- It uses memory to learn broad and
The School Age
Child
AGE PERIOD: 6 - 12 YEARS AGE
Psychosexual Development (Freud)
Latent Stage
- The period occurring between early
childhood and puberty when sexual
motivation and expression are repressed
or transferred through sublimation to the
feelings and behavioral patterns expected
at this age group.
- The child represents a stage of relative
sexual independence before puberty and
adolescence.
- Children’s libido appears to be diverted into
concrete thinking.
- Child’s personality development appear to
be non-active or dormant. This is the time
of slow physical growth.
Psychosocial Development (Erikson)
Industry vs. Inferiority
- Engages in tasks and activities that he can
carry through completion.
- Peers or school mates are their most
important persons.
- Provide the child an opportunity to perform
and complete projects so that he/she feels
rewarded for such accomplishments.
Cognitive Development (Piaget)
Concrete Operational Thought (7-12
years)
- Cognitive and developmental growth
proceed at rapid rate
- Age 5 - 7 is a transitional stage from
egocentric to objective thinking (like
listening to others, asking questions and
seeking validation)
- Children undergo a shift from
preoperational thought used by
preschoolers to Concrete Operational
Thought
- It includes systematic reasoning
subgroups of concepts
New Concepts Learned by
Children Using Concrete
Operational Thought
Decentering
- The ability to project one’s self into other
people’s situations or see the world from
their point of view rather than focusing only
on their own view.
Accommodation
- The ability to adapt thought processes to fit
what is perceived
Conservation
- The ability to appreciate that change in
shape does not necessarily mean a
change in size or weight
Class Inclusion
- Ability to understand that objects can
belong to more than one classification
Moral Development (Kholberg)
Conventional Level
- School age children’s moral development
begin to mature as they enter a stage of
pre-conventional reasoning (level 2) at 4 to
7 years of age.
- Orientation to “Interpersonal Relations of
Mutuality”
• A child follows rules because of need to
be “good” persons in the eyes of others
and their own eyes.
Spiritual Development
- Children begin to learn about rituals and
meaning behind their religious practices
and since they are rule oriented; they
expect GOD will follow rules too - that if
one is good and he prays, his prayers will
be answered.
Developmental Milestones
1. Physical Growth
1. Weight - 3 - 5 lbs (1.3 to 2.2 kgs)
weight gain per year
2. Height - 1 - 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cms)
height increase/year
 3. Body contours - posture becomes SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL CONCERNS OF
more erect. Lordosis and knock knee BOYS AND GIRLS RELATED TO PUBERTY
appearance during toddler years
Concerns of Girls Concerns of Boys
completely disappears.
4. Body systems: Breast development Increase in genital size
(which is not always (testicular
1. Brain - development is complete symmetrical in growth) development precedes
so fine motor development is penis growth)
refined.
Increase in vaginal Seminal fluid
2. Heart - the left ventricle enlarges secretion which may production causing
to be strong enough to pump cause vulvar irritation “nocturnal emissions” -
blood to the growing body. ejaculations during
sleep
- Pulse rate - 70-80 beats/min
- BP - 112/60 mmHg • BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS
3. Tonsillar and adenoid tissue - is
- Growth of pubic hair starts
abundant causing the tonsils to - There is an increase in the
appear enlarged at the back of the production of the sebaceous
throat. gland causing increased
4. Teeth sweating
- deciduous teeth starts losing and - There is an increase in the
permanent teeth erupts production of the androgen
- An average child gains 28 teeth causing acne
during the school age period: 4 - There is a vasomotor
incisors (upper and lower), 4 instability causing easy
lateral incisors, 8 bicuspid, 12 blushing
molars • Physiology
5. Sexual maturity - Brain maturity causes
- Puberty hypothalamus to transmit
• Stage wherein the male and enzymes to the anterior
female are capable of sexual pituitary gland which starts
reproduction. producing gonadotropic
• The onset of puberty usually hormones and activates and
varies but occurs between changes in the testes (male)
ages 10 to 14 years. and ovaries (female), then
• Girls between ages 12 to 18 puberty occurs.
