L a ng ua g e D evelo p me nt

By th e time a c hild en ters ele me nta ry sc ho o l, he o r she

c a n und e rsta nd the me a n ing o f a p p ro x ima tely 1 0 ,0 0 0
w o rd s (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).

M id d le
C hild ho o d
D evelo p ment

D uring this sta g e, mo re a d va nc e d c o nve rsa tio na l

stra teg ie s, suc h a s sh a d in g , a re e xh ib ited (Berk, 2 0 1 3 ).

C o g nitive D e velo p ment

D uring this sta g e, e g o c en tric thin king d imin ishe s a nd
c h ild ren b eg in to un d e rsta n d c o n se rva tio na l id e a s,
re ve rsib ility , a nd p ersp e c tive (M a ro tz &A llen, 2 0 1 3 ).
C hild re n b etw e en 8 a nd 1 0 y ea rs a re a b le to g ive c le a r,
o rg a n iz ed d ire c tio ns to a lo c a tio n, utiliz in g a men ta l
w a lk stra te g y (Berk, 2 0 1 3 ).

S o c ia l-E mo tio na l D eve lo p ment

C hild re n b eg in to un d e rsta n d c o n flic tin g e mo tio na l c ues a n d und e rsta nd tha t o n es ex p ressio n
ma y n o t b e a true reflec tio n o f e mo tio ns (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).
D uring this p e rio d , c hild re n b eg in to ma ke so c ia l c o mp a riso ns a mo n g th emselv es a n d th eir
p e e rs (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).

M o ra l D evelo p ment
D uring this sta g e, c h ild ren s view o f rule s shifts fro m fix e d to mo re flex ib le a nd so c ia lly a g re ed
up o n (Berk, 2 0 1 3 ).
C hild re n b ec o me mo re skilled in th eir a b ility to imp lement stra te g ie s to o ve rc o me temp ta tio ns
(Berk, 2 0 1 3 ).

Phy sic a l D evelo p me nt

Inc re a sed c o o rd ina tio n a llo w s c hild ren in th is
sta g e to run a t a fa ster ra te , a s w e ll a s thro w
a n d kic k with g re a te r a c c ura c y .

G end er d iffere nc es in mo to r a b ility b e c o me

mo re a p p a ren t, d uring this sta g e; b o y s c a n
ty p ic a lly th ro w a b a ll ha rd e r/fa rthe r, wh ile
g irls ex h ib it mo re ma turity in fin e mo to r
skills, b a la n c e , a nd a g ility (B erk, 2 0 1 3 ).

S ig ns o f A ty p ic a l D eve lo p ment
C hild re n w ho a re ma ln o urishe d o r n o t rec e iving a p p ro p ria te nutrie nts ma y ex p erie nc e a d e c line
in p hy sic a l a nd c o g nitiv e invo lve me nt, a s we ll a s la c k o f p hy sic a l h ea lth , inc lud ing o b e sity
(M o ssle r, 2 0 1 1 ).
C hild re n w ho see m to b e withd ra w n fro m c e rta in ty p e s o f a c tivities ma y strug g le w ith the ta sk
a n d b e fea rful o f fa ilure .

S tra teg ie s fo r F a milies

R eg iste ring c hild ren fo r o rg a niz e d sp o rts no t o n ly a ssists in imp ro ving mo to r p e rfo rma n c e , b ut
a lso enc o ura g e s so c ia liz a tio n, tea mw o rk, a nd he a lthy ex e rc ise ha b its (B erk, 2 0 1 3 ).
C rea te a p a rtne rsh ip w ith th e sc h o o l a n d c o mmun ity to ensure a w a ren ess o f ev en ts so tha t the
c h ild is a b le to p a rtic ip a te.

F a c to rs Influenc ing D evelo p ment

S o c ia l- G ene ra liz a tio ns a b o ut g e nd er will
imp a c t the vie ws o f c hild ren in th is sta g e o f
w ha t is a p p ro p ria te fo r erta in g end ers
inc lud ing c o lo rs, in te re sts, a n d g en d e r ro les.
C ultura l- S o me c ulture s p la c e a la rg e r
e mp h a sis o n a c a d e mic a c h iev eme nt a nd
fro w n up o n a sp ira tio ns o f p a rtic ip a tio n in th e
a rts.

Referenc es
Berk, L. E . (2013).C hild development. (9th ed.). U pper S addle River, N J: Pearson.

Marotz, L. R. & Allen, K. E. (2013). Developmental profiles: Pre-birth through adolescence (7th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Mossler, R. (2011) Child & Adolescent Development. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.