Middle Childhood

Cognitive and Physical Development

Physical Development
Growth is now slower and steadier. They grow 2 to 3 inches a year. 9 10-year-olds: beginning of growth spurt for girls 11-year-olds: beginning of growth spurt for boys Girls are slightly shorter and lighter until 9. 11-year-olds: girls are generally taller and heavier Growth is influenced by activity level, exercise, nutrition, gender, and genetic factors
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Motor Development
Gross Motor Skills Around age 5, locomotive skills such as running , jumping, and hopping are well in place. They develop interest in sports Fine Motor Skills Develop rapidly during preschool years and continue to improve
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Nutrition
Children in North America receive good nutrition so most height and weight differences among children are due to genetically determined factors. Children in poorer areas of cities in Calcuta, Hong Kong, and Rio de Janeiro are smaller than their counter parts in affluent areas of the same cities
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Proper Nutrition Positive Personality Trait

More positive emotion Less anxiety More moderate activity level More eager to explore new environment Showing more persistence in frustrating situations Being more alert More energy levels Higher levels of self-confidence.
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Obesity
Is defined as body weight that is more than 20% above the average for a person of a given height and weight. 10% of children are obese. 70% of children who are obese at ages 10 to 13 will continue to be seriously overweight as adults. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and other medical problems
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Causes for Obesity

Genetic Factors: a child with one obese parent has a 40% chance of becoming obese, and the proportion leaps to 80% if both parents are obese. Environmental Factors: The proportion of obesity has risen 54% since the 1960. Television viewing Lack of exercise Parental encouragement
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Cognitive Development Piaget and Education

Children are active learners who construct their own theories about how the world operates. Children learn by doing. Teaching should be through showing rather than telling. Piaget encourages the use of concrete objects for teaching (blocks, rods, seeds)
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Preoperational
(2 to 5-7 years)
Rigid and static Irreversible Focused on the here & now One dimension Egocentric Focused on perceptual evidence Intuitive

Concrete
(5-7 to 12 years)
Flexible Reversible Not limited to the here and now Multidimensional Less egocentric The use of logical inferences Cause and effect relationships
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Information Processing Memory

Encoding Recorded in memory (Keyboard) Saved in memory (on hard drive) Brought into awareness (on screen)
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Storage

Retrieved

Information Processing Memory

During middle childhood, short-term memory capacity improves significantly Meta-Memory An understanding about the processes that underlie memory emerge and improve during middle childhood Elementary schoolchildren learn control processes strategies and techniques that enhance memory. Children develop Metacognition the process of monitoring your own thinking and memory
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Information Processing Control Processes

1- Rehearsal 2- Organization 3- Semantic Elaboration 4- Mental Imagery 5- Retrieval 6- Scripts

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Information-Processing Automatization
1- Knowledge acquisition is automatic when processes require little attention Children are automatically aware of how often they have encountered people. Automatically, children develop an understanding of concepts, categorizations of objects, events, or people. 2- Knowledge is deliberate and controlled when processes require large amounts of attention.
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Information Processing Approaches

Cognitive Architecture Determines the specific steps through which material is processed as it travels through the human mind. Assume that the basic architecture of information-processing systems is constant over the course of development, although the speed and capacity of the system are thought to grow.
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Vygotsky
Classrooms are seen as places where children should have the opportunity to try new activities. Children should focus on activities that involve interaction with others.
Cooperative learning children benefit from the insight of others Reciprocal teaching students are taught to skim a passage, raise questions, summarize it, and predict what will happen next
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Definitions of Intelligence
1-Psychometric Approach IQ tests focuses on how people perform on standardized tests which are designed to measure skills and knowledge you have already learned. 2-Cognitive Approach Intelligence comes in different ways and one test cant measure it all.
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Psychometric Approach IQ Score

IQ score =

Mental Age (MA) divided by Chronological Age (CA) multiplied by 100

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Variations of IQ Scores
Range of Scores % of Population Description 130 + 2% Very superior 120 - 129 7% Superior 110 -119 16% High average 90 - 109 50% Average 80 - 89 16% Low average 70 - 79 7% Borderline 70 & below 2% Deficient
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IQ Tests
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) A test for children that provides separate measures of verbal and performance (nonverbal) skills as well as a total score. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-III) A test for adults that provides separate measures of verbal and performance skills as well as a total score.
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The Cognitive Approach Robert Sternberg

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The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Language Logical-mathematical Spatial relations Bodily-kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal 7 intelligences +2 Naturalistic Existential

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Emotional Intelligence 1-Interpersonal Intelligence 2-Intrapersonal Intelligence

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Emotional Intelligence

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 Fluid Intelligence The ability to deal with new problems and situations Examples: categorizing items, remembering a set of numbers Crystallized Intelligence The store of information, skills, and strategies that people have acquired through education and prior experience, and through their previous use of fluid intelligence. Examples: solving a puzzle, solution for mystery

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Learning and Thinking at School

Teaching facts or concepts Giving directions for a particular lesson Stating general rules of behavior Correcting, disciplining, and praising children Miscellaneous activities

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Results
Children learn more in classes in which time on task is maximized, in which the teacher spends at least half the time on actual teaching and less on such concerns as maintaining order.

