Middle Childhood

Physical Development Milestones

One physical milestone seen in middle childhood is an increased running speed of up to
12 feet per second (Berk, 2013). This increase is due to the
childs muscles growing larger and stronger. It is also a result of
an
increase in balance and understanding of the body. Children at
this point have spent countless hours moving. It is no wonder
that they are able to run and move with ease at this point in
their development.
Another key milestone is the childs abilities with balls
and other gross-motor manipulatives. During the middle
childhood stage children experience an increase in throwing and
catching capabilities. These skills allow children to participate
with increased intensity in organized sports (Berk, 2013). The
coupling of increased attention span and physical abilities allow
children to gain confidence and maintain interest in physical
activity. Daily physical exercise is vital for healthy development.

Language Development Milestones

Children entering into middle childhood understand the meaning of about 10,000
words. This stems from the many conversations that have been held between the child and
others around them. As well as conversations that were observed by the child. By this time
children are also becoming independent readers. The ability to read and write allows children
to further explore the meanings of words they are exposed to.
Children are not only able to understand more at this stage, they are also able to
communicate their thoughts and ideas more clearly. Their ability Berk (2013) says that,
Between the ages 5 and 9, more advanced conversational strategies appear such as shading,
in which a speaker initiates a change of topic gradually by modifying the focus of discussion
(p. 390). The increased understanding of others thoughts and feelings also allows children to
hold conversations that not only interest others, but are meaningful to them. A childs
metalinguistic abilities also improve dramatically during this time. This allows children to
begin to understand riddles and metaphors (Berk, 2013).

Cognitive Development Milestones

Piaget described a childs ability to pass conservation tasks as a
sign of typical development. A classic example of a conservation task
would be taking two different sized glasses, pouring equal amounts of
water into each and asking if the glasses held the same or different
amounts. A child in middle childhood would be able to correctly
identify that both glasses held equal amounts of water despite the
glasses being different sizes. According to Berk (2013), extending

from about 7 to 11 years, marks a major turning point in cognitive development. Thought
becomes more logical, flexible, and organized (p. 249). This new understanding of the world
around children allows for a different form of thought.
During middle childhood children are able to organize objects and materials using
different attributes. Seriation is the ability to, mentally order items along a quantitative
dimension, like height, weight, or size (Mossler, 2011 p. 4.1). Piaget tested children for their
understanding of this concept by asking them to arrange different sized sticks in order from
shortest to longest. Children of this age are able to accomplish this task with minimal
mistakes. This type of thinking allows children to problem solve with ease in both cognitive
and social situations.

Social-Emotional Milestones
Children entering middle childhood having many things changing socially. They
continue to recognize the needs of others. There is also an increase in the prevalence of
personal qualities. During this period of development children begin to create friendships
based on, mutual trust and helpfulness (Mossler, 2011 p. 5.8). These friendships become
more important as time and development progresses.
One other milestone reached during this time relates to self-esteem. Children during
this developmental period go through a time of self-esteem decline and then rise. This
decline is based on new perceptions of themselves. They begin to evaluate themselves based
on achievements and other means from which they deem people are judging them about.
Children begin to prefer peer acceptance over their caregivers (Berk, 2013 & Mossler, 2011).

Moral Reasoning/Self-Regulation Milestones

During middle childhood there are conflicting milestones being met in the moral
development area. Children are gaining control over themselves and can delay gratification
using a variety of strategies. At the same time children are also experiencing an increase in
relational and verbal aggression. Girls are especially prone to an increase in relational
aggression (Berk, 2013). It is during this time that bullying becomes prominent among
children.

Social Factors Influencing Development

One social factor that influences middle childhood is their experience and ability to
make friends. There is a lot of time spent during this period developing self-esteem. Berk
(2013) describes a decline in self-esteem due to an emphasis being put on the childs
competence in school, sports, friendships, etc. It is important for the childs social
surrounding to be positive and encouraging so as to help the child develop a positive selfesteem. Otherwise, this could trail into adolescence.

Cultural Factors Influencing Development

Cultural variations relate to a childs development of self-concept. In individualistic
cultures children often describe events using personal, preferences, skills, and opinions
(Berk, 2013). Children from individualistic cultures tend to be more competitive and
egotistical. Those from collectivist cultures described events involving others. Collectivist

cultures tend to have children that are concerned with the society as a whole. These
different approaches teach children to think for themselves and for others in different ways.

Signs of Atypical Development

If a child displays trouble with coordinating their movements to catch or throw a ball
this may indicate muscular abnormality. For example, as a child went to catch a small ball
and seemed to miss often, this may indicate a problem in eye-hand coordination. Another
example may be a child who is attempting to skip and cannot seem to coordinate their legs to
alternate. This may be a miscommunication in the brain or the child may just need to spend
some extra time practicing the skill. Children who experience problems with their physical
development may benefit from physical or occupational therapy.

Strategies for Families

At every age and
stage there are challenges and
rewards. This stage offers a
diverse array of both. Children are
diving into academics,
friendships, physical activity, etc. A
family can influence their
childs development by providing
opportunities to foster and
make important their interests.
Some children are very
athletic and choose to be a part of
a sports team, while others
show interest in dance. The
important thing to remember is that each child needs someone there to encourage and
support them.