LESSON 3

MAIN CONTENTS

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS AND TODDLERS

Cognitive development in infancy refers to the development in the way a baby thinks. This
includes his/her language, communication and exploration skills. Example of cognitive activities
include paying attention, remembering learning to talk, interacting with toys and identifying faces.

Sensorimotor Stage
The sensorimotor stage is the first of the four stages of cognitive development. “In this stage,
infants construct an understanding of the. World by coordinating sensory experiences (such as
seeing and hearing) with physical, motoric actions. Infants gain knowledge of the world from the
physical action they perform on it. An infant progresses from reflexive, instinctual action at birth to the
beginning of symbolic thought toward the end of the stage. Piaget divided the sensorimotor stage into
six sub-stage:
Sub-Stage Age Description
1. Simple Reflexes Birth- 6 weeks Coordination of sensation and action through
reflexive behaviors. Three primary reflexes are
described by Piaget: sucking of objects in the mouth,
following moving or interesting objects with the eyes,
and closing of the hand when an object makes
contact with the palm (palmar grasp). Over the first
six weeks of life, these reflexes begin to become
voluntary actions; for example, the palmar reflex
becomes intentional grasping.
2. First habits and 6 weeks- 4 Coordination of sensation and two types of scheme:
primary circular months habits (reflex) and primary circular reactions.
phase Primary reaction because the action is focused on
the infant’s body. Circular reaction because it is a
repetition of an action that initially occurred by
chance. As an example of this type of reaction,
infants might repeat the motion of passing their hand
before their face. Also at this phase, passive
reactions, caused by classical or operant
conditioning, can begin. Infants tend to repeat
interesting sensations.
3. Secondary 4-8 months Development of habits. Infants become more object
circular reactions oriented, moving beyond self-preoccupation repeat
phase actions that bring interesting and pleasurable results.
This stage is associated primarily with the
 development of coordination between vision and
prehension. Three new abilities occur at this stage:
intentional grasping for a desired object, secondary
circular reactions and differentiations between ends
and means.
At this stage, infants will intentionally grasp the air in
the direction of a desired object, often to the
amusement of friends and family. Secondary circular
reactions, or the repetition of an action involving an
external object begin; for example, moving a switch
to turn on a light repeatedly. This means that a
secondary action is focused on an object outside the
body of an infant. The differentiation between means
and ends also occurs. This is perhaps one of the
most important stages of a child’s growth as it
signifies the dawn of logic.
4. Coordination of 8-12 months Coordination of vision and touch-hand-eye
reactions stage coordination: of schemes and intentionality. This
secondary stage is associated primarily with the development of
circular logic and the coordination between means and ends.
This is an extremely important stage of development,
holding what Piaget calls the “first proper
intelligence.” Also, this stage marks the beginning of
goal orientation, the deliberate planning of stage to
meet an objective. The action is directed towards a
goal.
5. Tertiary circular 12-18 months Infants become intrigued by the many properties of
reactions, objects and by the many things they can make
novelty, and happen to objects; they experiment with new
curiosity behavior. This stage is associated primarily with the
discovery of new means to meet goals. Piaget
describe the child at this juncture as the “young
scientist,” conducting pseudo-experiments to
discover new methods of meeting new challenges.
6. Internalization of 18-24 months Infants develop the ability to use primitive symbols
Schemes and form enduring mental representations. This
(Invention of stage is associated primarily with the beginnings of
New means insight, or true creativity. This marks the passage
Through mental into the preoperational stage.
Coordination Evidence of an internal representational system.
(18-24 months) Symbolizing the problem-solving sequence before
actually responding.
 By the end of the sensorimotor period, objects are both separate from the self and permanent.
Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be
seen, heard, or touched. Before the infant’s acquisition of the sense of object permanence, the
principle that applies is “out of sight, out of mind.”

Learning and Remembering

Do infants learn and remember?
Yes, Pavlov’s classical conditioning and Skinner’s operant conditioning have been proven to
apply to infants. We will ask you to research on researches that prove this.
All of us experience infantile amnesia, the inability to recall events that happened when we are
very young. Generally, we can remember little or nothing that has happened to us before the age of
about 5 years, and it is extremely rare for someone to recall many memories before age 3 years.
Reports of childhood memories usually involve memories of significant events. For example, some
adults have recalled their own hospitalization or the birth of a sibling as far back as age 2years, move
may be recalled from as far back as age 3 years.

Language Development
From day one, infants appear to be programmed to tune into their linguistic environment with
the specific goal of acquiring language. Infants clearly have remarkably acute language learning
abilities even from an early age.
Within the first years of life, we humans seems to progress through the following stages in
producing language (Stenberg, 2003):
1. Cooing, which comprises largely vowel sounds
2. Babbling, which comprises consonant as well as vowel sound; to most people’s ears, the
babbling of infants growing up among speakers from different language groups sounds very
similar
3. One-word utterances; these utterances are limited in both the vowels and consonants they
utilize
4. Two-word utterances and telegraphic speech
5. Basic adult sentence structure (present by about age 4 years) with continuing vocabulary
acquisition.
The infant utters his or her first word- followed by one ot two more, and soon after, yet a few more.
The infant uses these one-word utterances termed holophrases- to convey intentions, desires and
demands. Usually, the words are nouns describing familiar objects that the child observes (e.g. book,
ball, baby) or wants (e.g. Mama, Dada).
By 18 months of age, children typically have vocabularies of 3 to 100 words. Because the
young child’s vocabulary is very limited at this point in the development process, the child
overextends the meaning of words in his/her existing lexicon to cover things and ideas for which a
new word is lacking. For example, the general term for any kind of four-legged animal may be
“doggie”. In linguistics this is called overextension error.
 Gradually between 1.5 and 2.5 years of age, children start combining single words to produce
two-word utterances. These two-word or three-word utterances with rudimentary syntax but with
articles and prepositions missing are referred to as telegraphic speech.
Vocabulary expands rapidly, more tha tripling from about 300 words at about 2 years of age to
about 1,000 words at about 3 years of age. At about 4 years, incredibly children acquire the
foundations of adult syntax and language structure.
It is clear that no toddler blossoms all of a sudden into one capable of telegraphic speech. As the
5 stages above show, the acquisition of language comes in stages beginning with cooing, then
babbling to one-word utterances, to two- or three-word utterances or even more but without articles
and prepositions thus called telegraphic speech.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Noam Chomsky (1965, 1972), noted linguist, claims that humans have an innate language
acquisition device (LAD). This LAD is a “metaphorical organ that is responsible for language
acquisition device is preprogrammed to learn language, what ever the language cumunity children
find themselves in. “
This means that we, humans seem to be biologically preconfigured to be ready to acquire
language. Indeed, children seem to have knack for acquiring an implicit understanding of many rules
of language structure, as well as for applying those rules to new vocabulary and new contexts. This
may partly explain why children are said to learn language fast.
Professor Laura-Ann Petitio of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and her
colleagues conducted a recent study that concluded that “by 5 months of age, babies are already
specializing by using the left side of their brains for language sounds and the right side for expression
emotion…we all speak out fro the right side of our mouths…babies babble out from the right side of
their mouths.
The right side of the body is controlled by the left side of the brain while the right side of the
body is controlled by the right side of the brain (connections in the brain are contralateral or crossed).
Babies use the right side of their mouths for babbling, then babbling ia a language function controlled
by the left side of the brain.

LEARNING TASK 3
BIG IDEAS

1. The infant’s and the toddler’s development fall under the sensorimotor developmental stage of
Piaget’s cognitive development theory. Characterize each substage without copying from the
text in the discussion.

Substages of Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage Characteristics

1. Simple Reflexes
 2. First habits and primary circular
reactions phase

3. Secondary circular reactions phase

4. Coordination of secondary circular

reactions stage

5. Tertiary circular reactions, novelty, and

curiosity

6. Internalization of Schemes (Invention

of New means Through Mental
Combination (18-24 months)

7. Object permanence

2. What struck you most in the cognitive development of infants and toddlers? Remember
cognitive development includes development of memory and acquisition of language. Write
your answer in the space provided below.

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LESSON 4

MAIN CONTENTS
 SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS AND TODDLERS

Simply put, socio-emotional development has something to do with the development of a

person’s ability to master one’s emotions and the ability to relate to others. It necessarily includes
temperament, attachments and social skills.
Much has been said about the importance of the first three years in human development. They
are so-called the formative years that is why, parents and other caregivers at this stage of human
development play a significant role in the development of infants and toddlers. As the poem “Children
Learn What They Live” expresses, the kind of home and school environment that parent and teachers
produce determines to a very great extent the quality of the development of children.
Let us discuss those elements that have something to do with the wholesome socio-emotional
development of children.

