Physical

Development of Primary Schoolers and

Cognitive Development of Primary Schoolers

Group 6
Reporter’s by: Donna Bea National, Monica Mostaza, Shiralin Villanueva, Danica Daen, and
Crisjan Madridano.
 Physical Development of
Primary Schoolers
During primary school, balance and agility
improve, allowing children to participate in more
complex physical activities. They can learn to
skate, ride bikes, sail boats, dance, swim and
climb trees. Primary school kids also develop
the ability to hop on one foot, a skill not seen in
preschool children.
What is the physical development of a child?
Physical development is one of the many domains of infant and toddler
development. It relates to the growth and skill development of the body, including the
brain, muscles, height, weight, appearance, and senses. For example, babies learn
about the world as they develop their physical senses of sight, touch, smell, sound,
and taste.
What is the general physical characteristics of a primary school child?
School-age children most often have smooth and strong motor skills. However,
their coordination (especially eye-hand), endurance, balance, and physical abilities
vary. Fine motor skills may also vary widely.

School-age children development

School-age child development describes the expected physical, emotional, and
mental abilities of children ages 6 to 12.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

 School-age children most often have smooth and strong motor skills. However, their
coordination (especially eye-hand), endurance, balance, and physical abilities vary.
 Fine motor skills may also vary widely. These skills can affect a child's ability to write neatly,
dress appropriately, and perform certain chores, such as making beds or doing dishes.
 There will be big differences in height, weight, and build among children of this age range. It is
important to remember that genetic background, as well as nutrition and exercise, may affect a
child's growth.
 A sense of body image begins developing around age 6. Sedentary habits in school-age
children are linked to a risk for obesity and heart disease in adults. Children in this age group
should get 1 hour of physical activity per day.
 There can also be a big difference in the age at which children begin to develop secondary
sexual characteristics.
 For girls, secondary sex characteristics include:

• Breast development
• Underarm and pubic hair growth
 For boys, they include:

• Growth of underarm, chest, and pubic hair

• Growth of testicles and penis
SCHOOL

 By age 5, most children are ready to start learning in a school setting. The first few
years focus on learning the fundamentals.
 In third grade, the focus becomes more complex. Reading becomes more about the
content than identifying letters and words.
 An ability to pay attention is important for success both at school and at home. A 6-year-
old should be able to focus on a task for at least 15 minutes. By age 9, a child should be
able to focus attention for about an hour.

 It is important for the child to learn how to deal with failure or frustration without
losing self-esteem. There are many causes of school failure, including:

• Learning disabilities, such a reading disability

• Stressors, such as bullying
• Mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression

 If you suspect any of these in your child, talk to your child's teacher or health care
provider.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

 Early school-age children should be able to use simple, but

complete, sentences that contain an average of 5 to 7 words. As the
child goes through the elementary school years, grammar and
pronunciation become normal. Children use more complex
sentences as they grow.

 Language delays may be due to hearing or intelligence problems. In

addition, children who are unable to express themselves well may be
more likely to have aggressive behavior or temper tantrums.

 A 6-year-old child normally can follow a series of 3 commands in a

row. By age 10, most children can follow 5 commands in a row.
Children who have a problem in this area may try to cover it up with
backtalk or clowning around. They will rarely ask for help because
they are afraid of being teased.
BEHAVIOR
 Frequent physical complaints (such as sore throats, tummy aches, or arm or leg pain)
may simply be due to a child's increased body awareness. Although there is often no
physical evidence for such complaints, the complaints should be investigated to rule out
possible health conditions. This will also assure the child that the parent is concerned
about their well-being.
 Peer acceptance becomes more important during the school-age years. Children may
take part in certain behaviors to be part of "the group." Talking about these behaviors
with your child will allow the child to feel accepted in the group, without crossing the
boundaries of the family's behavior standards.
 Friendships at this age tend to be mainly with members of the same sex. In fact,
younger school-age children often talk about members of the opposite sex as being
"strange" or "awful." Children become less negative about the opposite sex as they get
closer to adolescence.
 Lying, cheating, and stealing are all examples of behaviors that school-age children may
"try on" as they learn how to negotiate the expectations and rules placed on them by
family, friends, school, and society. Parents should deal with these behaviors in private
with their child (so that the child's friends don't tease them). Parents should show
forgiveness, and punish in a way that is related to the behavior.
 It is important for the child to learn how to deal with failure or frustration without losing
self-esteem.
SAFETY
 Safety is important for school-age children.

