Physical Development in Middle Childhood

Flashcards from lecture notes on Physical Development in Middle Childhood

Middle School

An important time for fostering healthy lifestyles and choices due to growing independence, increasing cognitive abilities, and rapidly developing self-concept.

Strategies for Fostering Healthy Lifestyles

Increase health-related knowledge, involve parents, provide healthy environments, offer voluntary screenings, promote physical activities, teach media literacy, and work for safer community environments.

Play Characteristics

Apparently purposeless, voluntary, inherently attractive, free from time constraints, diminished self-consciousness, improvisational, and encouraging continuation.

Gross Motor Development Skills

Flexibility, balance, agility, force, and cardiovascular capacity.

Benefits of Play

Cognitive development, executive function, memory, academic achievement, and efficient neural pathways.

Fine Motor Skill Development

Opportunities for self-expression through games, art projects, and crafts.

Fine Motor skills in Females

Handwriting, drawing, balance and agility.

Gross Motor skills in Males

Most gross motor movements, force, and strength.

Gains from Playing Games with Rules

Perspective taking and understanding the need for rules.

Athletic Social Skills Promoted by Team Sports

Communication, following rules, good civic behavior, and fair play.

Ethological Perspective on Human Play

Skills necessary for survival are practiced with low consequence.

Key factors in play for children with special needs

Access, activity, and variability

Comprehensive Physical Education Programs

Associated with academic achievement and promotes life-long individual well being.