Chapter 7Chapter 7

Physical and Cognitive Development Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle and Late Childhoodin Middle and Late Childhood

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-AgePowerPoints developed by Jenni Fauchier, PowerPoints developed by Jenni Fauchier,

Butchered by Professor CarneyButchered by Professor Carney

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

Body Growth & ChangeBody Growth & Change

Slow, consistent growthSlow, consistent growth– About 2 - 3” a yr About 2 - 3” a yr

Gain 5 - 7 lbs. yr Gain 5 - 7 lbs. yr – Increases in size of Increases in size of

Skeletal systemsSkeletal systemsMuscular systemsMuscular systemsSize of body organsSize of body organs

BrainBrain– Brain volume Brain volume

Stabilizes end of late childhoodStabilizes end of late childhood– Significant changes continue Significant changes continue

Ex: Focus due to:Ex: Focus due to:– Activation of prefrontal cortexActivation of prefrontal cortex

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

Body Growth & ChangeBody Growth & Change

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

Focal Activation Prefrontal Focal Activation Prefrontal Cortex Cortex

Synaptic pruning Synaptic pruning – Areas not being used Areas not being used

Lose connections Lose connections – Areas being usedAreas being used

Increase in connectionsIncrease in connections

Cognitive controlCognitive control

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

Motor DevelopmentMotor Development

Middle/late childhood:Middle/late childhood:– Smoother movementSmoother movement– Better coordinationBetter coordination– Mastered skills source of pleasureMastered skills source of pleasure– Boys better gross motor skillsBoys better gross motor skills

FineFine motor skillsmotor skills– Improvement due to increased Improvement due to increased

myelinationmyelination– Able to write script Able to write script

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

ExerciseExercise

Research:Research:– Exercise Exercise

Important in growth & development.Important in growth & development.

Children with DisabilitiesChildren with Disabilities

Gov’t defines learning disabilitiesGov’t defines learning disabilities– Top of pg. 179 complete def.Top of pg. 179 complete def.

3x’s more common in boys3x’s more common in boys Children excluded:Children excluded:

– Severe emotional disordersSevere emotional disorders– 22ndnd language background language background– Sensory disabilitiesSensory disabilities

EX: BlindEX: Blind

– Neurological deficits Neurological deficits

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Ages 6 - 11Ages 6 - 11

Who Are Children With Who Are Children With Disabilities?Disabilities?

Elementary schoolElementary school– More sensitive aboutMore sensitive about

““differentness”differentness”

@ 14% of U.S. children aged 3 - 21@ 14% of U.S. children aged 3 - 21– Receive special education / related Receive special education / related

servicesservices– 5.6% learning disabilities5.6% learning disabilities– 3.0% speech, language impairments3.0% speech, language impairments– 1.1% mentally retarded1.1% mentally retarded– 0.9% emotional disturbance0.9% emotional disturbance

What Are Prevalent Disabilities in Children?

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Children with DisabilitiesChildren with Disabilities Learning disabilities definition Learning disabilities definition

includes: includes: – Significant difficulty in school-related Significant difficulty in school-related

areaarea ListeningListening ThinkingThinking ReadingReading WritingWriting SpellingSpelling Math Math

– 80% of LD’s also have reading problems 80% of LD’s also have reading problems

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Specific DisabilitiesSpecific Disabilities

DyslexiaDyslexia– Severe impairment in ability Severe impairment in ability to read &

spell Common problem Common problem Writing may be extremely slow & Writing may be extremely slow &

illegible illegible Spelling errors Spelling errors

– Problem matching sounds & letters Problem matching sounds & letters

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Causes of Learning DisabilityCauses of Learning Disability Nature: GenesNature: Genes

– LDs run in families LDs run in families Nurture: Environmental Nurture: Environmental

influencesinfluences– How can this occur?How can this occur?

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Unlikely Unlikely – Reside in 1, specific brain location Reside in 1, specific brain location

More likelyMore likely– Due to problems such as:Due to problems such as:

Integrating information from multiple Integrating information from multiple brain regionsbrain regions

Causes of Learning DisabilityCauses of Learning Disability

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Disorder (ADHD)

ADHDADHD– Characteristics Characteristics

InattentionInattentionHyperactivityHyperactivityImpulsivityImpulsivityEasily bored Easily bored Impulsive Impulsive

– Do not think before actingDo not think before actingCan’t save a penny Can’t save a penny

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Treatment of ADHDTreatment of ADHD

Combination of Combination of – Stimulant medicationStimulant medication

Ritalin or AdderallRitalin or Adderall

– Behavior managementBehavior management Improves behavior better than either aloneImproves behavior better than either alone

ExerciseExercise Thoughts?Thoughts?

– Physicians too quick to prescribe Physicians too quick to prescribe stimulants for kids with milder forms of stimulants for kids with milder forms of ADHD?ADHD?

– Bipolar Disorder R/OBipolar Disorder R/O

Cognitive Development TheoryCognitive Development TheoryPiagetPiaget

7 - 11 yrs.

