Developmental process concepts and applications

Child Development of Six and Ten-Year-Olds

According to the Center for Disease Control, childhood development is crucial both for the individual child and for society. An individual who is not provided with the resources he or she needs to develop properly will have trouble succeeding in life on a personal level. In addition, a society's cost of caring for those who do not develop normally is often discussed as an important consequence of those who do not provide for an environment for development. Thus, parents, teachers, and other people who work with children need to be aware of developmental stages, as interventions can be sought for those whose developmental problems are detected early. An examination of the development of children at ages six and ten will give examples of some of the stages that caregivers should observe.

At the sage of six, the normal developing child makes many strides in language, cognitive/emotional, physical, and social development. Six is the age when the child is just beginning to get used to schooling, which may have begun during pre-school. Thus, the six-year-old's already extensive vocabulary becomes enhanced through reading skills. They begin to communicate and use words more clearly, and their language becomes not only a method through which they communicate but also a platform for learning ("Child Development Tracker" 2003-2008). As them complete kindergarten, six-year-olds learn to read with "fluency," which helps them begin to use words to write, learning how to develop their ideas through print ("Child Development Tracker" 2003-2008).

In addition to linguistic development, the new experience of school also helps students develop in terms of intelligence and social steps. Six-year-olds begin developing their complex mathematic skills by learning how to place numbers on a number line, counting, understanding odd and even numbers, and beginning to learn how to add and subtract ("Child Development Tracker" 2003-2008). Creativity is also beginning to emerge, as children are exposed to different creative endeavors such as music and theater ("Child Development Tracker" 2003-2008). With their friends at school, six-year-olds develop socially through excitement and being able to show off.

They enjoy sharing and interacting with their friends, and begin to understand self-control through becoming more aware of their and their own and others' emotions. Their stable relationships with caregivers and other adults, as well as routines, help them to feel secure ("Child Development Tracker" 2003-2008).

Cognitively, the six-year-old is beginning to learn some basics of reality, such as being able to tell the difference between what is real and what is a fantasy, and learning to distinguish among feelings, thoughts, and actions ("Child Development Guide" 2006-2009). In addition, they begin to understand and "become comfortable with" their gender identities, and they begin developing problem solving schools ("Child Development Guide" 2006-2009). These developmental stages are important because they begin to move children into the realm of real life, allowing them to function, making decisions.

Finally, the six-year-old's physical development is characterized by high energy levels. They exhibit signs of restlessness, clumsiness, and sexual awareness. Six-year-olds will also be drawn to certain foods that they like and others that they refuse to eat; they may also have bouts of incontinence. In addition, they are susceptible to growth spurts and colds or other infectious diseases ("Child Development Guide" 2006-2009).

Thus, for the six-year-old, development is characterized by many new changes. Beginning school means new strides in intellectual and social development, as well as the new tool or learning to read. Their cognitive and physical development is a wonderful mix of childhood and the skills needed to proceed into adulthood.

Unlike six-year-olds, whose development is much the same in both sexes, ten-year-old girls and ten-year-old boys develop differently, especially in terms of physical development. Ten-year-old girls begin to experience more growth spurts, growing faster than boys ("Well Child" 2006). Like six-year-olds, ten-year-olds will be awkward and energetic in their physical development. They are also still engaged with their own bodies, and excited about learning how their bodies work (McKesson Corporation 2006). A child at age ten differs from a child at age six in physical development, though, with a new appreciation for physical fitness and a curiosity in drugs, alcohol and tobacco, as well as an appreciation for "bathroom humor" (McKesson Corporation 2006).

While the six-year-old's recent start in school marks their social and intelligence development, the ten-year-old is an old pro-at school by this time. Socially, the need to show off is replaced for the need for approval and acceptance in the ten-year-old. Furthermore, the ten-year-old begins to be defined more and more by his "peer group," in addition to a fascination in the opposite sex (McKesson Corporation 2006). Intellectually, the ten-year-old begins to mark his or her individuality, as well as devoting more interest to books and learning ("Child Developmental Guide: Nine" 2006-2009). At this age, children begin to think abstractly, develop hobbies, and begin to express themselves through creative means, like writing ("Child Developmental Guide: Nine" 2006-2009).