Late Childhood (The Intermediate

Schooler)
Physical Development of the Intermediate Schooler

Late childhood is generally defined as ages 9 through 12. Others, may

call this as preteens. Physical changes during this stage is fairly
unpredictable among children in this age group.
The steady and gradual changes happening in children at this stage,
especially with increasing familiarity with school work and other possible
activities provide them with a greater opportunity to develop their motor
skill functioning.
Intermediate schoolers have more control over their bodies than they
have when they were in primary school. They become more active and
have greater liberty to choose hobbies or sports they want to get involved
in.
Children in their late childhood stage always seem to be in hurry -
they get so busy with their school work, interacting with their friends,
exploring other activities, but this period of physical development seems
to take on a leisurely pace.

This may also be the stage when puberty may begin.

 Puberty is the period in which the body undergoes physical changes
and becomes capable of sexual reproduction.

Early Puberty
Girls are generally as much two (2) years ahead of boys in terms of
physical maturity, although these developments may be determined by
how close a child is to puberty. Puberty may begin early. Budding breast
for girls- which is the initial sign of puberty. Some girls may also start
their menstrual period as early as 8 and some as late as 13.
Puberty’s changes start when the brain triggers the production of sex
hormones. Here are some changes but may happen to both girls and boys
during early puberty.
Girls Boys
Breast  Small lumps from  May also have swelling
behind the nipple may on their chest but tends
occur, which sometime to go away within a
could be painful but year or two
eventually, the pain
goes away.
 It is normal for one
breast to develop more
slowly than the other.
Genitals  The vulva starts in  Subtle increase in
increase a bit. testicle size.
 The vagina gets longer.  Penis and scrotum start
 The uterus gets bigger. to grow.
 Semen may released
when he is awake or
even during sleep.
Hair Growth  Hair start to grow in  Hair will start to grow
the armpits and pubic and become thicker.
areas.  New hair will also grow
in the armpits and
pubic area around
genitals.
 May start developing
chest and facial hair.

Height, weight and Muscle Development

During late childhood, a child’s weight on average, may be 2.3 to 3.2
kilograms per year. Weight increase was mainly due to the increase in
size of skeletal and muscular systems as well as several organs. An
average of 2 1/2 inches in height and an average of an inch in head
circumference each year. Children during this stage may experience
growth spurts - sudden boosts in height and weight, which usually
accompanied by increase in appetite and food intake.
Bodily structures like the liver, muscles, skeletons and kidneys and
face follow a normal curve of development for both girls and boys. Other
structures like the brain, intestines and other organs and bodily systems
mature at their own , thus affecting growth patterns.
Increase in body fat also occurs in preparation for the growth that
occurs during adolescence. The body fat increase occurs earlier in girls
and is greater in quantity. Girls appear to be “chubby” while boys have
more lean body mass per inch of height than girls. These are all normal
part of development.
Motor Skills
During this stage, movements or the muscles and bones become more
coordinated. At the age of 10 or 11 years, most children will have learned
to play sports like swimming, basketball, volleyball and running. This
physical skills become a source
of pleasure and great achievement to the children. In activities that use
large muscle activities, boys tend to be more nimble than girls.
Although a significant increase in physical activity may occur in this
stage, children in their late childhood is far from being physically mature.
This is because they need time to refine their skills so they prefer active
rather than passive movements.
 From the age of 8, children show greater coordination in writing.
Their fine motor skills develop gradually which may be evidenced by the
size of the letters and numbers. Font size becomes smaller and are more
even. They may produce good quality crafts or have greater control in
playing instruments. In this skills, girls usually surpass the boys.
Insecurities
At this stage, children may become very concerned about their
physical appearance. Girls especially, may become concerned about their
weight and decide to eat less. Boys may become aware of their stature
and muscle size and strength.
Parents and teachers must be very conscious about their dealings
with these children. Appropriate activities must be given so that children
will be guided into the right direction. Children must be given
opportunities to engage themselves in worthwhile activities that:
 promote healthy growth
 give them a feeling of accomplishment, and
 reduce the risk of certain diseases.
Implications to child-care, education and parenting
During this stage, children are more physically active however, they
still have a lot of physical maturity to undergo. Here are some points to
consider for heath-care providers, teachers and parents.
 Provide ample opportunities at home and in school for physical
exercises and sports.
 Encourage children to participate in varied worthwhile activities until
they are able to discover ones they are interested in.
 Develop a strong emotional attachment with your children so as to
address any insecurities and social concerns.
 Since children in this stage have more control over their eating
habits, provide them with healthier food choices.

