For the first time, a report focuses specifically on middle childhood--a discrete, pivotal period of development. In this review of research, experts examine the physical health and cognitive development of 6- to 12-year-old children as well as their surroundings: school and home environment, ecocultural setting, and family and peer relationships.

Contents

• PANEL TO REVIEW THE STATUS OF BASIC RESEARCH ON SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
• CONTRIBUTORS
• COMMITTEE ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1. Introduction
  • Theoretical Views of Middle Childhood
  • Demographic Overview of Children in Middle Childhood
  • Themes of the Report
  • References
• Chapter 2. The Biological Substrate and Physical Health in Middle Childhood
  • The Biological Substrate
  • Concepts of Health, Illness, And Disease
  • Physical Health And The Emerging Sense Of Self
  • An Agenda For Further Investigation
  • Summary
  • References
• Chapter 3. Cognitive Development In School-Age Children: Conclusions And New Directions
  • Patterns Of Developmental Change
  • The Central Issues In The Field Today
  • Examples Of Promising New Directions
  • Summary And Conclusions
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• Chapter 4. Self-Understanding And Self-Regulation In Middle Childhood
  • Regulation Of Behavior: The Self-System And The Social System
  • Self-Concept Tasks Of Middle Childhood
  • Research On Self-Understanding
  • Research On Self-Regulation
  • Moderating Variables: Self-System And Social System
  • Methodology
  • Conclusion
  • References
• Chapter 5. Middle Childhood In The Context Of The Family
  • Child-Rearing And Developmental Change
  • Variations Among Families
  • Group Differences In Child-Rearing
  • Family Roles And Systems
  • Methodology
  • Conclusion
  • References
• Chapter 6. The Peer Context In Middle Childhood
  • Peer Contexts
  • Situational Components
  • Peer Relationships And The Individual Child
  • Family And Peer Relationships
  • The Peer Context And The School
  • Methodological Issues
  • Conclusion
  • References
• Chapter 7. School And Children: The Middle Childhood Years
  • The School Environment
  • Effects Of Schooling
  • Social Background And Schooling
  • School Desegregation
  • Second-Language Learning And Bilingualism
  • Instructional Approaches To Reducing Educational Inequality
  • Conclusion
  • References
• Chapter 8. Ecocultural Niches Of Middle Childhood: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
  • Western And Non-Western Cultures
  • Patterns Of Caretaking Of Children
  • Self-Conceptions And Ecocultural Variations
  • Troublesomeness In Children
  • Schooling And Literacy
  • Some Comments On Methods
  • Conclusion
  • References
• Chapter 9. The Status Of Research Related To Psychopathology
  • Implications Of Recent Research: Dispelling Myths
  • Implications Of Recent Research: Some New Directions
  • Research Needs
  • Summary
  • References
• Chapter 10. Conclusion: The Status Of Basic Research On Middle Childhood
  • The Nature And Tasks Of Middle Childhood
  • Cross-Cutting Issues In Middle Childhood Development
  • Conclusion
  • References

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors, according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was established by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with, the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and of advising the federal government. The Council operates in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy under the authority of its congressional charter of 1863, which establishes the Academy as a private, nonprofit, self-governing membership corporation. The Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in the conduct of their services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. It is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. The National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine were established in 1964 and 1970, respectively, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences.