LATE CHILDHOOD ( THE INTERMEDIATE

SCHOOLER)
Physical Development of the Intermediate Schoolers

 Late childhood is generally defined as ages 9 through 12. Others, may call
this stage as preteens.
 Physical changes during this stage is fairly unpredictable among children in
this age group.
 Intermediate schoolers have more control over their bodies than they have
when they were in primary school.
 Late childhood is the stage when puberty may begin. Puberty is the period in
which the body undergoes physical changes and becomes capable of sexual
reproduction.
Early Puberty
- puberty’s changes start when the brain triggers the production of
sex hormones. Here are some changes that may happen to both girls
and boys during early puberty.
GIRLS BOYS
BREAST • Small lumps from behind the nipple may • May also have swelling on their chest but tends
occur to go away within a year or two
• One breast develop more slowly than the
other

GENITALS • The vulva starts in increase a bit • Subtle increase in testicle size
• The vagina gets longer • Penis and scrotum start to grow
• The uterus gets bigger • Semen may be released when he is awake or
even during sleep

HAIR • Hair will start to grow in the armpits and • Hair will start to grow and become thicker
GROWTH pubic areas • New hair will also grow in the armpits and
pubic area around the genitals
• May start developing chest and facial hair
Height, Weight and
Muscle Development

During late childhood, a child’s weight on average, may be 2.3 to 3.2

kilograms per year. Weight increase was mainly due to the increase in
size of skeletal and muscular systems as well as several organs. An
average of 2 ½ inches in height and an average of an inch in head
circumference each year. Children during this stage may experience
growth spurts – sudden boosts in height and weight, which are usually
accompanied by increase in appetite and food intake.
Motor Skills
• During this stage, movements or the muscles and bones become more coordinated.
• In activities that use large muscle activities, boys tend to be more nimble than girls
• From the age of 8, children show greater coordination in writing
• Produce good quality crafts or have greater control in playing instruments

Insecurities
- at this stage, children may become very concerned about their physical
appearance.

Children must be given opportunities to engage themselves in worthwhile

activities that:
• Promote healthy growth
• Give them a feeling of accomplishment, and
• Reduce the risk of certain diseases
Implications to child-care, education
and parenting
During this stage, children are more physically active
however, they still have a lot of physical maturity to
undergo.

Here are some points to consider for health-care providers, teachers and parents
• Provide ample opportunities at home and in school for physical exercises and
sports.
• Encourage children to participate in varied worthwhile activities until they are
able to discover the ones they are interested in.
• Develop a strong emotional attachment with your children so as to address any
insecurities and social concerns.
• Since children in this stage have more control over their eating habits, provide
them with healthier food choices.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLERS
Since children in this stage are already in their late
childhood, rapid development of mental skills is evident.

Initial Cognitive Characteristics

-Intermediate school children greatly enjoy the cognitive abilities that they can
now utilize more effectively as compared to their thinking skills during their
primary years.
Reading Development
-Children in this stage, is marked by a wide application of word attack . Because of
the presence of previous knowledge , they now have a wide vocabulary which
enables them to understand the meanings of unknown words through context clues-
this is the ‘’ Reading to Learn’’ stage in reading development
Attention
- older children have longer and more flexible attention span compared to younger
children. Their span of attention is dependent on how much is required by the
given task. In terms of schoolwork, older children can concentrate and focus more
for long periods of hours especially if they are highly interested in what they are
doing

Creativity
- creativity in children is encouraged when the activities:
• Encourage different responses from each child
• Celebrate uniqueness
• Break stereotypes
• Value process over product
• Reduce stress and anxiety in children
• Support to share ideas, not only with the teacher/parent but also with other
children; and
• Minimize competition and external rewards
The Impact of Media
- the dream of having a television unit in every classroom started in he 1950’s. It
was considered as one of the first technological advancement in schools. The
impact of use of television and other media like the computer has gained
popularity because students are given more opportunity to ;

• Communicate effectively in speech and in writing

• Work collaboratively
• Use technological tools
• Analyze problems, set goals, and formulate strategies for achieving those goals,
and;
• Seek out information or skills on their own, as needed, to meet their goals
Media and Aggression
Violence and aggression are often dubbed as one of the results of media.
According to Public Health Summit in 2000, the following are some of the
negative results of media;
• Children will increase anti-social and aggressive behavior
• Children may become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from
violence
• Children may view the world as violent and mean, becoming more fearful of
being a victim of violence
• Children will desire to see more violence in entertainment and real life
• Children will view violence as an acceptable way to settle conflicts

Having a role model is extremely important for children at his stage of transition
( from childhood to adolescence. Children need an adult to admire and emulate.
Role models also provide them with motivation to succeed.
Implications to Child Care, Education and
Parenting
Children have varying intelligence profiles. These profiles may be based on
influences on learning and achievement. Parents, child-care providers and
teachers should be able to recognize these through;

• Being an eager participant in children’s growth and development

• Understanding how to use the children’s natural curiosity to help make
appropriate developmental leaps in their skills and abilities, and
• Creating an atmosphere where risks can be taken and discoveries made
while children remain safe
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE
INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLERS
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
vs. inferiority. Industry refers to the drive to acquire new skills and do meaningful
‘’work’’.
Children most likely employ more social comparison – distinguishing themselves
from others. In dealing with other children, they show increase in perspective
taking.
Emotional Development
- 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 problem)
Building Friendships
Five types of peer status:
• Popular • Rejected
• Average • Controversial
• Neglected

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 concern for others.
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 age is crucial. A high-quality adult relationship,
specifically, family relationships enable them to successfully go through this
stage of development.
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 strength 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 downs 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.
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.
Thank
You!