Middle Childhood Standing Out

In the “Study of the Child: Theories of Development I” (Learning Seed, 1997), according to Vygotsky, the cognitive development in children is in direct relationship, and dependent on interaction with others. (Feldman 2010, pg. 20). Vygotsky believed to truly understand cognitive development; a child’s social and cultural experiences must be considered.

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development was one of the first steps in understanding how children become who they are as adults. In early childhood, children begin to understand symbols and representations (Berk, 2014, p. 227). Their learning shifts from sensing the world as in the sensorimotor stage to trying to find commonalities like symbols. According to Berk (2014), Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory focused on “social context of cognitive development” (p. 234). Vygotsky incorporated social context and social interactions into childhood development; in other words, who, how, and what children interact with in their everyday social environment contributes to their mental and emotional development. When it comes to both of these cognitive theories, there are many similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky.

The tightness of a parents’ grip upon their children can reflect the way we function for the rest of our lives. Too tight, and we desire freedom and indulge in rebellion. Too loose, we become lost souls, hopelessly searching for that one constant comfort in a sea of dissatisfaction and loneliness. Lev Vygotsky theorized that a person 's psychological development is formed by his/her past and social environment. Vygotsky focused on the social interactions during the learning process and claimed there is a deep interrelationship between social and cognitive development. He believed that children are curious and actively involved in their own learning. They discover and development new understandings about the world by observing those who are in their immediate surroundings.

During my middle childhood the pivotal influences on my development were participation in extracurricular activities and a love of reading. During middle childhood my parents enrolled me in ballet classes, various sports, and I competed in rodeos. These activities contributed to my social identity and social development. Through my extracurricular activities, I became aware of multiple aspects of my identity. For example, I knew to behave differently in my ballet classes than I might at a rodeo. I also learned to befriend and accept different types of people through my exposure to these different environments. These processes helped me to acquire appropriate social behaviors and positive group identity (Hutchison, 2013). When I was 9 years old I moved to another school, and though my parents re-enlisted me in ballet and sports, I had a difficult time fitting in. During this transition I picked up a love for reading. I thoroughly enjoyed any book assignments at school, and I was constantly asking my parents to buy more books or to take me to the library. I believe this love for reading greatly influenced my intellectual and cognitive development, as I was put into more advanced classes at my new school and did exceedingly well on tests and assignments. I scored especially well on reading tests and could read at a high school level in 5th grade. While I had positive group identity earlier in middle childhood, I believe my reading may have been excessive concerning my social

Growing up in a small town in Georgia, I thought that I was pretty ordinary. I had many friends who were of the same background as I was and life was fairly simple. That all changed when my family moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. I was just in middle school when I was given a cultural stereotype and judged by my new peers because of my southern accent. As a high schooler, I understand that it is best to be myself regardless of what others think but as a middle schooler this was mortifying. I was set apart from everyone else and considered the weird new southern kid. Many kids even believed my accent was somehow related to my intelligence and were surprised by me being in all the advanced classes.

Throughout the time I was in middle school I lacked support from both my parents. I didn’t have anyone to push me to try and receive good grades and both my parents cared very little whether I passed my classes. Lacking parental guidance, I received poor and failing grades throughout all of middle school. I created a poor working habit and had the mindset that school was not for me. It wasn’t until the end of my 8th grade year that I realized that the grades I received could ultimately shape my future. By then I was far behind from other students who had received good grades all of middle school. At the start of high school I was placed into regular ed classes and put in elective classes just to fill up my schedule. These classes put me

As the child grows into their adolescence, a stage in which self-identification and social standing become

Children’s relations with their peers and families play a major role in stabilising their overall development, letting them create and grow social and emotional competencies by exposing them to new experiences,among other children away from surroundings that they are already aware of away from their caregivers. The telegraph (2007) claims; “children, who come from strict households or chaotic ones,are just as likely to be tearaways outside the home is claimed to be the most important. It also suggests; the impact and influence of how a child survives and their behaviours in school is also significant than what is learnt at home.

When I was around five years old, I had a female doll that was the same size as me at the time. My mother would play music for us almost every night and I would choose the doll to be my dancing partner. Although, I would only dance with the doll if I was wearing a pajama shirt and pants; I never would dance with it if I was wearing one of my night gowns. My mother would not let me cut the doll's platinum-gold hair, to make it appear more like a boy even though I had asked her over and over. It just seemed odd to me, a girl to dance with another "girl".

My parents were often too busy, my dad at work and my mom trying to manage six kids. All I knew about behaving was quiet is good

Today’s youth is strongly influenced by other individuals in their specific environments. Whether the youth is interacting with classmates, teachers, friends, and family, interaction types vary. The environment that a child is in strongly impacts the way they will socialize with others around them, more specifically in the school setting. Volunteering at Mountview Elementary school for the CSL project, I’ve been able to be a part of that environment and be able to witness the different interactions that happen with youth, ages 5-10 on a daily basis. Observing students from grade one to grade five, I’ve noticed how the personalities portrayed in the classroom and during recess are altered. This is due to the change in the environment and the

Finding a sense of self and fitting in is of the upmost importance. This is the age when peer-

During middle childhood, being a good parent requires the ability to adjust to your child’s fluctuating needs with as little conflict as possible (Eccles, 1999, p. 40). Children at this age are looking to gain independence while still needing the stability of home (Eccles, 1999, p. 40). Because of this, if a parent is trying to be their child’s friend, there may not be a positive outcome for the parent or the child. Being a child’s friend puts you emotionally on the same level with them; however, during middle childhood a child benefits from knowing that there is an adult who loves them, that can handle the tough times and decisions in life, can give them instruction, and can set clear rules (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC],

Isabella is a 7 years 10 months old girl, who was born premature in Norman-Oklahoma; when she was born weight 4 pounds and 5 oz. and her height was 17.5 inches. I knew by her mom that she spent only 8 days in the NICU at the hospital before coming home with them. I observed Isabella in her house, she live there with her mom, dad, a fish and a dog. The observation was realized when I was visiting my friend’s house; I observed the girl in her environment for approximately two and half hours. My first observation was she spend time making craft from her own inspiration and enjoy to gifting them to her parents. She was very talkative, independent and active girl.

As Helen got older, her life obstacles she surpassed were being noticed by others and started to inspire others. She has reached that stage in life where she wanted to be more independent. At this age she started to write in her own and really just started to write papers. The first paper was assumed to be plagiarized. I have to say that this young lady fulfilled some big shoes shoes that I don 't know if I could have filled. The middle childhood stages last for a few years from about six to eleven.