LQ

School-Age Child & Adolescent Development Vocabulary (5)

School-Age Child (≈6 – 12 years)

Physical & Motor Development

  • Musculoskeletal
    • Posture becomes noticeably straighter; loss of “baby-fat” appearance as muscle mass increases.
    • Screen routinely for scoliosis (abnormal lateral spinal curvature).
    • Sex differences in motor skill trajectory:
    • Boys → typically stronger, larger muscle mass.
    • Girls → often more graceful & accurate in fine-motor tasks.
  • Gross & fine motor refinement continues through the period (e.g., steadier hands by 7\;\text{y}; cursive writing by 8\text{–}10\;\text{y}; complex handicrafts & musical instruments by 10\text{–}12\;\text{y}).
  • Vision usually matures to 20/20; schedule regular eye exams.
  • Dentition
    • Beginning ≈ 6\;\text{y} deciduous teeth are shed and permanent teeth erupt.
    • Recommend dental visit q 6\;\text{mo}.
  • Vital signs (resting)
    • Pulse: 55 \text{–} 90\;\text{beats·min}^{-1}
    • Respirations: 22 \text{–} 24\;\text{breaths·min}^{-1}
    • BP: 110/65\;\text{mmHg} (trend: HR & RR ↓, BP ↑).

Cognitive & Intellectual Development

  • Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage (≈7\text{–}11\;\text{y})
    • Logical, coherent thinking about concrete events.
    • Capable of classification, serialization, conservation, and understanding multiple aspects of a problem simultaneously.
    • Cannot yet handle true abstractions but begin separating intention, behavior, and outcome.
  • Movement away from fantasy toward physical causality promotes curiosity & work motivation.

Psychosocial Development

  • Erikson: Industry vs. Inferiority
    • Key question: “Can I make it in the world of people & things?”
    • Successful mastery of culturally valued skills ⇒ sense of competence, purpose, stable self-concept.
    • Risk factors for inferiority: unsupportive environment, chronic failure, bullying.
  • Expanding Social World
    • Entry into school demands new social/cognitive skills; peers, teachers, and structured rules exert major influence.
    • Bullying forms: physical, verbal, relational, cyber. CDC definition involves power imbalance & repetition; 20\% of US high-schoolers reported on-campus bullying (2015).
  • Developmental Tasks (Box 24.14)
    • Sense of family/peer belonging
    • Habitual work patterns: goal setting, organization, evaluation, accepting criticism
    • Academic competence: reading, writing, math, grammar, communication
    • Refinement of motor coordination

Communication & Language

  • Robust vocabulary growth; experimentation with slang & profanity for social effect.
  • Parallel fine-motor gains→ clearer printing, transition to cursive, music reading/playing.

Health Promotion

  • Nutrition
    • Caloric need driven by individual energy expenditure; athletic children > sedentary peers.
    • Family culture & peer norms shape preferences; strong habits established now.
    • Childhood obesity correlates with adult obesity; inactivity as critical as overeating.
    • Diets high in saturated fat elevate pediatric cholesterol → earlier heart disease risk.
  • Sleep
    • 6\;\text{y}:\;12\;\text{h·night}^{-1}; 12\;\text{y}:\;10\;\text{h·night}^{-1}.
    • Nightmares linked to stress, violent media, overtiredness; recommend calming bedtime routines (music, stories, warm bath).
  • Play & Activity
    • Needs daily exercise for muscle strength, balance, coordination.
    • Interests: music, crafts, board/video games, organized sports (softball, football, etc.).
    • Privacy, personal space, collecting & “treasure” hoarding common.
    • Competitive sports → motivation vs. risk of inadequacy; emphasize skill mastery over winning.
  • Safety
    • Accidents remain leading mortality cause—contributing factors: impulsiveness, curiosity, incomplete motor control.
    • Media Influence: Avg 4\text{–}6\;\text{h·day}^{-1} TV; violent content models aggression. Parental strategies: limit screen time, preview shows, co-view & discuss.
    • School Violence: linked to weapon access & poor communication; promote open dialogue, zero-tolerance policies, secure weapons.
    • Warning signs of troubled behavior (Box 24.15): peer conflict, defying authority, uncontrolled outbursts, bullying/victimization, isolation, poor grades, cruelty to animals, weapon preoccupation, verbal threats.
    • Gun Safety Rules
      • CHILDREN: stop, don’t touch, leave area, tell adult.
      • ADULTS: store firearms & ammo locked, separately; lock poisonous cleaning supplies.

