This document summarizes the key physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and moral characteristics of children ages 9-12. Physically, girls often experience growth spurts earlier than boys. Socially, peer groups become more influential as children seek greater independence. Emotionally, disrupted family relationships can lead to behaviors like delinquency. Cognitively, sex differences in abilities decrease while individual styles emerge. Morally, children develop a stronger sense of personal responsibility and internalized standards of justice. The implications for the classroom emphasize giving age-appropriate answers to questions, encouraging cooperation over punishment, and using varied teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles.

1. Late Childhood Stage
9 to 12 years old (Grade 4-6)

2. PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS +)

3. Physical Characteristics
1. Growth spurt occurs in most
girls and starts in early-maturing
boys. On the average girls
between 10 and 14 are taller and
heavier than boys of the same
age.

5. Classroom Implications
Conflicts between physical
attributes and sex roles might
arise, try to explain that things
will eventually even out and to
persuade pupils that being male
and female should not in itself
determine what a person does.

6. Physical Characteristics
2. Concern and curiosity about
sex are prevalent especially
because these involves drastic
biological adjustments.

7. Classroom Implications
Try to give accurate and
unemotional answers to question
about sex.

8. Physical Characteristics
3. Fine motor coordination is
quite good; manipulation of
small objects is easy and
enjoyable.

11. Classroom Implications
Provide arts and crafts and
musical and related creative
activities.

12. SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS
+)

13. Social Characteristics
1. Peer group becomes powerful
and begins to replace adults as
basis of behavior standards and
recognition of achievements.

15. Classroom Implications
Keep in mind the pupil’s growing
independence and their need for
understanding and limit setting
rather than punishment, provide
cooperative activities.

16. Social Characteristics
2. Increase development of
interpersonal reasoning that leads
to greater understanding of others’
feelings.

18. Classroom Implications
 Try to play down comparison between best
and worst learners.
 Encourage pupils to participate in the rule
setting
 Keep students constructively busy.

19. EMOTIONAL
CHARACTERISTIC +)

20. Emotional Characteristics
1. Delinquent behavior may be
manifested, caused more by
disrupted family relationships,
social rejection, and school failure.

23. Classroom Implications
May need provisions for counselling
and parent training and mastery of
academic skills.

24. Emotional Characteristics
2. Somehow may show behavior
disorder (hyperactivity, bed wetting,
antisocial behavior, ties, excessive
fears, depression, eating disorder,
anxiety, withdrawal)

25. Classroom Implications
Report unusual and repeated
episodes of disorder to parents and
school counselor.

26. COGNITIVE
CHARATERISTICS +)

27. Cognitive Characteristics
1. Sex differences in specific
abilities decrease in number and
magnitude.

28. Classroom Implications
Provide opportunities to learn for
both sexes to further lessen
differences.

29. Cognitive Characteristics
2. Differences in cognitive styles
become apparent.

30. Classroom Implications
Use varied teaching methods and
approaches

31. Cognitive Characteristics
3. May be able to deal with
abstraction but may still need to
generalize from concrete
experience.

32. MORAL
CHARATERISTICS +)

33. Moral Characteristics
1. Emotions concerning pride and
guilt become clearly governed by
personal responsibility.

34. Moral Characteristics
2. Ideas about justice.

35. Moral Characteristics
3. Can now follow advance
internalized standards.

36. Thank you!oo