Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood

A set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key concepts from the lecture notes on physical and cognitive development in middle childhood.

What is the developmental significance of middle childhood?

The transition between early childhood and adolescence, laying the foundation for adult physical and cognitive abilities, and a period of increasing independence and competence.

How do cultural contexts influence middle childhood development?

School entry is a major milestone in many societies; there are varying expectations for independence and responsibility, and different developmental pathways across cultures.

Describe physical growth patterns in middle childhood.

Children grow 2-3 inches and gain 5-7 pounds per year; growth is steady but slower than early childhood; boys and girls are similar in size until puberty.

What changes occur in children's body proportions during middle childhood?

More adult-like proportions develop, with a loss of the "rounded belly" appearance and proportionately longer limbs.

What factors influence individual differences in physical growth?

Genetic influences (approximately 80\% contribution to height), environmental factors (nutrition, health), and socioeconomic factors (resources, healthcare).

What structural changes occur in the brain during middle childhood?

The brain reaches 95\% of adult size between ages 7-8, with continued development of the prefrontal cortex and ongoing myelination of neural pathways.

What functional improvements are seen in the brain during middle childhood?

Faster reaction times, more efficient information processing, and enhanced communication between brain regions.

What developmental processes contribute to brain changes in middle childhood?

Synaptic strengthening of frequently used connections, pruning of less-used neural connections, and lateralization (coordination between hemispheres).

Gross Motor Skills

Skills that involve large muscle groups for whole-body movements and coordination.

What are key developments in gross motor skills during middle childhood?

Improved balance and coordination, increased strength and endurance, and more fluid and efficient movement.

What are common gross motor milestones for children aged 6-7?

Skipping and balancing on one foot with eyes closed.

What are common gross motor milestones for children aged 8-9?

Jumping vertically 8-10 inches.

What are common gross motor milestones for children aged 10-12?

Jumping 3 feet (high jump).

Fine Motor Skills

Skills that involve small muscle groups, such as precise movements of fingers and hands.

What are key developments in fine motor skills during middle childhood?

More precise eye-hand coordination, greater dexterity and control, and the ability to perform complex sequential movements.

What are common fine motor milestones for children aged 6-7?

Cutting with scissors effectively.

What are common fine motor milestones for children aged 8-9?

Producing neater, smaller handwriting.

What are common fine motor milestones for children aged 10-12?

Drawing detailed and complex images.

How do experience and practice influence motor development?

Regular physical activity improves skills, and structured sports and activities provide opportunities for development.

What are cultural influences on motor skill development?

Different cultural practices affect motor skill development, with some cultures emphasizing specific skills (e.g., writing with chopsticks) and varying gender expectations.

How does access to resources affect motor development?

Access to equipment, spaces for physical activity, organized sports programs, and adult guidance and coaching significantly influence motor development.

What is the recommended sleep duration for children aged 6-12?

9-12 hours per night, with a regular sleep schedule being important and declining nap requirements.

What are the functions of sleep in middle childhood?

Memory consolidation, release of growth hormone, and brain development and maintenance.

What are common sleep challenges in middle childhood?

Increasing academic and social demands, more evening activities, and growing electronic media use.

What are the daily caloric needs for children in middle childhood?

1,800-2,200 calories daily, balanced across food groups, with requirements varying based on activity level.

What are key nutrients for children in middle childhood?

Protein for growth, calcium for bone development, iron for blood and energy, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

What constitutes healthy eating patterns for children in middle childhood?

Regular meals and snacks, a variety of minimally processed foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

What are common dietary concerns in middle childhood?

Increased processed food consumption, high sugar, fat, and sodium intake, and limited fruit and vegetable consumption.

What are the risks of obesity in middle childhood?

Nearly 19\% of U.S. school-aged children have obesity, with an additional 16\% being overweight, and rates having doubled in recent decades.

How do socioeconomic factors influence nutrition challenges?

Food insecurity impacts development, leading to limited access to fresh, nutritious foods and economic barriers to healthful eating.

What are the daily physical activity recommendations for children?

60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily, including a mix of aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities, and both structured and unstructured play.

What are current trends in children's physical activity?

Only about 33\% of children meet activity guidelines, with increasing sedentary behavior worldwide and a decrease in free play and recess time.

What are the benefits of physical activity for children?