Unit 5 Late Childhood (The Intermediate Schooler)

Cognitive Development of the Intermediate Schooler

During this stage, rapid development of metal skills is evident.

According to Jean Piaget, concrete operational thinkers can now
recognize thoughts effectively, although, they can only logically perceive
the immediate situation. They can apply what they have learned to
situations and events that they can manipulate.
Thus their reasoning and logical thinking are still very limited. But
with proper guidance and nurturance from parents, teachers and the rest
of the community, these children can easily succeed in their intellectual
endeavors.

Initial Cognitive Characteristics

Intermediate school children- their school work are now more
complicated, reading texts have become longer, problem solving has
become an everyday part of their lives.
Their ability to use logic and reasoning gives them chances to think
about what they want and how to get it. They now become interested in
talking about future or even potential careers. They develop special
interests in collections, hobbies and sports, they are even capable of
understanding concepts without having direct hands-on experience.
Reading Development
 In this stage, children is marked by wide application of word attack.
Because of the presence of previous knowledge, they now have a wide
vocabulary which enables them to understand the meanings of unknown
words through context clues - this is the “Reading to Learn” Stage in
reading development.
Books to consider during this stage:
 Consider who the child is - his/her personality traits and personal
preferences when choosing book.
 Make a selection with child in mind; choose an informational book or
novel in an specific area of interest.
 Choose books that encourage discussion and insight-building
Attention
Intermediate schooler children span of attention is dependent on how
much is required by the given task. In terms of school work, older
children can concentrate and focus more for long periods of hours
especially if they are highly interested in what they are doing.
Creativity
Children in this stage are open to explore new things. Creativity is
innate in children, they just need a little guidance and support from
parents, teachers and people around them. They are usually at their best
when the work is done in small pieces.
Creativity in children is encouraged when the activities:
 Encourage different responses from each child;
 Celebrate uniqueness;
 break stereotypes;
 value process over product;
 reduce stress and anxiety in children;
 Support to share ideas, not only with the teacher/parent but also with
other children; and
 Minimize competition and external rewards.

The Impact of Media

The impact of the use of television and other media is like the
computer has gained popularity because students are given more
opportunity to:
 communicate effectively in speech and in writing;
 work collaboratively;
 use technological tools
 analyze problems, set goals, and formulate strategies for achieving
those goals; and
 seek out information or skills on their own, as needed, to meet their
goals.

Media Aggression
Violence and aggression are often dubbed as one of the results of
media. According to the public Health in 2000, the following are some of
the negative results of media:
 Children will increase anti-social and aggressive behavior.
 Children may become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer
from violence.
 Children may view the world as violent and mean, becoming more
fearful of being victim of violence.
 Children will desire to see more violence in entertainment and real
life.
 Children will view violence as acceptable way to settle conflicts.

Implications to Child Care, Education and Parenting

Children have varying intelligence profiles. These profiles may be
based on influences on learning and achievement. Parents, child-care
providers and teachers should be recognize these through:
 being an eager participant in children’s growth and development;
 Understanding how to use children’s natural curiosity to help make
the appropriate developmental leaps in their skills and abilities; and
 Creating an atmosphere where risks can be taken and discoveries
made while children remain safe.

Unit 5 Late Childhood (The Intermediate Schooler)

Socio- Emotional Development of the Intermediate Schoolers

At this period of development, children are spending less time in the

home. The bulk of their time is spent outside the home, either alone or
with other children, rather than adults. They are already used to
interacting with different ages and gender. For many of them, these
Social networks are not only sources of social support but also different
forms of learning.

