Child development age 8 to 16

Physical development:

8 to 12 years - Initially, physical growth and changes to the body slow right down in this age band, compared with the speed of physical development up to the age of 5. Children will become more agile and adept. They will become more co-ordinated. Their muscles and bones will strengthen and many will enjoy becoming involved in particular sports — football, rugby, tennis, dance and swimming, for example. With regular coaching, the skills needed for them will become more refined.As their emotional and social skills continue to develop, children in this age band usually enjoy being part of a team and will participate in team games and sports with enthusiasm.It is important that children continue to stay active and fit. There will be more distractions from an active lifestyle as they become interested in games consoles and TV and DVDs/videos. Practitioners should aim to balance these interests with physical activity for all children. This may involve working with them to help them discover which sports or activity interests them most.Fine motor skills become far more refined, with handwriting becoming joined and fluent. Towards the end of this age band, puberty may begin. This marks the beginning of their transition from childhood to adulthood, a process which will affect their bodies and minds. Some children will enter puberty before the age of 11, although most will between the ages of 11 and 13 years.

13 to 16 years - The teenager’s body continues to change rapidly as he or she goes through puberty. Many will experience growth spurts, and physical activity continues to be important to maintain bone and muscle strength and physical fitness. With growth spurts may come and an increased need to rest and it is therefore not unreasonable for young people to lie in when they have the opportunity.Curiosity about sexual matters will usually begin and accurate information and sources of advice and guidance should be readily available. Young people of this age may begin to rebel against authority, and this might show itself through refusal to take showers, clean teeth, etc. However, although they may not admit it, young people still feel more secure within structured routines.

Social & Emotional Development:

8 to 12 years - Peers become more and more important to children within this age band can be quite devastating when their friends turn their back on them. Children tend to play in same sex peer groups. It is most important to these children they are accepted by their peers. They long to be part of the group or team and will strive for acceptance by mimicking their friends’ attitudes, language clothes and style. However, they can still be comfortable being alone.

13 to 16 years - Young people continue to need time with their friends.They will have a strong sense of what is fair and right, although will continue to need good role models to help then make the right decisions. Strong bonds are formed with their peers and often, emotional attachments are made with girlfriends and boyfriends.

Behaviour:

8 to 16 years - Behaviour within this age band can swing from growing maturity to childish behaviour quickly and easily. Hormonal changes can bring about moodiness and outbursts. However, children of this age are generally more able to describe how they feel and will have developed strategies to deal with their feelings.They will have a strong sense of fairness and will feel that it is important to stick to the rules.They may experience conflict between their parents’ moral values and those of their peers. This can lead to difficulty as the influences of their peer groups become more important to them than the influences of their families.As they strive for independence, young people may appear to be breaking the rules. Adults need to let them make their own decisions as far as possible so that they learn to be responsible for themselves.

Puberty - Puberty is a stage in a person’s life when they grow from being a child to being an adult. Changes occur physically, psychologically and emotionally, sometimes in a very short space of time. For this reason, it can be a very confusing time in a young person’s life. He or she may feel too embarrassed to talk to anyone about what is happening to them.Sometimes their parents feel too embarrassed to explain what is happening.Because puberty is a stage in a person’s development, there is no fixed time when it will occur. Usually, a child will begin puberty between the ages of 11 and 1 4, but it can happen earlier or later.Mood swings, rebellion and non-communication are common in young people going through puberty. An understanding attitude is necessary when helping young people through this time in their lives.Young people will need: - someone who will listen without judging them- somewhere to get advice, guidance and information anonymously- good role models in the adults around them, demonstrating healthy lifestyles and attitudes- structure and routine to help them to feel secure when they feel uncertainty in other areas of their lives.

Communication:

8 to 12 years - Children will be able to communicate in a clear and fluent manner. Written communication skills become more refined, although children of this age will still be more able to express themselves verbally and non-verbally than in a written form.Vocabulary continues to increase, with children questioning, reasoning, chatting and telling jokesThe rules of grammar are learnt and are being increasingly used.

13 to 16 years - Parents of teenagers of this age can often be heard saying, ‘He never talks to me’ or ‘She stays on her own in her room when she is at home’. Young people usually prefer to communicate their inner most thoughts only to their closest friends, It is important, therefore that information and advice is easily accessible in an anonymous way for those young people who need it.The language young people use within this age band is often littered with phrases and sayings current to their times.

Intellectual:

8 to 12 years - As children progress in school, they will develop a better understanding of the world around them. They will be better able to reason and think logically and will be able to communicate in a clear and fluent manner. They will continue to question and solve problems and will be able to retain many facts, particularly about subjects that interest them. They will enjoy telling jokes and understand past, present and future.Children of this age also have a stronger sense of morality — they understand right from wrong. Their families and main carers will continue to be the main influences and role models for them, although they will begin to be influenced by the behaviour and style of those they admire — music, film and TV stars having a great influence on this age band.From about the age of 10, children develop the ability for abstract thought, enabling them to question what goes on in the world around them as well as ideas and moral issues.Growing independence will mean that children will strive to make more decisions for themselves. This will include the friends they make, the food they eat and whether or not they wish to talk.

13 to 16 years - Musical, artistic or academic talents may start to emerge at this stage.The pressure of the school curriculum can become overwhelming for some young people and those around them need to be alert to signs of anxiety. A balance of activity is necessary so that young people feel able to switch off from exam and school pressure.