Improved cardiovascular health, stronger muscles and bones, better cognitive function and focus, and enhanced mental health.

What is asthma?

A health issue affecting about 8\% of U.S. children, causing inflammation in airways, often triggered by allergens or air pollution.

What is diabetes in children?

Type 1 is traditionally more common, but increasing rates of Type 2 diabetes are linked to obesity and physical inactivity.

What are health disparities related to health issues in middle childhood?

Higher rates of health problems in lower socioeconomic groups, racial and ethnic disparities in access to care, and environmental factors like pollution exposure.

What are the leading causes of injury for children in middle childhood?

Automobile accidents, drowning, poisoning, fires, and firearms (increasing concern).

What are effective accident prevention strategies?

Seat belt and helmet use, water safety education, medication safety, and adult supervision.

What are disparities in safety for children?

Higher injury rates in lower-income communities, limited access to safe play spaces, and variations in safety education and resources.

Cognitive Development

The development of processes involved in thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering.

What are major achievements in cognitive development during middle childhood?

Logical thinking about concrete objects and events, improved memory strategies, enhanced attention and focus, and more sophisticated problem-solving.

What are some cognitive milestones in middle childhood?

Telling time, understanding cause-effect relationships, reading with comprehension, and applying logical problem-solving.

What are the characteristics of Piaget's Concrete Operational Stage?

Begins around age 7, continues to about age 11, involves logical thinking about tangible objects, and operations (reversible mental actions).

What is conservation understanding in the concrete operational stage?

The ability to understand that properties (like volume, number, mass) remain the same despite changes in appearance.

What is decentration in cognitive development?

The ability to focus on multiple aspects of a problem, consider more than one perspective, and understand relationships between dimensions.

What is classification in the concrete operational stage?

Understanding hierarchical relationships, sorting by multiple characteristics, and class inclusion (e.g., all apples are fruits, but not all fruits are apples).

What is seriation?

Ordering objects by size or other properties, understanding relationships in a series, and transitive inference (if A>B and B>C, then A>C).

What is decreased egocentrism?

Understanding others' perspectives, recognizing that others may think differently, and improved communication abilities.

What are the limitations related to abstract reasoning in the concrete operational stage?

Difficulty with hypothetical situations and abstract concepts, requiring concrete examples.

What are the limitations related to systematic problem solving in the concrete operational stage?

Limited ability to consider all possibilities and difficulty with complex scientific reasoning, often using a trial and error approach.

What are the key features of the Information Processing Perspective?

Focuses on how children process information, describes quantitative rather than qualitative changes, and views development as continuous improvement.

What are the central components of the Information Processing Perspective?

Attention (filtering and focusing), memory (storing and retrieving information), and executive functions (organizing and regulating).

Describe the developmental progression according to the Information Processing Perspective.

Increasing speed and efficiency, greater strategy use, and more metacognitive awareness.

What is selective attention?

Focusing on relevant information and ignoring distractions, showing progressive improvement throughout childhood.

What is sustained attention?

Maintaining focus over time, which increases with age (e.g., 12-36 minutes) and varies based on individual differences and temperament.

What is divided attention?

Shifting between tasks and managing multiple streams of information, showing gradual improvement with age.

Describe working memory development in middle childhood.

Temporary storage and manipulation of information, with increasing capacity and better coordination of component processes.

What are common memory strategies used in middle childhood?

Rehearsal (repetition of information, age 7+), organization (grouping items into categories), and elaboration (connecting to existing knowledge).

How does long-term memory develop in middle childhood?

More effective encoding processes, better retrieval strategies, and an increasing knowledge base.

Metacognition

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

What is metamemory development?

Understanding how memory works, recognizing memory limitations, and selecting appropriate memory strategies.

What is self-regulation in the context of metacognition?

Monitoring comprehension, adjusting study strategies, and evaluating learning progress.

Executive Functions

Higher-order cognitive processes that enable self-regulation of thought and action.

What are the key components of executive functions?

Inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, and organization.

What is the developmental importance of executive functions?

Critical for school readiness and achievement, social competence, and self-regulation of behavior.

Theory of Mind

The understanding that others have their own thoughts and feelings, influencing behavior.

What are key developments in Theory of Mind during middle childhood?

Understanding mixed emotions, recognition of how past experiences shape beliefs, and the ability to predict complex social behaviors.

