LATE CHILDHOOD

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLER
Desired Learning Outcomes:
Identify the different physical characteristics of intermediate
schoolers

Discuss ways and practices which will aid children in successfully

developing physically

Examine the cognitive characteristics of intermediate school

children.

Discuss important factors that affect the cognitive development of

intermediate school children.
Enumerate ways on how teachers can promote creativity in the
learning environment, learning activities, and instructional materials.

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.
 Introduction
The steady and gradual changes and happening in children at this stage, especially with
their increasing familiarity with school work and other possible activities provide them
with a greater opportunity to develop their motor skill functioning.

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 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.
 Introduction

At this period of socio-economic development, children are spending less

time in 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
Physical Development of the
Intermediate Schoolers
 PHYSICAL CHANGES
Children in their late childhood stage always seem to be in a 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.
 PHYSICAL CHANGES

On the average, girls are generally as much as two (2) years ahead of
boys in terms of physical maturity. Puberty may begin early. Budding
breasts for girls - which is the initial sign of puberty. Some girls may
also start with their menstrual cycle as early as 8 and some as late 13.
 PHYSICAL CHANGES

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.
 PHYSICAL CHANGES

Children gain an average of 7 pounds in weight, and average of 2 ½

inches in height and an average of an inch in head circumference
each year. Children at this stage have growth spurts - sudden boost
in height and weight, which are usually accompanied by increase in
appetite and food intake. Increase in body fats also occurs in
preparation for the growth that occurs during adolescence. The body
fat increase occurs earlier in girls and is greater in quantity.
 PHYSICAL CHANGES

Girls appear to be "chubby" while boys tend to have more lean body
mass per inch of height than girls. These are all normal part of
development. These differences in body composition become very
significant during adolescence. 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.
 PHYSICAL CHANGES
Since this stage can bring about insecurities, parents and teachers
must be very conscious about their dealings 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
• Reduce the risk of certain diseases
PHYSICAL CHANGES
This stage is also characterized by
advance development of their fine and
gross motor skills. Muscles and strength
stamina increase as they are offered
different physical activities.

Children will become more interested

in physical activities where they can
interact with friends and family.
Activities which they can share with
parents.
Cognitive Development of the
Intermediate Schoolers
 INITIAL COGNITIVE
CHARACTERISTICS
Intermediate school children greatly enjoy the cognitive abilities that
they can now utilize. Their thinking skills have become more
effective as compared during their primary years. Their school work
is 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 give them chances of thinking
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 of 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.
 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 more for longer period of
hours especially if they are highly interested in what they are doing.
 CREATIVITY
Children at this 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/parent but also
with other children.
• minimize competition and external rewards.
 THE IMPACT OF MEDIA
The dream of having a television unit in every classroom started in
the late 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:
• effectively in speech and in writing
• work collaboratively
• use technological tools
• analyze problems, set goals, and formulate strategies for achieving
those goals
• seek out information or skills on their own, as needed, to meet
their goals
 MEDIA AND AGRESSION
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.
MEDIA AND AGRESSION
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.
MEDIA AND AGRESSION
Having a role model is extremely
important for children at this
stage of transition (from childhood
to adolescence). It gives children
an adult to admire and emulate.
Role models also provide them
with motivation to succeed. One
of the most important roles of
teachers is to become a very good role
model to children.
 MEDIA AND AGRESSION

Teachers…
• Need to be an eager participant in children’s growth and
development.
• Must understand how to use the children’s natural curiosity to
help make the appropriate developmental leaps in their skills and
abilities.
• Must create 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 versus inferiority. Industry refers to the
drive to acquire new skills and do meaningful “work”.
 UNDERSTANDING SELF-COMPETENCE,
SELF-IDENTITY, AND SELF-CONCEPT
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.
 UNDERSTANDING SELF-COMPETENCE,
SELF-IDENTITY, AND SELF-CONCEPT
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 in age. Perspective-taking enables the child to:
a. judge others intentions, purposes and actions;
b. give importance to social attitudes and behaviors and to;
c. increase skepticism of other’s claims.
 EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Similar to the other areas of development, children in this
stage, show 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.
 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 and use this
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 contribute 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.
Five types of Peer
Status
 Popular
frequently nominated as the best friend and one who is
rarely disliked by peers.
 Average
receives an average number of positive and negative
nominations from peers.
 Neglected
Very seldom nominated as best friend but is not really
disliked
 Rejected
Infrequently nominated as best friend but one who is also
defined by peers
 Controversial
Frequently nominated as best friend but at the same time is
disliked by peers
Popular children which peers find very positive have the
following skills 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 why the group or majority
of the peers develop negative
feelings toward rejected children.

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. 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 is crucial at this
stage which characterized by
success and failure. 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.
 FAMILY
If families are seen as 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
 FAMILY

A high-quality adult
relationship, specifically, family
relationship enables them to
successfully go through this
stage of development.
THANK YOU!