P
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Small muscle control advances and draws the child's energy and enthusiasm
Touching,
exploring, feeling the other kinesthetic activities become exciting
with love for coloring, drawing, marbles, jacks, doing puzzles,
making model giving great pleasure
General
health improves with fewer to surface with many children of this
age
Interest
in the body and in the sexual nature of a person appears to wane
somewhat though interest in pregnancy may surface
Physical
sphincter control is generally complete - in fact this is an age
of deepening control - self, body, emotions
Tires
easily and may need rest
|
E
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Industry
vs. Inferiority Inferiority is a great concern for this age child
and small setbacks may create a sense of work paralysis
"Bad
days" are accompanied by not hearing directions, having to be brought
back to reality, to tasks at hand, and forgotten and lost work or
getting off track
Life
seems to be sung in a minor key
Fear
is often pervasive with increases in night terrors, sleep walking
and talking, fears of monster talk
Many
exhibit almost a neurotic set of behaviors--increases in sucking
fingers, chewing nails, hair, clothes, self stimulation, nervous
tics and habits
|
P
|
Internal sense of right or wrong is developing
Holds
single absolute idea of appropriate behavior
Believes
rules must remain unchanged, immutable
Determines
guilt by amount of damage done
Moral
wrongness comes from doing the forbidden
Believes
in obedience to rules as a requirement to those in authority - not
questionable, but avoidable through not getting caught
Feels
peer aggression and transgression is especially grievance and will
tattle to assume self validity and because of the belief that rules
are "sacred"
Intention
is unimportant, while getting caught or not getting caught becomes
paramount
Self
justification is common
|
S
|
Referents: Fathers may be more highly valued and quoted as authorities
Teachers continue to be valued if the child is able to succeed at
school
Best friends become vital for many children
Withdrawing
is common in this age span
Moodiness
and melancholy are common attendants
Extra
time is often filled with ruminating and the solitary pursuits -
reading, TV, daydreaming
Frequently
complaints about others and unfairness as well as tattling are normal
Request
for assistance are usually honored and taken seriously, done willingly
Bickering
and teasing may increase if child feels a sense of insecurity or
crisis
When
upset the child often comes to others to fight the battle or square
things
|
I
|
Concrete operational thinking emerges: the child begins to understand
causality and continuity in time objects, numbers, etc.
There
is more than verbal agreement with inanimate objects no being alive,
that the sun does not move itself, that clouds do not make the decision
to rain
Child
may truly wish to do good work for an internal sense of value, responsibility
There
may be an emergent understanding of reversibility in conversation
of matter, liquid, etc.
The
intellect may be in the ascendancy and with it an new sense of prowess
in really understanding a notion or concept, even initiating a personal
explanation
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