Developmental+Characteristics+of+the+Junior+Learner


 * The Junior Learner**

My ideas before the reading

Physical growth:  very fast, sometimes it can be faster than other kinds of growth  It can make them awkward.  They are approaching adolescence and may have hormonal symptoms or change in sleeping Social growth:  closer bonds with Peers  greater ability to empathize  increased independence Cognitive growth:  increased critical thinking  increased ability to think abstractly

**Post-task writing**

For example, both my children have gone through three sets of jeans in the past year. My son, the almost ten year old, is developing closer friendships based on common interest and compatibility rather than just making friends with whomever he happens to be around. He is still, ( I hope he always will be) very curious about the world around him. He has always asked lots of questions but his questions are becoming more abstract in nature. One example is “Mum, if sugar was good for you would let us eat candy all the time?”
 * My notes are based on observations of my own children aged 8 and 10 (almost). They seem comparable with other children I know and friends of my children.



Insights gained from the reading

One of the things I learned from the readings is that this is the age where children are more likely to defy adult authority and see that their parents and teachers are flawed. This, combined with their increased capacity to reason, may cause new conflict with teachers and parents. I also learned that children are now more likely to fantasize about the future and are better able to understand abstract concepts. The readings really confirm what I see in my own child.