GE 1: Understanding the Self (MWF 4:00-5:00 PM)

Group 2 Report Topics

MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (The Primary Schooler)

1. Physical Development of the Primary Schoolers
2. Cognitive Development of the Primary Schoolers
3. Socio-Emotional Development of the Primary Schoolers

LATE CHILDHOOD (The Intermediate Pupil)

1. Physical Development of the Intermediate Pupil
2. Cognitive Development of the Intermediate Pupil
3. Socio-Emotional Development of the Intermediate Pupil

Members
Vangie Z. Oftana
Shane Nhecel B. Enguerra
Cedrick M. Raging
Archeilly B. Ramos
Mark Daniel Silatan
Aaron Gabriel Aquino
Rey Mar M. Eviota
Mary Joy Gonzaga
Jamaica Eso
Jessalou G. Libaton
Shaina Shane Baldado

Lesson Objectives:
K- Distinguish the Development of the Primary Schoolers & Intermediate Pupils throughout
Middle and Late Childhood
S- Label the different changes of the Primary Schoolers & Intermediate Pupils in their Physical,
Cognitive and Socio-emotional Development and Well-being
A- Share the acquired understanding of the topic; Development of Primary Schoolers &
Intermediate Pupils in Middle and Late Childhood
 Middle Childhood (The Primary Schooler)

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOLERS

Physical development involves many different factors: height, weight, appearance, visual,
hearing and motor abilities. Primary school children undergo many different changes as they go
through this stage of development. This could be caused by different factors, both natural and
environmental.

Physical growth during the primary school years is slow but steady. During this stage, physical
development involves:
1. having good muscle control and coordination
2. developing eye-hand coordination
3. having good personal hygiene
4. being aware of good safety habits

In this developmental stage, children will have started their elementary grades, specifically their
primary years – Grades 1 to 3.
These children are extremely traditional schools are sedentary, they often release heir unusual
amount of energy in some forms of nervous habits including fidgeting, nail biting and pencil
chewing.
Primary school age children get fatigued more easily because of ' physical and mental exertions
both at home and in school. Hence, activities should be alternated between strenuous one and
relaxing or quiet activities (example: storytelling time after the Math period).

Height and Weight

This period of gradual and steady growth will give children time to get used to the changes in
their bodies. An average increase in height of a little over two inches a year in both boys and
girls will introduce them to many different activities that they can now do with greater accuracy.
Weight gain averages about 6.5 pounds a year. Most children will have slimmer appearance
compared to their preschool years because of the shifts in accumulation and location of their
body fat, although girls tend to develop additional fat cells relative t6. muscle cells. A child’s legs
are longer and more proportioned to the body than they were before.
A number of factors could indicate how much a child grows, or how much changes in the body'
will take place:
 Genes
 Food
 Climate
 Exercise
 Medical conditions
 Diseases/illnesses
Bones and Muscles

Childhood years are the peak bone-producing years bones grow longer and broader. This is the
best time for parents and teachers to educate children of good dietary and exercise habits to help
them have strong, healthy bones throughout their lives. Replacement of primary teeth also
known as baby teeth, with permanent teeth occur around age: 6 to 7 years and up until age 12,
most children will have all their primary teeth replaced. Many lifestyle factors, like nutrition and
physical activity, can substantially influence the increase of bone mass during childhood.
Because children’ s bones-have proportionately more water and protein-like materials and fewer
minerals than adults, ensuring adequate calcium intake will greatly help them in strengthening
bones and muscles.
Large muscle control is at bigger play over fine motor. Some may still have difficulty holding a
pencil properly or coloring inside the lines We have to limit writing time, since children may
develop a negative attitude towards writing.
Bone and muscle growth are still not complete during this stage. Most activities which use heavy
pressure will be very difficult for growing bones, muscles and ligaments. If students are
engaging. in too much strenuous activities to test their strengths, teachers may suggest or provide
more coordinated physical activities or competition or rotate players during sports or games.