Attachment
 For healthy socio-emotional development, the infant needs to establish an enduring emotional
bond characterized by a tendency to seek and maintain closeness to a specific figure,
particularly during stressful situation. This is the social phenomenon of attachment.
 According to Dr. John Bowly, the father of attachment theory, the beginnings of attachment
occur within the first 6 months of a baby’s life with a variety of built-in signal that baby uses to
keep her caregiver engaged. The baby cries, gazes into her mother’s eyes, smile, etc. In the
next few months, the baby develops in her degree of attachment to her parents. She smiles
more freely at them than at any stranger whom she seldom sees. This is what Bob Greene
must have experienced. (See quote below the title of this Module).
 The key to a good start in the social development of the baby is a lot of responsive interaction
with the baby (K. Pasek and R.Golinkoff, 2003). Babies thrive on social interaction when it is in
response to their social bids. Babies seem to let us know when they want to interact or not.
The timing of the caregiver’s response to the baby important.
 Other relevant and interesting research findings cited by K.Pasek and R. Golinkoff, (2003) in
their book “Einstein Never Used Classcards” are given below:
 What is absolutely central to babies’ emotional well-being is not so much feeding but the
consistent involvement of caregivers. Being fed by your mother is not what attached you to
her. It is consistent , close nurturing that matters in early relationships.
 Children who have good attachment relationships as infants make better adjustments in a
number of areas is future life. But remember, having a good attachment in infancy gives you a
greatest start but can’t carry you through life. You have to be treated sensitively and
responsibly as you grow up if you are to develop favorably.
 Infants attach to more than one caregiver and they are developing emotional relationship with
multiple caregivers at once.
  Even when children are in child care for more than 30 hours per week, the family contributes
more to child’s social and cognitive well-being than does the child are arrangement. Parents
matter and children are attached to parents even when children are in child care.
 Parent and caregivers help children regulate their imotions by working with them and by
serving as their models.
Temperament
1. Another factor related to the infant’s socio-emotional development is temperament.
Temperament is a word that “captures the ways that people differ, even at birth, in such things
as their emotional reactions, activity level, attention span , persistence, and ability to regulated
their emotion” (K. Pasket and R. Golingkoff, 2003). Every baby expresses personality traits we
call temperament. How a child responds emotionally to objects, event, and people is a
reflection of his individual temperament.
2. Researchers Thomas, chess, and Brich described nine different temperament categories
(Honing, 2010, Secure relationships: Nurturing Infant-Toddler Attachments in Early Care
Settings.)
These include:
 activity level
 mood
 Threshold for distress
 Rhythmicity
 Intensity of response
 Approach-withdrawal
 Distractibility
 Adaptability
 Persistence
To determine a child’s temperament, make the following observations:
Activity Level. Some babies are placid or inactive. Other babies trash about a lot and, as
toddlers, are always on the move. At this stage, they must be watched carefully.
The mood. Some babies are very smiley and cheerful. Although securely attached emotionally
to their teachers, other have a low-key mood and look more solemn or unhappy.
Child’s threshold for distress. Some babies are very sensitive. They become upset very
easily when stressed. Other babies can more comfortably wait when they need a feeding or
some attention.
The rhythmicity of children. Some babies get hungry or sleepy on a fairly regular and
predictable basis. Other babies sleep at varying times, urinate or have bowel movements at
unpredictable times, and get hungry at different times. They are hard to put on a “schedule.”
The intensity of response in each baby. When a baby’s threshold for distress has been
reached, some babies act restless. Other act cranky or fret just a little. Still other cry with
terrific intensity or howl with despair when they are stressed. They shriek with delight and
respond with high energy when reacting to happy or challenging situations.
 Approach to new situation. Some infants are very cautious they are wary and fearful of new
teachers, being placed in a different crib, or being taken to visit a new setting. Other infants
approach new persons, new activities, or new play possibilities with zest and enjoyment.
Distraction. Some children can concentrate on a toy regardless of surrounding bustle or noise
in a room. Other are easily distracted .
Adaptability of each child. Some children react to strange or difficult situations with distress,
but recover fairly rapidly. Others adjust to new situation with difficulty or after a very long
period.
Child’s attention span. Some children have a long attention span. They continue with an
activity for a fairly long time. Others flit from one activity to another.
 Based on these temperament traits, psychiatrists. Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess
studied babies’ temperament and clustered temperaments into 3 basic type: 1) the
easy child; 2) the difficult; and 3) the slow-to-warm –up child and those that did not fall
under any of the 3 basic types. The “difficult child” is irregular in daily routines, is slow
to accept new experiences and tends to react negatively and intensely to new things
while the “slow-to warm-up-child” show mild, low-key reaction to environment changes,
is negative in mood, and adjusts slowly to new experiences.

The Emergence of the Moral Self

 A sense of morality presupposes awareness of the existence of moral standards and
the ability to evaluate oneself against standards. Once children can recognize
themselves as entities, they become capable of self-evaluation and self-description
against a set of standards.
 Children who are not capable of self-evaluation and self-description do not have the
capacity to experience a sense of shame and remorse. Moral behavior cannot occur
when children do not recognize themselves as social beings whose behavior can be
evaluated against some standard.
 it is not then surprising why some babies show their parents they have done
something wrong sometimes even with laughter or at other times with no particular
emotion. It is not because they are bad babies. It is simply because they are not yet
able to hold a standard in mind and evaluate situations in terms of these standards.

The Development of emotions

Here are the milestones of the baby and the toddler’s emotional development and social
development:

Early infancy (birth-6 months)

 It is not clear whether infants actually experience emotions, or if adults, using adult facial
expressions as the standard, simply superimpose their own understanding of the meaning of
infant facial expressions.
  Between six and ten weeks, a social smile emerges, usually accompanied by other pleasure-
indicative actions and sounds, including cooing and mouthing. This social smile occurs in
response to adult smiles and interactions.
As infants become more aware of their environment, smiling occurs in response to a wider
variety context. They may smile when they see a toy they have previously enjoyed. Laughter,
which begins at around three or four months, requires a level of cognitive development
because it demonstrates that the child can recognize incongruity. That is, laughter is usually
elicited by actions that deviate from the norm, such as being kissed on the abdomen or a
caregiver playing peek-a-boo. Because it fosters reciprocal interactions with others, laughter
promotes social development.
Later infancy months (7-12)
 During the last half of the first year, infants begin expressing fear, disgust, and anger because
of the maturation of cognitive abilities. Anger, often expressed by crying, is a frequent emotion
expressed by infants. Although some infants respond to distressing events with sadness,
anger is more common.
 Fear is also emerges during this stage as children become able to compare an unfamiliar
event with what we know. Unfamiliar situations or objects often elicit fear responses in infants.
One of the actions or objects often elicit fear responses in infants. One of the most common is
the presence of an adult stranger, a fear that begins to appear at about seven months. A
second fear of this stage is called separation anxiety. Infants seven to twelve months old may
cry in fear if the mother or caregiver leaves them in an unfamiliar place.
Socialization of emotion begins in infancy. It is thought that this process is significant in the
infant’s acquisition of cultural and social codes for emotional display, teaching them how to
express their emotions, and the degree of acceptability associated with different types of
emotional behaviors.
Another process that emerges during this stage is social referencing. Infants begin to
recognize the emotions of others, and use this information when reacting to novel situations and
people. As infants explore their world, they generally rely on the emotional expressions of their
mothers or caregivers to determine the safety or appropriateness of a particular endeavor.
Toddlerhood years (1-2)
During the second year, infants express emotions of shame or embarrassment and pride.
These emotions mature in all children and adults contribute to their development.
Emotional understanding
During this stage of development, toddlers acquire language and are learning to verbally
express their feelings. This ability, rudimentary as it is during early toddlerhood, is the first step in the
development of emotional self-regulation skills.
In infancy, children largely rely on adults to help them regulate their emotional states. If they
are uncomfortable they may be able to communicate this state by crying, but have little hope of
alleviating the discomfort on their own.
In toddlerhood, however, children begin to develop skills to regulate their emotions with the
emergence of language providing an important tool to assist in this process. Being able to articulate
an emotional state in itself has a regulatory effect in that it enables children to communicate their
feelings to a person capable of helping them manage their emotional state. Speech also enables
children to self-regulate, using soothing language to talk themselves through difficult situations.
 Empathy, a complex emotional response to a situation, also appears in toddlerhood, usually by
age two. The development of empathy requires that children read others’ emotional cues,
understand that other people are entities distinct from themselves, and take the perspective of
another person (put themselves in the position of another).

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

The first two stages (of the 8 stages of a person’s psychosocial development) apply at the
periods of infancy and toddlerhood that is why they are discussed below:
Hope: Trust vs. Mistrust (Infants, 0-1 year)
 Psychosocial Crisis: Trust vs. Mistrust
 Virtue: Hope
The first stage of Erik Erikson’s centers around the in the infant’s basic needs being met by the
parents. The infant depends on the parents, especially the mother, for food, sustenance, and
comfort. The child’s relative understanding of world and society come from the parents and
their interaction with the child. If the parents expose the child to warmth, regularity, and
dependable affection, the infant’s view of the world will be one of trust. Should the parents fail
to provide a secure environment and to meet the child’s basic need a sense of mistrust will
result. According to Erik Erikson, the major developmental task in infancy is to learn whether or
not other people, especially primary caregivers, regularly satisfy basic needs. If caregivers are
consistent sources of food, comfort, and affection, an infant learns trust- that others are
dependable and reliable. If they are neglectful, or perhaps even abusive, the infant instead
learns mistrust- that the world is in an undependable, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous.
Will: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Toddlers, 2 to 3 years)
 Psychosocial Crisis: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
 Main Question: “Can I do things myself or must I always rely on other?”
 Virtue: Will
As the child gains control over eliminative functions and motor abilities, they begin to explore
their surroundings. The parents still provide a strong base of security from which the child can
venture out to assert their will. The parents’ patience and encouragement help foster autonomy
in the child. Highly restrictive parents, however, are more likely to instill the child with a sense
of doubt and reluctance to attempt new challenges.
As they gain increased muscular coordination and mobility, toddlers become capable of
satisfying some of their own needs. They begin to feed themselves, wash and dress
themselves, and use the bathroom. If caregivers encourage self-sufficient behavior, toddlers
develop a sense of autonomy- a sense of being able to handle many problems on their own.
But if caregivers demand too much too soon, refuse to let children perform tasks of which they
are capable, or ridicule early attempts at self-sufficiency, children may instead develop shame
and doubt about their ability to handle problems.
 LEARNING TASK 4
READ ME

Direction: Read Nolte’s poem then answer the following questions: (minimum of 30 and maximum of
50 words only.