Adolescence (≈12 – 19 years)

Physical Characteristics

  • Second major growth spurt
    • Height: Females +5\text{–}20\;\text{cm} (≈2\text{–}8\;\text{in}); Males +10\text{–}30\;\text{cm} (≈4\text{–}12\;\text{in}).
    • Weight: Females +7\text{–}25\;\text{kg} (≈15\text{–}55\;\text{lb}); Males +7\text{–}30\;\text{kg} (≈15\text{–}65\;\text{lb}).
    • Body composition after puberty: Men ≈50\% muscle, 16\% fat; Women ≈40\% muscle, 27\% fat.
  • Puberty
    • Onset marked by menarche in girls, first sperm production in boys.
    • Primary sex organ maturation (ovaries, testes, etc.) & secondary traits (pubic/facial hair, voice changes, fat distribution).
    • Voice change: laryngeal enlargement (boys → lower, louder; girls → fuller, richer).
  • Sexual drive intensifies; potential conflict with social prohibitions.
  • Vital signs
    • Pulse: \approx70\;\text{beats·min}^{-1}
    • Respirations: \approx20\;\text{breaths·min}^{-1}
    • BP: 120/70\;\text{mmHg}

Psychosocial Development

  • Erikson: Identity vs. Role Confusion
    • Adolescents must integrate prior resolutions (trust, autonomy, initiative, industry) into a coherent self-identity.
    • Pressures: changing body, sexual expectations, moral/value dilemmas, social roles.
    • Peer group central for experimenting with dress, language, leisure; conformity often traded for acceptance.
  • Parenting Tips (Box 24.16)
    • Educate selves/teen, maintain dialogue, choose battles wisely.
    • Set realistic rules, model behavior, respect privacy, remember one’s own adolescence.
    • Be consistent & involved (know friends, attend school events).

Cognitive Development

  • Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage
    • Capacity for abstract, hypothetical, and deductive reasoning.
    • Can imagine future possibilities & consequences (e.g., college, careers).
    • Logical principles supersede immediate perceptions.

Moral Development

  • Transition phase: traditional childhood morals questioned; independent code not yet solidified.
  • Adolescents gradually internalize personal principles guiding decisions despite peer pressure.

Health Promotion

  • Nutrition
    • Energy needs peak: Females up to 2600\;\text{kcal·day}^{-1}; Males up to 3600\;\text{kcal·day}^{-1}.
    • Influences: culture, family, work/school schedules, body-image concerns, peer norms.
    • Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) increasing; early recognition crucial (can be fatal).
    • Protein: 12\text{–}16\% total calories.
    • Mineral concerns: Calcium (skeletal growth), Iron (muscle mass & menstruation), Zinc (muscle/ bone synthesis). Despite menstrual losses, iron requirements are equivalent across sexes due to male muscle expansion.
    • Encourage dairy to boost calcium; follow ChooseMyPlate guidelines.
  • Sleep & Activity
    • Growth & high metabolism demand adequate rest—often > typical adult requirement.
    • Rapid bone growth outpaces muscle/tendon length → high injury risk during sports.
    • Emphasize warm-up, stretching, proper equipment, supervision (Safety Alert list).
    • Organized sports teach teamwork, goal setting, resilience; parental sideline support bolsters self-esteem.

Safety & Risk Reduction

  • Sports-related injuries: helmets, maintained surfaces, trained supervision, treat & prevent reinjury.
  • Psychosocial risks: peer pressure, substance use, unsafe sexual practices; connect to identity exploration.
  • Role of adults: maintain open lines, model healthy coping, create secure environments.

Integrative & Ethical Considerations

  • Lifespan link: Industry (school age) forms competence foundation leveraged during adolescent identity building.
  • Ethical implications of bullying & violence: autonomy vs. non-maleficence; societal duty to create safe learning spaces.
  • Media literacy as a modern health mandate—nurses/educators must counsel on digital exposure.
  • Gun safety transcends political stance; focuses on non-maleficence & beneficence to protect children.
  • Cultural sensitivity: nutritional guidance must respect ethnic foodways while promoting balanced intake.

Quick-Reference Vital Signs & Sleep Needs

• School-Age Pulse 55\text{–}90 | RR 22\text{–}24 | BP 110/65 | Sleep 10\text{–}12\;\text{h} (age-dependent)

• Adolescent Pulse \approx70 | RR \approx20 | BP 120/70 | Sleep “increased, individualized” (often >9\;\text{h})

Mnemonics & Memory Aids

  • INDUSTRY (school age): Investigates, Needs praise, Develops skills, Uses tools, Rules matter, Seeks peers, Tries tasks, Yields competence.
  • IDENTITY (adolescence): Ideals, Dress style, Independence, Ego, New body, Equality with peers, Thinking abstractly, Yearns acceptance.