Middle Childhood Health and Development

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of working memory in children?

Evaluating cognitive tasks for improved performance

Retrieving information stored in long-term memory

Conducting current, conscious mental activities (correct)

Storing limitless amounts of information indefinitely

What is the characteristic feature of long-term memory as children grow older?

It decreases in retrieval efficiency over time

It has a limited capacity

It expands significantly in storage capability (correct)

It requires frequent retrieval to maintain accuracy

Which cognitive skill involves 'thinking about thinking'?

Metamemory

Metacognition (correct)

Long-term memory

Sensory register

Which age range is noted for significant improvement in working memory capacity?

4 to 15 years Signup and view all the answers

What skill shows improvement as the prefrontal cortex matures in children?

Memory retrieval efficiency Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'hidden curriculum' refer to in education?

The unspoken rules and priorities influencing learning Signup and view all the answers

At what age do children typically know most of the basic vocabulary and grammar of their first language?

6 years Signup and view all the answers

What ability allows school-age children to switch between different language codes effectively?

Code-switching Signup and view all the answers

What is Piaget's term for the ability to reason logically about direct experiences and perceptions?

Concrete operational thought Signup and view all the answers

What does the principle of classification involve?

Organizing things into groups based on common characteristics Signup and view all the answers

According to Vygotsky, what plays a crucial role in children's learning?

Instruction and social interactions Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used for the ability to concentrate on some stimuli while ignoring others?

Selective attention Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of automization in cognitive processes refer to?

Routines that require no conscious thought due to repetition Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of cognition does reaction time measure?

The speed at which one processes information Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements aligns with Piaget's theory about the transition from preoperational to concrete operational thought?

There is no sudden shift, but rather gradual development. Signup and view all the answers

What role does language play in Vygotsky's educational theory?

It acts as a mediator for understanding and learning. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) primarily assess?

Potential in areas like vocabulary and general knowledge Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the Flynn effect?

An increase in average IQ scores over time in various nations Signup and view all the answers

Which specific IQ score is used as a criterion for intellectual disability?

Below 70 Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes cultural familial intellectual disability?

IQ generally ranging between 50 to 70 with no evidence of organic damage Signup and view all the answers

What is the objective of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act?

To increase accountability in education and standardize educational funding Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the Trends in Math and Science Study (TIMSS)?

Assessing math and science skills in fourth- and eighth-graders Signup and view all the answers

When is education of children with special needs considered most beneficial?

When they are in preschool Signup and view all the answers

What is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) commonly referred to as?

The nation’s report card Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Middle Childhood: Body and Mind

Growth: Average 7- to 11-year-olds gain about 2 inches (5 centimeters) and 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) per year.
Physical Development: Healthy 7-year-olds are typically agile and neither overweight nor underweight. Muscle growth slows after age 6, and children master motor skills that don't require adult-sized bodies.

Asthma

Respiratory Disease: Asthma is a chronic respiratory system disease.
Airway Narrowing: Inflammation narrows the airways from the nose and mouth to the lungs, causing breathing difficulties.
Symptoms: Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.
Hygiene Hypothesis: Some experts link the rise in allergies (like peanut allergies) and asthma triggers (like cockroach droppings) to a possible hygiene hypothesis.

Obesity

Unhealthy Lifestyle: Many 7- to 11-year-olds become overweight or obese due to poor diet and lack of exercise.
Body Mass Index (BMI): BMI is the ratio of weight to height, calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared (kg/(m^2)).
Overweight (Adult): Overweight adults have a BMI between 25 and 29. (Overweight (child) - BMI above the 85th percentile, based on 1980 CDC standards)
Obesity (Adult): Obesity in adults is a BMI of 30 or more. (Obesity (child) - BMI above the 95th percentile, based on 1980 CDC standards).

Prevalence of Overweight

Increasing Trend: The percentage of overweight 6- to 11-year-olds in the U.S. has been increasing since the 1960s.

Physical Activity: Benefits

Overall Health: Physical activity improves overall health, including reducing asthma risk.
Obesity Prevention: It helps prevent obesity.
Cooperation and Fair Play: It fosters appreciation of cooperation and fair play.
Problem-Solving: It improves problem-solving abilities.
Respect: It promotes respect for teammates and opponents of diverse backgrounds.

Physical Activity: Hazards

Low Self-Esteem: Criticism from teammates or coaches can lead to lower self-esteem.
Injuries: Activities like little league games can cause injuries (e.g., Little League elbow).
Prejudice: Prejudice, especially against the opposite sex, can occur.
Stress: Increased stress, indicated by altered hormone levels and insomnia, can result from strenuous physical activities.

Piaget and School-Age Children: Concrete Operational Thought

Logical Reasoning: Concrete operational thought refers to the ability to reason logically about direct experiences and perceptions.
Classification: The ability to group things according to shared characteristics.
Transitive Inference: The capacity to figure out unspoken links between facts.

Piaget and School-Age Children: Other

Incomplete Shift: Contemporary research suggests Piaget's theory of a sudden shift in thinking between preoperational and concrete operational stages may be an oversimplification.

Vygotsky and School-Age Children

Instructional Importance: Vygotsky emphasizes the importance of instruction in a child's development.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): Children learn best when guided through their zone of proximal development, the gap between what they can do independently and what they can do with help.
Social Learning: Social interactions, such as playing with peers, watching TV, eating dinner with family, and engaging in other daily interactions, are vital for development.
Language as Mediator: Language plays a vital role in understanding and learning.

