Super 7!

Developmental Stages and Characteristics of children at age 7, with

a focus on Social and Emotional Development

Agenda

1. Physical Development

2. Lingual Development

3. Cognitive Development

4. Socio-emotional Development

Physical Development, 1

• Often keep their eyes focused on a small, close area

• Sometimes tense• Like confined spaces• Sensitive to many hurts, real and imagined• Improved physical abilities (Muscle coordination

improving)

(taken from Yardsticks2, 2007)

Physical Development, 2

• According to PBS Child Developmental Tracker3,

“This is the age when children begin to effectively combine motor skills like

running to kick a ball, rolling after landing from a jump or traveling in rhythm

to music. They continue to be enthusiastic about physical activity in all of its

forms, especially when the sport or physical activity is structured so that they

can be successful. During this year, youngsters who have spent a substantial

amount of time outside of school on skills like riding a bike, swimming, skiing,

dance or gymnastics begin to show true proficiency. Note: During this period of

development, children's actual skill levels will vary based on their amount of

physical activity. Sedentary children will not mature as quickly as those who

participate in activities like dance lessons, team sports or backyard play.”

Lingual Development, 1

• Beginning to develop Metalinguistic Awareness• Growing vocabulary• Most 7 year olds have mastered articulation of

most phonemes in English, however some fricatives such as /s/, /v/, and /z/ may still be difficult

• Grasps basic narrative (central idea, climax, and resolution), more complex understandings of narrative emerging

Lingual Development, 2

“The ability to read and write dramatically transforms the language learner. Through these new language experiences, children gain metalinguistic competence, or the ability to conceptualize, reflect upon, and analyze language as an entity in and of itself.”

- Brandone, Salkind, Golinkoff, Hirsh-Pasek (Language Development)4

Cognitive Development

• Children at age 7 are between Piaget’s Pre-operational and Concrete Operational stages. They have mastered tasks such as symbolic play but are only beginning to grasp logic and reasoning.o One example of a concept 7 year-olds are beginning to grasp is

conservation (the constancy of objects; mass and number don’t change with shape)

“Seven-year-olds enjoy having the opportunity to share their knowledge with others. They display a longer attention span and the ability to tolerate less-detailed directions and last-minute changes. Seven-year-olds are curious and frequently ask adults and peers questions to satisfy their need to know. They utilize increasingly complex and creative strategies to solve problems at home and at school.”- PBS, Child Developmental Tracker

Social Development- Agenda

• Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory• Aspects of Identity• Understanding the Self• Social Competence

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Stage Psychosocial Crisis Significant Relations

Significant Event

4 Industry vs. Inferiority

Parents, Teachers, and peers

Learning to read and complete tasks

• Industry Those children who complete tasks successfully; develop a sense of

efficacy and efficiency (Industry) Receive support from significant relations; encourage mastery of skills

and avoid use of comparisons and competition Children gain self-confidence and strive to reach full potential in

everyday tasks (activities, school-work, and social interaction)• Inferiority

Those children who fail to complete tasks correctly; develop a sense of failure and insignificance

No support from significant relations; lack of praise and use of comparisons and competition

A sense of incompetence when attempting tasks and use of skills; detrimental to self-confidence

Aspects of Identity

• Identity Statuses• Ethnic Identity• Gender Identity

Identity Statuses• Exploration of new behaviors/

attitudes while testing limitations; including consideration of positive and negative consequences

• Identity statuses can be linked to classroom participation and performance

Ethnic Identity• Self-Identification- What cultural or racial

community I belong to?• Sense of Belonging- How important is self-

identification?• Attitudes towards ethnicity- How do I feel

about my ethnicity?• Ethnic Involvement- How do I participate

within my cultural or racial community?

Gender Identity• Gender Role- beginning to recognize

oneself with characteristics associated with being feminine or masculine

• Gender Labeling- Children can label themselves or others as male or female

• Gender Stability- Children form the belief that gender does not change over time

• Gender Constancy- Children form the belief that gender does not change regardless of behaviors, clothing, or other qualities

Understanding the Self

• Self-Concept Perceptions of one’s knowledge and abilities Focus on:

• Domain specific self-concept• Praise and feedback• At risk-populations

• Self-Esteem Global Self-Esteem- overall self worth Domain Specific Self-Esteem- specific areas in the child’s

life (ex. School, relationships) Influences include: socioeconomic status, gender,

ethnicity, and generational factors

Social Competence• Social adjustment- ability to conform to the

situation; ability to express feelings and emotions, and regulate within self (Emotional Competence)

