Observing Physical Development in Children at Reyes Adobe Park

Children’s development consist of four domains physical (use of small and big muscles), socio-emotional (managing emotions and interaction with others), language (oral and written) and cognitive (reasoning and logical thinking). Each are equally as important to a child’s development. The subject of this observation is Body Growth and Physical Development, which falls under the domain of physical development.

The observation took place on Thursday, November 15, 2018 from 11:55 am to 1:05 pm. Five children were observed, four males and one female with ages ranging from approximately five to ten years old.

Two of the males were Caucasian and the other two males were Hispanic. The female was African American. The data of the observation was collected at Reyes Adobe Park in Agoura Hills, California.

Observational Summary

Child one is a Caucasian male approximately seven years old. He had an ectomorph body. He had thin arms and legs. His height and weight were average for his age. He is also average for physical attractiveness. There are no visible signs of puberty. Child one demonstrated his motor skills by being able to balance on a brick five feet wall.

Child two was also a Caucasian male approximately five years old. He had an ectomorph body type. His height and weight were average. His physical attractiveness was above average. He frequently got attention from adults near by.Child two is in the younger ages of school age and there were not any visible signs of puberty. His motor skill level is below average. He constantly needed help to balance on wall.

Child three a Asian male approximately six years old. He had an ectomorph body. Height and weight were average. He was above average in physical attractiveness. He received a lot of attention from adults near. He demonstrated a high level of confidence. There are no visible signs of puberty. His level of motor skills were average. When racing with all five children he came in fourth.

Child four is a Hispanic/Mexican male approximately seven years old. He is also average in height and weight has a endomorph body, with large arms and legs. His physical attractiveness was above average. He also demonstrated a high level of leadership while playing. There are no visible signs of pubertal changes. His motor skill level was average. He had average speed for his age and also was able to catch a bottle water.

Child five is a African American female approximately 11 years old. She is above average in height and weight. She has a endomorph body. Her physical attractiveness was above average. She received attention from both children and adults.She displayed the most leadership while playing. She also demonstrated high levels of confidence. She was wearing a training bra which was an indication that she’s beginning puberty. Her motor skills were average. When racing she came in first.

Conceptual Overview

Physical development during school age is bridge between infancy and puberty. During school age is where the child’s body begins to develop more into an adult-like body. As change in height and weight occurs, the child’s head, arms, and legs grow as well. Towards the last two years of school age (11-12) is where puberty begins. Females have greater body fat level. and males have more muscle mass. (Zember and Blume, 2009).

Although, four of the five children are in the earlier years of school age, child five showed some pubertal changes. She was approximately 11. She was average in height but showed a minute increase of body fat. The other four children are at the younger ages of school age.

Research Comparison

A longitudinal study took place in Australia during the years 2004 – 2010. The study looked at the level of protectiveness from parent to child. They studied the link between child obesity and over protective parents.There were 5,107 infants, 4,983 toddlers and a total of 4,000 families who participated in the study. As a result, the study showed that from ages four to nine the level of protectiveness was not a factor in child obesity. On the other hand it did demonstrate that stage 10 it plays a factor in a child health.(Hancock, 2014)

In the observation Child three and five both received numerous attention from adults. Child three is approximately six as compared to Child five who is approximately 11. As the research showed Child three received the same amount of attention from adults but has an ectomorph body. As compared to Child five who also received attention from adults. She has an endomorph body.

Reflection

By completing this observation it allowed me to make the connection from the learning material we covered in class, in particular the domain of physical development. For instance, in class we learned about the change of a child’s physical development and how it changes during middle school. It is important for anyone who works with children to be aware of the ongoing developmental changes that children experience.

References

Zembar, M. J., & Blume, L. B. (2009). Middle childhood development: A contextual approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson.

Hancock, K. J., Lawrence, D., & Zubrick, S. R. (n.d.). Higher Maternal Protectiveness Is Associated with Higher Odds of Child Overweight and Obesity: A Longitudinal Australian Study. Retrieved from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0100686

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