Motor Development

Young school aged children are gaining control over the major muscles of their bodies. Most
children have a good sense of balance. They like testing their muscle strength and skills. They
enjoy doing real life tasks and activities. They pretend and fantasize less often because they are
more in tune with everything 'that is happening around them.
Children during this stage love to move a lot-they run. skip, hop, jump, tumble. roll and dance
Because their gross motor skills are already developed, they can now perform activities like
catching a ball with one hand and tying their shoelaces. They can manage zippers and buttons.
Performing unimanual (requiring the use of one hand) and bi-manual (requiring the use of two
hands) activities becomes easier. Children’s graphic activities, such as writing and drawing, are
now more controlled but are still developing. They can print their names and copy simple
designs, letters and shapes. They hold pencils, crayons, utensils correctly with supervision.

Motor development skills include coordination. balance, speed, agility and power.

Coordination is a series of movements organized and timed to occur in a particular way to bring
about a particular result. The more complex the movement is, the greater coordination is
required. Children develop eye-hand and eye-foot coordination when they play games and sports.
Balance is the child’s ability to maintain the equilibrium or stability of his/her body in different
positions. Balance is a basic skill needed especially in this stage, when children are very active.
During this time, children have improved balancing skills.
Static balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium while moving.
Speed is the ability to cover a great distance in the shortest possible time.
Agility is one’s ability to quickly change or shift the direction of the body. These skills are
extremely important in the most sports.
Power is the ability to perform a maximum effort in the shortest possible period.

All these motor skills are vital in performing different activities, games and sports. Development
of these skills may spell the difference between success and failure in the future endeavors of the
child.

Some issues Affecting Physical Development

Obesity
This is becoming a major concern for parents and health care providers, since it seems its
becoming a trend. According to the WHO (World Health Organization)- Western Pacific Region.
The Philippines is not spared from this scenario, and the results of national nutrition surveys are
showing slow but increasing childhood overweight and obesity rates. Prevalence of overweight
among children 5-10 years old has risen from 5.8% in 2003 to 9.1% in 2013.
Childhood obesity may be linked to a number of health-related consequences. Evidence also
shows that overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese well into their adulthood and
are prone to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes and some cardiovascular diseases
at a much younger age.

Childhood Nutrition
Malnutrition remains a major health issue in the Philippines. This has been proven to have
serious effect on the physical and mental development of children. For most Filipino children,
poverty is the chief reason why they do not get the nutrients and energy required for their age.
School-age children's diet should include a good supply of vitamins, minerals and protein found
in most fruits and vegetables to combat the trend of eating out and eating too much which puts
children at risk of increased consumption of soft drinks, sugary and salty snacks like crackers
and chips.

Sleep
Primary school-age children need 9 to 11 hours of sleep every day (including daytime naps).
Sometimes, due to their schedule school, midday naps or siesta is not possible anymore. Because
of this, children may need to go to bed earlier rather than nap.
Children's increased sports affiliation, extra-curricular activities, TV, internet, computers and
sometimes, intake of caffeinated products could result to difficulty in falling asleep, disruptions
in their sleep and sometimes even nightmares.
Poor and inadequate sleep may result to mood swings, behavioral problems such as hyperactivity
and cognitive problems which may impact their ability to concentrate in school.
Implication to Child Care, Education and Parenting Two major ways to help primary school-age
children to be physically healthy is to (1) provide them with good nutrition and (2) Involve them
in coordinated and age-appropriate physical activities. Specifically, health care providers,
teachers and parents must do the following:
 Encourage children to join or enroll them in related programs during summer or their free
time, if children show interest in a particular activity or sport.
 Advocate better nutrition in foods provided in the school canteen by providing healthier
options and accessible healthier products.
 Provide a balance between rigorous physical play activity and quiet activities in
designing classroom activities.
 Create an exercise plan for children. Not only does it promote motor skills but also
improves strength and endurance, builds healthy bones and muscles, and increases
positive emotions,
Maintain a daily sleep schedule and consistent bedtime routine.
 Make children's bedroom conducive for a peaceful sleep. If possible, keep computers and
TV out of the bedroom

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOLERS

Jean Piaget is the foremost theorist on cognitive development. According to him, intelligence is
the basic mechanism of ensuring balance in the relations between the person and the
environment. Everything that a person experiences is a continuous process of assimilations and
accommodations. Piaget described four main periods in cognitive development. For Piaget,
intellectual ability is not the same at different stages.

