Chapter on "Analyzing the Early Childhood Phenomenon"

Chapter 15 pages (5299 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

It has been pointed out that girls drop in their self-esteem a lot more than boys

They are caught between family relationships and demands and the increasing demands of their circle of friends and accomplices. They begin to yearn for privacy and separation from the immediate family. It is observed that they keep testing the limits of their freedoms and seek independence

They are generally moody; especially when within family constraints

They crush, become infatuated and soon start dating

9-year-old children have their social world opening up at a fast pace. They have role models outside the immediate family. Children develop a strong sense of differentiating between right and wrong. Social consciousness is usually high at this point. Children may even be keener on bettering the state of the world and other people around them. They are curious and will want to investigate things around them. Their attention span is now longer. They will spend time engaging in activities that excite them. They think critically and will want to compare and share ideas around many issues. They progressively read and write more complex texts. They also begin to learn how to manipulate multiple digits, data organization in math and geometry. Most of these youths will

become more independent as they move on to middle class and junior high school

develop decision making skills as they become independent

Start considering future occupations and careers.

They will shift attention from play centered activities to academic work.

They begin to expect more from peers for advice and information

These kids develop more capacity for social conscience and thinking in abstraction. They even understand more complex social issues such as war and poverty.

They are willing to take up chores such as babysitting or washing.

The critical role of childhood was not of much interest to early scholars. Theorists such as Piaget and Sigmund Freud thought of middle childhood as a transitional period in the development of a human being. They saw it as a time when children in this stage consolidated what they had learnt during the rapid developmental stage as they got ready for the challenges of the adolescence period. Erik Erikson, on his part, suggested the eight stages of man, pointing out that middle childhood was an essential stage in a child's development. He pointed out that it is the critical period when children move from close family associations to outer social relationships that influence their development (Erikson, 1968). Erikson suggested that between the ages of 7 and 11, children are more inclined to industrious activities. They learn how to relate with adults and their peers. Involvement in social activities and formal schooling at this stage initiates the children to new social roles. They learn new social status from such involvement based on their competencies and performance. If a child does not develop the requisite skills at this stage, they become inferior. The effect leads to long-term emotional, interpersonal and intellectual negative effects (Eccles, 1999).

Other researchers have agreed with Erik Erikson's observations that competence and self-esteem matters are central to a child's development needs. For instance, children who find themselves incompetent in such area as school activity, academic matters and social activities in the elementary school year's stage are reported to sink into depression and social isolation more often than those who respond to the industry sensitivity positively. Such children with inferior sensitivity also tend to experience anger tantrums and aggressive tendencies (Parkhurst & Asher, 1992). Feelings of incompetence and frustration are said to easily coalesce into a negative pattern of adaptation to schooling. There are three factors that influence a child's self-belief, confidence and participation in activities and tasks that others pursue over the middle childhood period: i. cognitive changes that increase children's ability to think about their successes and failures; ii. widening the world of children to include activities, adults and adults outside the immediate family; and iii. exposure to outside social comparisons and the competition between peers and school activities.

Middle childhood affords children an opportunity to grow their competencies in a wide range of domains. This is usually a great period that facilitates growth. They evolve a positive sense of industriousness and confidence that they gather and influence their worlds.

Development Changes in Middle Childhood

Children's cognitive skills undergo a critical shift from around the age of 6 years. Although the changes in the cognitive domain in the infancy period are quite profound, nearly all theories of development agrees that the age of 6 years marks the beginning of the reasoning curve in a child's growth graph. World cultures are known to begin to offer schooling to children from the age of 5 to seven. It is not clear where the change originates, but it is clear that most scholars and researchers agree on the fact that children manifest important conceptual skills at this time of transition. These skills are polished as the child goes through the middle childhood years. The stage is marked by some conspicuous advances in understanding and learning. Children acquire important skills in their interactive activities and in school. Such skills are considered fundamental in their home cultures and include: writing, arithmetic and reading skills. Self-awareness skills are also honed during the middle childhood period. Children, for instance, get to learn how to learn and soon realize that approaches such as studies and constant practice improve performance and learning. They can retrieve information and use it to solve problems in life. Both of the above skills require that one thinks about what they are doing and their final objective in life. It happens that the ability to pursue the two courses of action increases profoundly during the middle childhood period. Children plan consciously; they coordinate their activities; check on their progress and modify their plans and strategies on the basis of their reflection and evaluation of the situation.

Comparing and Analyzing

Andrew showed all the classic signs of a child going through the middle childhood stage. His physical attributes and the shape of his body is typical of children of his age. Even if he isn't as tall as the rest, he is already average in height and there is a good chance of growing even taller than a lot of his peers. He looks healthy. It has been pointed out that he has inherited the feeding habits of his mother. His mother has a slim and fit physique though. It is likely that Andrew's mother models healthy habits, including healthy diet and exercise, so that his children can emulate. Andrew shows smooth motor skills. Such a predicament allows him to hone physical skills such as strength and speed in sports activities. Andrew manifested a wide range of physical skills and activities that he pursued. His strong and solid build allowed him better coordination, endurance and balance compared to his peers. This is the paradox though; one would expect Andrew to be at the forefront when it came to physical activities since he had the advantage of a well-built body. The great motor skills exhibited by 9-year-old children make it possible for them to take charge of their hygiene. Andrew was markedly, extremely clean (literally). He kept looking at his shirt consistently through the observation period. He wanted to be sure that the shirt and shoes were neat. He effectively avoided activities that could lead to dirtying of his apparel. He practically prevented his friends from dirtying his clothes. This tendency is a rare one in a 9-year-old child. These children are usually better placed to handle conflicts and frustrations. Andrew is increasingly becoming mature. He is better at handling different emotional situations. There is already a sign of an understanding of why delayed gratification is desirable, or even helping other people in an effort to assist him navigate the tumultuous journey of his preteen and teenage years. He continued to show desire for freedom in order to put to use his independence. He still needed support, reassurance and permission from his parents. He never was quick to run to the playground with his mother, even when the situation beckoned. He simply waited until his mother allowed him. He also kept retreating to his mother in the mall so as to seek permission to do anything he wanted. Typically, 9-year-old children are moody. They are quite emotional and volatile. They are happy now, and then they are not in the next minute. They typically hurt quite easily. They commonly experience conflicts with friends. Nine-year-old children are generally able to work out conflicts among themselves. Andrew decided to abscond from the physical activity by his friends. It was observed that even though he was fine, he was not exactly happy; at least not as happy as he had been observed with his friends. The move seemed to wane as he moved closer to where the chess game players were engaged in their mind… READ MORE

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