Middle Childhood Observations

Name: Jennifer Cheatham

Class/section: FHS 1500-501
Assignment: Observation 3

Background Information
Childs age: Middle Childhood: age 6-11
Fictitious name: Alex (The childs name has been changed to protect privacy.)
Location: Coral Ridge community pool
Brief Observation of a young boy and his interaction friends and toys at the
Description: community pool.

Biological Development

Alex was a skinny 8-year-old boy, several inches shorter than all his friends and very
slender. He was extremely active with his friends, hardly sat still and was always the first to do a
cannon ball or dive off the diving board. I highly doubt he will fall into the 2012 statistic that
18% of 6- to 11-year-olds in the Unites States that are obese which is very fortunate
because as the text book states; as excessive weight builds, future health risks increase,
average achievement decreases, self-esteem falls, and loneliness rises (Berger, 2016, p.
242). The entire time I observed Alex he was on the move, except for a short lunch break. He
seemed to have great motor control of his body as he was able to flip, dive and even compete
with his friends for jumping onto a pool float in the middle of the pool.
Alex seemed to have a healthy appetite. When he and his buddies took a swimming break
to eat some lunch it seemed that his mom had packed him a healthy lunch. He eagerly ate what
looked like a turkey sandwich, carrot sticks, celery with peanut butter and grapes and chased it
down with water. His food was quite different from most of the other gathered friends, who
snacked heavily on packaged potato chips, sodas and candy. Our textbook states, simply
offering healthy food is not enough to convince children to change their habits; context and
culture are crucial (Berger, 2016, p. 243). Based off this information from our book I am
convinced that his home life most likely provides a good example of eating healthy, flavorful
food because I never saw him reach for any of his friends food.

Cognitive Development

I was very surprised when Alex started speaking Spanish fluently to a little girl that I
believe was his sister. He had absolutely no accent I could detect when speaking English, but he
spoke with such fluency with his sister that it seemed as if hes known Spanish since birth. It
wouldnt be too far fetched to believe since our text states that; In the United States, almost 1
school-age child in 4 speaks a language other than English at home. Most of them also speak
English well, according to their parents (Berger, 2016, p. 255). For most of the time I observed
him he flawlessly switched back and forward between both languages. It was very apparent that
Alex was gifted in what Howard Gardner would classify as a linguistic intelligences, which is
one of the nine he describes (Berger, 2016, p. 268).
Alex was able to laugh, joke with and understand others jokes well. He seemed well
developed in his language and his use of pragmatics. The textbook says that as children master
pragmatics, they become more adept at making friends (Berger, 2016, p. 255). When he was
asked by the lifeguard to stop running and not throw their float in the deep end of the pool, he
politely responded with a yes maam, we wont do that again and at the next moment he turned
to his friend with a hey dude, lets go off the diving board. This was the perfect example when
the text stated that; One aspect of language that advances markedly in middle childhood is
pragmatics. This practical knowledge of communication is evident in the contrast between
talking formally to teachers and informally with friends (Berger, 2016, p. 255).

Psychosocial Development

It was apparent that Alex, along with his friends, had already developed a sense of gender
discrimination. Alex was up taking his turn to jump on the pool float when his sister decided to
make a run for it. In Spanish he yelled at her no girls allowed! This game is for boys only! Go
play with your friends in the kiddie pool. The book states that between the ages of 6 and 11 they
start to develop their self concept, which is their idea about themselves, including their
intelligence, personality, abilities, gender and ethnic background. It also goes on to state All
children become aware of gender discrimination, with girls complaining that they are not
allowed to play some sports and boys complaining that teachers favor the girls. It was very
evident that Alex had become aware and was acting this out.
Our book discusses the moral values of children and what is imperative to 6-11 year olds.
It says three common ones are; Protect your friends. Dont tell adults what is happening.
Conform to peer standards of dress, talk and behavior (Berger, 2016, p. 308). Alexs behavior
really reflected this as one of his friends threw a pool float into the diving board area. The
lifeguard turned to Alex, who was standing the closest to her and asked him who had done it.
Alex responded with I didnt see who did it, sorry. When he jumped in the pool he quietly said
to his friend what I can assume was along the lines of stop doing that because the kid quit
throwing it where he wasnt supposed to. The book also says fortunately, peers may help one
another act ethically (Berger, 2016, p. 308).

*As noted above, I changed the name of the boy in this observation to protect his privacy. The
mother gave permission for me to observe her son for the purpose of this paper

Reference List

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.) [with Salt Lake Community College
supplement]. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.