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What Should Do to Be Critical Thinkers The 6 Rs 1- Remembering 2- Repeating 3- Reasoning 4- Reorganizing 5- Relating 6- Reflecting

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The Main Emphasis in Teaching

Now, the emphasis is on
Teaching learning and thinking skills Tailoring instruction to the childs individual learning style and developmental level Fostering independent, self-regulated, selfpaced learning Learning in small groups Cooperative rather than competitive learning
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Learning Styles Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

The way in which we view the world is called our We perceive in 2 ways

Concrete

Abstract

Perception

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Learning Styles
The way we use the information we use is called
We order in 2 ways Sequential

Random

Ordering

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Four Combinations
Concrete Sequential Abstract Sequential hardworking, stable, analytic, knowledgeable, conventional, accurate, objective, structured, dependable, factual, thorough, systematic, organized, consistent logical, deliberate Abstract Random sensitive, perceptive, flexible, compassionate, imaginative, idealistic, sentimental, spontanious Concrete Random Quick, adventurous, intuitive, instinctive, realistic, creative, innovative, curious
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Success in School
Culture: achievement motivation is an acquired culturally based drive (McClelland) Gender: accounts for some differences, but this is often due to environmental factors rather than brain physiology Parents: parents of successful children:
Have realistic beliefs about their children Have high expectations Are authoritative parents Talk to, listen to, and read to their children
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Developmental Disorders 1- Mental Retardation 2- Depression 3- Attention Deficit Disorder 4- Learning Disabilities

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1- Mental Retardation (Causes)

Genetic anomalies Prenatal exposure to diseases and drugs Anoxia at birth Extreme malnutrition during birth or during infancy Family can have a debilitating or a facilitating effect on the childs intellectual development
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The Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel (DSM-IV)

Criteria that a child should meet to be diagnosed as mentally retarded: 1- Significantly subaverage functioning based on IQ test scores 2- Significantly impaired adaptive behaviors in areas such as self-care, self-direction, and general functioning 3- Onset before age 18
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Four Levels of Mental Retardation

1- Mild Retardation (IQ of 55 to 70) Can reach 3rd and 6th grade Can hold jobs and function independently Psychological retardation 2- Moderate (IQ of 40 to 55) Slow to develop language and motor skills Generally cannot progress beyond 2nd grade Capable of training in social skills but need supervision Psychological Retardation
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Four Levels of Mental Retardation

3- Severe (IQ of 25 to 40) Generally dont profit from training Are unlikely to support themselves Need 24-hour care 4- Profound (IQ below 25) Are not vegetative Usually suffer from neurological and physiological disabilities (biological retardation)
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2- Depression
Childhood Depression exaggerated fear, clinginess, avoidance of everyday activities Depression in Older Children Sulking, school problems, acts of delinquency Adult Depression Profound sadness and hopelessness, negative outlook on life, suicidal thoughts
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Depression Prozac
Prescribing Prozac for children has become very popular. No antidepressant has been approved by governmental regulators for use with children. Because it is approved for adults, it is perfectly legal for physicians to write prescriptions for children.
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Whats Wrong with Antidepressants for Children?

There is little evidence that antidepressant drugs have long term effectiveness. We dont know the consequences of the use of antidepressants on the developing brains of children. The drugs in orange or mint-flavored syrups might lead to overdoses or perhaps encourage the use of illegal drugs.
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3- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Patients with ADD/ADHD suffer from an underactivation of the brain. Their IQ is usually above average. A gap between potential and performance occurs. They often show an excess of Theta brainwaves (focused behavior) or insufficient Beta brainwaves (unfocused behavior)
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ADD/ADHD Medication
ADD/ADHD is the result of low levels of dopamine Ritalin is a stimulant that increases dopamine levels. Sensing that the levels of dopamine are abnormally high, the brain may reduce its own production of dopamine. Thus, when Ritalin is discontinued, the ADD?ADHD patient may be more ADD/ADHD than before taking the drug. The brain compensating mechanism would kick in to get rid of the extra dopamine.
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Diagnostic Criteria for AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Symptoms must persist for at least six months Symptoms must have begun before age seven Symptoms present in at least two situations Disorder impairs functioning
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Diagnostic Criteria for AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Symptoms not explained by another disorder such as: Anxiety Schizophrenia Mania Dissociative Disorder Personality Disorder Developmental Disorder
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4- Learning Disabilities
1- Reading Disorder (Dyslexia) 2- Disorder of Written Expression (Dysgraphia) 3- Mathematics Disorder (Dyscalculia)

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