School Age Development

Summary

This video explores the developmental milestones of school-aged children, from 6 years old to the onset of puberty. It covers key physical, cognitive, sexual, and social changes during these years. Children refine their motor skills, improve cognitive functions like memory and attention, and develop social awareness and self-esteem. Cognitive development shifts from action to thought, and language skills grow, including an understanding of metaphors and humor. Socially, children navigate peer relationships, gender identification, and moral complexity, with bullying becoming more prevalent. The video concludes by setting the stage for pre-adolescent and adolescent development.

Takeaways

• 😀 Growth during school-age children slows compared to earlier years, with continued improvement in gross motor skills like running and kicking.
• 😀 Fine motor skills such as writing and drawing become more refined as children develop.
• 😀 Cognitive development includes the ability to maintain self-control, and children begin learning skills through practice and experience.
• 😀 Synaptic pruning and myelination in the brain lead to better working memory, selective attention, and improved planning and inhibitory control.
• 😀 Between ages 5 to 7, children start developing the ability to reason and perceive reality more accurately, acquiring skills that build their self-esteem.
• 😀 Children gain an appreciation for wordplay, metaphors, and figures of speech by age 10, along with a larger receptive vocabulary.
• 😀 Cognitive shifts occur from action-based thinking to concrete operations, allowing children to better manipulate and understand objects in their environment.
• 😀 Social development during these years involves an increasing influence of peers, with children forming friendships based on shared gender, interests, and social status.
• 😀 Bullying becomes more common, with male bullies using both physical and emotional strategies, while female bullies rely on relational aggression.
• 😀 By ages 10 to 12, children can understand moral complexity and are able to hold opposing viewpoints and tolerate emotional ambivalence.

Q & A

What are the primary learning objectives of the video?

The main learning objectives are to familiarize the viewer with the major physical, cognitive, sexual, and social developmental landmarks of school-age children (6 to the onset of puberty).

How do physical growth patterns change during school-age development?

During school-age development, physical growth occurs at a slower rate compared to earlier years, but gross motor skills like climbing, running, and kicking are well-developed and continue to improve.

What is the significance of athletic ability in school-age children?

Athletic ability becomes a measure of competence during school-age years, influencing how children perceive themselves and their abilities.

What cognitive changes occur in school-age children?

Children's cognitive abilities improve, including better working memory, selective attention, planning, and inhibitory control, due to increased development in the prefrontal cortex. Synaptic pruning and myelination also occur.

How does children's cognitive development impact their school performance?

Improved cognitive functions such as working memory, selective attention, and inhibitory control are essential for academic success, as they help children focus, organize their thoughts, and control impulses.

How do children develop self-esteem during school-age years?

Children build self-esteem by acquiring new skills, comparing themselves with peers, and developing competence in various activities such as reading, writing, and organized games.

What social changes occur in children between the ages of 7 and 12?

Children between 7 and 12 years old develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of others' perspectives, begin holding opposing viewpoints, and tolerate emotional ambivalence. Social status becomes a significant part of their self-identity.

How does language development progress during this stage?

By age 10, children have a receptive vocabulary of around 4,000 words and begin understanding metaphors, similes, and figures of speech. They also develop an appreciation for wordplay and jokes that depend on double meanings.

What cognitive shift is described by Piaget in school-age children?

Piaget's theory describes a shift to concrete operations in school-age children, meaning they move from action-based thinking to more logical thought processes, capable of manipulating visible objects but not purely abstract ideas.

How do children's problem-solving and planning skills improve during these years?

Children’s ability to focus, categorize, suppress impulses, and use working memory improves, leading to enhanced problem-solving skills and more flexible and adaptive thinking. This allows for better planning and organizing tasks.