When children enter school, they also enter middle childhood. This period lasts until your child reaches adolescence. Your child's body is growing and developing, preparing her for adulthood. Growth and development during these years depends on several factors including genetics, ethnic background and illness. It is normal for your child to be above the average growth rate one year and below it the next.
Height and Weight
The rate of growth during middle childhood is normally slow and consistent. Each year your child grows an average of 2 to 3 inches and gains about 4 to 7 lbs. At the age of 11, girls are about 4 ft., 10 in. tall and boys average 4 ft., 9 ½ in. Your child's baby fat is replaced with increasing muscle mass as the trunk slims out and the legs become longer. Your son becomes stronger than your daughter due to more muscle cells. In the United States, African American children tend to be taller than Asian, Hispanic and Caucasian children.
Body Changes and Puberty
As early as the age of 8 or 9 your daughter may begin the first stages of puberty. Girls grow faster and have more fat cells to prepare the body for later childbearing. The hips widen and your daughter will develop breast buds at this time. Between the ages of 9 and 11, your daughter may begin to menstruate. In the later stages of middle childhood, your son's testes will develop, and both sexes will grow pubic hair and hair under the arms. Boys and girls may have a growth spurt as puberty approaches, although it is not unusual for girls to be two years ahead of boys physically, with boys reaching puberty around 13.
Motor Coordination
By the time your son or daughter reaches late middle childhood, motor skills and coordination are more refined. They skip, throw a ball, bat, bicycle, skate and run with ease as gross motor skills improve. Boys are usually more adept at gross motor, as girls tend to be more dexterous, outperforming boys in fine motor skills, such as drawing and penmanship. Reaction times improve by this age as well.
Eyes and Teeth
By the time your son or daughter reaches 12 years old, all 20 baby teeth will be replaced by the adult teeth. This process starts around the age of 6 years. Dental care is critical during middle childhood as it can affect your child's speaking, eating and appearance. Regular dental visits are needed to ensure decay does not become an issue. If braces are required, they are usually fitted near the end of middle childhood, or into adolescence. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is common during middle childhood. Almost 25 percent of children may need glasses due to heredity, and their reading and sight experience.
References
- North Carolina State University; Childhood Years Ages Six Through Twelve; Karen DeBord
- "Middle Childhood Development: A Contextual Approach"; Changes in Body Size in Middle Childhood; M.J. Zembar et al., 2009
- Mesa Community College: Middle Childhood
- University of West Florida; Physical Development in Middle Childhood; Samuel R. Mathews
- Nipissing University: Milestones of Development in Middle Childhood
- University of Kansas: Physical Growth in Middle Childhood