1. Do you agree with D. Nolte’s poem? Support your answer.

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2. Which line of the poem is most meaningful to you? Explain
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Child Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticisms, he learns to condemn…

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight…
If a child lives with fear, he leans to be apprehensive…
If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself…
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy…
If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilt…
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient…
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to confident…
If the child lives with praise, he learns to appreciative…
If the child lives with acceptance, he learns to love…
 3. Based on Nolte’s poem, which plays a very important role in the socio-emotional development
of children?
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4. From what kind of home environment do children who are well adjusted most probably come?
What about maladjusted children?
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5. State in a sentence what the poem is saying about child’s socio-emotional development.
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LESSON 5

MAIN CONTENTS

EARLY CHILDHOOD (The Preschooler)

Preschoolers’ Physical Development

 The preschooler years is commonly known as “the years before formal schooling begins.” It
roughly covers 3-5 years of age. Although it is known as the years before formal school, it is by no
way less important than the grade school years. The preschool year is very important as it lays
foundation to later development. At this stage, preschoolers achieve many developmental milestones.
As such, pre-service teachers who might be interested to teach and care for preschoolers need to be
knowledgeable about them to be truly an intentional and effective teacher.
This lesson on the physical development of preschools focuses on the acquisition of gross and
fine motor skills, artistic expression, proper nutrition and sleep, and what teachers and caregivers
should do to maximize the preschoolers’ development.

Big ideas about the Physical Development of Preschoolers

1. There are significant changes in physical growth of preschoolers.
2. The preschoolers’ physical development is marked by the acquisition of gross and fine motor
skills.
3. Preschoolers can express themselves artistically at a very early age.
4. Proper nutrition and the right amount of sleep are very important for the preschoolers.
5. Caregivers and teachers can do a lot in maximizing the growth and development of
preschoolers.
6. Preschoolers with special needs in inclusive classrooms can thrive well with the appropriate
adaptations made in the classroom, materials and activities.

Significant Changes in Physical Growth

Physical Growth increases in the preschool years, although it is much slower in pace than in
infancy and toddlerhood. At around 3 years of age, preschoolers move, from the remaining baby-like
features of the toddler, toward a more slender appearance of a child. The trunk, arms and legs
become longer.
The center of the gravity refers to the point at which body-weight is evenly distributed. Toddlers
have their center of gravity at a high level, about the chest level. This is why they have difficulty doing
sudden movements without falling down. Preschoolers on the other hand, have their center of gravity
at a lower level, right about near the belly button. This gives them more ability to be stable and
balanced than the toddler. The preschooler moves from the unsteady stance of toddlerhood to amore
steady bearing. They no longer “toddle”, that wobbly way that toddlers walk. This also allows the
preschooler to move more “successfully” then the toddler. Some say that the later part of the
preschooler years at around 5 or 6 is the best time to begin learning skills that require balance like
riding a bike or skating.
By the time the child reaches three years old, all primary or deciduous, or what are also called
“baby or milk” teeth are already in place. The permanent teeth which will begin to come out by age six
are also developing. The preschooler years are therefore a time to instill habits of good dental
hygiene.
Gross and Fine Motor Development
Gross motor development refers to acquiring skills that involve the large muscles. These
gross motor skills ae categorized into three: locomotor, non-locomotor and manipulative skills.
Locomotor skills are those that involve going from one place to another, like walking, running,
climbing, skipping, hopping, creeping, galloping, and dodging. Non-locomotor ones are those where
the child stays in place, like bending, stretching, turning and swaying. Manipulative skills are those
that involve projecting and receiving objects, like throwing, striking, bouncing, catching and dibbling.
Preschoolers are generally physically active. Level of activity is highest around three and
becomes a little less as the preschooler gets older. Preschoolers should be provided with a variety of
appropriate activities which will allow them to use their large muscles. Regular physical activity helps
preschoolers build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, control weight and build lean
muscles, prevent or delay hypertension, reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and increase
capacity for learning.
Fine motor development refers to acquiring the ability to use the smaller muscles in the arm,
hands and fingers purposefully. Some of the skills included here are picking, squeezing, pounding,
and opening things, holding and using a writing implement. It also involves self-help skills like-using
the spoon and fork when eating, buttoning, zipping, combing and brushing.
Different environments provide different experiences with fine motor skills. For example the
availability of information and communication technology in largely urban areas makes younger and
younger children proficient in keyboarding and manipulation of the mouse or gaming console like the
Play Station Portable (PSP). While other children use their fine motor skills in digging soil, making
toys out of sticks, cans and bottle caps. Still, others enjoy clay, play dough, and finger paint.
By the end of the preschool years most children manage to hold a pencil with their thumb and
fingers, draw pictures, write letters, use scissors, do stringing and threading activities. They can also
do self-help skills like eating and dressing up independently. Significant progress in fine motor skills
can be expected of preschoolers especially if they are aptly supported and appropriate activities are
provided for them.
Preschoolers’ Artistic Development
At the heart of preschooler years is their interest to draw and make other forms artistic
expressions. This form of fine motor activity is relevant to preschoolers. Viktor Lowenfeld studied
this and came up with the stages of drawing in early childhood:
Stage 1. Scribbling stage. This stage begins with large zig-zag lines which later become
circular markings. Soon, discrete shapes are drawn. The child may start to name his/her drawing
towards the end of this stage.
Stage 2. Preschematic stage. May already include early representations (This also becomes
very significant when we discuss about cognitive development). At this point adults may be able to
recognize the drawings. Children at this stage tend to give the same names to their drawings sevral
times. Drawings usually comprise of a prominent head with basic elements. Later, arms, legs, hands
and even facial features are included.
Stage 3. Schematic stage. More elaborate scenes are depicted. Children usually draw from
experience and exposure. Drawings may include houses, trees, the sun and sky, and people. Initially,
they may appear floating in air but eventually drawings appear to follow a ground line.
Everyone who observes a preschooler go through these stages of drawing would surely say
one thing: that the preschooler drew the same drawing maybe a hundred times. Repetition is the
hallmark of early drawing. One wonders if the supply of scratch papers, crayons and pens will ever be
enough. Adults should remember to have a neat supply of these or they will find the preschoolers’
drawing on the furniture and walls! This affords the preschooler opportunities to gain mastery of the
fine motor skills involved.
Also important to remember is that the preschoolers’ representations or drawings do not only
involve fine motor skills, but also cognitive skills. Children’s drawings allow us to have a glimpse of
how they understand themselves and the world around them.

Preschoolers’ Nutrition and Sleep

They kind of nutrition a preschooler gets has far-reaching effect on his physical growth and
development. The preschooler’s nutritional status is the result of what nutrients he or she actually
takes in checked against the nutritional requirement for his or her age. Obviously, our country, we can
see the extreme of preschooler not having enough food and those on the other end of the extreme
where we find preschoolers who are not overweight but obese. The celebration of the Nutrition month
every July is aimed at advocating for proper nutrition. Each year a theme is put forth to advocate
good nutritional habits while government programs on giving out fortified bread, milk and even
noodles aim to address malnutrition against children.

