Chapter 11: Physical Development in School-Age Children

1. Chapter 11: Physical Development in School-Age Children • 11.1 Growth of the Body • 11.2 Motor Development • 11.3 Children with Special Challenges

2. 11.1 Growth of the Body • Physical Growth • Nutrition • Tooth Development • Vision

3. Physical Growth • Growth continues at steady pace • Boys and girls about the same size most of these years until girls enter puberty in late elementary school • Some short children may receive growth hormones, but this has negative effects 11.1 Growth of the Body

4. Average Growth in School-Age Children

5. Nutrition • School-age children need to eat more than preschoolers • Children need to eat breakfast before school • Parents need to be involved in the treatment of juvenile obesity 11.1 Growth of the Body

6. Tooth Development • Beginning at 5 or 6 years, loss of primary teeth occurs at a rate of 4 teeth per year • Fluoride in toothpaste and drinking water helps prevent tooth decay • Malocclusion can be treated by orthodontia 11.1 Growth of the Body

7. Vision • Growth of eustachian tube helps reduce incidence of ear infections (otitis media) • Myopia occurs in approximately 24% of school-age children • Myopia usually emerges between 8 and 12 years • Both heredity and environment contribute to myopia 11.1 Growth of the Body

8. 11.2 Motor Development • Growth of Motor Skills • Physical Fitness • Participating in Sports • Accidents

9. Growth of Motor Skills • Improved motor skill due to increased size and strength (e.g., at 11 years can throw ball 3 times farther than at 6 years) • Girls excel in fine-motor skills and gross-motor skills that require balance and flexibility • Many gender differences due to attitudes about girls’ sports participation 11.2 Motor Development

10. Changing Motor Skills

11. Physical Fitness • Most school children in U.S. are not physically fit • Children often spend much time standing around in phys ed classes • Many children engage in sedentary leisure activities (e.g., TV, computer games) 11.2 Motor Development

12. Participating in Sports • Sports help children be physically fit, teach cognitive and social skills • Both boys and girls believe sports enhance self-esteem, teach skills and cooperation, and provide physical activity • Coaches should be positive and have realistic expectations 11.2 Motor Development

13. Reasons for Sports Participation

14. Accidents • Car accidents (as passenger or pedestrian) and bike accidents are most common causes of injury and death • Parents can help by being good role models (seat belts, bike helmets) and by being realistic about child’s abilities • Safety often the focus of community and school programs 11.2 Motor Development

15. 11.3 Children with Special Challenges • Children with Learning Disabilities • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder • Children with Mental Retardation

16. Children with Learning Disabilities • Children with learning disabilities have normal intelligence, but have difficulty mastering academic material • Many different learning disabilities so difficult to diagnose and many different treatments 11.3 Children with Special Challenges

17. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder • Show a combination of overactivity, inattention, and impulsivity • More common in boys than girls • Often treated with stimulant drugs, instructions on regulating behavior, and parent training 11.3 Children with Special Challenges

18. Persistence of ADHD

19. Children with Mental Retardation • Only 25% organic mental retardation, majority are familial mental retardation • Down Syndrome most common organic cause • The most severe forms are less common • 90% are mildly or educably retarded 11.3 Children with Special Challenges

20. Levels of Mental Retardation