Week 6-8: Middle Childhood

Brain Development:

When does brain reach adult size?

By age 7

Brain Development:

When do frontal lobes develop?

Ages 10-12, logic, planning, and memory increasing

Brain Development:

Height of Myelination?

Ages 6-12

Nerve cells in association areas of brain connected, increases information processing speed and reaction time (hippocampus increases, improvements in memory funcitoning)

Spatial Cognition

Males vs. Females

Males score better than females (boys early play preferences may enhance this ability)

Visual Experience

Important in development of spatial perception (most children have 20/20 vision, get worse as you get older)

Physical Growth in Middle Childhood

• gain 5-7 lbs per year, grow 2 inches per year

• growth of extremities is faster than the trunk = more adult-like proportions (resulting in growing pains)

Nutritional Needs:

Outcomes of Food Over Nutrition (short and long term)

Short: excess weight gain and constipation

Long: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc,.

How many overweight children become overweight adults?

• 50%

• predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular later in life

What is the major flaw with BMI?

Doesn’t discrimination fat vs. muscle into consideration

Why do we still use BMI?

• cheap

• only a scale and a measuring tape are needed

• no training required

• accurate 80% of the time

Physical Activity:

How many children fail to meet the recommended daily duration of PA?

What is the recommended daily duration of PA for children?

¼ of children

60 minutes per day

Physical Activity:

How many children exceed the sedentary behaviour recommendation?

37%

(no more than 2 hours per day of screen time)

What are the 7 Cs of Resilience?

1) competence

2) confidence

3) coping

4) control

5) character

6) connection

7) contribution

Resilience:

What is the problem with applying the conceptualization of the 7 Cs of resilience to school-age children?

Some kids do not have access to all the 7 Cs

• lacking control

• weren’t given resources

SOAR Study:

Resilience on a Continuum (interviewing kids)

• Surviving: ‘fighting back’ (kids with the fewest # of Cs)

• Persevering: ‘you just keep trying’

• Recovering: ‘keep trying and then we did it’

• Thriving: ‘working hard’ (kids with the most Cs)

Energy:

How many calories do girls vs. boys need at ages 2-8?

Girls: 1200-1400

Boys: 1200-1400

Energy:

How many calories do girls vs. boys need at ages 9-13?

Girls: 1400-1800

Boys: 1600-2000

Macro- vs. Micronutrients

Macro: proteins, carbs, fats

Micro: vitamins and minerals

Diets:

Ovo-Vegetarian

Eat eggs, but no other animal products

Diets:

Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians

Eat dairy products, but no other animal products

Diets:

Vegan

Eat only food from plant sources, no animal products at all

• important to ensure that child is taking in enough protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D

What groups characterize food insecurity?

Food secure

Food insecure without hunger

Food insecure with moderate hunger

Food insecure with severe hunger

Allergies

Protein in food triggers an immune response, release of antibodies, histamine, etc. to attack foreign bodies

• can result in itchy skin, hives, abdonimal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea (develop in minutes to hours)

Anaphylaxis

Life-threatening reaction

Leads to difficulty breathing, swelling in mouth and throat, decreased blood pressure, shock, death

Most common triggers are milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, (shell)fish

Food Intolerance

Does not involve an immune response, best managed by diet change

Ex. —> lactose intolerance (rare in children)

Diets of Saturated Fats vs.  Omega-3-Fatty Acids

Saturated Fats: lower relational memory tasks

Omega-3-Fatty Acids: promotion of relational memory skills

Overweight Classification in Context of BMI

Children above 85th percentile for BMI

Obese Classification in Context of BMI

Children above 95th percentile for BMI

Obliobesity

Lack of recognition from parents that children are overweight/ obese

Why is aerobic exercise better than dieting?

Aerobic Exercise: helps improve cognitive functioning in overweight children

Dieting: basal metabolic rate tends to decrease, making the body burn even fewer calories in order to maintain the weight; unhealthy!!

Recess vs. Physical Education

Recess: time for free play

PE: structured program that teaches skills, rules, and games

Physical Health:

Vision and Hearing

• most common issue is being nearsighted (Myopic)

• probability of ear infections decreases by 6-12, infections can lead to headaches and migraines, can lead to hearing loss

Physical Health:

Vision and Hearing - how many children diagnosed with Myopic?

