The physical development of middle childhood is a critical period characterized by steady growth and maturation, with the child experiencing significant changes in body size, weight, and strength. Additionally, children in middle childhood typically experience significant improvements in their motor skills, including hand-eye coordination, balance, and agility. As such, it is essential for parents, educators, and caregivers to provide children with opportunities to engage in physical activity and exercise to support their physical development during this critical period. Overall, the physical changes that occur during middle childhood can have a lasting impact on a child’s overall health and well-being, making it important to prioritize physical activity and healthy habits during this developmental stage.

The physical changes that take place during middle childhood can also have a significant impact on a child’s cognitive development. As children become more physically adept, they are also better able to explore and interact with their environment, which can facilitate their cognitive growth and development. In the next chapter, we will explore how the physical and cognitive domains of development are intricately connected and how this connection influences children’s learning and academic success. Understanding the link between physical and cognitive development is crucial for parents, educators, and caregivers who want to support children’s holistic development during the critical period of middle childhood.

Review of Learning Objectives

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.

Comprehension Check

Review of Key Terms

• Body mass index: a numerical measure calculated from a person’s weight and height
• 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 Conclusion

“Conclusion” by Terese Jones is licensed under CC BY 4.0.