ECE 31 ~ Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial

4/19/17

O. García ~ Spring 2017 1

Psychosocial development during middle childhood

• School age observation project due next week –No NQA – No late papers!

• Plan ahead for the last research project due May 10: Adolescent Development

Today’s class ~ Review ~Reviewing the multiple choice handout on the Play Years:Ø Complete page 1 – Q’s 1 to 6Ø Compare your results with others at your tableØ Same for page 2 – Q’s 7 to 12Ø Whole class reviewØ At home for next week:

complete 13-24

Planning ahead for the last research project: adolescent developmentØOption: observation or interview

Will explain next week … BUT

§ If interview: must obtain permission from teen’s parent

§ If observation: must select a junior high or high school and ask permission now to visit and observe no later than May 2.

§ Assignment due date: May 10No late papers accepted

Find a partner (someone new):

Thinking back to your own middle childhood

(7 to 11 years old)

Think about your friendships from the time you were 7 to the time you were 11:

v What was considered important by you and your peers?

v What kinds of activities did you do with friends?

v How much adult supervision was there?v What did you learn from friends that you could

not learn from adults?

The influence and the role of family

Ø During school age relationships change between children and parents. How?

Ø How much influence do you think that parents have on the social skills and personality of their children? Explain.

Ø Curious to know if your idea agrees with the research? (see pp. 416-417)

Families and

Children

Research shows the various types of families among U.S. children, known as family structures.■ What are some common family

structures? (p. 420)

■ More important than who lives with a child is family function (i.e. family dynamics), for example: ◆ the way a family works to meet the needs

of a child◆ the way people in the family care for one

another

§ What are the most important things that every school-age child needs from family?

p. 418

ECE 31 ~ Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial

4/19/17

O. García ~ Spring 2017 2

“Getting along with peers is especially crucial during middle childhood” (Berger, p. 395)

What do you think? Why?

Friendships ■ Friendships are highly valued during middle childhood.

■ Most ten-year-olds have one “best”friend.

■ Older children tend to choose friends whose interests, values, and backgrounds are similar to their own.

Around age 10, was this true for you? Reflect on your own experience.

The culture of children: a particular set of rules and rituals passed down from older to younger children

§ Appearances and social comparisons are important to school-age children. How?

§ How does one fit in with peers?Ø Adjust behaviorØ Negotiate, share and compromise Ø Rules, clothes, language, secrets

Ø What challenges might be present for immigrant or social minority children?

Social acceptance Some children are popular, some are ignored, and some are unpopular. Why?During your own school years, what do you recall about social acceptance or rejection? ✦ What factors contributed to

being liked or disliked?

Research shows: …. (pp. 430-431)

✦ How might you guide a child who is unpopular?

✦ How might you guide a child shuns or shows antipathy toward another child?

Thinking about your school-age observation During your observation of school age children in an elementary school classroom:• What did you observe

regarding peer relationships?

• Describe examples of students who appeared to enjoy social acceptance.

• Were there any whoappeared to experiencesocial rejection?

■ Bullying involves repeated, systematicefforts to inflict harm.

■ This includes physical attack, taunting, teasing, name-calling.

What factors contribute to the development of a bully? Look it up – p. 432

Contributing factors to bullying include:ØInborn brain abnormalities or genetic impulsesØInsecure attachmentØStressful home lifeØHostile siblingsØLack of knowledge & experience of how to control aggressive impulses

Bullying

ECE 31 ~ Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial

4/19/17

O. García ~ Spring 2017 3

Bullying: what needs to change? ■ What does not work?■ What works?

Look it up – p. 433■ Everyone must change, not just

the bullies■ The entire culture of the school

needs to be evaluated, changed, re-evaluated.

The Nature of the Child§During the middle years, what factors contribute to a positive sense of self?

§What helped you develop the positive aspects of your self-image?

During middle childhood a positive sense of self is related to: 1.Academic

competence2.Social acceptance

by peers3.Social support

from parents and teachers.

Skills and self-concept are reciprocal

Success in school fosters self-esteem and feelings of industry and productivity (as opposed to a sense of inferiority)

Academic learning and achievement

According to Erikson... There is a “conflict” that the individual must resolve during middle childhood…

■ Industry vs. inferiorityis Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial crises, in which children see themselves as competent or incompetent.

During middle childhood, kids develop a more complex self-concept, including more self-criticism and self-consciousness.

Positive self-concepté ê

é undertakes new

activities and tasks

ê

é learns more; gains,

more experience

é ê

undertakes more activities

ECE 31 ~ Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial

4/19/17

O. García ~ Spring 2017 4

Negative self-concept

é frequent failure(criticism, exclusion, or abuse)

ê

é feelings of inferiority

ê

é less initiative, less exploration

é ê

less experience, é learns less, knows less

Between ages 6 and 11,what might be indicators

of psychosocial maturation?i.e. what might you reasonably expect of a child?

Ref. p. 410

Coping with life: ResilienceWhat is resilience?Resilience is the capacity to develop optimally by adapting positively to significant adversity.

◆ It is a dynamic trait, varying with time◆ It is not the absence of pathology, but a positive

adaptation to stress◆ The stress may vary in significance✦ Children can be affected by stress that is cumulative

(e.g., “daily hassles”)✦ How the child interprets the stress is important✦ Daily routines are key in coping with stress

Example: after-school activities

Thinking about your school-age observation

During your observation of school age children in an elementary school classroom:• What examples did you

observe of children applyingthemselves to achieve masteryof specific skills and tasks?

• What aspects of theenvironment might contributeto a positive sense of industryor, on the contrary, to a senseof inferiority? Be specific.

5-minute write Based on what you learned tonight:What are some specific steps that parents and teachers can take to foster positive personality development in school-age children?