Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Middle Childhood:
Physical Development
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Middle Childhood: Physical Development Truth or Fiction?

Children outgrow “baby fat.”

The typical American child is exposed to about 10,000 food
commercials each year.
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Middle Childhood: Physical Development Truth or Fiction?
 Most American children are physically fit.
 Hyperactivity is caused by chemical food additives.
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Middle Childhood: Physical Development Truth or Fiction?
 Stimulants are often used to treat children who are already
hyperactive.
 Some children who are intelligent and provided with enriched
home environments cannot learn how to read or do simple math
problems.
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Growth Patterns
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
What Patterns of Growth Occur in Middle Childhood?
• Height and Weight
– Gain a little over 2 inches and 5 to 7 pounds per year
– Boys are slightly heavier and taller than girls until 9 or 10
– About age 11, boys develop more muscle and girls more fatty tissue
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Figure 11.1 Growth Curves for Height and Weight
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
How Many Children in the United States Are Obese?
• About one quarter of American children are obese
– Prevalence of obesity has risen overall in America
• Most overweight children become overweight adults
• Overweight children and adolescents
– Often are rejected by peers
– Perform poorly in sports
– Tend to like their bodies less than children of normal weight
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
A Closer Look
Treating High Blood Pressure in
Middle Childhood
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
What Are the Causes of Obesity?
• Heredity
• Number of fat cells (adipose tissue)
– Hunger drive is connected to number of fat cells
• More fat cells – feel hunger sooner
• Environmental factors
– Obese parents may model poor dietary and exercise habits
– Sedentary habits
• TV watching encourages snacking, exposes children to commercials for
food and is low physical activity
• Stressors and emotional reactions
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
A Closer Look
Helping Children Lose Weight
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Motor Development
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
What Changes in Motor Development Occur
in Middle Childhood?
• Gross Motor Skills
– Increase in speed, strength, agility, and balance
– Type of game/sport encourages large muscle growth
– Connections between cerebellum and cortex become myelinated
• Reaction time gradually improves
• Fine Motor Skills
– Tie shoes and hold pencils as adults do
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Are There Sex Differences in Motor Skills?
• Boys show slightly greater overall strength
– More forearm strength – batting and throwing
• Girls show greater coordination and flexibility
– Gymnastics, dance, balancing
• Boys more likely to be encouraged in athletics
• Physical activity decreases with age in both sexes
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Are Children in the United States Physically Fit?
• Most children in the United States are not physically fit
• Reasons for decline in fitness?
– Watching television
– More focus on sports than continuous exercise
• Participation in sports declines after age 10
• Fit children usually have parents who exercise and encourage
them to exercise
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Children With Disabilities
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
How Does Run-of-the-Mill Failure to “Listen” to Adults Differ
From Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
• Characteristic of ADHD
– Developmentally inappropriate or excessive inattention,
– Impulsivity, and
– Hyperactivity
• Onset occurs by age 7
–
–
–
–
Behaviors must persist for at least 6 months
Impairs function at school
Difficulty getting along with others
More common in boys than girls
• Some argue ADHD is over-diagnosed and overmedicated
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
What Are the Causes of ADHD?
• Heredity
– Runs in families
• Associated with other disorders
– Anxiety, depression, tics
• Brain abnormality or impairment
• Inefficient inhibitory processes
– Lack of executive control in the brain
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Developing in a World
of Diversity
African American Youth and ADHD
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Why Are Children With ADHD Treated With Stimulants?
• Hyperactivity stems from inability of cerebral cortex to inhibit
more primitive areas of the brain
• Stimulants used to stimulate the cerebral cortex
– Blocks reuptake of dopamine and noradrenaline
• Children with ADHD on stimulants demonstrate
– Increased attention span, improved cognitive performance
– Reduction in disruptive, annoying, and aggressive behavior
• Medication may cause side effects
• Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective treatment
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
A Closer Look
Back To School – With Ritalin
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
What Are Learning Disabilities?
• Characterized by inadequate development of specific academic,
language and speech skills
– Problems with reading, math, writing
– Difficulties with speaking or understanding speech
– Problems with motor coordination
• Performs below expectations for age and intelligence
• Usually persists throughout life
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Dyslexia
• Persistent problem in reading
• Affects 5 to 17.5% of American children
– More common in boys than girls
• Treatment
– Initially – remediation
– Later – accommodation
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
What Are the Origins of Dyslexia?
• Genetic factors
– Parent or sibling with dyslexia
• Neurological problems
– “Faulty wiring” in left hemisphere – angular gyrus
– Difficulty associating letters with sounds
• High levels of prenatal testosterone
– Slows growth in the left hemisphere
Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Spencer A. Rathus
Chapter 11
Should Children With Learning Disabilities Be
Placed In Regular Classrooms?
• Research evidence is mixed
• Segregation may negatively influence teacher expectations
• Mainstreaming students
– May overwhelm some
– in others increases achievement
• High performing disabled students benefit more from regular
classes