Why learn about development during middle childhood?
When Raekwon first started school, he wasn’t sure that he would like it. The thought of going to one place for a long time every day seemed sort of boring. Raekwon found that school was actually really exciting, though. He made friends, he got to learn about new things, he got to play at recess, and the food was good! He found that the days actually went by quickly! Now in fourth grade, Raekwon cannot wait for summer to be over so that he can go to school and meet-up with his friends regularly again.
Middle childhood is the period of life that begins when children enter school and lasts until they reach adolescence. Think for a moment about children at this age that you may know. What are their lives like? What kinds of concerns do they express and with what kinds of activities are their days filled? If possible, would you want to return to this period of life? Why or why not?
Early childhood and adolescence seem to get much more attention than middle childhood. Perhaps this is because growth patterns slow at this time, the id becomes hidden during the latent stage, according to Freud, and children spend much more time in schools, with friends, and in structured activities. Parents may easily lose track of their children’s development unless they stay directly involved in these worlds. It is important to stop and give full attention to middle childhood to stay in touch with these children and to take notice of the varied influences on their lives in a larger world. After all, they are developing in many incredible ways.
Revitalizing Indigenous cultures and languages is recognized as being critical for healing and resilience within Indigenous individuals, families, communities and nations and is increasingly considered important in helping young children build a positive cultural identity (Halseth & Greenwood, 2019). Knowledge of Indigenous languages and participation in traditional activities varies widely across First Nations, Inuit and Métis children. According to the 2016 Census, more than half of Inuit children aged 0-14 could conduct a conversation in an Indigenous language, compared to 15.8% of First Nations and 1% of Métis children in this age range (Robertson, 2023a). Current language trends indicate a decline in the proportion of the Indigenous population who can conduct a conversation in an Indigenous language, but an increase in the proportion who can speak an Indigenous language, indicating that Indigenous languages are being learned as second languages, which is important for language revitalization (Robertson, 2023a).
Participation in cultural activities such as singing, dancing, arts and other culturally specific activities is known to have meaningful benefits for physical, mental and spiritual wellness, especially for children (Boelens et al., 2021). Indigenous children who are able to access and connect with cultural programs, within their community whether that be on or off reserve experience long term benefits of these programs. As a result, continued support for culturally rich, community-based, land-based programming is critically important for Indigenous youth as they navigate the long-term impacts of colonization and race-related oppression.
What you’ll learn to do: describe physical development during middle childhood
Children enter middle childhood still looking very young, and end the stage on the cusp of adolescence. Most children have gone through a growth spurt that makes them look rather grown-up. The obvious physical changes are accompanied by changes in the brain. While we don’t see the actual brain changing, we can see the effects of the brain changes in the way that children in middle childhood play sports, write, and play games.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe physical growth during middle childhood
- Examine health risks in school-aged children
