School Age Child Flashcards
physical growth of a school age child
much slower, but steady. grow average 2 inches per year (gain 1-2 feet during this period). Weight = about 5 lbs per year. average 12 year old = 59 in and 88 lbs
body development
tend to look slimmer w/ longer legs. bones = growing/broadening. growing pains. strength/physical capabilities are improving. muscles = more easily injured since not matured. skull and brain growth slow down. loosing teeth and replaced w/ permanent teeth. larger stomach capacity so can go longer w/o snacks. bladder capacity increases. lung capacity increases. immune system = developing. catches less colds/infxns as they get older. bones = ossify but still soft
Physical maturity is not necessarily correlated with…
emotional and social maturity
puberty signals what and when does it start?
development of the secondary sex characteristics. begins at age 12 for girls and 14 for boys.
prebubescence
2 years preceding puberty. starts towards the end of the school age period and ends around 13
sleep
sleep reduces from abt 11 hrs at age 5 to abt 9 hrs at age 12. no naps. fewer bedtime problems. still reduce and monitor screen time. bedtime routines = still important and quiet activities near bedtime helps. warning of bedtime = more compliance
gross motor skills
greater speed, greater motor abilities. flexibility, balance, agility, force of movements increases. girls = better at balance/agility. boys = better at throwing, kicking, strength, muscle mass. BMI starts to climb bc of increase in physical activities. increase physical activity if concerned abt weight
fine motor skills
third dimension in drawing and visualizing develops. overlapping objects, diagonal placement, converging lines. increased detail in drawing. girls tend to have an edge on fine motor development (handwriting and drawing). typical age to start musical instruments
sensory-perceptual development
vision maturity = reached by 6-7 years. hearing is fully matured (concern for hearing loss from loud music). children can start to develop into auditory, kinesthetic (doing), or visual learners
cognitive: information processing
connections btw prefrontal cortex and brain strengthen. can handle increasing difficult tasks. working memory increases, flexibly shift attention, improved planning/strategic thinking/self monitoring of behavior.
training to improve executive function
-scaffolding: repeating instructions, breaking down complex behavior
-mindfulness training
-work on planning
- memory strategies: rehearsing material, organizing material, creating relationships with the material
cognitive: piaget
concrete operations stage: ages 7-11 years. able to use thought prcesses to experience events and actions. operations implies action—it is a mental operation that is carried out in thought but based on concrete things. can start to do things in their head. can now see from others pov. become sensitive to the fact that others do not always perceive events as they do
cognitive milestones
develop understanding of relationships btw things and ideas. move from making judgements based on what they observe to making judgments based on what they reason (conceptual thinking). increased ability to master symbols and use memory to store past experineces to evaluate/interpret the present
classification
separate into classes and subclasses
seriation
ordering on a quantitative dimension
spatial reasoning
cognitive maps or mental representations of space
conservation
certain properties of the environment are not changed simply by altering their location or disposition in space
can now understand that if nothing is added or taken away
it is the same object even if it has a different shape
reversibility
something can be shaped/reshaped and still be the same
reciprocity
ability to deal with 2 dimensions at the same time. a change in one dimension compensates for a change in another
intelligence
abt. 6 years old = IQ becomes more stable and starts to correlate to academic achievement. not all intelligence can be testable.
intelligence is related to many factors beyond individual child/genetics…
SES, opportunity, culture, family, experiences, stereotypes, knowledge, bias
analytic intelligence
information processing skills. executive function, strategic thinking, knowledge acquisition, cognitive self-regulation
creative intelligence
generating useful solutions to new problems. thinking in a more skillful way when faced with novelty
practical intelligence
goal oriented activity at adapting to, shaping or selecting environments. skillfully adapt their thinking to fit with both desires and demands
speech and language
very efficient language skills: grammar, pragmatics (expressions of meaning), and vocabulary increase. use more complex of grammar forms (tenses for verbs, correct plurals, correct personal pronouns. can describe things better to ppl. use and retrieve words quickly. understand metaphors. can evaluate and clarify messages. appreciate jokes
communicating with the school age child
they have a strong desire to learn. start simple and then increase detail over time. be honest but don’t scare them
bilingual development
Bilingual develops in 2 ways
• 1. Acquiring both languages at the same time in early childhood
• 2. Learning a 2nd language after acquiring the first
the later the child starts, the less likely they woud attend full fluency in 2 languages
Reading
Requires:
• Ability to recognize letters and combinations
• Translate them into speech • Recognize visual appearance of common words
• Holding chunks of information in the working memory
• Interpreting meaning
• Combining meanings
psychosocial: erikson - industry vs. inferiority
goal is to achieve a sense of personal and interpersonal competence. done through aquisition of technological and social skills. eager to build skills and partcipate in meaningful/socially useful work. interests are growing with their independence
intrinsic motivation
ability to master skills and new responsibilities
extrinsic motivation
grades, awards, privledges, recognition
play
has rules and rituals. increased physical skill, intellectual ability, creativity (building, making things, creating, collections, quiet games). formation of groups and cliques (best friends). more team play
bullying
Infliction of repetitive physical, verbal, or emotional abuse by one or more individuals intended to harm or bother another who is perceived as being “less” (physically or psychologically)
boys = more physical bullying
girls = more indirect/relational acts -> rumors/social exclusion
effects:
Victims and Bullies: Risk for long term psychologic disturbances
Bullies: Risk for conduct problems, school drop out,
criminal behavior
Victims: Risk of low self-esteem, anxiety, feelings of
insecurity, poor academic performance, psychosomatic complaints
body image
very aware of their own bodies and what they look like. often try to conform physical appearance to peer groups or “norms”. children turn to peers about sexual curiosity if parents don’t answer.