25% of children diagnosed by the end of middle childhood

Physical Health:

Dental Health

• loss of deciduous teeth and arrival of permanent teeth (ages 6-7)

• scaffolding for teeth brushing until ages 7-8

• flossing, brushing, and adding fluoride (mineral found in water)

Physical Health:

Diabetes - Type 1

• most common form in children

• result of a lack or production of insulin due to an overactive immune system

Physical Health:

Diabetes - Type 2

• more common in adults than children

• increasing rates in children (in the US)

• disproportionately affects minority youth

Physical Health:

Asthma

Chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways

• wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing

Physical Health:

Asthma - What happens in an attack?

Inflammation of airways makes them sensitive to certain inhaled substances, muscles will tighten and narrow the airways

• cells in airways may make more mucus than usual - further narrows the airways

• mild symptoms go away on own or with minimal treatment

• intense symptoms lead to asthma attack (flare-ups, exacerbations), inhaler treatment

• no cure for asthma, but manageable

Social and Emotional Disorders:

Phobias

• irrational fear

• provokes immediate anxiety response

Social and Emotional Disorders:

Anxiety

• strong fears appear in development

• persistent fears lead to anxiety

• internalizing disorder (thoughts and feelings)

Social and Emotional Disorders:

PTSD

• 90% of children in trauma are affected

• anxiety, guilty, etc.

• change in personality, loss of interest in activities

Social and Emotional Disorders:

OCD

• requires that person has either obsession or compulsions (96% have both)

• certain stimuli causes obsession, relieved by doing a compulsion

Social and Emotional Disorders:

Depression

• persistent sadness and hopelessness

• sick feeling, cling to caregivers, worrying excessively about a parent’s death

• more likely to respond to treatment if administered early

Developmental Disorders:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• difficulty with communication and interactions with other people (avoidance of eye contact, names hard to grasp, etc.)

• restriction interests and repetitive behaviours

• symptoms that hurt the person’s ability to function properly in school, work, etc.

Developmental Disorders:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - Risk Factors

• genetic conditions (down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome)

• extremely low birth weight

• older parents

• siblings with ASD

Developmental Disorders:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)

• inattention

• hyperactivity and impulsivity

• symptoms must be present before age 12 for diagnose and they must interfere with otherwise-normal functioning

Developmental Disorders:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) - Combined Presentation

Enough symptoms of both criteria present for the past 6 months

Developmental Disorders:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) - Predominantly Inattentive Presentation

Enough symptoms of inattention, but not hyper-inpulsive were present for the past 6 months

Developmental Disorders:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) - Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation

Enough symptoms present in hyper-inpulsive, but not in inattention for the past 6 months

Developmental Disorders:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) - Treatment

• methylphenidate (Ritalin)

• D-amphetamine (affect the level of dopamine at the synapse)

• 9/10 children improve with drug

Developmental Disorders:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

• social delays and communication skills

• recognised by 3 years of age

• diagnosis discontinued by DSM in 2013, but still used informally

Cognitive Changes:

What part of Piaget’s stages?

Concrete Operational Stages

Cognitive Changes:

Concrete Operational Stage - Decentration

Thinking that takes multiple variables into account

perspective is everything

Cognitive Changes:

Concrete Operational Stage - Reversibility

Understanding that both physical actions and mental operations can be reversed

things can change (ex. — water to ice and vice-versa)

Cognitive Changes:

Information-Processing Skills

Memory function continues to improve and processing efficiency increases steadily with age (ability to make efficient use of short-term memory capacity)

Language:

Master basic grammar and pronunciation in native language at what age?

5-6 years

Branches of Linguistics (6)

1) phonetics

2) phonology

3) morphology

4) syntax

5) semantics

6) pragmatics

Branches of Linguistics:

Phonetics

The study and classification of speech

Branches of Linguistics:

Phonology

The study of sounds

Branches of Linguistics:

Morphology

The study of words and how they are formed

Branches of Linguistics:

Syntax

The study of the arrangement of words and phrases

Branches of Linguistics:

Semantics

The study of meaning and relationships of words

Branches of Linguistics:

Pragmatics

The study of language in context

Literacy vs. Intelligence

Literacy - the ability to read and write; phonological awareness = important skill

Intelligence - expands beyond literacy; forms of intelligence that can be learned; no common agreement to “what is intelligence?”