Understanding Self-Competence, Self Identity and Self-Concept

One of the most widely recognized characteristics during this period
of development is the acquisition of feelings of self-competence.
Referred to Erik Ericson, when he described the developmental task of
middle childhood-social crisis industry vs inferiority. Industry refers to
the drive to acquire new skills and meaningful “work.”
The child should have a growing sense of competence. The child’s
definitions of self and accomplishments vary greatly according to
interpretations in the surrounding environment. Varied opportunities
should be provided in order for them to develop a sense of perseverance.
They should be offered chances to both fail and succeed, along with
sincere feedback and support.
During the late childhood, children can now describe themselves with
internal and psychological characteristics and traits. They most likely
employ more social comparison - distinguishing themselves from
others. In dealing with other children, they show increase in perspective
taking. This ability increases with age. It enables them to (a) judge
others’ intentions, purposes and actions, (b) give importance to social
attitudes and behavior (c) increase skepticism of others’ claims.

Emotional Development
Children in this stage, show improved emotional understanding,
increased understanding that more than one emotion can be experienced
in a single experience.
Another milestone in this stage is the development of the children’s
emotional intelligence (EQ), which involves the ability to monitor
feelings of oneself and others to guide and motivate behavior. Emotional
Intelligence has four main areas:
 Developing emotional self-awareness
 Managing emotions (self-control)
 Reading emotions (perspective taking)
 Handling emotions (resolve problem)
Building Friendships
As children go through their late childhood, the time they spend in
peer interaction increases. For them, good peer relationships are very
important. The approval and belongingness they receive contributes to
the stability and security of their emotional development. Peer size also
increases and less supervision by adults is required. At this stage,
children prefer to belong to same-sex peer groups.

Five types of peer status:

 Popular- frequently nominated as the bestfriend and one who is
rarely disliked peers
 Average- receive an average number of positive and negative
nominations from peers
 Neglected- very seldom nominated as a bestfriend but is not
really disliked
 Rejected- infrequently nominated as a bestfriend but one who is
also disliked by peers
 Controversial- frequently nominated as a bestfriend but at the
same time is disliked by peers

Popular children have the following skills which peers find very positive
and as result they become the most favored in the group:
1. They give out reinforcement.
2. They act naturally.
3. They listen carefully and keep open communication.
4. They are happy and are in control of their negative emotions.
5. They show enthusiasm and concern for others.

On the other hand, here are the characteristics of neglected children

and why the group majority of the peers develop negative feelings toward
them:
1. They participate less in the classroom.
2. They have negative attitudes on school tardiness and attendance.
3. They are more often reported as being lonely.
4. They are aggressive.
a. In boys:
- They become impulsive, have problems in being attentive and
disruptive.
- They are emotionally reactive and slow to calm down.
- They have fewer social skills to make and maintain friends.

Family
Family support at this stage is crucial. If children do not find a
supportive family when they find their interest (e.g. in hobbies like riding
a bike or playing a musical instrument) they can easily get frustrated. If
families are a primary support system, failures and setbacks become
temporary and surmountable rather than something that is attributed to
personal flaws and deficits. This time is a critical time for children to
develop sense of competence. A high quality adult relationship,
specifically, family relationships enable them to successfully go through
this stage of development.

Big Ideas
 During late childhood, a wide variety of biological, psychological and
social changes take place across the developmental domains.
 As children progress through the late childhood, the family
environment remains extremely important, while the community
environment - including the school -also becomes significant factor in
shaping the child’s development.
 During the late childhood, peers have an increasingly strong impact
on development; peer acceptance becomes very important to well-
being.

Implications to Child Care, Education and Parenting

Health-care providers, teachers and parents should be able to:
 gain understanding of their child’s socio-emotional strengths and
weaknesses by
 encouraging children to talk about their feelings without doing it
forcefully
 provide opportunities for children to build relationships with fellow
classmates;
 remind children that friendships have their ups and downs and
occasional conflicts and arguments can be healthy;
 design activities that allow children to work on their own and
discover activities and hobbies that they enjoy; and
 model healthy relationships.