LEARNING TASK 5
TAKE IT ESSAY

Direction: Make your own photo essay about the physical development of preschoolers. Observe
preschoolers in action and take their pictures. Describe the gross and fine motor skills that they tend
to do.
RUBRIC FOR PHOTO ESSAY
 LESSON 6

MAIN CONTENTS

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOLERS

Someone once wrote in his journal: “Childhood is a world of miracle and wonder; as if creation
rose, bathed in light, out of darkness, utterly new, fresh and astonishing. The end of childhood is
when things cease to astonish us. When the world seems familiar, when one has got used to
existence, one has become an adult.
Early childhood (preschool age) is just one stage of childhood. Do you remember how you
were as a preschooler? What do you remember most as a preschooler? What did you enjoy doing?
Preschoolers’ Symbolic and Intuitive Thinking
There are two substages of Piaget’s preoperational thought, namely, symbolic substage and
intuitive substage. In the symbolic stage, preschool children show progress in their cognitive
abilities by being able to draw objects that are not present, by their dramatic increase in their
language and make-believe play. In the intuitive substage, preschool children begin to use primitive
reasoning andask a litany of questions. The development in their language ability facilitates their
endless asking of questions. While preschool children exhibit considerable cognitive development,
their improved cognitive processes still show some aspects of immaturity and limitations.
While preschoolers still may be limited to preoperational thinking, they are making significant
advancements in their cognitive abilities like the acquisition of symbolic thought. Symbolic thought
that is shown in preschool children’s ability to mentally represent an object that is not present. They
do not need to be in sensorimotor contact with an object, person, or event in order to think about it.
Shianne asks his Mom about the giraffe they saw in the zoo five months ago. Moreover, preschool
children can imagine that objects or people have properties other than those they can actually have.
John imagines that his one-foot ruler is a saw while he pretends to saw a piece of wood.
Preschoolers use symbolic thought in play, reading and writing when, for instance, children
pretend that one thing represents another such as wooden block used as a microphone in a magic
sing and when they pretend to be dog Bantay while in a sociodramatic play. In reading and writing
they realize that pictures stand for events in a story and that letters represent sounds used in
language.
Brain Connections in the Preschool Years
Because of fascinating developments in neuroscience, brain development of young children
has been of great interest to the field of early childhood. Brain research finding point us to more
effective ways to care for and teach preschoolers. From science lessons you had in high school or
even in elementary, you will remember that our brain is composed of numerous cells called neurons
that connect to each other to function. Cell connections are what we call synapses, sometimes also
referred to as synaptic connections. Did you know that:
 The human brain contains some 50 billion neurons at birth!
 By age 2, children have developed half of the brain cell connections that will be made
during one’s lifetime?
 Around 6 years of age the brain develops for more sophisticated thinking patterns?
All these facts point to the enormous potential that the preschooler’s brain has. The child’s
billion cells have the ability to make almost countless connections that prepare the child for inticate
pathways to learn language, acquire logical-mathematical skills, interact with people, grow in his
feeling and emotions, and even express himself in art. As such, a preschool teacher would often
observe how a child now has transformed from a dependent toddler into a proud and independent
preschooler who can now eat more neatly, enjoy “reading” a book, tell his own stories among friends,
build beautiful block structures and wear his jacket all by himself.
Brain research has also pointed out the crucial role of the environment. Experts have shown
specific areas of brain activity that respond to environmental stimulation. Therefore, the brain forms
specific connections (synapses) that are different for each person. The quality of these connections
depends on the quality of stimulation and exposure provided by the environment. In the preschool
years, a supportive and stimulating environment is that which offers many experiences involving the
different senses (multi-sensorial), and that which allows the child to think, imagine and create is best.
This environment can be provided for by a good combination of a healthy and functional family
environment and a quality preschool program. What did the milk commercial say? Oh yes…expose…
explore…experience. May we add, all these lead to exponential brain development!
Just an enriching environment favors the preschooler’s brain development, strong evidence,
also show that highly stressful environments marred by trauma and chaos affect the cognitive
development of preschoolers. High levels of stress hormones such as cortisol may lead to diminish
brain growth in areas needed from memory, learning and emotional attachment. It may also lead to
anxiety and hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. It is not only extreme the form of negative
environment that negatively affects the preschooler’s brain. An environment that lacks the proper
stimulating experiences can also cause damage. Preschoolers who make children work with nothing
but work sheets and pictures instead of real life, hands-on experiences do more harm than good.

Language Development
Young children’s understanding sometimes gets ahead of their speech. As children gi through
early childhood, their grasp of the rules of language increases (morphology, semantics, pragmatics).
Symbolic thinking involves language, literacy and dramatic paly. Children rapidly conclude that
sounds link together to make words and words represent ideas, people and things. Throughput the
preschool years, children’s language development becomes increasingly complex in the four main
areas: phonology (speech sounds), semantics (word meaning), syntax (sentence construction), and
pragmatics (conversation or social uses of language). As they advance in age and as they
continuously interact with people, preschool children expand rapidly in their vocabulary through fast
mapping, a process by which children absorb the meaning of a word after hearing it once or twice in
a conversation. Preschool children combine syllables into words and words into sentences in an
increasingly sophisticated manner.
It is not uncommon to hear preschool children using “goed” for “went”, “foots” for “feet”, “childs”
for “children”, “runned” for “ran” an overextension rules. A three-year old laughing with delight as an
abrupt summer breeze stirred his hair and tickled his skin, commented, “It did winding me!” Another
child said, “My father hatches the wood”, meaning his father chops the wood with a hatchet. Many of
the oddities of young children’s language sound like mistakes to adult listeners, but from the
children’s perspective, they are not.
In asking questions, preschoolers tend to cling to a consistent word order and so they form
questions not by following the pattern “subject-verb-agreement” order but by simply saying with a
rising intonation the sentence in the natural order such as “Mother is coming?” Likewise, preschool
children tend to have difficulty with the sentence in the passive voice. When told, “The car was
pushed by a truck”, preschooler demonstrate a car pushing a truck.
From an expanded vocabulary and improved grammar, preschool children learn to use
language successfully in social contexts (pragmatics). With an expanded vocabulary and improved
grammar, preschool children become skilled conversationalists and often initiate conversation.
Parents, teachers and caregivers can monitor a child’s language development in these four
areas to identify where some children may struggle. Children with mild to severe speech difficulties
can be referred to a specially trained professional called a speech pathologist in order to work with
the child or suggest helpful strategies for caregivers to improve language proficiency.
Language and Social Interaction
Vygotsky believed that young children uses language both to communicate socially and to
plan, guide, and monitor their behavior in a self-regulatory fashion – called inner speech or private
speech (Santrock, 2002).
For Piaget, private speech is egocentric and immature, but for Vygotsky it is an important tool
of thought during early childhood. Full cognitive development requires social interaction and
language. Children must use language to communicate with others before they can focus on their
own thoughts (Santrock, 2002). This implies the importance of interaction of preschoolers with
caregivers for language development.
Vygotsky asserted that preschool children are unable to achieve their highest cognitive
development (language development included) on their own and that they can improve their cognitive
development through use of scaffolding from more-skilled children and adults. He introduced the term
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to refer to task too difficult for a child to master alone but can
be mastered with the guidance and assistance of adults or more skilled children (Santrock, 2002). In
short, the ZPD captures the preschool children’s cognitive skills that are in the: process of maturing.
The ZPD has a lower limit and an upper limit. The lower limit of the ZPD is “the level of cognitive
development reached by the preschool child independently. The upper limit is the level of additional
responsibility the child can accept with assistance of an able instructor.”
Closely linked to the idea of ZPD in cognitive and language development is the concept of
scaffolding, a term that refers to the “changing support over the course of a teaching session, with
the more skilled person adjusting guidance to fit the child’s current performance level” (Santrock,
2002). The more skilled person is also called More Knowledgeable Other (MKO). Can you think of
the ways of scaffolding preschoolers to help them reach optimum cognitive and language
development?

Information Processing Theory-Attention and Memory

The Information Processing model is another way of examining and understanding how
children develop cognitively. This model conceptualizes children’s mental process through the
metaphor of a computer processing, encoding, storing, and decoding data.
The preschoolers’ attention span lasts longer than that of toddlers. The child’s ability to pay
attention changes significantly during the preschool years.
But one deficit in attention during preschool years is that attention is focused only on aspects
that stand out the expense of those that are relevant to solving a problem to performing well on a
task. Preschool children recognize previously encountered information, recall old information, and
reconstruct it in the present.
Among the interesting questions about memory in the preschool years are those involving
short-term memory. In short-term memory, (STM) retain information for up to 15-30 seconds,
assuming there is no rehearsal, which can help information in STM for a much longer period
(Santrock, 2002).
Differences in memory span occur across the ages due: a) rehearsal and b0 speed and
efficiency of processing information. Older children rehearse items more than younger children. On
this count, preschool children may have shorter memory span than primary and intermediate pupils.
The speed with which a child processes information is an important aspect of the child’s cognitive
abilities.
Between the ages of 2 and 5, long-term memory also begins to form, which is why most
people cannot remember anything in their childhood prior to age 2 or 3.
Part of long-term memory involves storing information about the sequence of events during
familiar situations as “scripts”. Scripts help children understand, interpret, and predict that will happen
in future scenarios. For example, children understand that entering the classroom as a class after the
flag ceremony involves a specific sequence of steps: one bell means put cross your hands right over
left on your chest, two bells means pass quietly and follow the line until you reach your seat. Children
ages 2 through 5 also start to recognize that are often multiple ways to solve a problem and can
brainstorm different (through sometimes primitive) solutions.
Between the ages of 5 and 7, children learn how to focus and use their cognitive abilities for
specific purposes. For example, children can learn to pay attention to and memorize lists of words or
facts. This skill is obviously crucial for children starting school who need to learn new information,
retain it and produce it for tests and other academic activities. Children of this age have also
developed a larger overall capacity to process information. This expanding information processing
capacity allows young children to make connections between old and new information. For example,
children can use their knowledge of the alphabet and letter sounds (phonics) to start sounding out
and reading words. During this stage, children’s knowledge base also continues to grow and become
better organized.
In early childhood, as information-processing increases in speed, memory becomes
increasingly longer. Young children can remember a great deal of information if they are given
appropriate cues and prompts. Sometimes, however, the memories of preschoolers seem to be
erratic, but these inconsistencies may be to some degree the result of inadequate prompts and cues.
Rehearsal and organizing information are deliberate mental activities that can be employed to
improve the processing of information. Young children typically, however, do not use rehearsal and
organization.