• School-age children are highly active. They need physical activity and
peer approval, and want to try more daring and adventurous behaviors.
• Children should be taught to play sports in appropriate, safe, supervised
areas, with proper equipment and rules. Bicycles, skateboards, in-line
skates, and other types of recreational sports equipment should fit the
child. They should be used only while following traffic and pedestrian
rules, and while using safety equipment such as knee, elbow, and wrist
pads or braces, and helmets. Sports equipment should not be used at
night or in extreme weather conditions.
• Swimming and water safety lessons may help prevent drowning.
• Safety instruction regarding matches, lighters, barbecues, stoves, and
open fires can prevent major burns.
• Wearing seat belts is the most important way to prevent major injury or
death from a motor vehicle accident.
PARENTING TIPS

• If your child's physical development appears to be outside the norm, talk to your provider.
• If language skills appear to be lagging, request a speech and language evaluation.
• Keep close communication with teachers, other school employees, and parents of your
child's friends so you are aware of possible problems.
• Encourage children to express themselves openly and talk about concerns without fear of
punishment.
• While encouraging children to participate in a variety of social and physical experiences,
be careful not to over-schedule free time. Free play or simple, quiet time is important so
the child does not always feel pushed to perform.
• Children today are exposed, through the media and their peers, to many issues dealing
with violence, sexuality, and substance abuse. Discuss these issues openly with your
children to share concerns or correct misconceptions. You may need to set limits to
ensure children will be exposed to certain issues only when they are ready.
• Encourage children to participate in constructive activities such as sports, clubs, arts,
music, and scouts. Being inactive at this age increases the risk of lifetime obesity.
However, it is important not to over-schedule your child. Try to find a balance between
family time, school work, free play, and structured activities.
• School-age children should participate in family chores, such as setting the table and
cleaning up.
• Limit screen time (television and other media) to 2 hours a day.
5 Stages of Physical Development in Early Childhood

• Looking at only one category of

development is like trying to decide if
your daughter is doing well at school
and only looking at her math scores.
These five categories show a fuller
developmental picture.

• For many children, these areas often

develop at the same time. Helping
your child grow in one area can
facilitate his development in other
areas.
1. Cognitive
• This is your child’s ability to use logic and problem-solving skills, including the skill of
thinking about thinking. Cognitive development can include areas like information
processing, reasoning, memory, and language development.

• It is theorized there are four major stages of cognitive development, each with its own
milestones. But these stages aren’t about the amount of knowledge a kid knows.
Rather, they’re about how children process and think about that information. A child in an
earlier stage might have more information and knowledge than one in a later stage but
lack the skills to process that information.

2. Social and Emotional

• Your child needs to know how to interact with himself and others in a healthy and
manageable way. You need to make sure that he is able to be socially aware and an
active member of society.

• For an infant, a social and emotional milestone can be as simple as a sociable smile.
But you should watch an older child to see the more complex ways she interacts with
other kids, adults, and people of authority like teachers and coaches.
3. Speech and Language
• Being able to communicate is a major developmental skill for every child. This can include an infant
babbling and practicing basic vowel noises or a grade-schooler using basic vocabulary to create a
fictional story.

• Language development can start as soon as a 12-month-old starts to say his first words and should
continue into adulthood. The goal is to empower your child to have the words she needs to
understand the world and express herself in that world.

4. Fine Motor Skills

• Physical development in early childhood is the groundwork to important lifelong skills like writing and
self-care. These movements use the small muscles in the hand, fingers, and thumb and are involved
in tasks like getting dressed, eating, and writing.

• If your child is struggling to develop fine motor skills, play can help, which might include drawing with
chalk, building with legos, or putting together puzzles.

5. Gross Motor Skills

• Gross motor skills aren’t “gross.” Actually, this stage refers to milestones involving whole-body
movements and core muscles. Children develop skills using large muscles in the arms, legs, and
torso. Movements include walking, running, throwing, kicking, and lifting, and they’re closely related
to balance and strength.
What Happens in Early Childhood Development?
• When a child is under the age of one, the biggest focus should be on the basics. Skills that you take
for granted, like lifting and moving your head or saying meaningless gibberish, are major milestones
for early childhood education and development.
• By one year of age, a child should cry when his parents leave the room, have a favorite thing, play
some games like “peek-a-boo,” find hidden objects, say “mama” and “dada,” and be able to get into
a sitting position without help.
Which Developmental Milestone Is Most Important?
• No developmental milestones are more important than others, and often they help each other. For
example, a child can only reach higher levels in cognitive development if she has the language and
communication skills needed.
• If you notice that your child is not hitting developmental milestones, consult your pediatrician
immediately. Before you stress out too much, remember that childhood development is complicated.
Every child grows and develops at her own rate.
• Although some of these stages have suggested age ranges when they should happen, it’s okay for
a child to be a few weeks or months earlier or later than expected. For example, just because it’s
suggested that by two months your kid should be able to hold up his head when lying on his tummy,
you shouldn’t worry if it’s day 62 and your son is still struggling to hold up his head.
Physical and Mental Development
• There is also a connection between body and mind. Working out, swimming, or dancing can help a
child improve both her gross motor skills and her social and emotional development. Contact
SwimJim to learn more about how swimming can help your child reach developmental milestones.
 Cognitive Development of Primary
Schoolers
• They begin to see things from other school-age children's perspectives and
begin to understand how their behavior affects others. They are developing
their oral language skills, acquiring new vocabulary, and sentence structures.
They enjoy planning and building. They understand concepts of space, time,
and dimension.