years of age 2. Gross and Fine Motor Development
• Boys between ages 14 to 20 Age Gross Motor Fine Motor
years of age
jumps, skips, hops, Tie shoelaces, cut
6
SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL CONCERNS OF ride a bicycle and paste pictures
BOYS AND GIRLS RELATED TO PUBERTY
Begins gender
Concerns of Girls Concerns of Boys 7 differences (boy - “eraser year”
girl games/plays)
Prepubertal girls are Prepubertal weight
taller (in height0 by 2 gain occurs Enjoy sports, Makes cars, letters,
inches (5 cm) than gymnastics, can do and projects,
8 graceful moves
prepubertal boys. enjoys reading and
writes script
Changes in pelvic Gynecomastia
contour (hips are (hypertrophy of breast Have enough eye- More mature forms
9
becoming broader) or tissue occurs) hand coordination of writing
adult female profile
Age Gross Motor Fine Motor Age Language Play

Ready for Enjoy challenging

competitive Talk in full
Evaluates teacher’s video games and
10 games, perfects sentences using
ability 6 activities which
athletic skills language easily
open doors with
with meaning
other world
Still active in
activities but drops Involves in more
11 challenging science Can tell time in spends time in
out of sports due to hours, months, & quiet play; takes
growth spurt and math courses
7 year; knows simple interest in collecting
addition and items like cards,
Participates in subtraction stamps, etc.
sports events with
intensity and Like “table games”
concentration. (chess, scrabble)
Cooperative in the Spends more time but hate to lose. If
12 house. Concerns &
on reading they play, may
Able to handle 8 concepts as
change rules at the
responsibility and practiced
middle of the game
complete given to protect them
tasks. from losing.
1. 3. Socialization Play is hard and
Discovers “dirty”
• 6 years 9 jokes & likes to tell
rough. Begins
music and art
- Children play in groups but when tired them to friends
lessons.
or under stress they prefer one on one
Uses “swear” play hand help or
contact 10 words to express remote control
• 7 years anger games.
- Extremely aware of family roles and May have short
responsibilities. Promises are period of intense
fascination with
definitely firm commitments for them.
11 “bathroom
• 8 years language” (words
- Actively seeks the company of other that are
unacceptable
children.
• 9 years A sense of humor
is apparent who
- Value peer groups seriously. Typically carries adult
the gang group. 12 conversation
although stories
- Period wherein they form clubs. are limited due to
lack of experience
• 10 years
- Enjoys privacy -
• 11 years
- Girls become interested in boys or 4. Emotional Development
vice versa • School age children need reassurance
• 12 years as they are doing things correctly.
- Feels more comfortable in social • Hobbies and projects are enjoyed best if
they are small and can be finished within
situations. Boys experience erections
a short time.
on small provocations so many feel
uncomfortable being pushed into — • If children are prevented from achieving
a sense of industry or do not receive
• Cooperative play - children play in
accomplishment, they can develop a
groups
feeling of inferiority or become
convinced they can not do things they
actually do.

Common Concerns &
Problems During School
Age
1. Common Fears
1. Anxiety related to beginning in school
• Adjusting to grade school is a big
task for early school ager/
• Signs:
- Baby talk
- thumbsucking
- Blinking or rolling of eyes
• Prevention:
- Urge parents to spend time with
the child after school
• School phobia
- A type of social phobia
characterized by fear of attending
school.
2. Agoraphobia
• Fear of going outside the home
2. Articulation
• Common speech problem characterized
by difficulty in pronouncing words,
especially s, z, th, l, r, and w
3. Home schooling
• Education is administered at home
• Reasons why children are home
schooled:
- Religious preference
- Personal preference
- Disillusionment with school system
- Growing number of children
4. Latchkey children
• Are children in school who are without
adult supervision bring with them a
house key so they can enter the house
anytime after school.
• A major concern with this is that they will
develop increased tendency to
accidents; delinquent behavior or
beginning drug abuse and a low school
performance.
5. Sex education
• Some parents are extremely
uncomfortable discussing sex education
to children.
6. Stealing
• Occurs at the period when children learn
how to exchange and discuss the
importance of money.
