Middle Childhood: Physical Growth

Organized sports:

contributions of physical and cognitive abilities (working memory, following directions, perceptive of others)

Permanent teeth are grown in at

________their full adult size and may seem too large for a child’s face.

By the time children move into middle childhood, their legs are

growing more rapidly than their trunk or upper body - they continue to move closer to the proportions of an adult

Motor Development

Starts off still uncoordinated

Safety is paramount

kids active, need to be supervised, proper safety gear, helmet etc

Between 6-12, children lose

their primary teeth and permanent teeth grow in

Between 25% and 40% of children experience

growing pains

Children often experience growing pains in

their thighs, calves, or behind their knees, and occasionally in their arms,

Growing pains are not actually caused by

growth, likely the result of fatigue from excessive physical activity

The trajectory of motor development can be changed in a positive direction, but may require

intervention, especially if impacting daily functioning skills

As they get older, skill deficiencies not only affect their

ability to play with peers, but also their ability to meet the demands of the school environment.

Fine Motor Skills

•Holds pencils similarly to adults
•Handwriting – script, cursive
• Abilities to dress - Ties shoes, zippers, wash
themselves, coordinate eating utensils
•Maintenance of hygiene functions develop
accordingly

Increase in balance, coordination, and strength

children engage in games/athletic activity that require movement of large muscles

Pathways between cerebellum and cortex become

increasingly myelinated

Until age 13 or 14, girls will

surpass boys in height and weight

Males develop more

muscle tissue

Girls develop more

fatty tissue

What increases for both boys and girls?

muscular strength

Until 9 or 10, boys are

slightly heavier and taller than girls

By the time children move into middle childhood, their legs

are

growing more rapidly than their trunk or upper body

Kids continue to move closer to

the body proportions of an adult - as the relative sizes of the head, trunk, and lower extremities finally come into balance

Increases in height and weight become,

steadier

On average, how much does in child increase in weight and height per year?

child gains over 2 inches and 5 to 7 pounds per year.

What kind of direction does growth proceed in?

a cephalocaudal direction

Cephalocaudal direction:

from the head downward through the body.