Examples include:
• Talking with your baby and naming commonly used
objects.
• Letting your baby explore toys and move about.
• Singing and reading to your baby.
• Exposing your toddler to books and puzzles.
• Expanding on your child's interests in specific learning
activities.
• Answering your child's “why” questions.
Milestones
School-age children's thinking skills become increasingly sophisticated as they
encounter new people, places, and ideas. They develop the ability to learn in
abstract ways from books, art, movies, and experiences. You have the exciting
opportunity to witness some children's first encounter with formal schooling and
to watch others learn as they move between grades and schools. As a school-
age program staff member, you also have the opportunity to observe all the
ways school-age children learn outside of school time. The chart below
highlights cognitive development during the school-age years. Keep in mind
that individual differences exist when it comes to the specific age at which
children meet these milestones and each child is unique. As you may have
already learned in other courses, milestones provide a guide for when to
expect certain skills or behaviors to emerge. Think of milestones as guidelines
to help you understand and identify typical patterns of growth and
development, or to help you know when and what to look for as school-age
children mature. You can use this information, what you learn from families,
and your own knowledge in the interactions, experiences, and environments
you create for school-age children.
 Cognitive Developmental Milestones
 Middle childhood (ages 5-7)  Early adolescence (ages 8-12)
• They begin to see things from other school- • Most early adolescents are fully capable of
age children's perspectives and begin to perspective taking and understand and consider
understand how their behavior affects others. other's perspectives.
• They are developing their oral language • They begin to think hypothetically, considering a
skills, acquiring new vocabulary, and number of possibilities, and are able to think
sentence structures. logically.
• They enjoy planning and building. • They become more goal oriented.
• They understand concepts of space, time, • They may develop special interests that are a
and dimension. They understand concepts source of motivation.
like yesterday, today, and tomorrow. They • Cognitive development may be impacted by
know left and right. school-age children's emotional state.
• They begin to develop a sense of self- • They begin to understand facets of the adult
confidence and mastery of their learning. world like money and telling time.
• They are learning to read and write and can • They may enjoy reading a book. They can
sound out simple words. interpret the context of a paragraph and writes
• They begin to reason and argue. stories.
• They can perform simple addition and • They appreciate humor and word games.
subtraction.
Do
A school-age child's positive cognitive development can sometimes be disrupted and they may not
achieve the expected milestones. This can cause a delay in learning. Youth programs, such as before,
after, and summer- school programs, can play a key role in helping school-age children develop and
enhance their thinking. Researchers suggest using school-age children's personal strengths might
increase the likelihood of positive healthy development (Benson, 2006). This has been called a
"developmental assets" approach, and you can learn more about this approach in the Apply section of
this lesson. The following is a list of ways you can support school-age children's development.

• Provide thought-provoking materials and challenging games for school-age children to complete if
or when they have some downtime.
• Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate and culturally diverse books for school-age
children to read.
• Model the values of caring, respect, honesty, and responsibility.
• Make sure that the space is culturally sensitive and that there are no negative portrayals of different
genders, races, or ethnicities.
• Ensure the space reflects the needs and interests of school-age children.
• Provide spaces where school-age children can cool down or de-stress.
• Allow school-age children to design or personalize part of the space.
• Implement activities where children and youth can use their strengths and abilities.
Critical Thinking and the Three Stages of Cognitive Development
Before we can understand the connection between critical thinking and the three stages of
cognitive development, we need to understand what these stages are. The developer of the
stages Jean Piaget, was the first person to ever conduct studies based on cognitive
development. Piaget conducted these studies through series of tests that would ultimately show
the difference between children and their cognitive abilities at different ages.
• The three main stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development are as follows:

1. Pre-operational (ages 2-7)

2. Concrete operational (ages 7-11)

3. Formal operational (adolescence-adulthood)

 Pre-operatioal Stage:

• The Pre-operational Stage ranges from the age of 2 to 7 years old. These children can usually
mentally symbolize items, this helps the child to engage in symbolic play or to use their
imagination while playing. Children within this stage often communicate by speaking about
themselves for example things that they have done or that they can see and do, they lack the
ability to think about what others are seeing or doing. This is known as egocentric
communication.
• By the age of 7 children start to cognitively think in a different why, at this age most children
have adapted or learned how to see another person’s perceptive. An example of this change
can be seen at 1:05 of the video above. An older child is preforming the same task as the
younger child, however this child can now explain what the other person is seeing on the other
side.

