Physical Development during Middle Childhood and Adolescence

We follow the same basic principles of physical development starting from the prenatal period. However, significant changes continue to occur during middle childhood and adolescence. As children enter the formal school system, they are exposed to new environments that offer increased opportunities to develop and refine their motor skills. Activities such as writing, organized sports, and physical education provide structured settings in which children can practice and enhance both their fine and gross motor abilities. These experiences contribute to the ongoing development of coordination, strength, and control.

Physical changes of puberty mark the onset of adolescence (Lerner & Steinberg, 2009). For both boys and girls, these changes include a growth spurt in height, growth of pubic and underarm hair, and skin changes (e.g., pimples). Boys also experience growth in facial hair and a deepening of their voice. Girls experience breast development and begin menstruating. These pubertal changes are driven by hormones, particularly an increase in testosterone for boys and estrogen for girls. The physical changes that occur during adolescence are greater than those of any other time of life, with the exception of infancy. In some ways, however, the changes in adolescence are more dramatic than those that occur in infancy—unlike infants, adolescents are aware of the changes that are taking place and of what the changes mean. In this chapter, you will learn about the principles of physical development, motor skill development in middle childhood, pubertal changes in body size, proportions, and sexual maturity, the social and emotional attitudes and reactions toward puberty, and some of the health concerns during middle childhood and adolescence.