The Young Children’s Theory of Mind

Theory of mind refers to individuals’ thoughts about how mental processes work (Santrock,
2002).
By the age of 2 or 3, children become aware that the mind exists. They refer to needs,
emotions, and mental states. When a preschool child says, “I forgot my doll”, “I want my ice cream”-
these imply that he/she is aware that a mind exists. Cognitive terms such as know, remember, and
think usually appear after perceptual and emotional terms, but are used by age 3.
As their representation of the world and ability to remember and solve problems improve,
children start to reflect on their own thought processes. They begin to construct a theory of mind or
a set of ideas about mental activities (Preschoolers Cognitive Development, 2007). This develops
markedly between the ages of three and five. It includes awareness of one’s own thought processes,
social cognition, understanding that people can hold false beliefs, ability to deceive, ability to
distinguish appearance from reality and ability to distinguish fantasy from reality.
How do children manage to develop a theory of mind such as a young age? Various
speculations and research findings suggests that social experience is very important. Social
experience includes 1) early forms of communication, 2) imitation, 3) make-believe play, 4) language,
and 5) social interaction.

LEARNING TASK 6
DISCUSS ME WELL

Direction: Discuss briefly and concisely the following in not more than 50 words.
1. Describe behaviors to illustrate the preschooler’s:
a. Animism
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b. Egocentrism
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c. Centration
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d. Lack of conservation
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e. Irreversibility
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f. Transductive reasoning
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LESSON 6

MAIN CONTENTS

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESCHOOLER

Socio-emotional development is crucial in the preschool years. We hear a lot of parents and
teachers and preschool administrators say that attending preschool is more for “socialization” than for
formal academic learning. There us wisdom in this. During the preschool years, children learn about
their ever widening environment. Preschoolers now discover their new roles outside their home. They
become interested to assert themselves as they relate with other people. A lot of very important social
skills they will learn during the preschool years will help them throughout life as adults. These skills
can even determine the individual’s later social adjustment and consequent quality of relationships in
adult life.
Big Ideas on Preschoolers’ Socio-emotional Development
1. The development of initiative is crucial to the preschool.
2. A healthy self-concept is needed for preschoolers to interact with others.
3. Environmental factors influence gender identity in young children.
4. Preschooler’s social development is shown through the stages of play.
5. The care-giving styles of parents and teachers affect the preschoolers’ socio-emotional
development.
6. Preschoolers are interested in building friendships.

Preschoolers’ Initiative
Erikson’s view of initiative aptly portrays the emotional and social changes that happen during
the preschool years. Preschoolers, deal with the psychological conflict of initiative versus guilt.
Erikson believed that healthy preschoolers develop initiative, the tendency of preschoolers to want to
take action and assert themselves. They will yearn to create, invent, pretend, take risks, and engage
in lively and imaginative activities with peers. When parents, teachers and other adults support these
attempts and provide a stimulating environment, the preschooler’s sense of initiative will grow. On the
other hand, if the adults show overprotection, extreme restrictions and criticisms, the preschooler will
develop guilt.
As preschoolers go through the conflict of initiative vs. guilt, they show so much energy in
doing imaginative play activities. Every place becomes a playground to explore, every single thing in
interesting piece to tinker with. Adults sometimes get exasperated over this behavior and begin to see
the preschooler as naughty or “makulit”. Some parents and teachers then become overly restrictive,
resorting to threats, intimidation and other scary tactics that disrespect the preschooler just to
establish “control”. Consequently, the child may develop excessive guilt. Although a good amount of
guilt helps in making children take responsibility for their behavior, excessive guilt hampers emotional
growth. Preschoolers who are always punished and criticized end up constructing a view of
themselves as being “salbahe” (bad) “bobo” (dumb) or even “walang kwenta” (worthless). This is
really sad because childhood years should be a happy years. One poster says, “You don’t have to hit
to hurt.” The message emphasizes that even the things we say and the way we deal with
preschoolers can already hurt them at this vulnerable stage.
The key thing to remember is to apply “judicious permissiveness.” This involves setting
realistic boundaries that keep preschoolers safe and respectful of self and others, while allowing them
greater opportunity to explore, take risks and to engage in creative processes. Preschoolers will
develop a healthy sense of initiative on an affirming, encouraging and stimulating environment.

Self-Concept and the Preschooler

 By the end of toddlerhood, preschoolers come out with a clear sense that they are a separate
and distinct person. With their ability to make representations, they can now think and reflect about
themselves. Self-concept refers to the way one sees himself, a general view about one’s abilities,
strengths and weaknesses. The preschooler’s self-concept mainly focuses on observable
characteristics and his/her usual beliefs, emotions and attitudes. One will hear a preschool say, “Kaya
ko na! (I can do it)” “Ako lang nagsuot ng shoes ko” (I wore my shoes all by myself.) an important
aspect of self-concept is self-esteem, which specifically refers to one’s judgments about one’s worth.
Preschoolers are naturally positive. Usually they will tend to evaluate their skills high and
underestimate the tasks. They are confident to try again even if they do not succeed with something.
However, they may become negative because of repeated frustration and disapproval. Preschoolers
need a lot of patience and encouragement from adults.

Environmental Factors and Gender in the Preschooler’s Socio-emotional Development

As the preschooler’s ability to create schemas develop, they become capable of gender
typing, the process of forming gender roles, gender-based preferences and behaviors accepted by
society. They come to form gender stereotypes. Preschoolers begin to associate certain things like
toys, tools, games, clothes, jobs, colors or even actions or behaviors as being “only for boys” or “only
for girls.” Consequently, they form their own gender identity, the view of oneself as being masculine
or feminine.
Gender typing and gender identity are influenced by environmental factors such as the family,
teachers, peers and the mass media. This is where Bronfenbrenner’s model comes into play.
Different spheres of influence determine the preschooler’s development of a gender schema.
Differences in parental expectations and behavior towards daughters and sons affect gender typing
and gender identity. More often, boys are expected to show more emotional control and be more
competitive while girls are expected to be warm and soft and demure. Parents also expect their
children to play with toys that are “right” for their gender. The expectations of other people in the
preschoolers’ lives also influence their gender schema. This includes their relatives, teachers,
classmates and other playmates.
Mass media and ICT which include television, movies, the internet, computer games also
offers various images of what it means to be a boy or girl. In the US, there is growing debate about
Lesbian-Gay-Bi-sexual-Transgender issues which is collectively known as LGBT issues. Schools are
in a tight situation or have to do a “balancing act” on how to deal with these issues with children so
that schools are still able to be on the side of respect for diversity without necessarily confusing
children who are at a stage of forming their own gender schemas.
Preschool teachers should think thoroughly on how to present notions of what boys and girls
can do especially in the discussion about occupations or community helpers.

Parten’s Stages of Play

Play is the main agenda of the preschool years. Play has a social dimension. As the preschool
develops, social interaction with playmates increases. Mildred Parten, in the 1930’s did a study on
children’s play behavior which led to Parten’s stages of play. Since then, numerous studies have
followed using these stages as framework. The stages describe the play development of children and
the gradual increase of social interaction as they go through these stages. It begins with the very
young child’s unoccupied stage, then solitary play, then parallel play, associative and cooperative
play. Play becomes an important venue for the child’s development of social skills like entering or
joining a play situation, taking-turns, sharing, helping, saying sorry, and working together. Play is
indeed the child’s major business!

PARTEN’S STAGES OF PLAY

The child appears not to be playing but

1. Unoccupied directs his attention on anything that
interests him.

The child spends time watching others play.

2. Onlooker He may talk to them but does not enter into
play with them.

The child spends time watching others play.

3. Solitary Play He may talk to them but does not enter into
play with them.

The child plays with toys similar to those

5. Parallel Play near him, but only plays beside and not with
them. No interaction takes place.

The child plays with others. There is

6. Associative interaction among them, but no task
assignment, rules and organization are
Play agreed upon.

The child plays with others bound by some

agreed upon rules and roles. The goal is
4. Cooperative maybe to make something, play a game, or
act out something.

Friendship in Preschool

As they continue to grow, preschoolers become interested in having friends. This should be
encouraged in the preschool years as friendships benefit the preschoolers’ development by providing
stimulation, assistance, companionship, social comparison and affection. Through friendships,
preschoolers are able to practice different social roles like being a leader, a follower, someone who
takes risks and someone who helps out and comforts. Friendships are very important because they
provide added sense of belongingness and security. In the preschool years, parents and teachers
must expose children to experiences that help them learn skills in establishing friendships,
maintaining positive relationships and resolving conflicts. Parents and teachers, when seeing
preschoolers in a “fight”, should not say “Tama na…ano ba yan…isa pa ha…Tama na, friends na
kayo…Say sorry na…” Responses like those do not foster social skills among preschoolers. Parents
and teacher need to take time and process with children how to resolve conflicts.

