TR

Middle Childhood: Physical Growth

The Basics

  • Increases in height and weight become steadier, on average child gains over 2 inches and 5 to 7 pounds per year.
  • Growth proceeds in a cephalocaudal direction, from the head downward through the body.
  • 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
  • As the relative sizes of the head, trunk, and lower extremities finally come into balance
  • Motor Development: Starts off still uncoordinated. Becomes more streamlined and coordinated
  • Boys are slightly heavier and taller than girls until 9 or 10
  • Muscular strength increases for both boys and girls
  • Males develop more muscle tissue ; girls more fatty tissue
  • Until age 13 or 14, girls will surpass boys in height and weight
  • Growing Pains
    • Between 25% and 40% of children experience growing pains
    • Often in their thighs, calves, or behind their knees, and occasionally in their arms
    • Usually in the late afternoon or early evening
    • Not actually caused by growth. likely the result of fatigue from excessive physical activity.
  • Permanent Teeth
    • Between 6-12 children lose their primary teeth and permanent teeth grow in
    • Permanent teeth are grown in at their full adult size and may seem too large for a child’s face
    • Facial bone’s “catch up” eventually (will be proportional)

Motor Development

  • Gross Motor Skills
    • Pathways between cerebellum and cortex become increasingly myelinated
    • Increase in balance, coordination, and strength
    • Children engage in games/athletic activity that require movement of large muscles
    • Complex movements like climb, swim, skate
    • Organized sports: contributions of physical and cognitive abilities (working memory, following directions, perceptive of others)
    • Individual differences still present
  • Safety is paramount – kids active, need to be supervised, proper safety gear, helmet etc. Prevent broken bones and injury
  • 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
  • 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.
    • For example, they may be challenged by classroom tasks that require fine motor skills, such as using a pencil or scissors.
    • The child may not be able to complete his work in a timely way and this can begin to impact feelings of self-efficacy and self-esteem.
    • The child also may not be able to take care of functional tasks, like getting into or out of clothing or feeding himself.
  • This trajectory can be changed in a positive direction, but may require intervention, especially if impacting daily functioning skills