Concrete operational

Logic applied, objective/rational interpretations; conservation, numbers, ideas, classifications

Caring for Children

PiagetPiaget

Can reason logicallyCan reason logically– Must have a specific exampleMust have a specific example– Has conservationHas conservation– Can do in head what did on paperCan do in head what did on paper– Understand dad has other functions Understand dad has other functions

in lifein life

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Information ProcessingInformation Processing

Information-processing Information-processing – How children process information How children process information

about their worldabout their world Dramatic improvement (6-11)Dramatic improvement (6-11)

– Sustain & control attention Sustain & control attention improvesimproves

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MemoryMemory

After age 7After age 7– Short-term memoryShort-term memory

Not as much of increase as Not as much of increase as preschool periodpreschool period

– Long-term memoryLong-term memoryIncreases with ageIncreases with age

– Improvements reflect increasedImprovements reflect increasedKnowledgeKnowledgeUse of memory strategies Use of memory strategies

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ThinkingThinkingCritical thinkingCritical thinking

– Thinking reflectively & Thinking reflectively & productivelyproductively

– Evaluating evidence Evaluating evidence Creative thinkingCreative thinking

– Think in novel & unusual waysThink in novel & unusual ways– Unique solutionsUnique solutions– May be creative in 1 area, not May be creative in 1 area, not

anotheranother

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Creative ThinkingCreative Thinking Guilford (1967) distinguished Guilford (1967) distinguished

between:between: – Convergent thinkingConvergent thinking– Divergent thinkingDivergent thinking

Convergent thinkingConvergent thinkingDivergent thinkingDivergent thinking

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6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

IntelligenceIntelligence

IntelligenceIntelligence– Ability to solve problems & to adapt Ability to solve problems & to adapt

& learn from experiences& learn from experiences

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Historic Assessments of Historic Assessments of IntelligenceIntelligence

Binet & Simon, France 1904Binet & Simon, France 1904– Developed testDeveloped test

PurposePurpose– Identify children unable to learn in school Identify children unable to learn in school

– Developed concept of mental age Developed concept of mental age (MA)(MA)An individual’s level of mental An individual’s level of mental

development relative to others development relative to others

Wechsler ScalesWechsler Scales

Overall IQOverall IQ– Verbal Comprehension IndexVerbal Comprehension Index– Working Memory IndexWorking Memory Index– Processing Speed IndexProcessing Speed Index

Determines weak & strong areasDetermines weak & strong areas

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Types of Intelligence:    Types of Intelligence:   

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of intelligenceof intelligence– 3 forms of Intelligence: 3 forms of Intelligence:

1. Analytical intelligence 1. Analytical intelligence 2. Creative intelligence 2. Creative intelligence 3. Practical intelligence3. Practical intelligence

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1. Analytical intelligence 1. Analytical intelligence – Ability to:Ability to:

AnalyzeAnalyzeJudgeJudgeEvaluateEvaluateCompareCompareContrastContrast

Triarchic theory of intelligenceTriarchic theory of intelligence Sternberg  Cont.Sternberg  Cont.

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2. Creative intelligence2. Creative intelligence– Ability to: Ability to:

CreateCreateDesignDesignInventInventOriginateOriginateImagineImagine

Triarchic theory of Triarchic theory of intelligence Sternberg  Cont.intelligence Sternberg  Cont.

6-11 Years-of-Age6-11 Years-of-Age

Practical intelligencePractical intelligence– Ability to: Ability to:

UseUseApplyApplyImplementImplementPut ideas into practicePut ideas into practice

Triarchic theory of Triarchic theory of intelligence Sternberg  Cont.intelligence Sternberg  Cont.

Triarchic theory of Triarchic theory of intelligence Sternberg  Cont.intelligence Sternberg  Cont.

In school:In school:– High analyticHigh analytic

Favored in conventional schoolingFavored in conventional schooling

– High creativeHigh creativeNot at top of class, do not conform to Not at top of class, do not conform to

expectationsexpectations

– High practicalHigh practicalDo not relate well to demands of schoolDo not relate well to demands of schoolOften successful as adultsOften successful as adults

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Types of Intelligence: Types of Intelligence: Howard GardnerGardner

– verbalverbal– mathematicalmathematical– spatialspatial– bodily-bodily-

kinesthetickinesthetic

– musicalmusical– interpersonalinterpersonal– intrapersonalintrapersonal– naturalistnaturalist

8 types of intelligence, or “frames of mind”

Everyone has all of these intelligences to varying degrees. Which are your strengths?

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Interpreting Differences in IQ Interpreting Differences in IQ ScoresScores

Most researchers agree:Most researchers agree:– GeneticsGenetics– Environment Environment

Interact to influence Interact to influence intelligenceintelligence

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Group DifferencesGroup Differences

IQ tests U.S. childrenIQ tests U.S. children– Score lower than whiteScore lower than white

African-American African-American Latinos Latinos

Why?Why?– Biased tests?Biased tests?– Cultural differences?Cultural differences?– What else?What else?

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Creating Culture-Fair TestsCreating Culture-Fair Tests

Culture-fair tests Culture-fair tests – Intended to be free of cultural biasIntended to be free of cultural bias

2 types devised 2 types devised – 1. Items familiar to children from all 1. Items familiar to children from all

socioeconomic & ethnic socioeconomic & ethnic backgroundsbackgroundsOr Or

– Items that are familiar to the Items that are familiar to the children children

– 2. No verbal questions 2. No verbal questions

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Using Intelligence TestsUsing Intelligence Tests Psychological tests are tools Psychological tests are tools Avoid using information in negative waysAvoid using information in negative ways

– Avoid stereotyping & expectations Avoid stereotyping & expectations – IQ NOT sole indicator of competence IQ NOT sole indicator of competence – Use caution in interpreting an overall IQUse caution in interpreting an overall IQ

score score