K-12: Growth and Development

During the K-12 years our children continue to grow and development dramatically. Here we've gathered great articles focusing on the unique issues facing these children. There are several other areas at KidSource to visit for additional information: for younger children - Preschool Growth and Development , for children with a disability - Attention Deficit Disorder , Learning Disabilities , Physical Disabilities , for issues about drugs or substance abuse - Substance Abuse

Our rating system for these Growth and Development articles is:

• - Best, in depth and most helpful overall
• - Very Good, but more specific in focus
• - Good reference material

---

>>

	Joy and Loss: The Emotional Lives of Gifted Children As Ellen Winner explains in her outstanding book, Gifted Children, there is a myth that gifted children are better adjusted, more popular, and happier than average children. The challenging reality is that more frequently, nearly the opposite is true. For most gifted children, childhood is more pleasurable and more fulfilling because they derive joy from challenge and reward from work. At the same time, it is a childhood that is more painful, more isolated, and more stressful because they do not fit in with their peers and they set high expectations.
	Child Health Guide - Put Prevention into Practice This is an outstanding 30 page guide from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that has information on preventative care and on good health habits. Use it as a permanent record to help you keep track of your child's health and care through the years. This guide contains many great growth charts, immunization tables and other quick-reference information that can help your child get a healthy start on life.
	Sizing Up Kids' Nutrition and Fitness Sound nutrition and fitness habits developed during childhood have the potential to last a lifetime. To examine how today's youth measure up in terms of diet and activity, the International Food Information Council Foundation and the International Life Sciences Institute-North America recently convened a conference, drawing on experts in pediatrics, nutrition, exercise physiology and education.
	Creativity for Emotional Intelligence: Ideas and Activities One key component of emotional intelligence is creativity. What is creativity and how do parents foster it in their children? In this article you'll find activities that you can do with your children to foster a creative spirit. You'll also find some thought provoking questions that your children will enjoy puzzling over.
	How To Recognize And Develop Your Children's Special Talents This Parent Guide from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education provides families with information on how they can develop their children's talents at home, as well as how they can work with schools toward the same goals. A section on multicultural gifted programs is also included.
	Promoting Physical Activity and Exercise among Children Physical inactivity has become a serious problem in the United States. More than half of U.S. adults do not meet recommended levels of moderate physical activity, and one-fourth engage in no leisure time physical activity at all. Inactivity is more prevalent among those with lower income and education, and, beginning in adolescence, affects females more than males . A pattern of inactivity, also known as sedentism, begins early in life, making the promotion of physical activity among children imperative. This Digest discusses the importance of and ways to foster activity and exercise in children.
	Spoken Language Problems It is important to identify children whose language is not developing normally so that more specific stimulation and actual intervention can begin as early as possible. In young children there are many known milestones that can be observed by parents and preschool teachers. In this article from the Learning Disabilities Association of America, these spoken language problems are discussed and a great list of language milestones and activities to encourage language development is included.
	Questions and Answers about Stuttering This article from the American-Speech-Language Hearing Association, answers the main questions that parents will ask if their child stutters.
	Violence and Young Children's Development In the context of this digest, the term VIOLENCE is used to refer to child abuse or other domestic conflict, gang aggression, and community crime, including assault. One of the most pernicious consequences of violence is its effect on the development of children. This digest examines the developmental consequences for children who are the victims of, or witnesses to, family and community violence.
	Helping Children Eat Right Susan L. Johnson, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow with the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. For the last 10 years, she has designed and conducted research on the relationship of nutrition and behavior, with a focus on the regulation of energy intake in preschool-age children. Here, Johnson focuses on the issues of parental influence on children's eating habits and the development of childhood obesity.
	Childhood Obesity Between 5-25 percent of children and teenagers in the United States are obese (Dietz, 1983). As with adults, the prevalence of obesity in the young varies by ethnic group. This article talks about the definition, problems, prevention, and treatment of obese children.
	Seven Major Issues of 1997 Facing Girls in the United States Violence, economic opportunity and changing family dynamics are three of the seven issues facing girls between the ages of five and seventeen in this country, according to the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
	Music Beats Computers at Enhancing Early Childhood Development A research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reports that music training -- specifically piano instruction -- is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science.
	AAO: Hand Eye Dominance For years, students of baseball believed hand-eye dominance was an important factor in determining a baseball player's batting performance. In an effort to answer the question of dominance patterns, Drs. Laby, Kirschen, Rosenbaum, and Mellman of the Jules Eye Institute at UCLA studied 410 members of the Los Angeles Dodgers professional baseball team during the 1992-1995 baseball seasons.
	Father Involvement in Schools Until recently, fathers were the hidden parent in research on children's well-being. This article looks at the extent to which fathers are involved in their children's schools and the link between fathers' involvement and kindergartners' through 12th-graders' school performance.
	How Can We Strengthen Children's Self-Esteem? Most parents want their young children to have a healthy sense of self-esteem. Experts generally agree that parents and other adults who are important to children play a major role in laying a solid foundation for a child's development. The points in this article may be helpful in strengthening and supporting a healthy sense of self-esteem in your child.
	Pull the Plug on TV and Video Game Violence Week Parents who are concerned about the effects of violence on TV and in video games on children, need to read this article. In it you'll find suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics that will help you limit the effects of these forms of violence on your children.
	Look Beyond the Obvious for Telltale Signs of Child Abuse The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the face offers the most telling glimpse behind the closed doors of child abuse. In a comprehensive study of 371 children who were suspected of being abused, injuries to the head and face accounted for 28% of 892 soft-tissue injuries.
	School Readiness and Children's Developmental Status Teachers must maintain the interest and promote the growth of children who have already demonstrated signs of early literacy and numeracy while simultaneously encouraging the development of these behaviors in children who have not yet acquired them. Similarly, they must meet the needs of children with difficulties while reserving sufficient attention and effort for those with few or no difficulties. Although there has always been variation in the characteristics of children entering kindergarten, the commitment to meeting the educational and developmental needs of all children in an increasingly diverse society presents great challenges to teachers, schools, and communities.
	Why, How, and When Should My Child Learn a Second Language? Most experts agree that the earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the chances are that the child will become truly proficient in the language. In addition, children may derive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problem-solving skills. Knowing a second language ultimately provides a competitive advantage in the work force by opening up additional job opportunities.
	New Poll Shows Few Understand Bed-Wetting Five to seven million children wake up every morning in a wet bed. A new survey of 9,000 families found that despite the prevalence of the condition, only some parents understand that bed-wetting, medically known as primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE), may be a medical --not behavioral-- condition that can be treated.