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Block 2 Unit 1 Physical Development

1. Differentiate between growth and development and indicate the growth of body size in males and females through 6-11 years.

• Growth refers to physical changes and increases in size. It can be measured quantitatively, with indicators including height, weight, and dentition.
• Development encompasses a broader range of changes, including physical, cognitive, and social aspects.
• During the early school years (6-11), growth is slower and steadier compared to earlier periods. There are significant individual differences in height, weight, and build among children of this age.
• Height is more reflective of a child’s nutritional history, with undernourished children being shorter. Weight is more influenced by environment, but genetics account for individual differences if children are healthy.
• While girls are generally slightly taller and heavier than boys during this period, there are significant individual differences, with both genetic background and nutrition influencing a child’s growth.
• Males tend to mature physically later than females.

2. Write an essay on the physical development of children during elementary school years.

• The elementary school years, also known as middle childhood, are characterised by slow but steady physical growth, the perfection of motor abilities, and the rapid development of cognitive and social skills. This is a period of leisurely growth between the rapid growth of the preschool period and the onset of adolescence.
• Body size: Children grow taller, with a focus on leg, arm and facial growth. Height is more reflective of a child’s nutritional history. Children become less chubby and more slender.
• Motor skills: Both gross and fine motor skills improve rapidly, and children can learn many new activities. Gross motor skills include running, skipping and jumping and fine motor skills include turning pages of a book, and learning to write and draw. Coordination improves (especially eye-hand) and endurance, balance and physical tolerance vary..
• Muscles increase in size and strength, though the number of fibres remains the same.
  • Sports and dance help develop muscles and improve co-ordination.
• Teeth: By the end of this period, children have 28 permanent teeth.
• Bones: All bones are formed, and continue to grow in size and strength. They become more brittle.
• The head becomes smaller in proportion to the rest of the body, going from 1/4th the size of the body at birth to about 1/6th by age 6-8.
• Secular Trend: There is a trend in which children today are taller and mature earlier than previous generations.
• Body fat accounts for 15% of the average school-age child’s total body weight. Girls tend to retain more fat than boys at age 6, but unless their eating habits differ, both accumulate body fat at an even rate from age 7 to adolescence.

3. Describe motor developments that take place during middle childhood.

• Middle childhood is an ideal time for learning motor skills, as children’s bodies are more pliable, and they have fewer previously learned skills that could conflict with learning new ones.
• Muscular activity is possible because of muscle contraction and relaxation, some control of movement is automatic, and some is learnt.
• Muscular coordination, both fine and gross, improves.
  • Gross motor skills are related to the coordination of large muscles, such as those in the arms, legs and back. These skills include running, balancing, skipping and climbing.
  • Fine motor skills are related to the coordination of small muscles, such as those in the fingers and toes. These include playing musical instruments, sewing, knitting and drawing.
• Around this time, children can perform progressively neater and smaller tasks.
• Children become increasingly active and busy, with movements becoming smoother and quicker. Eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity also improve.

4. Delineate the typical body proportions that take place in the school age period.

• The head becomes smaller in proportion to the rest of the body during the school years. A newborn's head is 1/4th the size of the body, while that of a 6-8-year-old is about 1/6th of the body. By adulthood, it will be 1/8th of the body.
• Growth is concentrated in the legs, arms, and face during this period.
• Children become less chubby and more slender during this period.
• There can be differences in body build, with some children having an endomorphic, mesomorphic or ectomorphic body.

5. What are the major motor skill development that takes place during this period?

Major motor skill developments include:

• Improved gross motor skills: Running, skipping, jumping, balancing, climbing, and other activities that involve large muscle groups.
• Improved fine motor skills: Playing musical instruments, sewing, knitting, drawing, and other activities that require dexterity and control over small muscles.
• Participation in more complex activities: Children at this age can participate in sports, dance, skating and many other activities, which aid in the development of muscle tissue and improved coordination.
• Smoother and quicker motor task performance.
• Improved eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity.
• Increased independence in self-care, such as brushing and combing hair, and dressing themselves.

 Important Points

1. Middle childhood is a time of slow growth between the rapid growth of the preschool period and the onset of adolescence. 
2. Middle years of childhood between the ages of 6 and 12 are often referred to as the school years. 
3. Environment has a greater influence on weight than on height. 
4. When children get enough to eat and are reasonably healthy, genetics account for individual differences.
5. By middle childhood, the number of teeth in a child’s mouth is (c) 28.
6. Head to body proportion during middle childhood is (b) 1/6. 
7. All the bones of the body are formed by (c) middle childhood. 
8. Boys are stronger because they have more (b) muscles.