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Linguistic

Ability to use language effectively (tied to literacy)

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Logical/ Mathematical

Numbers and logical problem solving (tied to literacy)

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Musical

Ability to appreicate and produce music (innate abilities)

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Spatial

Ability to appreciate spatial relationships (innate abilities)

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Bodily/ Kinesthetic

Ability to move in a coordinated way (innate abilities)

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Naturalist

Ability to make fine discrimination among flora and fauna or patterns and designs of human artifacts (innate abilities)

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Interpersonal

Sensitivity to the behaviour, moods, and needs of others (social IQs)

Multiple Intelligence - Gardner:

Intrapersonal

Ability to understand oneself (social IQs)

Sternberg’s 3 Components of Intelligence

• Contextual

• Experiential

• Componential

Sternberg’s 3 Components of Intelligence:

Contextual

Knowing the right behaviour for specific situations

Sternberg’s 3 Components of Intelligence:

Experiential

Leaning to give specific responses without thinking about them

Sternberg’s 3 Components of Intelligence:

Componential

Ability to come up with effective strategies

Where is there no agreement on the measurement of intelligence?

• fluid (problem solving)

• crystalized abilities (accumulation of knowledge - have you learned what I want you to learn?)

Learning Disabilities:

What percentage of the Canadian population may experience learning problems?

10%

Learning Abilities:

Sorting then vs. now

Used to believe in 2 boxes (advances or behind), now we believe it’s a continuum

Number grows as we learn more about the brain

Personality:

What does Freud believe about this stage of development?

Challenges in middle childhood were to form emotional bonds with peers (move beyond those with parents)

Personality:

Latency Phase

Nothing major happening in this stage

OCEAN - The 5 Major Dimensions of Personality:

What are they?

Openness: curiosity, creativity, and a preference for novelty

Conscientiousness: organised and reliable

Extraversion: tendency to seek the company of others and talk

Agreeableness: measure of one’s trusting and helpful nature

Neuroticism: predisposition to psychological stress

OCEAN - The 5 Major Dimensions of Personality:

What does it have?

Stability: not inly identifiable but also stable in middle childhood

Related to Competence: the emergence of stable traits in middle childhood are known to contribute to the development of feelings of competence

Personality:

Erikson at this stage

Industry vs. Inferiority

• develop a sense of your own competence through mastery of culturally defined learning tasks

5 Stages of Friendship:

Momentary Physical Interaction

• stage 0

• ages 3-6

• a friend is someone whom you are playing with at this point in time

5 Stages of Friendship:

One-Way Assistance

• stage 1

• ages 5-9

• a friend is someone who does nice things for you

5 Stages of Friendship:

Fair-Weather Cooperation

• stage 2

• ages 7-12

• a friend is someone who returns a favour

5 Stages of Friendship:

Intimate and Mutual Sharing

• stage 3

• ages 8-15

• a friend is someone you can tell things you wouldn’t tell anyone else

5 Stages of Friendship:

Autonomous Interdependence

• stage 4

• ages 12+

• a friend is someone who accepts you and that you accept as they are

Growth:

Females have more ____ than males. Why?

Females have slightly more body fat and slightly less muscle tissue than ales — need that extra fat for menstruation

Growth:

Sex Differences in Skeletal and Muscular Maturity

Cause females to be better coordinated but slower and somewhat weaker than males

Motor Vehicle Accidents and Youth

More than ½ of fatal injuries are due to motor vehicle crashes (next most common is drowning)

Percentages of Overweight and Obesity

Males vs. Females

Overweight Males: 14%

Overweight Females: 19%

Obese Males: 8%

Obese Females: 9%

Language:

Vocabulary grows at a rate of _____ per year

5,000 - 10,000 words

Language:

New level of understanding of the structured language

By age 8-9

Better aligned speech (overgeneralizations decrease)

3 Components of Emotional Intelligence

• awareness of our own emotions

• ability to express emotions appropriately

• capacity to channel our emotions into the pursuit of worthwhile goals

Achievement vs. Aptitude

Achievement: assess specific information learned in school

Aptitude: ability to learn

Achievement tests may not measure what child learns in school child may have learned this skill at home)

Social Cognitive:

Bandura

Interaction of personal, behavioural, and environmental factors

Provides insight into the mechanisms that drive the development of self-efficacy

• not doing well in school? - isolation, giving up, “class clown”

• sending kids out of class - missing more of the subject they’re acting up in and doing bad with, “if the kids doesn’t care about this subject, I’m not going to care as the teacher” - early drop-outs

Moral Reasoning:

• Moral Realism: the belief that rules are inflexible (1st stage of moral development)

• Moral Relativism: understand that many rules can be changed through social agreement (2nd stage)

Turn Key Kids - After School Care:

Self-Care Children

• children at home by themselves for an hour+ are more poorly adjusted in terms of both peer relationships and school performance

• children younger than 10 do not have the cognitive abilities necessary to evaluate risk and deal with emergencies