• Shoplifting - also occurs with early
school age children due to peer
pressure or initiation ritual of a gang.
7. Violence or terrorism
• Unjust use of force or power or threat to
demoralize or intimidate another
individual.
8. Bullying
• A bigger person frightens or tyrannizes
over those who are smaller or weaker
than them.
• Forms of bullying:
- Physical contact
- Shaming
- Picking or getting things
- Verbal abuse
- Facial or obscene gestures
- Isolation or social exclusion
- Cyber bullying (anonymity, unique
features, punitive fears,
impersonation)
• Traits Commonly Associated with School
Age Bullies:
- Advanced physical size & strength for
their age
- Aggressive temperament
- Children whose parents typically
resort to physical punishment & are
permissive to an aggressive child
- Presence of a child who is a “natural
victim”
• Signs of a bullied child:
- School phobia
- Reluctance to attend school
- Difficulty in focusing school problems
- Attention problems
- Poor school performance
- Appears sad, moody, and anxious
- Has a variety of psychosomatic
complaints like headache, toothache,
or stomachache
• May develop with obesity:
 - Diabetes • Abdominal pain
- High cholesterol
- Atherosclerosis Nurses Roles in the Health
- Hypertension
Promotion of School Age Child
1. Promotion of School Age Safety
9. Recreational drug use
• School age children moves without
• Children experimenting the taste of
direct adult supervision so see to it that
drugs or even a form of bully/
they follow instructions correctly.
• Illegal drugs available for school agers:
• Be certain that school age children know
- Alcohol how to use seatbelts in cars and
- Toluene (rugby) bicycles safety around cars.
- Marijuana smoking • Sexual abuse is a too common hazard
- Amphetamines (shabu) for children.
10. Obesity 2. Promotion of Nutritional Health of
School Age Child
• May cause the child’s inability to
1. Establishing Healthy Eating Patterns
participate on sports for they tire quickly
& develop poor self image. • Children need 3 meals a day to
provide them enough energy to get
them through activities the whole
Common Health Problems of day.
School Age Child 2. Fostering Industry
1. Dental caries (cavities) • As part of fostering industry, allow
• Are progressive, destructive lesions or school age children to help in
decalcification of the tooth enamel or planning meals and they may eat
dentin. meals more willingly.
• Neglected caries result in poor chewing, • School age children develop better
poor digestion, abscess and pain. table manners at home and even in
• Prevention of dental caries: other homes.
1. Proper tooth brushing & use of 3. Recommended Dietary Intake
fluoridated water or fluoride • Increased energy requirement that
application. come with their age is necessary.
2. Improve dental hygiene practices. 4. Promoting Vegetarian Diet
2. Malocclusion • School age children typically dislike
• Deviation from the normal tooth vegetables causing their intake to
occlusion or alignment and spacing of be deficient in fiber.
teeth. 3. Promotion of Daily Activities
• Causes: Development
- Congenital 1. Dressing
- thumbsucking • Children can fully dress themselves
- Loss of teeth but doesn’t care their own
belongings.
- Conditions like cleft palate or small
• They have definite opinions about
lower jaw
clothing styles based on the likes of
• treatment: their friends.
- Orthodontic braces 2. Sleep
- Tooth retainers • Younger school age child needs
3. Respiratory illnesses 10-12 hours of sleep while older
• Like cough, colds age child needs 8-10 hours of
sleep.
4. Gastrointestinal disturbances
 3. Exercise
• Daily exercise is needed like
walking, bicycle riding, etc.
4. Hygiene
• Children are capable of bathing
themselves
5. Care of teeth
• Proper dental care should be done
regularly so they grow up cavity
free
• Visit to the dentist should be at
least 2 times yearly
4. Promotion of Healthy Family
Functioning
• Parents often must be reminded that
even the simplest task of everyday life
require repeated practice before they
can be accomplished well.
• Parents should ask good questions to
estimate the degree of interaction that
occurs in the home and whether parents
are strengthening a child’s sense of
accomplishment.
• Children who are constantly told they
are stupid, thoughtless, bad or ill
behaved may begin to act that way to
conform to their parents’ expectation.