• We can see the connection to critical thinking within this stage of cognitive development. A
younger child starting at the age of 2 year old can understand what items are, they may know
the names and what they look like. They do this by critically thinking about each object. They are
starting to develop conversational skills, these skills take time to develop which is why their skill
change overtime. We watched two children preforming the same task, we watched the younger
child communicate in a different more egocentric way, where the older child communicated in a
non-egocentric way. This is because the way they have critically thought about their response
has become more developed over time.
Concrete Operational Stage:
• The next stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is the Concrete Operational
Stage which is from ages 7 to 11 years old. Within this stage of cognitive development
children are developing the ability to have logical thought. Logical thought can be defined
as a way of analyzing and assessing thoughts before making a conclusion. Like
communication logical thought skills are developed over time. During this stage of
cognitive development the younger children are still learning to use their logical thought
process with physical objects.

• Children who have not yet reached this stage of cognitive development are still learning
the difference between objects that are equal even after ones appearance has been
altered.
• Children who have reached the Concrete Operational Stage can cognitively understand
that two objects are equal even after ones appearance has been altered.

• We can also see the connection between critical thinking throughout this stage of
cognitive development as well. By the end this stage children have the ability think
logically and critically think about more than one part of the problem at a time. They are
able to use critically thinking skills to “reverse” the problem which is how they are able to
explain why the objects are equal.
Formal Operational Stage:

• The final stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is called the Formal
Operational Stage which general starts when children are 11 years old and
continues until adulthood. Within this stage adolescents begin to obtain the
ability to think abstractly as well as develop the capability to conduct higher-
order reasoning skills.

• Once a child has fulfilled the Concrete Operational Stage of Piaget’s theory, they
then begin to control more ideas at one time. They do this when they can think
in a creative way, use abstract reasoning, explain the outcome of problems and
make mathematical calculations.
• We can see the connection between critical thinking throughout this stage of
cognitive development as well. By the time children enter the Formal
Operational Stage they are using everything they know about problem solving to
solve problems. They use different techniques which they have learned over
time, they solve problems as if the skills are second nature to them. Children
and adults who are in this final stage of development use critical thinking skills
to think back on how to solve problems in order to find solutions.
Who was Piaget and what are his stages of development?

Jean Piaget was a Swiss developmental psychologist who studied

children in the early 20th century. His theory of intellectual or
cognitive development, published in 1936, is still used today in
some branches of education and psychology. It focuses on
children, from birth through adolescence, and characterizes
different stages of development, including:

• language
• morals
• memory
• reasoning
 Piaget made several assumptions about children while developing his
theory:

• Children build their own knowledge based on their experiences.

• Children learn things on their own without influence from adults or older
children.
• Children are motivated to learn by nature. They don’t need rewards as
motivation.
 There are four stages in all:

• sensorimotor stage
• preoperational stage
• concrete operational stage
• formal operational stage
Sensorimotor
• The sensorimotor stage covers children ages birth to 18–24 months old.
Characteristics include motor activity without use of symbols. All things
learned are based on experiences, or trial and error.

• The main goal at this stage is establishing an understanding of object

permanence — in other words, knowing that an object still exists even if
you can’t see it or it’s hidden.
Preoperational
• The preoperational stage can be seen in children ages 2 through 7.
Memory and imagination are developing. Children at this age are
egocentric, which means they have difficulty thinking outside of their
own viewpoints.

• The main achievement of this stage is being able to attach meaning to

objects with language. It’s thinking about things symbolically. Symbolic
thought is a type of thinking where a word or object is used to represent
something other than itself.
Concrete operational
• Children are much less egocentric in the concrete operational stage. It falls between the
ages of 7 to 11 years old and is marked by more logical and methodical manipulation of
symbols.

• The main goal at this stage is for a child to start working things out inside their head.
This is called operational thought, and it allows kids to solve problems without physically
encountering things in the real world.

Formal operational
• Children 11 years old and older fall into Piaget’s formal operational stage. A milestone of
this period is using symbols to understand abstract concepts. Not only that, but older
kids and adults can also think about multiple variables and come up with hypotheses
based on previous knowledge.

• Piaget believed that people of all ages developed intellectually. But he also believed that
once a person reaches the formal operational stage, it’s more about building upon
knowledge, not changing how it’s acquired or understood.
Why is Piaget's stages of cognitive development
important?
• Piaget's theory of cognitive development helped add to our
understanding of children's intellectual growth. It also
stressed that children were not merely passive recipients of
knowledge. Instead, kids are constantly investigating and
experimenting as they build their understanding of how the
world works.