Late Childhood UNIT (The Intermediate Schooler) - Heidi Grace L. Borabo, PhD Socio-Emotional Development of the MODULE 23 Intermediate Schoolers TIES At the end of this Module, you should be able to: identify the socio-emotional characteristics of children in their late childhood stage. determine the qualities of family life that affect older children’s development including changes in family interactions. © interview a parent regarding their child’s socio-emotional development. f (A At this period of socio-emotional development, children are spending less time in the home. The bulk of their time is spent outside the home, either alone or with other children, rather than with adults. Older children have already familiarized themselves with other children. They are already used to interacting with different ages and gender. For many of them, these social networks are not only sources of social support but also different forms of learning. 305‘The Child and Adolescent Leamers and Learning Principles Paste a picture of you when you were in Grade 4, 5 or 6. Recall significant event that happened to you. Write a very brief story of what _ happened. (Paste picture here) (Qn Discussion Questions: As you share you story with a classmate, try to answer the questions below: 1. Why was this event so significant? 2. What do you think were the factors that contributed to make you react or feel that way? 3. How do you think this event has affected you socially and emotionally? 4, Thinking about it now, do you think you could have acted or felt differently?UnltS~ Late Chilchood Module 23 -Socio-Emotonal Development ofthe Intemeciate Schoolers (SE vy Understanding Self-Competence, Self-Identity and Self-Concept One of the most widely recognized characteristics of this period of development is the acquisition of feelings of self-competence. This is what Erik Erikson referred to when he described the developmental task of middle childhood ~ the social crisis industry versus inferiority. Industry refers to the drive to acquire new skills and do meaningful “work.” The child should have a growing sense of competence. The child’s definitions of self and accomplishment vary greatly according to interpretations in the surrounding environment. Varied opportunities must be provided in order for children to develop a sense of perseverance. They should be offered chances to both fail and succeed, along with sincere feedback and support. During late childhood, children can now describe themselves with internal and psychological characteristics and traits. They most likely ‘employ more social comparison — distinguishing themselves from others. In dealing with other children, they show increase in perspective taking. This ability increases with age. It enables them to (a) judge others’ intentions, purposes and actions, (b) give importance to social attitudes and behaviors and (c) increase skepticism of others’ claims. Emotional Development The same with other areas of development, children in this stage, show improved emotional understanding, increased understanding that ‘more than one emotion can be experienced in a single experience. They ‘may also show greater ability to show or conceal emotions, utilize ways to redirect feelings and a capacity for genuine empathy. Another milestone in this stage is the development of the children’s ‘emotional intelligence (EQ), which involves the ability to monitor feelings of oneself and others to guide and motivate behavior. Emotional Intelligence has four main areas: ‘© Developing emotional self-awareness ‘© Managing emotions (self-control) ‘© Reading emotions (perspective taking) Handling emotions (resolve problems) 307‘The Child and Adolescent Learners and Leaming Principles Building Friendships As children go through their late childhood, the time they spend in peer interaction increases. For them, good peer relationships are very important, The approval and belongingness they receive contributes to the stability and security of their emotional development. Peer size also increases and less supervision by adults is required. At this stage, children prefer to belong to same-sex peer groups. There are five types of peer status: ‘© Popular — frequently nominated as the bestfriend and one who is rarely disliked by peers ‘© Average ~ receive an average number of positive and negative nominations from peers ‘© Neglected — very seldom nominated as bestfriend but is not really disliked Rejected ~ infrequently nominated as a bestfriend but one who is also disliked by peers Controversial ~ frequently nominated as a best friend but at the same time is disliked by peers Popular children have the following skills which peers find very positive and as a result they become the most favored in the group: 1. They give out reinforcement. 2. They act naturally. 3. They listen carefully and keep open communication, 4, They are happy and are in control of their negative emotions. 5. They show enthusiasm and concem for others.Unit Late Chidhood Module 23 Socio-Emotional Development ofthe inlermediate Schoolers On the other hand, here are the characteristics of neglected children and why the group or majority of the peers develop negative feelings toward them: 1. They participate less in the classroom. 2. They have negative attitudes on school tardiness and attendance. 3. They are more often reported as being lonely. 