Unit 4:

MIDDLE CHILDHOOD
(THE PRIMARY SCHOOLER)
 MODULE 18:
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
OF PRIMARY SCHOOLERS
Physical growth during the primary school years is slow but steady. During this stage,
physical development involves:
1. Having good muscle control and coordination
2. Developing eye-hand coordination
3. Having good personal hygiene and
4. Being aware of good safety habits.

In this developmental stage, children will have started their elementary grades, specifically
their primary years-Grades 1 to 3.
These children are extremely active. Because most of the activities in traditional
schools are sedentary, they often release their unusual amount of energy in some forms
of nervous habits including fidgeting, nail biting and pencil chewing.
Primary-school age children get fatigued more easily because of physical and mental
exertions both at home and in school. Hence, activities should be alternated between
strenuous one and relaxing or quiet activities (example: storytelling time after the Math
period).
height and weight
This period of gradual and steady growth will give children time to get used to the
changes in their bodies. An average increase in height of a little over two inches a year in
both boys and girls will introduce them to many different activities that they can now do
with greater accuracy.
Weight gain averages about 6.5 pounds a year. Most children will have slimmer
appearance compared to their preschool years because of the shifts in accumulation
and location of their body fat, although girls tend to develop additional fat cells relative to
muscle cells. A child's legs are longer and more proportioned to the body than they were
before.
A number of factors could indicate how much a child grows, or how much changes in the
body will take place:
exercise climate
genes medical condition
food diseases / illnesses
bones and muscles
Childhood years are the peak bone-producing years - bones grow longer and broader. This is
the best time for parents and teachers to educate children of good dietary and exercise habits
to help them have strong, healthy bones throughout their lives. Replacement of primary teeth,
also known as baby teeth, with permanent teeth occur around ages 6 to 7 years and up until
age 12, most children will have all their primary teeth replaced. Many lifestyle factors, like
nutrition and physical activity, can substantially influence the increase of bone mass during
childhood.
Because children's bones have proportionately more water and protein-like materials and
fewer minerals than adults, ensuring adequate calcium intake will greatly help them in
strengthening bones and muscles.
Bone and muscle growth are still not complete during this stage. Most activities which use
heavy pressure will be very difficult for growing bones, muscles and ligaments. If students are
engaging in too much strenuous activities to test their strengths, teachers may suggest or
provide more coordinated physical activities or competition or rotate players during sports or
games.
motor coordination
Young school-aged children are gaining control over the major muscles of
their bodies. Most children have a good sense of balance They like testing
their muscle strength and skills. They enjoy doing real-life tasks and
activities. They pretend and fantasize less often because they are more
in tune with everything that is happening around them.
Performing
UNIMANUAL- requiring the use of one hand
BI-MANUAL - requiring the use of two hands
activities becomes easier.
Children's graphic activities, such as writing and drawing, are now more
controlled but are still developing. They can print their names and copy
simple designs, letters and shapes. They hold pencils, crayons, utensils
correctly with supervision.
 motor development skills
Coordination is a series of movements organized and limed to occur in a particular
way to bring about a particular result (Strickland, 2000).
Balance is the child's ability to maintain the equilibrium or stability of his/her body in
different positions. Balance is a basic skill needed especially in this stage, when
children are very active. During this time, children have improved balancing skills.
Static balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium in a fixed position, like balancing
on one foot.
Dynamic Balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium while moving (Owens, 2006).
Speed is the ability to cover a great distance in the shortest possible time while
Agility is one's ability to quickly change or shift the direction of the body.
Power is the ability to perform a maximum effort in the shortest possible period.
Here are some motor milestones of primary school-age children: Bergin and Bergin,
Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom, Third Edition: 2018, Boston, MA,
USA)

Fine Motor Skills Gross Motor Skills

Zip zippers and lace shoes Hop
Able to learn piano or violin Skip on alternating feet
Control pencil with the finger and thumb. Movement Jump rope
comes from the elbow. Walk on a balance beam
Write and draw with more control, but writing looks Throwing, catching, and kicking become smoother
choppy and uneven. Letters are getting smaller. Begin to participate in organized games (e.g.
Uppercase letters are somewhat mastered, but hopscotch) and sports (e.g. basketball)
lowercase letters continue to be challenging through 3r Skate, ski, bike and other specialized skills with
grade, especially letters with slants and curves. training
SOME ISSUES AFFECTING PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
1. OBESITY
Childhood obesity may be linked to a number of health-related consequences. Evidence also shows that
overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese well into their adulthood and are more prone to develop
non-communicable diseases like diabetes and some cardiovascular diseases at a much younger age.

2. CHILDHOOD NUTRITION
Malnutrition remains a major health issue in the Philippines. This has been proven to have serious effect on the
physical and mental development of children. For most Filipino children, poverty is the chief reason why they
do not get the nutrients and energy required for their age.

3. SLEEP
Primary school-age children need 9 to 11 hours of sleep every day (including daytime naps). Sometimes, due to
their schedule in school, midday naps or siesta is not possible anymore. Because of this, children may need to
go to bed earlier rather than nap. Poor and inadequate sleep may result to mood swings, behavioral problems
such as hyperactivity and cognitive problems which may impact their ability to concentrate in school.
implications to child care, education and parenting
2 Major ways to help primary school-age children to be physically healthy
Provide them with good nutrition
Involve them in coordinated and age-appropriate physical activities.

Specifically, healthcare providers, teachers and parents must do the following:

• Encourage children to join or enroll them in related programs during summer or their free
time, if children show interest in a particular activity or sport.
• Advocate better nutrition in foods provided in the school canteen bv providing healthier
options and accessible healthier products.
• Provide a balance between rigorous physical play activity and quiet activities in designing
classroom activities.
• Create an exercise plan for children. Not only does it promote motor skills but also improves
strength and endurance, builds healthy bones and muscles, and increases positive emotions,
• Maintain a daily sleep schedule and consistent bedtime routine
• Make children's bedroom conducive for a peaceful sleep. If possible, keep computers and TV
out of the bedroom.
module 19 : Cognitive
development of
primary schoolers
JEAN PIAGET’S CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE
Concrete operation is the third stage in piaget's theory of cognitive development. It spans from age 7 to
approximately 11 years old. During this time, children have better understanding of their thinking skills.
Children begin to think logically about concrete events, particularly their own experiences, but have difficulty
understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts, thus most of them still have a hard time at problem-solving.

• Logic
Concrete operational thinkers, according to Piaget, can already make use of inductive logic.
Inductive logic involves thinking from a specific experience to a general principle. But at this
stage, children have great difficulty in using
Deductive logic or beginning with a general principle leading to specific event.

• Reversibility
One of the most important developments in this stage is an understanding of reversibility, or awareness
that actions can be reversed. An example of this is being able to reverse the order of relationships between
mental categories. (For example in arithmetic, 3+4= 7 and 7-4= 3)
INFORMATION-PROCESSING SKILLS
Several theorists argue that like the computer, the human mind is a system that can process information
through the application of logical rules and strategies. They also believe that the mind receives
information, performs operations to change its form and content, stores and locates it and generates
responses from it.
Implications to Child Care, Education and Parenting
Children have varying intelligence profiles. These profiles may be based on influences of learning
and achievement. Parents, child care providers and teachers should be able to recognize these by:
Helping children draw on their strengths and promote growth in their weaknesses;
Planning lessons that cater to multiple intelligences based on instructional objectives;
Encouraging children to read more every day to increase their vocabulary;
Bringing children to museums, art exhibits and historical landmarks to widen their perspective
about the world and people; and
Lessening children's screen time and increasing their personal and face-to-face interactions.
 thank
you very
much