chapter 28

GRowth and development of a school age child of ages 6-12

• moves toward abstract thinking, seek appropriate of peers, teachers, and parents

• eye-hand coordination allows them to participate in oragnized sports

Physical growth

• ages 6-12 and growth average of: 2-5 inches per year.

• 7 lb per yearght and weight are similar.

• later school age years girls are taller and heavier than boys.

• both male and female want to be the same as their peers.

Physiologic changes

• maturation differs in boys and girls. will remain fairly consistent until later school age which is 10 years of age. Boys experience slowed growth in height and weight gain increases.

• preadolescence= rapid growth for girls.

• Neurologic: brain andskull grow slowly

• brain growth is complete by age 10

Respiratory system

• continue to mature with lung and alveoli development

• has fever respiratory infections

• repiratory decreases to 18-25 breaths per minute

• Abdominal breathing disapears now diaphragmatic breathing

• frontal sinuses are developed by 7 yo

• tonsils decrease in size but still remain larger than adolescents

Cardiovascular system

• BP increases 97-115/ 57-76 (age 6-9). 102-120/ 61-80 (10-11)

• Pulse decreases 75-118 (6-11)

• heat grows more slowly and smaller in size in relation to the body

GI system

• All 20 decidious teeth are lost during this time and replaced by 28-32 permanent teeth

• fewer GI upsets

• stomach capacity increases which permits longer retention

• calorie needs are less than early years.

• Appetite may increase

GU system

• Bladder capacity increases

• ages in years plus 2 oz

• 9years= 11oz bladder capacity

Physiologic changes cont.

• 2 years prior to the beginning of puberty

• development of secondary sexual characteristics

• 2 year difference between boys and girls

• important to educate about changes

Musculoskeltal system

• Growth leads to greater coordination and strengthl

• muscle are still immature and can be injured easily

• bones continue to ossify

Immune system

• lymphatic tissues continue to grow until age 9

• ImG A and G mature around age 10

• may have less infections however they may have more infections the first 1-2 years of school.

Motor skill development

• coordination balance and rhythym improve

• older school aged children may become awkward due to their bodies

• Physical skills in this age are similar to adults

• school age children should be encourage for sports

Fine motor skills

• myelinzation of the cns is reflected by refinement of fine motor skills.

• eye-hand coordination and balance improve.

• hand usage improves becoming steadier and independant

• *the child between 10-12 begings manipulative skills

• begin to play with musical instruemtntsents, which further enhances their fine motor skills and rhythm awareness.

• Night terrors should resolve by 8-10

Sensory development

• vision screening program in schools help identify, vision problems

• fequent eye problems

• amblypopiais a condition where the brain favors one eye over the other, leading to reduced vision in the affected eye. Early detection through screening can significantly improve treatment outcomes.

• striabismus which is misalignmen of eyes.

• striabismus is treated with eyepatches or corrective lenses.

• Sense of smell is mature and should be tested as well as touch.

Signs of vision problems

• eye rubbing, squinting

• avoiding reading

• frequent headaches

• holding reading materials close

• problems with depth perception or hand eye coordination

• sports related eye injuries and eye protection are important in this age group

communication and language development

• language skillls accelerate during childhood/ schoolage years

• reading and writing skills are important with increased exposure

• use more grammatical forms such as plurals and pronouns

• they are metalinguistic awereness and understanding of a language components, rules and functions

• begin to understand metaphors

• understand jokes because words can have double meaning.

Emotioinal and social development

• Tempernent -3 groups

• 1. easy and adaptable

• 2. slow to warm up

• 3. difficult and easily frustrated

• Not all children fit into this group, variations exists

• understanding the childs temperment can help, caregivers, teachers, and parents care for the child

Self esteem development

• Self esteem mirrors the childs sense of self worth. can be both positive and negative

• children to achieve goals of attachment

• they continually receive feedback from their authority figures and this is how they form opinion of self worth

• if school age children have matured autonomy and initiative, they will face the world with feelings of pride rather than shame

• SIgnificant adults in a childs life can maniipulate the enviorment to facilitae sucess. This success impacts the self esteem of the child/

  Body image-

• School age children are knowledgable about the human body but may have a different perception about what is normal.

• They are very interested in what their peers think'

• Important for late school agers to feel accepted, begins at this age;

  School age fears-