Caregiving Styles
Caregiving styles affect the socio-emotional development of the children. Caregivers here refer
to both parents and teachers and even other adults that care for the child. Baumrind gave a model
that describes the different types of caregiving styles. This was based on the longitudinal study that
looked into the adult authority and the development of children that Baumrind conducted which began
in the 1960’s. Decades later she identified varying degrees of demandingness and responsiveness as
determinants of four styles of caregiving. Marion (2007) expounded on these factors.
Responsiveness refers to caregiver behaviors that pertain to expression of affection and
communication. It refers to how warm, caring and respectful the adult is to the child. It involves
openness in communication and the willingness to explain things in ways that the child will
understand. Demanding refers to the level of control and expectations. This involves discipline and
confrontation strategies.

Authoritative Permissive

High demandingness/ Low demandingness/

high responsiveness high responsiveness

Authoritarian Negligent

High demandingness/ Low demandingness/

low responsiveness low responsiveness

Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles

Baumrind’s Caregiving Styles and Their
Effects on Children

Description
Caregiving Style The Effect on the preschooler
caregivers/parents/teachers
with this caregiver style has the
following descriptions:
Authoritative  Expect behavior  Makes the preschooler
high demandingness, high appropriate to the age of feel safe and secure
responsiveness the child  Teaches the child to
 Maintain reasonable and takes responsibility for
fair limits his/her actions
 Closely monitor the  Develops good self-
activities of the child control
 Warm and nurturing  Develops a realistic view
 Have realistic of oneself
expectations of the child  Builds the child’s
 Communicate messages capacity for empathy
in a kind, firm and
consistent manner
 Discipline approach
focuses more on
teaching than punishing
Authoritarian  Set subjective or  Lead to aggressive
High demandingness, low unreasonable limits behavior of the child
responsiveness  Communicate messages  Brings about poor self-
 Strive to have strong control
psychological control  Results in poor self-
over the child esteem
 Do not supervise
children’s activities very
well and then get upset if
they make a mistake
 Use corporal
punishment, sarcasm,
withdrawal of love,
threats
 Not able to teach
children a better way to
behave
Permissive  Permit the preschoolers  Has difficulty controlling
Low demandingness, high to regulate their own his/her impulses
responsiveness behavior and make their  Tends to be dependent
own decisions even  Tends to be demanding
when preschoolers are of their caregivers
not ready to do so  Tends not to persist or
 Do not set the rules or easily gives up on a task
very few if any  Does not easily follow
 Do not demand good  Maybe rebellious
behavior or task  Does not handle
 May lack confidence in frustration well
their ability to influence  Has inadequate
the child emotional control
 Maybe disorganized and  Difficulties in school
ineffective in managing performance
the family and
household/ class When parents’ behavior is to
 Shows undemanding, the extreme or if child
indifferent and rejecting experiences this style early, the
action towards the child child may have:
 Has little commitment to  Attachment problems
their roles as parents/  Delayed cognitive
caregivers development
 Maybe depressed or  Poor social and
overburdened by many emotional skills
concerns like poverty,  Delinquent behavior
marital problems, or later in adolescence
absence of support from
others
 LEARNING TASK 7
DISCUSS ME WELL

Direction: Answer the following questions:

1. Were the children playing on their own or alone even when they were with others?
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2. Were there some children playing together with agreed upon rules and roles? Describe.
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3. If you observed conflicts between or among children, how were they resolved? Did an adult
intervene? Or did they manage to resolve it by themselves?
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4. Were the children polite? What polite words (Thank you, sorry, etc.) or gestures did you
observe?
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LEARNING TASK 8
 LET’s DO IT

Direction: Choose a big idea from this lesson and expand through internet searches and downloads.
Prepare a pamphlet or powerpoint presentation or a movie (movie maker) intended for use of parents
of preschoolers. If you wish to pass it through ppt or movie, send your chosen digital presentation in
my gmail account and if you wish to have a pamphlet, take a picture on it and send it on our google
classroom.

2. The best caregiving style is the authoritative style. From all that you have learned from this
lesson, make a list of 10 qualities that an authoritative preschool teacher should have:

a. f.

b. g.

c. h.

d. i.

e. j.

LESSON 7

MAIN CONTENTS

THE PRIMARY SCHOOLER

Middle childhood is the stage when children undergo so many different changes- physically,
emotionally, socially and cognitively. This is the stage between 6 to 12 years old. Children in this
stage receive less attention than children in infancy or early childhood. The support of the family and
friends of the child is very important during this phase of development.

Physical Development of the Primary Pupil

Physical development involves many different factors, height, weight, appearance, visual,
hearing and motor abilities. Primary school children undergo many different changes as they go
through this stage of development. This could be caused by different factors; both natural and
environmental.
Physical growth during the primary school years is slow but steady. During this stage, physical
development involves: (1) having good muscle control and coordination, (2) developing eye-hand
coordination, (3) having good personal hygiene and (4) being aware of good safety habits.

Height and Weight

In this development stage, children will have started their elementary grades, specifically their
primary years- Grades 1 to 3.
This period of gradual and steady growth will give children time to get used to the changes in
their bodies. An average increase in height of a little over two inches a year in both boys and girls will
introduce them to many different activities that they can now do with greater accuracy.
Weight gain averages about 6.5 pounds a year. Most children will have slimmer appearance
compared to their preschool years because of the shifts in accumulation and location of their body
fats. A child’s legs are longer and more proportioned to the body than they were before.
A number of factors could indicate how much a child grows, or how much changes in the body
will take place:
 genes
 food
 climate
 exercise
 medical conditions
 diseases / illnesses

Bones and Muscles

Childhood years are the peak bone-producing years. This is the best time to teach children of
good dietary and exercise habits to help them have strong, healthy bones throughout their lives.
Many lifestyles factors, like nutrition and physical activity, can substantially influence the increase of
bone mass during childhood.
 Because children’s bones have proportionately more water and protein-like materials and fever
minerals than adults, ensuring adequate calcium intake will greatly help them in strengthening bones
and muscles.

Motor Development

Young school-aged children are gaining control over the major muscles of their bodies. Most
children have a good sense of balance. They like testing their muscle strength and skills. They enjoy
doing real-life tasks and activities. They pretend and fantasize less often because they are more
attuned with everything that is happening around them.
Children in this stage love to move a lot- they run, skip, hop, jump, tumble, roll and dance.
Because their gross motor skills are already developed, they can now perform activities like catching
a ball with one hand, tying their shoelaces, they can manage zippers and buttons.
Performing unimanual (require the use of hand) and bi-manual (require the use of two hands)
activities becomes easier. Children’s graphic activities, such as writing and drawing, are now more
controlled but are still developing. They can print their names and copy simple designs, letters and
shapes. They hold pencils, crayons, utensils correctly with supervisions.
Motor development skills include coordination, balance, speed, agility and power. Let us look
into the definitions of the different motor skills. Coordination is a series of movements organized and
timed to occur in a particular way to bring about a particular result. The more complex the movement
is, the greater coordination is required. Children develop eye-hand and eye-foot coordination when
they play games and sports. Balance is the child’s ability to maintain the equilibrium or stability of
his/her body in different positions. Balance is a basic skill needed especially in this stage, when
children are very active. During this time, children have improved balancing skills. Static balance is
the ability to maintain equilibrium in a fixed position, like balancing on one foot. Dynamic balance is
the ability to maintain equilibrium while moving. Speed is the ability to cover a great distance in the
shortest possible time while agility is one’s ability to quickly change or shift the direction of the body.
These skills are extremely important in most sports. Power is the ability to perform a maximum effort
in the shortest possible period.
All these motor skills are vital in performing different activities, games and sports. Development
of these skills may spell the difference between success and failure endeavors of the child.

LEARNING TASK 9
DESCRIBE ME

Direction: Observe at least three (3) primary school children (Grades 1 to 3). Describe the physical
characteristics of these children and write them down below.
HEIGHT

WEIGHT

BALANCE

SPEED

COORDINATION
OF MOVEMENTS

1. Based on the observations you have made, what can you conclude about the general physical
characteristics of children of children in their primary school years?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the necessary skills that will help them to be physically ready for primary schooling?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. Complete the graphic organizer below.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
 LESSON 8

MAIN CONTENTS

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOLERS

Jean Piaget is the foremost theorist when it comes to cognitive development. According to him,
intelligence is the basic mechanism of ensuring balance in the relations between the person and the
environment. Everything that a person experienced is a continuous process of assimilations and
accommodations. Piaget described four main periods in cognitive development. For Piaget,
intellectual ability is not the same at different ages.

Jean Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage

Concrete operation is the third stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. It spans
from ages 7 to approximately 11 years. In this developmental stage, children have better
understanding of their thinking skills. Children begin to think logically about concrete events,
particularly their own experiences, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts,
thus most of them still have a hard time at problem-solving.

 LOGIC
Concrete operational thinkers, according to Piaget, can already make use of inductive logic.
Inductive logic involves thinking from a specific experience to a general principle. But at this
stage, children have great difficulty in using deductive logic or using a general principle to
determine the outcome of a specific event.
 REVERSIBILITY
One of the most important developments in this stage is an understanding of reversibility, or
awareness that actions can be reversed. An example of this is being able to reverse the order of
relationships between mental categories. (For example in arithmetic, 3+4=7 and 7-4=3).

