Deck 11: Seciton 1: Middle Childhood: Biosocial Development

Question 1

Describe three advances in children's brain functioning during the school years.

Answer 1

The maturing corpus callosum connects the hemispheres of the brain, which enables 1) improved balance and 2) two-handed coordination. Myelination of nerves 3) speeds up thought processes. The prefrontal cortex develops an increased 4) ability to plan, 5) monitor, and 6) evaluate. Increasing maturation results in a 6) massively interconnected brain crucial for 7) reading and 8) other complex academic tasks that children must master as well as 9) improved social skills.

Question 2

Identify three ways in which obesity could affect a school-age child. Then indicate two potential outcomes during adulthood for an obese child if the child remains obese across development.

Answer 2

Childhood overweight correlates with 1) asthma, 2) high blood pressure, and 3) elevated cholesterol (especially, LDL, the "lousy" cholesterol). 4) School achievement often decreases, 5) self-esteem falls, and 6) loneliness rises.
If obese children stay heavy when they become adults, they are 1) less likely to marry, 2) attend college, or 3) find work that reflects their ability.

Question 3

Define dyslexia and describe two symptoms.

Answer 3

Dyslexia is defined as any unusual difficulty with reading and is often thought to be the result of some neurological underdevelopment. Dyslexia often originates with speech and hearing difficulties. No single test can accurately diagnose dyslexia, and symptoms range in nature and severity. One child with a reading disability might have 1) trouble sounding out words but might excel in comprehension; another child might put so much effort into saying the words that 2) comprehension is damaged. The most common symptoms are 3) decoding problems that involve the reversal of letters (such as d for p, etc.) or 4) reversal of words (was for saw). Both of these inhibit decoding, but dyslexia encompasses any type of reading disability.

Question 4

Differentiate between mainstreaming and inclusion in educating children with special needs.

Question 5

Differentiate between aptitude and achievement tests and identify two criticisms of testing.

Question 6

Tyler's mother is trying to decide whether or not to sign up her 7-year-old son for Little League baseball. Offer two reasons why she should encourage this activity.

Question 7

Several neurological advances occur during middle childhood, including selective attention and automatization. First, describe selective attention and provide an example to illustrate this neurological advance. Second, describe automatization and provide an example to illustrate this neurological advance.

Question 8

Identify the three signs of autism spectrum disorder and explain how Asperger syndrome is related to the disorder.

Question 9

Seven-year-old Brian has been diagnosed as having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Describe some of his behaviors, and tell two things that his parents and teachers can do to help him cope.

Question 10

Discuss the "hygiene hypothesis" as it relates to childhood illness. State two facts that support this hypothesis.

Question 11

Explain three of the causes of increased childhood obesity in the United States today.