• Social performance- self-involvement and participation with others (Relationships); taking into account others needs and emotions

• Social skills- ability to problem solve and reason within peer groups in practical situations

Characteristics of Social Competence (at

7 years)• Early Elementary

o High levels of mutuality and social responseo Can respond to more than one peer at onceo Learn how to recruit others into ongoing

activitieso Self-system concept becoming reasonably

stable and independent of contradictory evaluations

o Increased reliance on verbal, rather than physical, strategies in interpersonal control

Emotional Development

Agenda• Emotions and Temperament• Emotional Intelligence• Self-motivation• Emotions in Relationships• Social-emotional Learning

Emotions and Temperament

• Temperament- predetermined differences in emotion, activity, and self-control which determine patterns of response to the environment

• Temperament affects student engagement and interaction in school

• Personality characteristics at a young age can be predictors of future behavior

• Culture can be an influence on temperament acting as a predictor of future behavior

• Family also shapes temperament; Emotional Expression at home can greatly disrupt or encourage emotional development

Emotional IntelligenceAge Emotional Regulation Emotional Understanding3-6 years • Emotional self-regulation

begins to develop as a result of lingual growth

• Understanding causes, consequences, and behavior signs improves.

• Empathetic responses become more reflective as a result of lingual growth

7-11 years

• Integration of self-conscience emotions and standards of right action

• Strategies for engaging in emotional and self-regulation increase in variety, become more cognitive, and are adjusted to situational demands

• Conformity to and conscience awareness to rules of emotional display improve

• Ability to consider multiple sources of information when explaining others’ emotions

• Awareness that people can experience more than one emotion at one time emerges

• Empathetic responding as emotional understanding improves

Milestones in Emotional Development

Self-Motivation• The ability to inspire one’s self

towards action and perseverance despite obstacles

• Children must set realistic and attainable goals for themselves

Emotions in Relationships

• Greeting Ability- effectiveness in communicating with linguistic and paralinguistic clues in initial socializations

• Timing and Staging- ability to read paralinguistic and emotional cues and respond accordingly

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

• Socio-Emotional Learning is the recognition of the importance of social and emotional skills in the academic setting

• SEL Principles:o Caring relationships build lasting knowledgeo Emotions affect learningo Set goals and problem solve to improve focus, direction, and energy

during learning• SEL programs have been established to foster

academic success

Social CognitiveAgenda

• Observational Learning

• Personal Factors in Learning

Observational Learning

• Models:o Live Models- individuals who are observed directlyo Symbolic Models- individuals observed indirectly often through various media such

as movieso Characteristics: Relevance (must be relatable to imitator), Competence (must be

correct behavior), High status (power or importance in imitator’s life), and Gender Appropriateness (must perform gender ‘appropriate’ behaviors based on societal standards)

• Imitators:o Characteristics: Attention, Retention, Production, and Motivation

• Environment:o Characteristics:

• Response Facilitation Effect (vicarious reinforcement; model rewarded for observed behavior, more likely repeated by imitator)

• Response Inhibition Effect (vicarious punishment; model punished for observed behavior, less likely repeated by imitator)

• Response Disinhibition Effect (usually punished model behavior is not punished, more likely repeated by imitator)

Personal Factors in Learning

• Self-efficacyo Past performance- previous success contributes to high efficacyo Modeling- seeing success inspires efficacyo Verbal persuasion- verbal reinforcement/ encouragement improves efficacyo Physiological states- efficacy can be affected by energy or lack there of

• Self-regulationo Self-observation-self monitoringo Self-judgment- comparison of self to predetermined standardo Self-evaluation- significance of judgment decided and consequences performed

by self on self• Teacher efficacy is important in improving student self-

efficacy and self-regulation

Behavior

Environment Person

Bibliography1. Bohlin, L., Durwin, C. C., & Reese-Weber, M. (2012). Ed

Psych modules (2nd edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

2. Wood, C. (2007). Yardsticks (3rd edition). Turner Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.

3. (undefined). (November 20, 2013). Child Developmental Tracker. PBS Parents Website. Retrieved November 10, 2013 from http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/seven/.

4. Brandone, Salkind, Golinkoff, Hirsh-Pasek. (2006). Language Development. Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists.