roles ofseveral players in a game and permitthe transition to rule-oriented games.

Participation in organized games helpschildren form more mature concepts offairness and justice.


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provide regularly scheduled opportunities

for exercise and play ensure that all children have access to

physical activity that supports: healthy bodies.

a sense of self-worth as physically active andcapable beings.

the cognitive and social skills necessary forgetting along well with others.


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Biopsychosocial forces tend to create

transactions among forces inchildrens lives that lead topsychopathology

Determining exact causes ofpsychopathology among children isdifficult due to:

Range of possible causal factorsComorbidity (presence of two or more

disorders)


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Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Child shows developmentally inappropriate or

excessive inattention, impulsivity and/orhyperactivity

Onset occurs by age 7 Behavior pattern must have persisted at least 6

months

Impairs ability to function in school

Difficulty getting along with others Disruptive and non-compliant behavior

often elicits punishment

More common in boys than girls


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Learning DisordersSpecific learning disordernarrowly

defined to domain (e.g. reading, math,

writing)Child possesses intelligence at or abovenormal level

Differences in brain activity withchildren with communicative andlearning disorders linked to differencesin information processing

Discriminating between environmental


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Lower than average: Communication - both verbal (spoken) and non-

verbal (such as pointing, eye contact, andsmiling)

Social - sharing emotions, understanding howothers think and feel, and holding aconversation

Routines or repetitive behaviors

(stereotyped behaviors) - repeating words or actions,

obsessively following routines or schedules, and

playing in repetitive ways


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Intellectual Functioning Mental retardation

Learning Disabilities Dyslexia (reading disability) Dyscalculia (mathematics

disability) Disorder of written expression

Speech disorders

Articulation disorder Voice disorders Fluency disorders

Physical disabilities Visual impairment Hearing impairment Paralysis

Social and Emotional Disorders Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity

disorder Autism Conduct disorder Childhood depression

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SleepSleep SchoolSchool TVTV Dinner,Dinner,

homework,homework,

exercise,exercise,

etc.etc.8 hours8 hours 8 hours8 hours 4 hours4 hours 4 hours4 hours

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4 hours of TV = of waking hours


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Pictures according tocommon disorders &

disabilities in theirphysical

development


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Visual impairment


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skull fractures causing

partial paralysis

Physical Development in Middle Childhood

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