4, They are aggressive. a. In boys: ~ They become impulsive, have problems in being attentive and disruptive. ~ They are emotionally reactive and slow to calm down, ~ They have fewer social skills to make and maintain friends. Family Family support at this stage is crucial. If children do not find a supportive family when they find their interest (e.g. in hobbies like riding a bike or playing a musical instrument) they can easily get frustrated. If families are a primary support system, failures and setbacks become temporary and surmountable rather than something that is attributed to personal flaws or deficits. This time is a critical time for children to develop a sense of competence. A high-quality adult relationshi specifically, family relationships enable them to successfully go through this stage of development. Big Ideas This module stresses that: During late childhood, a wide variety of biological, psychological and social changes take place across the developmental domains. ‘¢ As children progress through late childhood, the family environment remains extremely important, while the community environment ~ including the school ~ also becomes a significant factor in shaping the child’s development. ‘© During late childhood, peers have an increasingly strong impact on development; peer acceptance becomes very important to well-being. e 309310 ‘The Child and Adolescent Leamers and Leaming Principles Implications to Child Care, Education and Parenting Primary school children’s socio-emotional competency should be viewed in the context of the child’s developmental age. Health-care providers, teachers and parents should be able to: gain understanding of their child’s socio-emotional strengths and weaknesses by ‘¢ encouraging children to talk about their feelings without doing it forcefully provide opportunities for children to build relationships with teachers and fellow classmates; ‘@ remind children that friendships have their ups and dawns and that occasional conflicts and arguments can be healthy; ‘© design activities that allow children to work on their own and discover activities and hobbies that they enjoy; and ‘© model healthy relationships. (en ‘A. Study the illustration on the left. It shows some of the factors that may result in some degree of emotional stress to intermediate school-age children. What can you say to kids who may be experiencing these things? Write a letter to them. My dear child, ps:/oewrvirtuallabschod /socal-emotionallesUni Late Chidhood Module 23 Soci-Emetonal Development of he Intermediate Schoolers B. Interview a parent or a teacher of an intermediate school-age child. Use the questions below as your guide. Write your conclusions and insights, ‘Name of Parent / Teacher (opti Age and Grade Level of the Child: Gender of the Child: Questions: 1. What are some marked changes in your child as he/she reached the intermediate level (Grades 4 to 6)? 2. How can you describe his/her interactions with parents, siblings, teachers, peers - if any? 3. What can you say about your child’s self-confidence and self- esteem? 4, What activities in the home do you do to help your children interact with people around hinvher My Insights: 3m312 ‘The Child and Adolescent Leamers and Leaming Principles SYNAPSE STRENGTHENERS Visit tips:/www.edutopia.org/sel-research-learning-outcomes and write your insights on the five key competencies designed by researchers Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor & Schellinger, 2011; Weisberg, Durlak, Domitrovich, & Gullotta, 2016. List them down and reflect on your own answers to the enumerated competencies. 1; /EEE Research on one of the topics below and find out how intermediate school-aged children respond to one of the following events in life: © death ‘© parents’ separation ‘© rejection from peers uf REFLECTION To ensure that you are promoting your students’ socio-emotional well- being, ask yourself the following questions: 1. Do I have healthy relationships with my students, fellow teachers and superiors? 2. Do I have a good sense of my self-identity? 3. Do I encourage my students to be open with their feelings and emotions? 4, Do I provide my students with a non-threatening classroom environment? 5. Do I respect my students’ individuality and authority? 6. Do I foster healthy friendships among my students?Unit Late Chilzhood Module 23 ~ Socio-Emational Development of he Inermediate Schodlers CEG Read the statements carefully. Choose the best answer and write them on the blank, 1. How can parents ensure industry when it comes to homework? — Application ‘A. Assign a homework time and work on their home work together. B. Let the children be responsible for their homework and just make corrections when necessary. C. Do the homework for them and let them figure out why the answers are correct, D. Confer with teachers and request for no homework 2. Which of the following is an emotional milestone for an intermediate school-age child? — Analysis ‘A. Increased understanding that more than one emotion ‘can be experienced in a single experience. B. Ability to recognize one’s own feelings and actions and of other people. C. Self-esteem based on what others tell hinvher. D. Incapable of decentering Family support is crucial at this stage, What can a high-quality adult relationship do to the socio-emotional development of an intermediate school-age child? ‘A. Makes children question and become curious about other people’s motives and actions. B. Instills in the children to conform with the law which is necessary for the good of so« C. Allows the children to value relationships and friendships based on loyalty, understanding and trust. D. Makes children think that others cannot be totally trusted.