Jean Piaget's Concrete Operational Stage

Concrete operation is the third stage Piaget s theory of cognitive development. It spans from age
7 to approximately 11 years old. During this time, children have better understanding of their
thinking skills. Children begin to think logically about concrete events, particularly their own
experiences, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts, thus most of
them still have a hard time at problem-solving.

Logic
Concrete operational thinkers, according to Piaget, can already make use of inductive logic.
Inductive logic involves thinking from a specific experience to a general principle. But at this
stage, children have great difficulty in using deductive logic or beginning with a general
principle leading to specific event.
Reversibility
One of the most important developments in this stage is an understanding of reversibility, or
awareness that actions can be reversed. An example of this is being able to reverse the order of
relationships between mental categories. (For example, in arithmetic, 3 + 4 = 7 and 7-4 = 3).

Example:
Teacher: Jacob, do you have a brother?
Jacob: Yes. Teacher: What's his name?
Jacob: Matthew.
Teacher: Does Matthew have a brother?
Jacob: Yes.

Cognitive Milestones
Elementary-aged children encounter developmental milestones. This is the stage when they leave
behind egocentric thinking and start to develop n more mature way of looking at things, which
greatly enhances children's problem-solving skills, Piaget calls this process DECENTRATION.
They develop certain skills within a particular time frame. The skills they learn are in a
sequential manner, meaning they need to understand numbers before they can perform a
mathematical equation.
They can already take on complex, sequential and symbolic-based tasks. At this stage, reasoning
is still immature, they have ease in identifying the here and now. Each milestone that develops is
dependent upon the previous milestone they achieved. Up until age 8, a child learns new skills at
a rapid pace. Once they reach the age of 8, the skills they learn start to level off so there is a
steady increase of new skills.
Specifically, young primary school-aged children can tell left from right. Their ability to speak
and express themselves develops rapidly. In school, they share about themselves and their
families. During play, they practice using the words and language they learn in school. They start
to understand time and days of the week. They enjoy rhymes, riddles, and jokes. Their attention
span is longer. They can follow more involved stories. They are learning letters and words. By
six, most can read words or combinations of words.

Information-Processing Skills
Several theorists argue that like the computer, the human mind is a system that can process
information through the application of logical rules and strategies. They also believe that the
mind receives information, performs operations to change its form and content, stores and
locates it and generates responses from it.

Implications to Child Care, Education and Parenting

Children have varying intelligence profiles. These profiles may be based on influences of
learning and achievement. Parents, child care providers and teachers should be able to recognize
these by:
 helping children draw on their strengths and promote growth in their weaknesses;
 planning lessons that cater to multiple intelligences based on instructional objectives;
 encouraging children to read more every day to increase their vocabulary;
 bringing children to museums, art exhibits and historical landmarks to widen their
perspective about the world and people; and
 lessening children's screen time and increasing their personal and face-to-face
interactions.
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOLERS
The developmental theorist, Erik Erikson formulated eight stages of man's psychosocial
development. Each stage is regarded as a "psychosocial crisis" which arises and demands
resolution before the next stage can be achieved. Preschool children belong to the fourth stage of
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages. Here, children have to resolve the issue on Industry vs.
Inferiority.

Erik Erikson's Fourth Stage of Psychosocial Development

Industry vs. inferiority is the psychosocial crisis that children will have to resolve in this stage.
Industry refers to a child's involvement in Situations where long, patient work is demanded of
them, while inferiority is the feeling created when a child gets a feeling of failure when they
cannot finish or master their school work. In this stage, children, will most likely, have begun
going to school. School experiences become the priority, with children so busy doing school
work. The encouragement of parents and caring educators helps to build a child's sense of self-
esteem, confidence and ability to interact positively in the world.

Understanding the Self

One's self-concept is the knowledge about the self, such as beliefs regarding personality traits,
physical characteristics, abilities, values, goals and roles. It also involves a sense of belonging
and acceptance, a sense of good and a sense of being capable of doing good. Having a healthy
self-concept does not mean that a child thinks he/ she is better than others. It means that he/she
likes himself/herself, feels accepted by his/her family and friends and believes that he/she can do
well.
Primary school children's self-concept is influenced not only by their parents, but also the by
growing number of people they begin to interact with, including teachers and classmates.
Children have a growing understanding of their place in the world. They already know that they
can please their parents and teachers. They are comfortable and show confidence in doing things
they are good at, but also show frustration in things that they find difficult.

