Developmental domains are intricately interconnected, each influencing the other in a dynamic web of growth and maturation. For instance, consider the relationship between nutrition, brain development, and cognition. Poor nutrition can significantly impair physical development, including the brain, which is particularly vulnerable during early childhood. A malnourished brain may struggle to form necessary neural connections, hindering cognitive processes such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. Similarly, elevated cortisol levels, a physical response to stress, can disrupt executive function and emotional regulation. This physiological response to stress can overwhelm the brain’s capacity to focus, plan, and regulate emotions effectively, thereby impeding overall cognitive and socio-emotional development.

These examples underscore the intricate interplay between physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional domains, highlighting the importance of addressing multiple facets of development for holistic well-being. Some of the aspects of physical development in this chapter will also have implications for subsequent chapters on other developmental domains. However, the information is included here because it directly relates to changes in the growing body.

In this chapter, we will focus on the major physical changes of this period in child development, how physical development influences other aspects of development, and how sexual development evolves as we grow and change.

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

1. Identify the major physical changes that occur in middle childhood.
2. Understand the connections between physical development and its impact on other developmental domains.
3. Describe the relationship between access to basic needs and physical development.
4. Describe the changes in sexual development and approaches to sexual education during middle childhood.

Key Terms

Throughout this chapter, you will be introduced to important key terms that will help deepen your understanding of middle childhood development:

• Body mass index: a numerical measure calculated from a person’s weight and height commonly used to assess body fatness and health status
• Growth spurt: a rapid and significant increase in physical growth and development that occurs during certain stages of childhood and adolescence
• Obesity: a medical condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of body fat that presents a risk to health
• Gross motor skills: the ability to control large muscles and perform physical movements that involve the whole body or large muscle groups

• Fine motor skills: the coordination and control of small muscle movements, usually involving the hands, fingers, and wrists, as well as coordination between the eyes and hands
• Hormones: chemical messengers produced by various glands and tissues in the body that regulate numerous physiological processes and maintain homeostasis
• mRNA: a type of RNA molecule that carries genetic information from the DNA in the cell nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm
• Secular trend in physical growth: the long-term, systematic changes in physical development, particularly in terms of height and body size, observed across populations over successive generations

Licenses and Attributions for Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives

“Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives” by Terese Jones is licensed under CC BY 4.0.