Development in Middle Childhood

Middle childhood occurs between 6 to 11 years. Development in middle childhood is very fast and structured. This period is also known as school-going age. This period of time plays an important role in development.

The child is given homework. So, the child used his cognitive power. They get promoted to the next class. By the way, their motor development also goes on.

According to developmental psychologists, children are able to control motor skills related to reading, writing, speaking, and so on.

 All Types of Development in Middle Childhood

1.   Physical Development

During this period, physical growth is continuing in a slow process. Between 6 to 8 age, girls are slightly shorter than boys. But at age 9, girls are dramatic adolescent growth spurt. Girls entered adolescence before 2 years than boys. They have more body fat and boys are more muscle. Girls are fat and boys are thin.

The children do physical activity well. And also participates in school activities. He also uses cognitive power with physical activity. So, physical activity leads to motor development.

Between 6 to 12, children all 20 primary teeth are lost and permanent teeth have come. And girls are losing teeth earlier than boys. Gradually growth of facial bones (Jaw and Chin). The child’s face lengthens and their mouth widens. And the mouth is widened because accommodates the newly teeth.

At last, Physical development is not complete in some children. Poor nutrition can also be the reason for this poor physical development.

2.  Motor Development

In this period, Children are jumping, running, and hopping with more stability and confidence. Children love to play in middle childhood. This is due to motor development. And in the middle childhood stage, children lead four basic motor capacities. These capacities are:- flexibility, agility, balance, and force.

Flexibility     Children are physically more flexible and elastic (like a rubber band).

Agility     Children are physically more agile and backward and forward movements of feet are very fast-moving with the control process.

Balance     In this period, children’s body balance is more controlled than in early childhood.

Force     In this period, Children have more energetic with force power.

3.  Information Processing

According to this period, many elements are involved in information processing. They are working memory capacity, attention, and memory strategies.

Working Memory Capacity     Between 6 to 12 ages, children’s cognitive increases because of the rapid development of myelination and neurons. Children have limited working memory capacity.

Attention     Children’s attention is more selective than divided attention. Between 6 to 10 ages, children’s selective attention improves. During this period, many children are suffering from ADHD( Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

Some children have small attention. So, their attention divides. And Teachers should teach children by giving breaks in between.

Memory Strategies   Children used rehearsal organization and Elaboration techniques for memorization.

Rehearsal Techniques    Students used the rehearsal techniques with the help of repeated processes.

Example of Rehearsal Techniques

Organization Techniques     Children used organization techniques in a systematic process.         

Examples of Organization techniques

In this period, children arranged the items according to organized way with a systematic process.

Elaboration Techniques     In this technique, children elaborate the learning materials related to previous knowledge include with new knowledge.

4.  Language Development

Children have rapid language development. The main key features of language development. They are vocabulary, grammar, pragmatics, and bilingual development. Because of language development, the child addresses his feeling.

The education of the child depends only on language development.

Vocabulary     Children‘s vocabulary is more than 40000 words. On the basis of average, children have 20 new words each day.

Grammar     Students are able to use the passive voice.

Pragmatics     Children are able to pragmatics with refined processes.

Bilingual Development     Students are able to learn two languages. This process is called bilingual development.

5.  Emotional Development

During this period, children understand emotional self-regulation, emotional understanding, and self-conscious emotions. Some children become emotionally attached to their parents. So, they can’t stay in school too long. And start crying in class.

Children’s behavior is affected by emotional competence. They are emotional self-regulation, emotional understanding, and self-conscious emotion.

Emotional Self-Regulation   By age 10, children mostly used two strategies for managing emotion. The strategies are problem-centered coping and emotional-centered coping.

Emotional Understanding     Childhood children understand emotion. This emotion leads to internal states between 8 to 9 years children understand that pride is the combination of two sources of happiness. In children, self-emotional understanding is supported by cognitive development.

Self-Conscious Emotion     Children’s personal responsibility becomes pride and guilt.

6.  Social Development

According to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory, the fourth stage is “Industry vs. Inferiority” This stage occurs between 5 to 12 years.

By age 6-7, children have four broad self-evaluations- academic, competence, social competence, and physical appearance. Some children have high self-esteem. And some have low self-esteem. Children who can’t adjust to the environment. Those children have problems with social phobia.

 7.  Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget’s explained the third stage of the “Concrete operational stage”. And this third stage occurs between 7 to 11 years. According to Piaget, children have very less hypothetical processes.

In Middle Childhood Peer Relationship

Children are in school going process. So children establish more relations according to choice, interest, sports activity, and other so on. Children are able to resolve conflicts with the help of compromise, prosocial, and sharing.

Children are establishing peer groups on the basis of proximity related to the same class, and the same interesting subjects.

For children, friendship is a complex process because it is based on a psychological approach not a physical one. Friendship is dependent on others’ qualities, needs, and desires. Children’s friendship is selective. The selective approach follows the other children’s age, sex, and interest.

Peer acceptance leads to likability. Children’s self-report is dependent on four general categories of peer acceptance. They are popular children, rejected children, controversial children, and neglected children.

Middle childhood child enjoys peer group. Because he must have established a relationship with the group.

Conclusion

The child identifies environmental factors. And tries to adjust. Because of his first experience of school. In middle childhood, child practice handwriting. Because his motor development is going on.

Some children have more social interaction. Because they come in contact with the teacher. And teachers make them even more socialized. The teacher tells the rules and regulations of society.

Cultural programs also socialized children. Friend circle also has positive and negative effects on children. So, parents should take care of their children. And they should make a good friend circle.

John Bowlby Attachment Theory