School Years
In the transition from pre-elementary to primary school, children tend to become increasingly
self-confident and able to cope well with social interactions. They are not focused on themselves
anymore but are also aware of the needs and desires of others. The issues of fairness and equality
become important to them as they learn to care for people who are not part of their families.
Characteristics like loyalty and reliability are being considered as well as responsibility and
kindness.

Building Friendships
“What is a FRIEND? A single soul dwelling in two bodies” – Aristotle
Making friends is a crucial but very important part of children's social and emotional growth. As
soon as they are able to walk and talk, they will tend to show natural inclination to be around
other children. Children, during this stage, most likely belong to a peer group. Peer groups are
characterized by children who belong approximately to the same age group. It is found along the
stages of childhood through adolescence. But for children, until the age of seven or eight, they
think of themselves more than others. They may play well with groups but may need some time
to play alone. Primary school children prefer to belong to peer groups of the same gender.
Many children will use their surroundings to observe and mingle with other children. Some will
see this as an opportunity to make friends while others remain a bit of a loner.

Antisocial Behavior
Some adults may perceive that some children's behavior towards other children as antisocial.
When children poke, pull, hit or kick other children when they are first introduced, it is fairly
normal. Remember that children at this stage are still forming their own world views and other
children may seem like a curiosity that they need to explore. Parents and teachers can help
children make friends. You can consider the following:
 Expose the children to kid-rich environments (e.g. playgrounds. park).
 Create a play group in your class and let the children mingle with their classmates.
 When your children hit other children, remind them that their behavior hurts others.
 Coordinate with the parents and other teachers so that the children will have greater
opportunity to interact with other children.

Self-Control
Once children reach school age, they begin to take pride in their ability to do things and their
capacity to exert effort. They like receiving positive feedback from their parents and teachers.
This becomes a great opportunity for parents and teachers to encourage positive emotional
responses from children by acknowledging their mature, compassionate behaviors.

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
observing the child's behavior at home
 work collaboratively with the child's parents and health-care provider to expand one's
insights on the child's development.
 provide a supportive setting where children have opportunities to practice emotional
regulation and social skills with peers.
 give children activities when they can practice taking turns, sharing and playing
cooperatively.
 be a role model of healthy emotions and expressing these emotions appropriately.
 demonstrate calmness and staying in control of one's own feelings
 The Late Childhood (Intermediate Schooler)

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN LATE CHILDHOOD

(THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLER)
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.
The steady and gradual changes happening in the children at this stage, specially with their
increasing familiarity with school work and other possible activities provide them with a greater
opportunity to develop their motor skill functioning.
Intermediate schoolers have more control over their bodies than they have when they were in
primary school. They become more active and have greater liberty to choose the hobbies or
sports that they want to get involved in.
Children in their late childhood stage always seem to be in hurry – they get so busy with their
school work, interacting with their friends, exploring other possible activities, but this period of
physical development seems to take on a leisurely pace.

This may also be 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
On the average, girls are generally as much as 2 years ahead of boys in terms of physical
maturity, although this development may be determined by how close a child is to puberty.
Puberty may begin early. Budding breast for girls – which is the initial sign of p
uberty. Some girls may also start with their menstrual as early as 8 and some as late as 13.
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.
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 I 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.

Many of the bodily structures like the liver, muscles, skeletons, kidneys and face follow a normal
curve of development for both girls and boys. Other structures like the brain, intestines and other
organs and bodily systems mature at their own time, thus, affecting growth patterns.

Increase in the body fats also occurs in preparation for the growth that occurs during
adolescence. The body fats increase occurs earlier in girls and is greater I quality.

Girls appears to be chubby while boys tend to have more lean body mass per inch height than
girls. These are all normal part of development. These differences in the body composition
become more significant during adolescence.