Cognitive Milestones
Elementary-aged children encounter developmental milestones. They develop certain skills
within a particular time frame. The skills they learn are in a sequential manner, meaning they need
to understand numbers before they can perform a mathematical equation. Each milestone that
develops is dependent upon the previous milestone they achieved. Up until age 8, a child learns new
skills at a rapid pace. Once they reach the age of 8, the skills they learn start to level off and it usually
is a steady increase of new skills.
Specifically, young primary school-aged children can tell left from right. They are able to speak
and express themselves develops rapidly. In school, they share about themselves and their families.
During play, they practice using the words and language they learn in school. They start to
understand time and days of the week. They enjoy rhymes, riddles, and jokes. Their attention span is
longer. They can follow more involved stories. They are learning letters and words. By six, most can
read words or combinations of words.

Information-Processing Skills
Several theorists argue that like the computer, the human mind is a system that can process
information through the application of logical rules and strategies. They also believe that the mind
receives information, performs operations to change its form and content, stores and locates it and
generates responses from it.

LEARNING TASK 10
CONNECT ME

Direction: Look at the semantic map below. Write down words which come to your mind when
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT is mentioned.
 COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT

Discussion Questions:
1. What were the common ideas regarding cognitive development?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. With the advent of the computer age, do you think cognitive development is affected? Explain
your answer.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

LEARNING TASK 11
CONNECT ME

1. Study the diagram on information-processing below. Write your insights on how you can
apply the Information-Processing Theory in primary-school children.

Long-term
Memory
External Sensory Initial
Elaboration
Stimulus
Memory Processing Retrieval and
Coding

Short-term

RESPONSE
Repetition

Memory

Forgotten

Forgotten

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. Look for articles and studies, either online or printed, on the influence of family on cognitive
development. Share your important points of your research in the space provided.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
 LESSON 9

MAIN CONTENTS

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The developmental theorist, Erik Erikson, formulated eight stages of man’s psychosocial
development. Each stage is regarded as a “psychosocial crisis” which arises and demands resolution
before the next stage can be achieved.
Preschool children belong to the fourth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial stage. Here, children
have to resolve the issue on Industry vs. Inferiority.

Erik Erikson’s Fourth Stage of Psychosocial Development

Industry vs, inferiority is the psychosocial crisis that children will have to resolve in this stage.
Industry refers to a child’s involvement in situations where long, patient work is demanded of them,
while inferiority is the feeling created when a child gets a feeling of failure when they cannot finish or
master their school work.
 In this stage, children, will most likely, have begun going to school. School experiences
become the priority, with children so busy doing school work. The encouragement of parents and
caring educators helps to build a child’s sense of self-esteem, strengthening their confidence and
ability to interact positively in the world.

Understanding the Self

One’s self-concept is the knowledge about the self, such as beliefs regarding personality traits,
physical characteristics, abilities, values, goals and roles. It also involves a sense of belonging and
acceptance, a sense of good and a sense of being capable of doing good.
Having a healthy self-concept does not mean that a child thinks he is better than others. It
means that he likes himself, feels accepted by his family and friends and believes that he can do well.
Primary school children’s self-concept is influenced not only by their parents, but also by the
growing number of people they begin to interact with, including teachers and classmates. Children
have a growing understanding of their parents and teachers. They are comfortable and show
confidence in doing things they are good at, but also show frustration in things that they find difficult.

School Years
In the transition from pre-elementary to primary school, children tend to become increasingly
self-confident and able to cope well with social interactions. They are not focused on themselves
anymore but are also aware of the needs and desires of others. The issues of fairness and equality
become important to them as they learn to care for people who are not part of their families.
Characteristics like loyalty and dependability are being considered as well as responsibility and
kindness.

Building Friendships

“What is a FRIEND? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”

- ARISTOTLE

Making friends is a crucial but very important part of children’s social and emotional growth. As
soon as they are able to walk and talk, they will tend to show natural inclination to be around other
children.
Children, during this stage, most likely belong to a peer group. Peer groups are characterized by
children who belong approximately to the same age group and same social economic status. It is
found along the stages of childhood through adolescence. But for children, until the age of seven or
eight, they think of themselves more than that others. They may play well with groups but may need
some time to play alone.
Primary school children prefer to belong to peer groups of the same gender. Many children will
use their surroundings to observe and mingle with other children. some will see this as an opportunity
to make friends while others remain a bit of a loner.

Antisocial Behavior
 Some adult may perceive that some children’s behavior towards other children as antisocial.
When children poke, pull, hi or kick other children when they are first introduced, it is fairly normal.
Remember that children at this stage are still forming their own world views and other children may
seem like a curiosity that they need to explore. Parents and teachers can help children make friends.
You can consider the following:
 Expose the children to kid-rich environments (e.g. playgrounds, park).
 Create a play group in your class and let the children mingle with their classmates.
 When your children hit other children, remind them that their behavior hurts others.
 Coordinate with the parents and other teachers so that the children will have greater
opportunity to interact with other children.

Self-control
Once children reach school age, they begin to take pride in their ability to do things and their
capacity to exert effort. They like receiving positive feedback from their parents and teachers. This
becomes a great opportunity for parents and teachers to encourage positive emotional responses
from children by acknowledging their mature, compassionate behaviors.

LEARNING TASK 12
CONNECT ME

Direction: Observe primary-schoolers during their play time. Take note of their:

a. Behavior during play

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
b. Communication with their peers
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
c. Facial expressions, gestures and body language
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
d. Take pictures of these children during playtime. Paste them below and discuss important
points and observations.
Discussion Questions:
1. What were the common observation among these children when it comes to:
a. behavior during play?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b. communication with their peers?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

c. facial expressions, gestures and body language?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 LESSON 10

MAIN CONTENTS

LATE CHILDHOOD (The Intermediate Schooler)

Physical Development of the Intermediate Pupil

The steady and gradual changes happening in children at this stage, especially with their
increasing familiarity with school work and other possible activities provide them with a greater
opportunity to develop their motor skill functioning.

Physical Changes
Children in their late childhood stage always seem to be in a hurry. They get so busy with their
friends, exploring other possible activities, but this period of physical development seems to take on
leisurely pace.
 On the average, girls are generally as much as two (2) years ahead of boys in terms of
physical maturity. Puberty may begin early. Budding breasts for girls– which is the initial sign of
puberty. Some girls may also start with their menstrual period as early as 8 and some as late 13.
Many of the bodily structures like the liver, muscles, skeletons, kidneys and face follow a
normal curve of development for both girls and boys. Other structures like the brain, intestines and
other organs and bodily systems mature at their own time, thus, affecting growth patterns.
Children gain an average of 7 pounds in weight, and average of 2 ½ inches in height and an
average of an inch in head circumference each year. Children at this stage have growth spurts-
sudden boost in height and weight, which are usually accompanied by increase in appetite and food
intake. Increase in body fats also occurs in preparation for the growth that occurs during adolescence.
The body fat increase occurs earlier in girls and is greater in quantity.
Girls appear to be “chubby” while boys tend to have more lean body mass per inch of height
than girls. These are all normal part of development. These differences in body composition become
very significant during adolescence.
At this stage, children may become very concerned about their physical appearance. Girls,
especially, may become concerned about their weight and decide to eatless. Boys may become
aware of their stature and muscle size and strength.
Since this stage can bring about insecurities, parents and teachers must be very conscious
about their dealings with these children. Appropriate activities must be designed so that children will
be guided into the right direction. Children must be given opportunities to engage themselves in
worthwhile activities that:
 promote healthy growth
 give them a feeling of accomplishment
 reduce the risk of certain diseases
This stage is also characterized by advanced development of their fine and gross motor skills.
Muscle strength and stamina increase as they are offered different physical activities.
Children may become more interested in physical activities where they can interact with friends
and family. Activities when they can share with parents (e.g. biking, running, playing basketball) show
children that exercising can be fun.

LEARNING TASK 13
CONNECT ME

Direction: Take pictures of children in their late childhood (ages 9 to 12). Make a collage and discuss
the common characteristics that you have observed.

MY OBSERVATION
Abstraction

1. If you were a teacher, what ideas can you give in order to help intermediate school children
develop physically? Give at least 5 and explain each briefly.
a. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
d. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
e. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Analysis

1. What initial characteristics of children ages 9 to 12 did you observe?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. What activities were commonly done by these children which help them to develop physically?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Based on your observations and readings, do boys follow a different growth pattern compared
to the girls? Explain your answer.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Application
1. Being healthy physically greatly helps children to succeed in their everyday undertaking in their
adulthood. Design a simple exercise program appropriate for children ages 9 to 12. Divide your
program into three parts:

Part 1: Warm Up Activities- may include breathing exercise and stretching routines
Part 2: Exercise Proper- may consist of three to four sets of exercises which may focus on the
following areas: (a) body balance and posture, (b) endurance, (c) muscle strength and/or (d)
agility.
Part 3: Cooling Down or Quieting Activity- includes another set of breathing and stretching
exercises.

________________________________________
Title of Exercise

Part 1: Warm Up Activities:

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Exercise Proper:

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Part 3: Cooling Down or Quieting Activity

 LESSON 11

MAIN CONTENTS

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLERS

Since children in this stage are already in their late childhood, rapid development of mental
skills is evident. According to Jean Piaget, concrete operational thinkers can now organize thoughts
effectively, although, they can only logically perceive the immediate situation. They can apply what
they have learned to situations and events that they can manipulate.
Thus their reasoning and logical thinking are still very limited. But with proper guidance and
nurturance from parents, teachers and the rest of the community, these children can easily succeed
in their intellectual endeavors.

