Childhood growth can be measured on the door frame in a series of ever-higher notches marking the changes in height from one year to the next. Development is a different concept entirely, dealing not just in relation to physical changes but to cognitive and social/emotional changes as well. Late childhood is variously defined as either the preteen years, or more broadly as the school years spanning ages 6 to 12, according to Karen DeBord, Ph.D., a childhood development specialist with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Although the defined starting point of the "late" childhood stage is noted differently, there is consensus on the ending point from experts and parents. When adolescence begins, childhood ends.
Motor Skills
Complexity of motion characterizes the late stages of childhood development. Growth slows compared with babyhood. Muscle coordination--uneven at first--improves, allowing for more body control and the ability to pair complicated movements together. The smaller muscles responsible for precise movements develop rapidly during the late stages, making sports, musical lessons and artistic pursuits not just possible, but enjoyable as well, according to DeBord.
Cognitive Development
This stage begins with a transition from a world that is recognized and understood on the micro-level of home and family to one that is global and characterized by organization. Vocabulary improves rapidly as a result of the added stimuli of school, friends and a broader interaction with the world. Children develop personal words and a more complex understanding of cause and effect.
The preteen years bring a more nuanced use of language that can better communicate humor and irony, and a greater ability to put thoughts into words. Specifically, preteen children are able to manipulate thoughts and ideas internally and structure their words to communicate conclusions, according to the Nebraska Department of Education in their 2007 report, "The Primary Growing and Learning in the Heartland."
Psychological and Social/Emotional Development
Psychologically, the late-childhood stage encompassing the school years is marked by the conflict between industry and inferiority, according to Erik Erikson, a German-born Danish psychologist who was influenced by Sigmund Freud's earlier work on the psychosexual stages of development. In Erikson's model, children at this stage are motivated by the satisfaction derived from achievement, be it in school or within a peer group. Children start to feel valued for their ability to contribute to problem-solving exercises. It's also the period that feelings of inferiority first begin to manifest, when a child's ability falls short of his expectations.
Children throughout this stage begin to define their own personalities, grow more independent and show more interest in deeper relationships, like having a best friend, according to the Nebraska DOE report. They can be demonstrably emotional at times, and they are sensitive to criticism in the middle years.
In the final years of late-stage childhood development, before adolescence begins, they begin to question the authority of the adults while simultaneously expanding their definition of self. They may do this by co-opting fads and trends or adapting to input from peers, teachers and pop culture. You may also notice your child becoming more self-critical and more willing to vocalize negative thoughts about himself.
References
- University of Michigan: Developmental Milestones
- Sanborn Regional School District: Child Development
- Business Balls: Erik Erikson's Psycosocial Theory
- National Association for the Education of Young Children: Children's Development Benchmark's and Stages
- North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: Childhood Years
