School Age Children, Essay Example

Overview of School Age Development

In the many different periods of development, there are aspects seen in relationship to the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive domains.  The school aged child is seen within the six to twelve years of age group, where these developments may be seen appropriately.  These areas represent the major ways in which a child’s development may be seen as one grows.

Social and Emotional Development

Social development of a school aged child can be seen against the background of the development of relationships.  Children in this age will be seeking out and developing relationship with friends of similar ages.  Against their own development, these relationships represent a number of dynamics in their own lives, such as how they interact with others and in these effects it has on one’s own life.  Relationships represent a healthy social foundation in one’s development, especially at this age.

In relationship to developing relationships, this will be a crucial development in other factors.  Self-esteem, acceptance, and other view’s within the child’s social development will be altered or confirmed through one’s relationships, at least in part.  Beginning in the toddler and early preschool period, and marked within the adolescent period is the topic of anger, which will be interesting to see in this age, as it is most intense in these stages (Patterson).

Physical Development

Of course the speed of physical development is not as significant as in earlier stages.  Motor development is seen in patterns of cephalocaudal (head to foot) and proximodistal (torso to back) (Patterson).  There are a number of population differences that are relevant.  For instance, girls have advantages in small muscle use (Schaeffer).

Cognitive Development
The cognitive development within this age can be seen against the concept of more complex capabilities (Schaeffer).  Cognitively school aged children are growing significantly in this area, where they are better able to understand growing concepts.  Within the classroom and outward into their lives, they experience significant developments in regards to this capacity, which helps them understand and cope learning and life concepts.

Solving problems becomes paramount within this age group.  In respect to the many topics presented within one’s school and personal lives, a school age child must be able to handle such situations.  Accordingly, the school aged child is increasingly able to handle problem solving situations as he or she interacts and understands various effects of problem solving.

Critical in this discussion is the topic of consequences.  Able to be seen in periods of earlier age development, children of all ages are certainly able to react to consequences.  In this age, however, there is a marked cognizance of a school aged child in respect to consequences.  In respect to one’s ability to make decisions and interact within relationship and at school, one is able to use problem solving skills to understand consequences.  Children at this age group see this understanding develop and improve.

Language development is also seen in this age group.  The ability to recognize parts of grammar and concepts related to language is seen at this age group.  School age children certainly see many concepts related to language advancing.  Learning parts of language at school take significant form in these years of a child’s development.  Extending beyond the initial education, these years represent dramatic progressions in respect to the understanding of language.  Children will be able to use these concepts in many respects as their vocabulary grows significantly.

Interview

Cindy was born in early 2004.  She comes from a middle-class family, where her mother works as a teacher and her father works with metal.  At six years of age, Cindy expresses few major challenges in her life, saying things about her interests in response to questions regarding major challenges in her life.

Cindy is very much into dancing and karate, two major interests in her life at the moment.  Her brother goes with her to karate as well, which she enjoys.  She finds enjoyment in these activities and tells of her many achievements.  For instance, Cindy loves telling about the belts she has gained through her martial arts training.  She also expresses many things that she learned while in dance.

Socially Cindy expresses the friends in her life.  She has a number of friends in her neighborhood, although she does not live in the best of neighborhoods, so she often plays with her brother and a few girls next door primarily.  At school she has many close friends that she enjoys spending time with in her class.  She doesn’t seem to realize bullying in her school, neighborhood, or other context.  She expresses a great deal of joy in her friends and relationships.

Cindy doesn’t seem to give a clear answer to the challenges in her life.  She finds some school concepts challenging, where she has to spend time with homework.  However, she does rather well in school.  She also expresses how difficult her outside activities, such as dancing and karate, can be, although she does not find them difficult overall.

Overall Cindy seems to be extremely happy.  She finds much enjoyment in her progress in her activities that she loves.  She also expresses how much fun she has at school with her friends.  While she expresses the playful arguing her and her brother share at home, she has a good relationship with him and they do many fun activities together at home.

Application

Cindy is certainly on the beginning part of the school age development.  Starting in a new school she is very happy and upbeat.  She expresses a great deal of joy in her excitement of supplementary activities, with martial arts and dance classes.

Her emotional development is extremely positive.  Cindy has a healthy and upbeat emotional status in regards to school, family, and friends.  While she mentions minor difficulties that are expected, she seems to be thriving emotionally.  She seems to find enjoyment in her ability to develop and hold relationships.

Cindy seems to understand consequences, at least preliminarily.  As she expressed what happens, for instance, when she and her brother argue, she understands that her parents do not tolerate that kind of behavior.  She takes her school work seriously, seeming to understand what is expected of her.

Cindy’s language skills are up to par for her age.  Doing very well in school, she has learned a great deal regarding language and other topics.  She expresses clearly her activities and thoughts without the tendencies of preschool aged children.  It is clear that her development is expressed in her language.

Overall Cindy seems to be developing quite well in the initial stage as a school-aged child.  Her self-esteem is certainly maintained through her active and positive relationships, as well as her pleasant activities at and beyond school.  She seems to be developing well socially, emotionally, and cognitively.

Works Cited

Patterson, Charlotte. Child Development. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Schaefer, Charles and Theresa DiGeronimo. Ages and Stages: A Parent’s Guide to Normal Childhood Development.  New York: Wiley, 2000.