PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Physical growth during the primary school years is slow but steady. During this stage, physical development involves:

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• having good muscle control and coordination
• developing eye-hand coordination
• having good personal hygiene
• being aware of good safety habits

In this developmental stage, children will have started their elementary grades. Specifically, their primary years – Grades 1 – 3.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT

• This period of gradual and steady growth will give children time to get used to the changes in their bodies. An average increase in height of a little over two inches a year in both boys and girls will introduce them to many different activities that they can now do with greater accuracy.

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• Weight gain averages about 6.5 pounds a year. Most children will have slimmer appearance compared to their preschool years because of the shifts in accumulation and location of their body fat, although girls tend to develop additional fat cells relative to muscle cells. A child’s legs are longer and more proportioned to the body than they were before.

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• A number of factors could indicate how much a child grows, or how much changes in the body will take place: genes, food, climate, exercise, medical conditions and diseases / illnesses.

Bones and Muscles

• Childhood years are the peak bone-producing years – bones grow longer and broader. This is the best time for parents and teachers to educate children of good dietary and exercise habits to help them have strong, healthy bones throughout their lives.

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

• Young school-aged children are gaining control over the major muscles of their bodies. Most children have good sense of balance. They like testing their muscle strength and skills. They enjoy doing real-life tasks and activities. They pretend and fantasize less often because they are more in time with everything that is happening around them.

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• Performing unimanual (requiring the use of one hand) and bi-manual (requiring the use of two hands) activities becomes easier. Children’s graphic activities, such as writing and drawing are now more controlled but are still developing. Motor development skills include coordination, balance, speed, agility and power.
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Coordination: is a series of movements organized and timed to occur in a particular way to bring about a particular result.

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• BALANCE: it is the child’s ability to maintain the equilibrium or stability of his/her body in different positions. Balance is a basic skill needed especially in this stage, when children are very active. During this time, children have improved balancing skills. Static balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium in a fixed position, like balancing on one foot. Dynamic Balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium while moving.

Speed: is the ability to cover a great distance in the shortest possible time.

Agility: is one’s ability to quickly change or shift the direction of the body. This skill is extremely
important in most sports.

Power: is the ability to perform a maximum effort in the shortest possible period.

ISSUES AFFECTING PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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• Obesity: this is becoming a major concern for parents and health care providers, since it seems it becoming a trend. Childhood obesity may be linked to a number of health-related consequences. Evidence also shows that overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese well into their adulthood and are more prone to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes and some cardiovascular diseases at much younger age.

Childhood Nutrition: malnutrition remains a major health issue in the Philippines. This has been proven to have serious effect on the physical and mental development of children.

Sleep: primary school-age children need 9 to 11 hours of sleep every day (including daytime naps). Sometimes, due to their schedule in school, midday naps or siesta is not possible anymore. Poor and inadequate sleep may result to mood swings, behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and cognitive problems which may impact their ability to concentrate in school.

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