social development and friends
more secure and confident. identification w/ peers is an influence on gaining independence from parents. peers provide security and support toward this independence. Learn about varied and different points of view, there are different versions of games and songs, about different customs, about the limits of their own point of view, argue, negotiate, compromise, etc.
gender
modern children may be socialized to play with toys and have roles ouside of the sterotypical gender roles. society socializes gender differently. boys and girls tend to be able to play games tgther w/o much difference
self esteem
feeling of individual self worth. affected by awards, special jobs, academic placement, culture/cultural values, gender/gender stereotypes, peer approval. Success encourages efforts. Failure may lead to low confidence and avoidance of risks
self care
should be able to assume self care in ares of hygiene, nutrition, exercise, recreation, sleep, safety. still need guidance and supervision. learning these “healthy behaviors” and enjoy doing it
What age can you leave a child? A lot of this has to
do with the characteristics of the child.
7 and under: no
8- 10 years: 1-2 hrs during daylight
11-12 years: 3 hrs not to late into the night
13-15 years: tend to not leave overnight
depends on maturity
Stress
peer pressures to fit in, pressure to excel in sport or school, overprogrammed (too many activities), school can be stressful, expectations may not be apropriate to developmental level, domestic violence and home conflicts
Signs of stress
stomach aches, headaches, sleep problems, bed wetting, aggressive/stubborn behavior, changes in eating habits, regression of behavior, reluctance to participate in things
how to help with stress symptoms
relaxing activities, physical activity, help children identify feelings and actions may reduce, help children work through problem solving
dental health
start loosing primary teeth at about 6 years, children start to assume more responsibility but need to be monitored w/ tooth brushing/flossing, regular dental visits
sensory screening
school nurses usually screen for vision and hearing throughout childhood
Continue regular health visiits with HCP
immunizations prior to the start of kindergarten and HPV vaccine toward the end of school age period
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
inattention, impulsivity, excessive motor activity resulting in academic and social problems. not all are hyperactive. difficulty staying on task. act impulsively and may lash out or become hostile if frustrated. difficulty concentrating = lower in IQ testing. runs in families and more likely to happen to kids who live in stressful environment/with parents with psychological disorders.
prenatal exposures that have been linked to ADHD
tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, environmental pollutions
stimulant therapy for ADHD
increases prefrontal activity which reduces impulsivity
nutrition
family mealtimes = often central to many families. quality of diet = family related. reduce high fat and high sugar intake. start to aquire a taste for an increasing variety of foods.
lunch trading, media influences, freedom to eat w/o parent supervision, candy machines, school lunch programs = influence diet
childhood obesity
easy availability of high calorie, high fat foods, fast food, less physical actvity, poor eating habits. increasing problem in school age children. stress healthy habits early on and increase physical activity. family history of diabetes and high cholesterol can come in to play with obesity so monitor closely
injury prevention/safety
helmets, booster seats (backseat = safest for children), sports/school/playground injuries increase, poisoning ingestion, fire safety, internet/stranger danger, farm (ATV injuries)
Moral Development: Conventional Level
Stage 3: acts to avoid disappointment by others (Good Girl/Good Boy)
Stage 4: Conforms because it is the rule or the law (later in childhood)
- After age 6-7 years, children are able to judge an act by the
intentions that prompted it rather than just the
consequences
- Able to understand the concept of treating others as they
would like to be treated
- School age children still unable to view morality on an abstract basis
Spirituality: Fowler
Stage 2: Mythic-Literal Faith
-Metaphors and symbolic language are often taken literally -Source of religious authority expands beyond parents
-Faith becomes stories and rituals that are practiced.
-Fascinated by heaven and hell (have fears about this if they misbehave)
-Still need religious concepts presented in concrete terms -Prayer and religious rituals are often a comfort to children and can help with coping
-As children get older, they understand not all prayers
are answered.
Developmental Aspects of Divorce
-Preschool and young children may blame themselves
for the breakup and fear abandonment
-Older children have cognitive maturity to understand
they are not responsible but may act out or have
declining school performance
-Oldest child may display more mature behavior and
take on more roles
divorce causes family conflicts and most children improve adjustments by 2 years after divorce
Discipline
points out acceptable behaviors and helps kids understand why something is bad to do. should include rewards and redirection, positive strategies. kids with more advanced cognitive skills can include more complex strategies like withholding privileges, imposing penalty contracts for behavior, natural consequences
Kids that have a different religious belief from western society norms may experience what?
conflict and discomfort. might confuse them
school
second socializing agent (family is first), adjustment to school and attitude towards it = influenced by parents. teachers influence and shape children and can affect the child’s interest
