Early School Age

What ages are considered early school age?

• 4-6

What are the developmental tasks of Early School Age?

• Gender Identification

• Early Moral Development

• Self-Theory

• Peer Play

What is the importance of the developmental task of Gender Identification?

• correct use of gender

• gender is permanent

• gender is constant

• gender has a genital bias

• Sex-role standards → cultural expectations of what is appropriate for boys & girls

• Internalization → learning families gender code and using it to guide their behavior

What is the importance of the developmental task of Early Moral Development?

• see this as right vs. wrong → no in-between

• who’s responsible?

  • parents → family siblings

  • teachers → anyone in an educating role

  • society → peers, religion

What is the importance of the developmental task of Self-Theory?

• concept of ourselves

• self-esteem

• children need validation to set the roots of long term self-theory

What is the importance of the developmental task of Peer Play?

• the role of play in our lives

• group games, fantasy play, peer cooperation

• not always a smooth transition

• play therapy

What is the Psychosocial Crisis in Early School Age?

• Initiative vs. Guilt

  • learns direction and purpose in activities

  • freedom to develop initiative or is he/she “stunted”?

What is the Central Process of Early School Age?

• Identification

  • children incorporate parent’s values/behaviors into their own behaviors

  • Allows them to:

    • feel as though parents are with them even when they aren’t

    • develop a growing sense of independence from parents (since child feels confident that they can do parents job of guiding their behavior)

What is the Coping Behavior of Early School Age?

• Purpose → more advanced form of will; can imagine and pursue a goal

  • with purpose = positive

  • without purpose = negative

What is the Core Pathology of Early School Age?

• (negative)

• inhibition → child holds back; suppresses thoughts and feelings