Understanding

Life Span Development II: School age and Adolescence 3 (2+1)

Lesson 4 : Cognitive development during Late childhood

Understanding

There is an increased understanding during late childhood when compared to the early childhood period. As their world expands with the entrance of school their interests in understanding people around them will be increased. They will associate the new meanings with the old concepts not only from the people around them but they also derive meanings from the mass media especially movies, radio, television. For ex: In building up social concepts, they associate cultural stereotypes with people of different sex, socio economic groups etc. As they read text books in the school, they not only derive new meanings, but also correct the faulty meanings associated with old concepts. They develop different emotional weightings for different concepts through vicarious learning.

Concept

Life

They will understand that movement is not the sole criterion of life. Many things that move may not have life. For ex. A river

Death

Understand the meaning of death and give emotional different weight age based on the reactions of the people around them

Life after death

Understand this concept based on their friends belief

Bodily functions

Increased understanding of body parts locations and their functions

Space

Children learn meanings of inches, feet, miles and they can apply to the outer space

Numbers

Understand number concepts to 1,000 and above

Causation

Understand the causation of physical concepts more than the psychological concepts. They can understand the causes for rain earlier than the causes for people get angry.

Money

Understand the value of different forms of money

Time

Develop the concept of what they can accomplish in a given period of time

Self

Children’s concepts about themselves can be clarified by seeing through the eyes of their teachers and classmates and comparing their abilities and achievements with their peers.

Sex roles

Develop clear concepts of approved sex roles for both boys and girls. Before this period they consider male role is more prestigious than female role.

Social roles

Accept the cultural stereotypes and adult attitudes towards these statues

Beauty

They tend to judge in terms of group standards rather than according to their own concepts.

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Last modified: Monday, 12 December 2011, 8:50 AM