TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT
From ages 10 through 14, a child develops in the following areas:
Physical development.
Adolescence is a time of change throughout the body. A growth spurt usually occurs near the time of puberty. Girls begin to develop breasts and start their periods. Boys grow facial hair. Both boys and girls grow pubic hair. Boys may lag behind girls in height during these years, but they usually end up taller.
Cognitive development.
This is how the brain develops the abilities to think, learn, reason, and remember. Children this age typically focus on the present, but they are starting to understand that what they do now can have long-term effects. They are also beginning to see that issues are not just clear-cut and that information can be interpreted in different ways.
Emotional/Social development
Children in this developmental stage may also express strengths when:
Thinking and Learning
Physical development.
Adolescence is a time of change throughout the body. A growth spurt usually occurs near the time of puberty. Girls begin to develop breasts and start their periods. Boys grow facial hair. Both boys and girls grow pubic hair. Boys may lag behind girls in height during these years, but they usually end up taller.
Cognitive development.
This is how the brain develops the abilities to think, learn, reason, and remember. Children this age typically focus on the present, but they are starting to understand that what they do now can have long-term effects. They are also beginning to see that issues are not just clear-cut and that information can be interpreted in different ways.
Emotional/Social development
- Show more concern about body image, looks, and clothes.
- Focus on themselves; going back and forth between high expectations and lack of confidence.
- Experience more moodiness.
- Show more interest in and influence by peer group.
- Express less affection toward parents; sometimes might seem rude or short-tempered.
- Feel stress from more challenging school work, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems.
- Develop eating problems.
- Feel sadness, depression, and anxiety.
Children in this developmental stage may also express strengths when:
Thinking and Learning
- Have more ability for complex thought.
- Be better able to express feelings through talking.
- Develop a stronger sense of right and wrong.