Motor Skills
During this stage, movements or the muscles and bones become more coordinated. At the age of
10 or 11 years, most children will have learned to play sports like swimming, basketball,
volleyball and running. These physical skills become a source of pleasure and great achievement
to the children. In activities that use large muscle activities, boys tend to be nimbler that girls.

Although a significant increase in physical activity may occur in this stage, children in their late
childhood is far from being physically mature. They become overwhelmed when sitting or
standing too long that when running, jumping or playing activity. This is because they need time
to refine their skills so they prefer active rather than passive movements.

From the age of 8, children show greater coordination in writing. Their motor skills develop
gradually which may be evidenced by the size of the letters and numbers. Font size becomes
smaller and are more even. They may even produce good quality crafts or have greater control in
playing instruments like the piano or guitar. In this skill, girls usually surpass the boys.

Insecurities

At this stage, children may become very concerned about their physical appearance. Girls
especially, may become concerned about their weight and decide to eat less. Boys may become
aware of their stature and muscle size and strength.

Since this stage can bring about insecurities, parents and teachers must be very conscious about
their dealing with these children. Appropriate activities must be designed so that children will be
guided into the right direction. 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 IN LATE CHILDHOOD

(THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLER)

Since children in this stage are already in their late childhood, rapid development of mental skills
is evident. According to Jean Piaget, concrete operational thinkers can now organize thoughts
effectively, although, they can only logically perceive the immediate situation. They can apply
what they have learned to situations and events that they can manipulate.

Thus, their reasoning and logical thinking are is still very limited. But with proper guidance and
nurturance from parents, teachers and the rest of the community, these children can easily
succeed in their intellectual endeavors.

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. Their school work are
now more complicated, reading texts have become longer, problem solving has become an
everyday part of their lives.

Their ability to use logic and reasoning gives them chances to think about what they want and
how to get it. They now become very interested in talking about the future or even their potential
careers. They develop special interest in collections, hobbies and sports. They are even capable
of understanding concepts without having direct hands-on experiences.

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. They are no longer into the fairy tales and magic type of stories but are
more interested in longer and more complex reading materials (e.g. fiction books and series
books).

The website www.readingrockets.org listed a few strategies in choosing age-appropriate books

for intermediate schoolers. In choosing books appropriate to their age, consider the following:

 Consider who the child is- his or her personality traits and personal preferences when
choosing a book.
 Make a selection with the child in mind; choose an informational book or a novel in
an area of specific interest.
 Choose books that encourage discussion and insight-building.
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 school
work, older children can concentrate and focus for long periods of hours especially if they are
highly interested in what they are doing.

Creativity
“CREATIVITY is not the finding of a thing, but making Something out of it after it is found.”
–James Russell Lowell

Children at his stage are open to explore new things. Creativity is innate in children, they just
need a little guidance and support from parents, teachers and people around them. They are
usually at their best when the work is done in small pieces. 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/parents but also with other children;
and
 minimize competition and external rewards.

The Impact of Media

“Television viewing is a highly complex, cognitive activity
During which children are actively involved in learning.”
(Anderson and Collins, 1988)

The dream of having a television unit in every classroom started in the 1950’s. It was considered
as one of the first technological advancements in schools. The impact of the 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 the 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
The school and the home provide children with unlimited access to media, not only televisions
and computers, but also videos, movies, comic books and music lyrics. The responsibility now
lies with the parents, teachers and the whole community. It should be a collective effort among
the factors working together to support children in every aspect of development.

Having a role model is extremely important for children at this stage of transition (from
childhood to adolescence). Children need an adult to admire and emulate. Role models also
provide with motivation to succeed. One of the most important roles of teachers is to become a
very good role model to children.

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 the 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-ECMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN LATE CHILDHOOD

(THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLER)
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. Other 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.

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 area 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 how 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)

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 I 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 I not rarely 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 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 les in the classroom.

2. They have negative attitudes on school tardiness and attendance.
3. They are more often reports 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. This time is a critical time for
children to develop a sense of competence. A high-quality adult relationship, specifically, family
relationships enable them so 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 development domains.
 A 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.

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 provides, teachers and parent should be able to:

 gain understanding of their child’s socio-emotional strengths and weakness 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.