What are the connections between Theory of Mind and other skills?

Better peer relationships, enhanced reading comprehension, and improved scientific reasoning.

What is intelligence?

The ability to adapt to the environment, problem-solving capabilities, and learning from experience.

What is the role of nature vs. nurture in intelligence?

Genetic influences (approximately 50\% heritability) and environmental contributions interact, along with gene-environment interactions.

What is Spearman's g factor?

General intelligence underlying all cognitive tasks, explaining correlations between different abilities, and measurable through diverse cognitive tasks.

Describe Cattell's theory of intelligence.

Proposes two types: Fluid intelligence (reasoning and problem-solving) and Crystallized intelligence (accumulated knowledge), with different developmental trajectories.

Multiple Intelligences Theory

Gardner's theory that proposes different types of intelligence including linguistic, logical-mathematical, and musical.

What are Gardner's eight intelligences?

Linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

What are the educational applications of Multiple Intelligences Theory?

Recognizing diverse student strengths, using multiple approaches to teaching, and providing various ways to demonstrate learning.

What are the three types of intelligence in Sternberg's Triarchic Theory?

Analytical (academic problem-solving), Creative (novel ideas and solutions), and Practical (applying learning to daily life).

How does Sternberg's theory emphasize the balance of abilities?

Different situations require different skills, and success depends on recognizing which to use, though educational systems often emphasize analytical intelligence.

What are common intelligence tests?

Wechsler Scales (WISC, WPPSI) and Stanford-Binet.

How is IQ calculated?

The average score is set at 100, with a standard deviation of 15, resulting in a normal distribution in the population.

What are the qualities of a good intelligence test?

Reliability (consistency in results) and Validity (measures what it claims to measure), while also considering cultural considerations and potential bias.

Learning Disabilities

Specific difficulties in academic areas that are not related to overall intelligence.

What distinguishes learning disabilities from intellectual disabilities?

Specific difficulties in academic areas (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia) that are not due to intellectual disability, creating a gap between ability and achievement.

What are common types of learning disabilities?

Dyslexia (reading difficulties, \sim7\% of children), Dysgraphia (writing challenges), and Dyscalculia (math difficulties).

What are the core symptoms of ADHD?

Inattention (difficulty sustaining focus), Hyperactivity (excessive movement/restlessness), and Impulsivity (acting without thinking).

What are the presentation types of ADHD?

Predominantly inattentive, Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and Combined type.

What executive function challenges are associated with ADHD?

Working memory difficulties, poor inhibitory control, and struggles with planning and organization.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, characterized by inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior.

What is the prevalence and diagnosis of ADHD?

Affects approximately 5\% of children, more frequently diagnosed in boys (3:1 ratio), with cultural and geographic variations in rates.

What are the causal factors for ADHD?

Genetic influences (dopamine regulation), neurological differences (frontal lobe development), and pre/perinatal environmental factors.

What are common intervention approaches for ADHD?

Medication options (stimulant and non-stimulant), behavioral and cognitive strategies, school accommodations, with combined approaches often most effective.

What are the functions of schooling in middle childhood?

Academic skill development, social competency building, cultural transmission, and economic preparation.

What are equity considerations in education?

Educational access disparities, gender gaps in educational opportunity, and socioeconomic influences on school quality.

What are theoretical foundations of educational approaches?

Behaviorism (reinforcement and consequences), Constructivism (active knowledge building), and Sociocultural (learning through social interaction).

What are common teaching methods in education?

Direct instruction (teacher-centered), Discovery learning (student-centered), and Cooperative learning (peer collaboration).

What is scaffolding in education?

Support from more knowledgeable others that is gradually removed as competence increases, working in the zone of proximal development.

How do teacher influences affect academic achievement?

Through the Pygmalion effect (teacher expectations), instructional quality, and emotional support and classroom climate.

How do student factors affect academic achievement?

Self-efficacy and confidence, growth vs. fixed mindset, and intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation.

How do systemic factors affect academic achievement?

Educational policies, resource distribution, and testing and assessment practices.

Describe vocabulary expansion in middle childhood.

Over 3,000 new words per year, understanding of synonyms and antonyms, and multiple word meanings (homonyms).

Describe grammar refinement in middle childhood.

Development of complex sentence structures, understanding passive voice, and mastering conditional statements.