Information-Processing Theory

Computer Analogy: This perspective compares human thinking to computer processing.
Selective Attention: Concentrating on some stimuli while ignoring others.
Automatization: Through repetition, thought patterns and actions become automatic behaviors.
Reaction Time: The time it takes to respond to a stimulus.

Information-Processing Theory: Memory Components

Sensory Memory: Temporarily stores incoming sensory information (sensory register).
Working Memory: Processed, active memory (short-term memory).
Long-Term Memory: Stores information permanently.

Information-Processing Theory: Memory Development

Working Memory Improvement: Working memory improves significantly with age.
Memory Capacity: Long-term memory capacity is highly developed by middle childhood.
Memory Storage and Retrieval: Importance of retrieval and using strategies to improve recollection.

Information-Processing Theory: Higher Cognitive Processes

Metacognition: "Thinking about thinking" – evaluating tasks and adjusting performance.
Metamemory: Understanding how memory works to use it effectively.

Learning in School: Teaching Values

Religion in Schools: In some nations, public schools teach religion.
Religion in U.S.: In the U.S., 10% of children in private schools and 2% of homeschooled children learn specific religious content.
Other Topics: Evolution and sex education are subjects that some U.S. parents advocate for in schools but with varying levels of support.
Hidden Curriculum: Unstated rules, priorities, and behaviors that shape learning and interaction.

Learning in School: Learning Language

Early Language Acquisition: By age six, children typically master most basic vocabulary and grammar of their native language.
Multilingualism: Many children speak multiple languages.
Continuous Learning: Children often learn about 20 new words per day and apply new grammar rules.

Learning in School: Language in Various Contexts

Language Codes: Different situations ("codes") involve different tones, pronunciations, and styles of speaking.
Switching Between Codes: Individuals often adapt the level of formality and vocabulary of their speech depending on the context (e.g., formal academic vs. casual interactions with friends).
Text Messaging Code Examples: Using numbers (e.g., 411), abbreviations (LOL), and emoticons is a common language code for communication among children.

Learning in School: ELL

English Language Learners (ELL): Students whose primary language is not English.
Educational Methods: Various approaches include bilingual education, ESL, and immersion programs.

Learning in School: The Reading Wars

Phonics Approach: Focuses on letter sounds and combinations to teach reading.
Whole Language Approach: Emphasizes early use of language skills (talking, listening, reading, writing).
Motivated Instruction: Phonics instruction shouldn't discourage an overall focus on motivating reading, writing, and class discussion.

Learning in School: The Math Wars

Historical Rote Learning: Historically, math was taught using rote memorization of facts.
Contemporary Approach: Piaget and Vygotsky influenced a move away from rote memorization to more active and engaging discovery-based instruction.

Measuring the Mind: Aptitude

Aptitude: Potential to master a skill or learn something.
IQ Test: Designed to measure intellectual aptitude or ability to learn in school. Originally, IQ calculation involved dividing mental age by chronological age and multiplying by 100.
Achievement Tests: Assess mastery or proficiency in specific academic subjects (reading, math, writing, science, etc.).

Measuring the Mind: Aptitude Measurement

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC): An IQ test for school-age children measuring intelligence through vocabulary, general knowledge, memory, and spatial comprehension.
Flynn Effect: The observed rise in average IQ scores over time.

Measuring the Mind: Extremes of Intelligence

Intellectual Disability: Low IQ scores (below 70).
Organic Intellectual Disability: Associated with some physical damage, genetic disorders or brain damage.
Cultural-Familial Intellectual Disability: No detectable physical damage, but may have IQ scores between 50-70, sometimes linked to environmental factors.
Gifted: High IQ scores (130 or higher).

Measuring the Mind: The Mind's Measurement in the U.S.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act: U.S. law aimed at increasing school accountability through standardized testing.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): National measure of U.S. children's performance in reading, math, and other subjects.

Measuring the Mind: International Assessment

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS): International study of reading ability among fourth-grade students.
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS): International study of math and science skills among fourth- and eighth-grade students.

Measuring the Mind: Developmental Psychopathology

Developmental Psychopathology: A field that integrates insights from typical development to understand and remediate developmental disorders.
Children with Special Needs: Children who require additional help, often due to physical or mental disabilities.
Importance of Early Intervention: Early intervention is crucial for optimal development of children with special needs.

Measuring the Mind: Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals

DSM-IV-TR: The American Psychiatric Association's manual for the diagnosis of mental disorders (diagnostic classification system), and the IV-TR signifies fourth edition, text revision.
Mental Disorders: Mental disorders are outlined and classified in this manual.
DSM-5: The DSM-5 offers a more recent version of diagnostic criteria, fifth edition.

Measuring the Mind: Specific Conditions

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Involves inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
Comorbidity: The presence of two or more unrelated diseases in one person.
Learning Disability: A delay in a specific area of learning; unrelated to mental retardation or stressful home environments.
Dyslexia: Unusual difficulty reading, thought to be linked to neurological underdevelopment.
Asperger Syndrome: Autism spectrum disorder characterized by extreme focus on detail and deficient social understanding.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Impairs communication, social skills, and play patterns.

Measuring the Mind: Prevalence of Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Statistics vary across states (Data from particular geographic location).

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Description

This quiz covers essential aspects of health and development in middle childhood, focusing on physical growth, asthma, and obesity. Learn about average growth patterns, chronic respiratory diseases like asthma, and the impact of lifestyle choices on children's health. Gauge your understanding of these crucial topics in child development.