Initial Cognitive Characteristics

Intermediate school children greatly enjoy the cognitive abilities that they can now utilize. Their
thinking skills have become more effective as compared during their primary years. Their school work
is now more complicated. Reading tests have become longer; problem solving has become an
everyday part of their lives.
Their ability to use logic and reasoning give them chances of thinking about what they want
and how to get it. They now become very interested in talking about the future or even their potential
careers. They develop special interest in collections, hobbies and sports. They are even capable of
understanding concepts without having direct hands-on experiences.

Reading Development
Children in this stage, is marked by a wide application od word attack. Because of the
presence of previous knowledge, they can now have a ide vocabulary which enables them to
understand the meanings of unknown words through context clues (This is the “Reading to Learn”
Stage in reading development). They are no longer into the fairy tales and magic type of stories but
are more interested in longer and more complex reading material, e.g. fiction books and series books.

Attention
Older children have longer and more flexible attention span compared to younger children.
Their span of attention is dependent on how much is required by the given task. In terms of school
work, older children can concentrate and focus more for longer period of hours especially if they are
highly interested in what they are doing.

Creativity

“CREATIVITY is not the finding of a thing,

but making something out of it after it is found.”
-James Russell Lowell
Children at this stage are open to explore new things. Creativity is innate in children, they just
need a little guidance and support from parents, teachers and people around them. They are usually
at their best when the work is done in small pieces.
Creativity in children is encouraged when the activities:
 encourage different responses from each child.
 celebrate uniqueness.
 break stereotypes.
 value process over product.
 reduce stress and anxiety in children.
 support to share ideas, not only with the teacher/parent but also with other children.
 minimize competition and external rewards.

The Impact of Media

“Television viewing is a highly complex,

cognitive activity during which children are actively involved in learning.”
-(Anderson and Collins, 1988)
 The dream of having a television unit in every classroom started in the 1950’s. It was
considered as one of the first technological advancements in schools. The impact of the use of
television and other media like the computer has gained popularity because students are given more
opportunity to:
 communicate effectively in speech and writing
 work collaboratively
 use technological tools
 analyze problems, set goals and formulate strategies for achieving goals
 seek out information or skills on their own, as needed, to meet their goals

Media and Aggression

Violence and aggression are often dubbed as one of the results of media. According to the
Public Health Summit in 2000, the following are some of the negative results of media:
 Children will increase anti-social and aggressive behavior.
 Children may become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from violence.
 Children may view the world as violent and mean, becoming more fearful of being a victim of
violence.
 Children will desire to see more violence in entertainment and real life.
 Children will view violence as an acceptable way to settle conflicts.
The school and the home provide children with unlimited access to media, not only televisions and
computers, but also videos, movies, comic books and music lyrics. The responsibility now lies with
the parents, teachers and the whole community. It should be a collective effort among the factors
working together to support children in every aspect of development.
Having a role model is extremely important for children at this stage of transition (from childhood
to adolescence). It gives children an adult to admire and emulate. Role models also provide them with
motivation to succeed. One of the most important roles of teachers is to become a very good role
model to children.

Teachers…
 need to be eager participant in children’s growth and development.
 must understand how to use the children’s natural curiosity to help make the appropriate
developmental leaps in their skills and abilities.
 must create an atmosphere where risks can be taken and discoveries made while children
remain safe.

LEARNING TASK 13
UNDERSTAND ME
Direction: Write your understanding on the statement below.

INTELLIGENCE is…
 the ability to create an effective product or offer a service that is valued
in a culture;
 a set of skills that makes it possible for a person to solve problem in life;
 the potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which
involves gathering new knowledge.
- HOWARD GARDNER

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Analysis
Discussion Questions:
1. What kind of intelligence is being referred to by Howard gardner?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. What intelligence do you think is the most evident in this stage of development?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Do these intelligences vary among children in terms of age and gender?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Abstraction
1. Write the definitions of the following words based on how you understood it.
a. Concrete operational thinkers
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b. “Reading to Learn” Stage (in Reading Development)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c. Attention Span
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
d. Creativity
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Application
1. What can teachers do to help encourage creativity in children? Consider the following areas in
the teaching-learning process.

The Creative Teacher

The Learning The Planning The Designing of

Environment Instructional Materials
Activities
 LESSON 12

MAIN CONTENTS

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLERS

At this period of socio-emotional development, children are spending less time in the home.
The bulk of their time is spent outside the home, either alone or with other children, rather than with
adults. Older children have already familiarized themselves with other children. they are already used
to interacting with different ages and gender. For many of them, these social networks are not only
sources of social support but also different forms of learning.

Understanding Self-Competence, Self-Identity and Self-Concept

One of the most widely recognized characteristics of this period of development is the
acquisition of feelings of self-competence. This is what Erik Erikson referred to when he described the
developmental task of middle childhood- social crisis industry versus inferiority. Industry refers to the
drive to acquire new skills and do meaningful “work”.
The child should have a growing sense of competence. The child’s definitions of self and
accompanied vary greatly according to interpretations in the surrounding environment. Varied
opportunities must be provided in order for children to develop a sense of perseverance. They should
be offered chances to both fail and succeed, along with sincere feedback and support.
During late childhood, children can now describe themselves with internal and psychological
characteristics and traits. They most likely employ more social comparison- distinguishing themselves
from others. In dealing with other children, they show increase in perspective-taking. This ability
increases with age. Perspective taking enables the child to: (a) judge others’ intentions, purposes and
actions, (b) give importance to social attitudes and behaviors and to (c) increase skepticism of others’
claims.

Emotional Development
Similar to the other areas of development, children in this stage, show improved emotional
understanding, increased understanding that more than one emotion can be experienced in a single
experience. They may also show greater ability to show or conceal emotions, utilize ways to redirect
feelings and a capacity for genuine empathy.
Another milestone in this stage is the development of the children’s emotional intelligence
(EQ), which involves the ability to monitor feelings of oneself and others and use this to guide and
motivate behavior.
 Developing emotional self-awareness
 Managing emotions (self-control)
 Reading emotions (perspective taking)
 Handling emotions (resolve problems)

Building Friendships
As children go through their late childhood, the time they spend in peer interaction increases.
For them, good peer relationships are very important. The approval and belongingness they receive
contribute to the stability and security of their emotional development. Peer size also increases and
less supervision by adults is required. At this stage, children prefer to belong to same-sex peer
groups.
There are five types of Peer Status:
 Popular- frequently nominated as the bestfriend and one who is rarely disliked by peers.
 Average- receives an average number of positive and negative nominations from peers.
 Neglected- very seldom nominated as bestfriend but is not really disliked.
 Rejected- infrequently nominated as a bestfriend but one who is also disliked by peers.
 Controversial- frequently nominated as a bestfriend but at the same time is disliked by
peers.
Family
Family support is crucial at this stage which characterized by success and failure. If children do
not find a supportive family when they find their interest (e.g. in hobbies like riding a bike or playing a
musical instrument) they can easily get frustrated. If families are seen as a primary support system,
failures and setbacks become temporary and surmountable rather than something that is attributed to
personal flaws or deficits. This time is critical time for children to develop a sense of competence. A
high-quality adult relationship, specifically, family relationship enables them to successfully go
through this stage of development.

Big Ideas
This lesson stresses that:
 During late childhood, a wide variety of biological, psychological and social changes
take place across the developmental domains.
 As children progress through late childhood, the family environment remains extremely
important, while the community environment- including the school- also becomes a
significant factor in shaping the child’s development.
 During the childhood, peers have an increasingly strong impact on development; peer
acceptance becomes very important to well-being.

LEARNING TASK 14
THINK OF ME

Direction: Paste a picture of you when you were in Grade 4, 5, or 6. Recall a significant event that
happened to you. Write a very brief story of what happened.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Analysis:
Discussion Questions:
As you share your story, answer the questions below:

1. Why was this event so significant?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you think were the factors that made you react or feel that way?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. How do you think this event has affected you socially and emotionally?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Thinking about it, do you think you could have acted or felt differently?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Abstraction

Direction: Look for the factors which greatly affect the socio-emotional development of children in
their late childhood stage. You can surf on the internet or read readings about the topic. Express your
answer using the graphic organizer below and write your generalization on the space provided for.

FACTORS THAT GREATLY AFFECT

THE SOCIO_EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT OF INTERMEDIATE
SCHOOLERS

My generalization:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Application:

Direction: Interview a parent or a teacher of an intermediate schooler. Use the questions below as
your guide. Write your conclusions and insights.
Name of Parent (optional): _________________________________________________________

Age and Grade Level of the Child:___________________________________________________

Gender of the Child:_______________________________________________________________

Questions:

1. What were some marked changes in your child as he/she reached the intermediate level
(Grade 4 to 6)?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. How can you describe his/her interactions with parents, sibling(s) – if any, teachers and peers?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. What can you say about your child’s self- confidence and self-esteem?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. What activities in the home do you do to help your child interact with people around him/her?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

My Insights:

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________